Hospitality & tourism courses

Tourism and hospitality is a lively, people-focused industry full of variety and innovation. You'll often work with outgoing, like-minded colleagues, and no two days are the same. This industry comes with plenty of perks, like opportunities to work overseas, discounted travel, and access to exciting events.  

While some see tourism and hospitality as a temporary job or entry-level work, it offers real career development. Many companies, especially global hotel chains and restaurant groups, value talent, support professional growth, and reward loyalty.  

The right course depends on your career goals and interests. Are you drawn to hotel management, event planning, travel coordination, or the food and beverage industry? Consider courses focused on specific fields. For example, hospitality management courses focus on leadership and operations in food and beverage. A tourism course teaches you about travel and destination planning. 

You can also consider a single subject or short course if you’d like to upskill in a particular area, like systems and operations, sustainability or sport event planning.  

Still unsure? Our student advisors are here to help you explore your options and choose the best course for you.  

The hospitality and tourism courses available through Open Universities Australia can help you develop the business acumen and soft skills necessary to succeed in the industry.  

Expect to cover core skills such as: 

• financial management 
• hospitality management
• leadership 
• marketing   
• strategic management.

Plus, you can choose from elective subjects like sustainability, ethics and digital innovation. 

Many courses also include integrated practical work experience opportunities.   

Entry requirements for hospitality and tourism courses vary. For short courses or certificates, there are often no prerequisites. This makes them accessible to anyone and a good starting point. 

Diplomas or degrees may require a high school certificate (or equivalent), and some might prefer a background in business or customer service. Specific courses could also have additional requirements, such as relevant work experience or an interview.  

Not meeting the requirements? Open-entry subjects or pathway programs might help you get started. For detailed advice, reach out to our student advisors. 

It depends on the course and whether you choose something short or long-term. Here’s a general guide: 

If you study hospitality or tourism through Open Universities Australia, you have the flexibility to choose how many subjects you take per term. This means you can complete your qualification at a faster or slower pace than you would on campus.   

Flexibility is the keyword that many of our current and past students use time and again. Online hospitality courses enable you to structure your course around your life and any existing personal or professional commitments. Not only will you save time commuting, but you can study from anywhere, anytime. This allows you to work towards a new career goal without having to give up your current job, family obligations or existing income in the process. 

Hospitality and tourism graduates go on to work across a wide range of careers. Here are some of the roles you could explore with your qualification:

• Events manager
• Destination marketing manager
• Hotel manager
• Conference coordinator
• Corporate airline executive
• Business development manager

Here at Open Universities Australia, we make enrolling online as straightforward as possible. To get started, find the course for you by browsing the options on this page. You can also compare different qualifications using our handy comparison tool, or request help from one of our student advisors.

When you’ve made your choice, click ‘Apply now’ on the relevant course page and follow the prompts to begin your enrolment. We’ll ask you to supply some supporting documentation, including proof of your identity, your tax file number, and a unique student identifier (USI) during this process.

Your university will get in touch with you via email to confirm whether or not your application has been successful.

Please note that enquiries and applications for some courses are handled directly by the university. If this is the case, it will be indicated on the course listing page.  

For more information about enrolment, read our online self-service enrolling instructions. If you get stuck at any time, contact us and we’ll talk you through it.

Check out these related study areas, which can also lead to careers in hospitality and tourism:

• Communication courses
• Finance courses
• Language courses
• Management courses