Study Hotel Management and Hospitality in Malaysia

By far, hotel management and hospitality is considered to be one of the fastest growing industry across the globe that offers seemingly infinite opportunities for employment. Despite the odds with the current unpredictable economic conditions, this particular industry has shown little to no signs of slowing down with over 100 million people and more employed.

If you think you have a special personality in being highly organised, excited in meeting and working alongside with different people, and a tendency in perfecting details, then it is without doubt that the hospitality management industry is for you.

Enrolling a degree in hotel management and hospitality can help you get started in your career that your degree can lead you to as well as increasing your value to the demands of the sector and becoming a member of the industry. Being a part of it means that you are provided with many options for work as dozens of vacant positions are created for interested individuals who are eager to reap the many rewards and promotions available.

To tackle the questions below that might relate to you, we have provided the answers that can convince you why you should study hotel management and hospitality. Check them out!

1. What is hotel management and hospitality about?

2. What are the different fields in hospitality management?

3. What skills do I need in this field?

4. How long will I be studying in this programme?

5. What are the entry requirements to these courses?

6. What are some of the job opportunities?

7. What is the expected salary for me?

8. Universities offering Hotel Management and Hospitality programmes in Malaysia.

Everything you need to know about Hotel Management and Hospitality

What is Hotel Management and Hospitality about?

Courses in Hotel Management and Hospitality can include hoteliary operational aspects with many topics that include a range from management, marketing, leisure, tourism to event management, and others. Students taking hospitality in degree can expect to be taught on skills to effectively and efficiently carry out the relevant roles they are assigned with such as overseeing the reception desk, managing restaurant operations, management, and many more at the workplace.

What does it mean to study hotel management and hospitality for prospective students such as yourself and when you are ready for the workplace? Some of the benefits you can earn through a degree in this field include:

• Gain more opportunities to travel and work abroad in international organisations

• Receive rewarding experience in being exposed to other cultures and languages

• Prepares you with entrepreneurial perspective and passion to become more independent in the hospitality service

What are the different fields in hospitality management?

As we've mentioned before, the hospitality sector is a large and growing industry of opportunities and activities, thus, has many specialisation areas. However, we have compiled some of the more main areas in the industry you may or may not have heard of before.

What are the 5 important skills do I need in this field?

Building your career in the hospitality industry may very rewarding, however, it does also come with its own set of demands. To become a valuable and employable member of the industry, you need to consider enhancing these skills to have you ready for the workplace:

1. Excellent communication skills

Whatever your role that you aspire for, you do need to have effective communication skills that you can depend on to work your way through in the industry. It takes more than being competent at your job as you are expected to communicate with almost everybody at work including your colleagues, employers and most importantly, your customers. With that being said, try to polish up on your verbal and written communication skills before you're geared up to step into the industry.

2. Good customer service attitude

There's a reason why the saying Customers are always right is incredibly popular when you're working in the hospitality industry. You will be frequently interacting with people who consist of your customers and you need to keep in mind to be fully prepared in meeting their demands however necessary. Be friendly and helpful and you'll be on the right track in keeping your customers happy that can leave positive feedback on your performance and customer services!

3. Sufficiently trained

If you want to create a steady progress in establishing your career, then it is crucial to start building your knowledge and skills through proper training and qualifications before entering the working field. Obtaining training and exposure can help you increase your relevancy and value to the industry as well as being prepared in managing different roles and situations. Basically, the entire workforce consists of complex systems and expectations which demands its future employees like you to be ready at handling problems efficiently by understanding the way things truly work.

4. Strong understanding of different cultures

Having a sense of cultural awareness is vital for every individual in the hospitality industry in terms of understanding the different cultural backgrounds, religions, races and nationalities of customers. You need to have an open-minded outlook as well as appreciating the individual uniques of each person if you seek to make your customers and colleagues comfortable in cooperating with you.

5. Cooperative to work with others

Similar to other industries out there, being cooperative to work with others in teams is still equally important. This willingness to achieve common goals with others include being open-minded to receive instructions from team members and ensuring that the people you work with feel supported with your contribution and effort. Being a functional member of a team and sharing the workload and ideas can make you more successful in this field.

How long will I be studying in this programme?

