FULL TIME BA programme in English
STUDY ENGLISH IN TOURISM – PRACTICAL PROFILE
English in tourism – a practical profile is a modern and pioneering nationwide study programme of the University of Opole, which combines typical academic classes and seminars at the University with a whole range of practical workshops, field trips and internships taking place outside the walls of UO. Three semesters of study are divided into two parts: academic (10 weeks of classes at UO) and practical (remaining part of the semester). In semester 4 students are offerred a unique full semester internship (480 godz) in hotels, trourist offices, travel agencies, or administrative services in tourist enterprices of their choice. In semester 5 and 6 students work on their diploma papers rooted in the practical profile.
In addition to the core curriculum subjects related to the development of language skills in English, which reaches level C1 in the third year, students will learn the secrets of functioning of the broadly understood tourism industry, including topics such as:
– basics of tourism and hotel industry
– marketing of tourist services
– travel agency operations
– IT services in tourism
– customer service (in Polish and English)
– organization, piloting and tour guidance (in Polish and English)
– intercultural communication
– sociology and psychology in tourism
– safety and health protection
– geopolitical conditions in tourism
– tourist regions of Opole / Poland / Europe / world
– history and culture of the Opole region
– selected issues from art history / world museums
Typically, the academic part of the studies is conducted only by the employees of the Faculty of Philology UO – top-class academic specialists, while the practical part of the studies is conducted by both academic lecturers (employed outside the Faculty of Philology UO) and practitioners (entrepreneurs), mostly either working every day or regularly cooperating with the tourist industry. Some of the classes take place even in hotel offices, in travel agencies cooperating with the University in various educational projects, as well as outdoors (e.g. tourist pilotage).
Undergraduate studies end with a bachelor’s degree. For those wishing to continue their education at second-cycle studies, the University offers a range of philological or non-philological master’s studies which may prove useful in the tourism industry.
ADVANTAGES OF PRACTICAL STUDIES
The most important feature that distinguishes this type of study from all other typically academic types is their practical nature, i.e. combining academic classes, during which a number of competences necessary to work in tourism are acquired, with professional apprenticeships. During the internships, students are still training and already working in the tourism industry. The university is cooperating in this respect with local hotels (including Hotel ‘Kamienica’), travel agencies (among others ‘Almatur’ and ‘Retman’), as well as with the tourist carrier and tourist office ‘Sindbad SA’ – the largest international carrier in Poland and one of the largest in Europe! In addition, as early as in the first year of study, students undergo a compulsory 36-hour course of camp councellor or trainer during which they acquire appropriate competences to work with children and young people in organized summer camps. Experienced lecturers from the UO Institute of Pedagogical Sciences and the School of Physical Education as well as practitioners – paramedics (including a course in first aid) are responsible for this part of education.
STUDENT MOBILITY PERSPECTIVES
Our students can enroll in a student exchange programme Erasmus+ offered by Opole University, which allows for studying abroad for a semester or two, developing foreign language communication skills, learning about culture of a foreign country and gaining professional knowledge via a foreign language. Our partners are, among others, in Spain, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Italy, Turkey and Cyprus. Students can also participate in study visits connected with the study program and do their internship abroad. (more information available at www.erasmus.uni.opole.pl).
FUTURE CAREER PROSPECTS
Undergraduates of English in tourism are prepared to work in the broadly understood tourism industry, especially in those sectors in which practical knowledge of English at an advanced level of communication is necessary. These can be various hotels, hostels, motels, tourist pensions, travel agencies, tourist agencies, tourist carriers, tourist offices, tourist information centers and PTTK, local, regional, national and international branches of tourist offices.