Pre-Masters in Management, Finance, Hospitality and Tourism
About this route
The Management, Finance, Hospitality and Tourism Pre-Masters programme provides the subject knowledge, language proficiency and study skills you need to progress to postgraduate study in a related field at the University of Surrey.
During the one and two-semester programme you will study a core unit of general subject skills and subject-specific units, which are carefully designed for your academic development.
Semester 1 - Inspire and Explore
- Business Intelligence for Decision Making
- In the Business Intelligence for Decision Making module you will gain an understanding of organizational decision-making processes and the constraints and uncertainties within which they take place.
In today's fast-paced world of business, where the only constant is change, business leaders and managers are under more pressure to execute decisions and more frequently than ever. Thanks to technological enhancements, a tremendous amount of data is available upon which to make decisions.
In this module you will be introduced to a variety of methods to analyse data sets and uncover important information which is critical to decision-making. You will gather, apply, evaluate, synthesise and present information and arguments, aligning with modern business management techniques.
Indicative content for this module includes decision making, data sets, judgement values, business Intelligence and analytical approaches, nature of risk and uncertainty, probabilities, decision tree analysis, regression analysis, scenario and sensitivity analysis using Microsoft Excel, trends and forecasting, interpreting and reporting and individual bias.
- In the Business Intelligence for Decision Making module you will gain an understanding of organizational decision-making processes and the constraints and uncertainties within which they take place.
- Research Skills
- The focus in the Research Skills module is the integration of knowledge and understanding built in the core module, consolidated and deepened through guided application in bridging modules and extended and specialized in elective modules, and finally culminating in independent application in an individual research project and reflective journal.
When embarking on their Masters programmes, students will have benefited from an introduction to disciplinary standards and expectations of UK higher education research appropriate to their chosen area of study. The ability to read and write critically is further, an essential academic skill in UK higher education.
Indicative content for this module includes defining research, research philosophy and approaches, ethical considerations, generating a research topic, determining the research question, writing the research proposal, critical standpoint, identifying key details, understanding the context of authorship, understanding inductive and deductive inferences and arguments; identifying arguments, aim and scope of literature review, research methodologies and the gap.
- The focus in the Research Skills module is the integration of knowledge and understanding built in the core module, consolidated and deepened through guided application in bridging modules and extended and specialized in elective modules, and finally culminating in independent application in an individual research project and reflective journal.
- Entrepreneurship
- In the Entrepreneurship module you will learn the key concepts of social, responsible, anthropological, and psychological entrepreneurship.
Entrepreneurship has a prominent role in making any country the world’s most competitive economy. It is, however, equally important to create a favourable climate, encourage innovation initiatives and provide competitive reward to the adroit.
This module will further establish a clear distinction between ‘entrepreneurs’ and ‘intrapreneurs’, and discuss how the ecosystem of a country plays a vital role in the process of opportunity recognition, assessment, and realization. Interplay between entrepreneurship and the digital age will also be explored in this module.
- In the Entrepreneurship module you will learn the key concepts of social, responsible, anthropological, and psychological entrepreneurship.
- International Visitor Economy
- In the International Visitor Economy elective module you will learn about the visitor economy from an international perspective and the principles and practices of sustainability within the industry, the main theoretical focus being on consumer theory and business behaviour.
The Visitor Economy is the umbrella term for travel, tourism, hospitality and events. The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) defines it as any direct, indirect, and induced economic activity resulting from visitors’ interactions with their destination. The question of sustainability and ethical decision-making are key to contemporary issues in this international industry.
The focus in this module is on extending and specialising knowledge and understanding of key facts, concepts and methods introduced and developed in the core module, which are then integrated into independent application in culminatory individual research projects in the capstone module.
- In the International Visitor Economy elective module you will learn about the visitor economy from an international perspective and the principles and practices of sustainability within the industry, the main theoretical focus being on consumer theory and business behaviour.
OR
- Finance and Investment Management
- In the Finance and Investment Management module you will gain an understanding of the main theories and models of Financial and Investment Management. You will learn about the principles governing financial management of a business and about the uses of information in solving practical business problems.
A variety of approaches, including financial tools and techniques, are required for use in the modern global world of finance. There are many factors governing finance and investment decisions as approached by businesses and institutional investors which contribute to the management of investment portfolios and capital projects.