The study duration can vary according to the study levels you wish to pursue in as well as the institution in which these courses are available. While it may be advantageous to secure courses that offer shorter study duration to have you immediately boosted into the working field, you also need the know-how skills of the industry through training experience. Build this exposure right up from your studies to your practical trainings before you join in the industry!

What are the entry requirements and qualifications?

To get yourself enrolled in studying a Hospitality programme, there are several minimum entry requirements with a specific set of qualifications that you are required to tick off first.

Keep note that different institutions and universities have their own specific requirements from its prospective students so you are advised to do some research before you sign up!

Diploma in Hotel Management & Hospitality

• SPM / O-Level:

• Minimum 3 credits, including a pass in both Bahasa Malaysia and History

Bachelor’s degree in Hotel Management & Hospitality

• A-Level: Minimum of 2Es

• Australian Matriculation: Minimum of ATAR 50

• Foundation in Arts: Minimum CGPA of 2.0

• Diploma: Minimum CGPA of 2.0

• Canadian Pre-University: Minimum average of 50%

How much is the average tuition fees?

Very much similar to the entry requirements to some of the institutions providing these programmes in Malaysia, the average tuition fees also vary. In general, tuition fees in public universities are more affordable than private institutions.

What are the job opportunities?

What sort of jobs can you expect in this industry? There are numerous career pathways you can choose from once you have completed your studies in hotel management and hospitality. Some of these careers include working in hotels and resorts, restaurants, cruise lines, theme parks, tourism industries and other prospects you can do to engage with customers and become part of a growing working empire.

However, this is not always the case as there plenty of other jobs that require low levels of customer interactions and more focused on behind-the-scenes operations. These include areas in management, marketing, accounting, and so on.

Here are just several of them you can consider:

• Hotel manager

• Travel consultant

• Food service manager

• Restaurant manager

• Training manager

• Account staff

• Event planner

Universities offering Hotel Management and Hospitality programmes in Malaysia.

Now that you have a grasp about the industry and what you can gain from dedicating a career here, we have curated a special list of institutions that have been recognised by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) early last year. It is a body that takes responsibility in determining the quality of education offered in both public and private sectors. Below are the six top listed institutions for providing the best quality programmes in hospitality and tourism:

1. Management & Science University (MSU)
2. Sunway University
3. Taylor’s University
4. Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS)
5. Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM)
6. Universiti Utara Malaysia

Management & Science University (MSU)

At MSU, students are trained with the necessary tools and knowledge in meeting the needs of the current industries on a global level. Its quality education is also recognised and has earned a SETARA Tier-5 rating which brands the institution in the Excellent University category. Furthermore, its hospitality courses are also unique by blending theories and skills in both managerial and entrepreneurial aspects combined.

Sunway University

Sunway University’s profile is as a leading private university in Malaysia with a strong outlook towards quality education through the provision of scholarships, research and enterprise. Ranked as one of the top 2% top university in Asia, Sunway University is also recognised by MQA with frequent collaborations with other institutions such as Oxford, Cambridge and most recently, Lancaster University. At Sunway, students at the School of Hospitality are exposed to flexible learning methods and also provided with state-of-the-art facilities that can enrichen their learning experience.

Taylor’s University

Taylor’s University is a leading international institution that is also based in Malaysia. Taylor’s University strives to produce professional and equally skilled graduates. Programmes such as Bachelor of International Hospitality & Management in its School of Hospitality is focused on training students to build on practical and relevant skills that they are expected to utilise in the industry. Furthermore, it also relates to other areas in the industry such as hospitality business, human relations, and culinary arts.

Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS)

Universiti Malaysia Sabah is a national public institution that provides quality education to both the local and international community alike. Its hospitality management programmes equip students with not merely the technical aspects of the industry but also real-life issues that revolves around their relevant professions and roles.

Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM)

Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) is seen as one of the leading universities in the country that has produced hundreds of successful graduates each year. It also has campuses established throughout Malaysia and thus makes it the biggest tertiary education provider.

Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM)

Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) is recognised by MQA for its high quality education and as a mature university in the country. The programme in this institution exposes students to the operational and management of different industries in the sector such as food and beverage, accommodation establishment, training and others.