Relevance to Practice
The practical application of their studies is made possible for students of the International programme in Tourism Management (ISTM) by the projects of the Learners' Company, by the integrated semester abroad (5th and 6th semesters) and by numerous high-quality guest lectures. Learners’ Company The Learners' Company is the "practical workshop" of the programme and offers students as early as the 4th semester the opportunity to gather practical experience. It also represents a special feature in the International programme in Tourism Management. Practical projects with companies of the tourism industry take place here in common with the programme in Applied Leisure Studies (IPAF) of Bremen University of Applied Sciences. The Learners' Company offers students the opportunity, in collaboration with representatives from the actual working world, to take part in tourism projects, thereby enabling task-oriented and practically oriented learning. Semester abroad (fifth and sixth semester) ISTM students spend the 5th semester all over the world at one of the more than 60 partner universities of the School of International Business (SIB). For their studies abroad, students select modules from the following three areas which in terms of content are integrated in the curriculum as an elective component:Area I: Business Management/ Tourism Management
Area II: Culture / Intercultural
Area III: Tourism Politics / Tourism Economy and Geography.
The practical study semester abroad takes place in the 6th semester. It consists of a practicum lasting at least 20 weeks in a company or in an institution of the tourism industry or in one having a connection with tourism. The study abroad in the 5th and 6th semester is for all ISTM students a compulsory part of the curriculum.
In the modules Intercultural Management, Foreign Language, Foreign Culture Studies and country-specific Culture Studies the students prepare themselves intensively and professionally for the stay abroad. Upon their return they reflect on their experiences and a transfer to personal career and life planning takes place. Guest lectures Every semester ISTM students have the opportunity to take part in high-quality guest lectures. For this purpose representatives from the working world are invited who in the framework of a special event give a paper on interesting and current topics.