In this module you will apply a variety of financial tools to construct, rebalance and evaluate a portfolio consisting of financial assets mainly equities. You will be exposed to a wide range of techniques for use in rebalancing, comparing and analysing financial assets and applying learned techniques of inquiry in your chosen specialism.
- In the Finance and Investment Management module you will gain an understanding of the main theories and models of Financial and Investment Management. You will learn about the principles governing financial management of a business and about the uses of information in solving practical business problems.
All students also take the Academic English Skills module, the Student Leadership Programme and are eligible to enter the Sustainable Enterprise Competition.
Semester 1 - Inspire and Explore
- Business Intelligence for Decision Making
- In the Business Intelligence for Decision Making module you will gain an understanding of organizational decision-making processes and the constraints and uncertainties within which they take place.
In today's fast-paced world of business, where the only constant is change, business leaders and managers are under more pressure to execute decisions and more frequently than ever. Thanks to technological enhancements, a tremendous amount of data is available upon which to make decisions.
In this module you will be introduced to a variety of methods to analyse data sets and uncover important information which is critical to decision-making. You will gather, apply, evaluate, synthesise and present information and arguments, aligning with modern business management techniques.
Indicative content for this module includes decision making, data sets, judgement values, business Intelligence and analytical approaches, nature of risk and uncertainty, probabilities, decision tree analysis, regression analysis, scenario and sensitivity analysis using Microsoft Excel, trends and forecasting, interpreting and reporting and individual bias.
- In the Business Intelligence for Decision Making module you will gain an understanding of organizational decision-making processes and the constraints and uncertainties within which they take place.
- Research Skills for Masters
- The focus in the Research Skills module is the integration of knowledge and understanding built in the core module, consolidated and deepened through guided application in bridging modules and extended and specialized in elective modules, and finally culminating in independent application in an individual research project and reflective journal.
When embarking on their Masters programmes, students will have benefited from an introduction to disciplinary standards and expectations of UK higher education research appropriate to their chosen area of study. The ability to read and write critically is further, an essential academic skill in UK higher education.
Indicative content for this module includes defining research, research philosophy and approaches, ethical considerations, generating a research topic, determining the research question, writing the research proposal, critical standpoint, identifying key details, understanding the context of authorship, understanding inductive and deductive inferences and arguments; identifying arguments, aim and scope of literature review, research methodologies and the gap.
- The focus in the Research Skills module is the integration of knowledge and understanding built in the core module, consolidated and deepened through guided application in bridging modules and extended and specialized in elective modules, and finally culminating in independent application in an individual research project and reflective journal.
- Entrepreneurship
- In the Entrepreneurship module you will learn the key concepts of social, responsible, anthropological, and psychological entrepreneurship.
Entrepreneurship has a prominent role in making any country the world’s most competitive economy. It is, however, equally important to create a favourable climate, encourage innovation initiatives and provide competitive reward to the adroit.
This module will further establish a clear distinction between ‘entrepreneurs’ and ‘intrapreneurs’, and discuss how the ecosystem of a country plays a vital role in the process of opportunity recognition, assessment, and realization. Interplay between entrepreneurship and the digital age will also be explored in this module.
Indicative content for this module includes theories and forms of entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship process, entrepreneurship ecosystem, sources of opportunity,
route to market customers/marketing strategy, team roles and responsibilities, leadership and management, self-management, influencing, negotiation and reflective cycle theories and models.
- In the Entrepreneurship module you will learn the key concepts of social, responsible, anthropological, and psychological entrepreneurship.
- International Visitor Economy
- In the International Visitor Economy elective module you will learn about the visitor economy from an international perspective and the principles and practices of sustainability within the industry, the main theoretical focus being on consumer theory and business behaviour.
The Visitor Economy is the umbrella term for travel, tourism, hospitality and events. The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) defines it as any direct, indirect, and induced economic activity resulting from visitors’ interactions with their destination. The question of sustainability and ethical decision-making are key to contemporary issues in this international industry.
The focus in this module is on extending and specialising knowledge and understanding of key facts, concepts and methods introduced and developed in the core module, which are then integrated into independent application in culminatory individual research projects in the capstone module.
