Master of Arts in International Tourism
Università della Svizzera italiana
About this program
Master of Arts in International Tourism
Tourism has grown to become a global economic industry. Managing international tourism means understanding its diversity and requires a frequent change of perspectives between the various stakeholders involved in tourism: different types of tourists, tourism businesses, the local community, tourism employees, governments, NGOs, activist groups, and tourism industry associations – to name a few.
The USI MA in International Tourism responds to this need by offering a multidisciplinary and forward-thinking approach. While acquiring toolkits of Economics, Communication Sciences, and Management, you master different ways of critical thinking which are key to solving complex problems in tourism.
While our core courses give you a helicopter view of the International Tourism Industry, you specialize yourself during your minor in eTourism, minor in Sustainability, the World Challenges Programme, or a semester abroad at one of our selected partner universities.
You study in small intercultural classes taught by an expert Faculty coming to Lugano from all over the world. Through various labs, applied group projects, conferences, field excursions in Switzerland and abroad, Study Tour to a European city destination, tourism internship, you sharpen essential soft skills and gain valuable hands-on experience in tourism at university level.
The USI MA in International Tourism is designed to equip learners from a wide variety of educational backgrounds with the toolkits and soft skills needed to shape international tourism in a sustainable way, creating the best possible start for a successful tourism career.
Our graduates are well-equipped for a high-level career in the international tourism industry within Destination Management & Marketing Organizations; Transportation & Accommodation companies; (Online) Tour Operators; Event Management & Conferences; Corporate Travel Management; Tourism Research and Consultancy; Governments, NGOs & Tourism Industry Associations.
Admission requirements
Academic requirements
The formal requirement for admission to the USI Master in International Tourism is a Bachelor’s degree in Economics, Business Administration, Management, Communication Sciences, Marketing, International Relations, Political Science, Public Administration, Transportation Science, Geography, Environmental Science, History, Law, Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Languages and Literature, Tourism, and other related fields, granted by a recognised university.
To guarantee the optimal ratio between learners and the USI Master in International Tourism faculty, the places offered are limited. Therefore, selection can be effected on the basis of academic results. Admissions will be treated on a case by case basis.
For Bachelor degrees obtained in Switzerland, USI accepts Bachelor degrees from recognised Swiss Higher Education Institutions (Universities, and Universities of Applied Sciences) listed by Swissuniversities. The full, up-to-date list is available here: Swissuniversities.
USI Master in International Tourism candidates usually receive the outcome of their application within 10 working days from the day they submitted their application.
A one-to-one interview may be part of the application process.
Applicants with a Bachelor’s degree granted by a recognised University of Applied Sciences –in Switzerland the so-called ’Fachhochschulen’ (FH) / Hautes écoles spécialisées / Scuole universitarie professionali – may be admitted.
In this case, you need to obtain 30 additional ECTS during the USI Master in International Tourism in elective courses that you can freely choose from all Master level courses in English offered at USI.
Language requirements
Admission to English-language graduate-level (Master) programmes at USI requires a good command, or advanced knowledge, of the English idiom. Non-English native speakers applying for the Master, or whose previous degree was obtained in another language than English, are required to provide an internationally acknowledged language certificate equal to the B2 (IELTS 5.5) level for enrollment in A.Y 2023/2024 and the B2+ level (IELTS 6.5) for enrollment in A.Y 2024/2025, as defined by the Common European Framework of Reference for language learning (CEFR), or equivalent (e.g. TOEFL, IELTS, etc.).
A complete list of the accepted English language certificate is available in the Section Admission requirements on the website.
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Tuition
The semester fees are CHF 4,000. For candidates resident in Switzerland and Lichtenstein at the time of the final high school exam (maturità), the semester fee is CHF 2,000.
Qualification
Master of Arts in International Tourism
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Università della Svizzera italiana (USI)
USI Università della Svizzera italiana is a member of the Swiss universities system and the only Italian-speaking University in Switzerland. It is a multi-lingual university with courses taught in Italian and English and it has a strong international orientation. USI’s...
Why study at Università della Svizzera italiana
USI is a young and lively university, a hub of opportunity open to the world where students are offered a quality interdisciplinary education in which they can be fully engaged and take center stage.
Seven reasons for choosing USI:
- Quality of the Swiss university system
- International faculty
- Leading interdisciplinary education
- Teacher/student ratio 1 to 9
- Strong ties with the business world
- Flexible structure, open to the exchange of ideas
- International, dynamic and welcoming environment
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Università della Svizzera italiana
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