Indicative content in this module includes tourism, hospitality and event management, comparisons, key concepts of sustainability, sustainable tourism, event management, characteristics and leadership styles, consumer behaviourism and the industry, sustainable development goals, green business, global warming, globalization, ethics, culture, technology, virtual reality, digital literacy and dark tourism.
- In the International Visitor Economy elective module you will learn about the visitor economy from an international perspective and the principles and practices of sustainability within the industry, the main theoretical focus being on consumer theory and business behaviour.
OR
- Finance and Investment Management
- In the Finance and Investment Management module you will gain an understanding of the main theories and models of Financial and Investment Management. You will learn about the principles governing financial management of a business and about the uses of information in solving practical business problems.
A variety of approaches, including financial tools and techniques, are required for use in the modern global world of finance. There are many factors governing finance and investment decisions as approached by businesses and institutional investors which contribute to the management of investment portfolios and capital projects.
In this module you will apply a variety of financial tools to construct, rebalance and evaluate a portfolio consisting of financial assets mainly equities. You will be exposed to a wide range of techniques for use in rebalancing, comparing and analysing financial assets and applying learned techniques of inquiry in your chosen specialism.
Indicative content for this module includes financial markets, derivatives - options and futures, institutional Investors, investment portfolio and diversification, risk and return - sources and measures, cost structure and Investment decisions.
- In the Finance and Investment Management module you will gain an understanding of the main theories and models of Financial and Investment Management. You will learn about the principles governing financial management of a business and about the uses of information in solving practical business problems.
Semester 2 - Learn to Innovate
- Strategy in Action
- The Strategy in Action module aims to enhance critical and in-depth evaluation skills, through rigorous exploration of reliable secondary resources and assessment of strength of evidence and argument, as found within the range of academic texts students are likely to encounter later in their programme and at Masters level study at the University of Surrey.
As strategic change is everywhere, there is growing need to think like 'managers' at all times. This involves evaluating the role of stakeholders, analysing the business competitive environment, further extending to strategic analysis and planning, whilst understanding the global and technological influences that shape business strategy.
This module is an attempt to introduce and develop the concepts of strategic management in a critical way and focuses on the application of the relevant strategic management conceptual frameworks.
Indicative content for this module includes definition, vision, mission, values and objectives, strategy framework, change management, forecasting and scenario analysis, defining the industry, competitive forces, market segments, stakeholder mapping and internationalization strategies.
- The Strategy in Action module aims to enhance critical and in-depth evaluation skills, through rigorous exploration of reliable secondary resources and assessment of strength of evidence and argument, as found within the range of academic texts students are likely to encounter later in their programme and at Masters level study at the University of Surrey.
- Research Skills for Masters
- Entrepreneurship
All students also take the Academic English Skills module, the Student Leadership Programme and are eligible to enter the Sustainable Enterprise Competition.
Semester 1
The first semester focuses on developing your English language so you reach the level required to progress to Semester 2. You will work to develop the skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking, presenting and developing language accuracy and range in general academic contexts. Core language-related academic skills such as participating in discussions and responding to texts, effective note-taking and essay writing are also introduced.
You will also focus on assessment preparation and practice to be able to show independent learning skills, literacy and critical-thinking skills. This semester includes induction, teaching and assessment weeks.
Semester 2 - Inspire and Explore
- Business Intelligence for Decision Making
- In the Business Intelligence for Decision Making module you will gain an understanding of organizational decision-making processes and the constraints and uncertainties within which they take place.
In today's fast-paced world of business, where the only constant is change, business leaders and managers are under more pressure to execute decisions and more frequently than ever. Thanks to technological enhancements, a tremendous amount of data is available upon which to make decisions.
In this module you will be introduced to a variety of methods to analyse data sets and uncover important information which is critical to decision-making. You will gather, apply, evaluate, synthesise and present information and arguments, aligning with modern business management techniques.
Indicative content for this module includes decision making, data sets, judgement values, business Intelligence and analytical approaches, nature of risk and uncertainty, probabilities, decision tree analysis, regression analysis, scenario and sensitivity analysis using Microsoft Excel, trends and forecasting, interpreting and reporting and individual bias.
- In the Business Intelligence for Decision Making module you will gain an understanding of organizational decision-making processes and the constraints and uncertainties within which they take place.
- Research Skills for Masters
- The focus in the Research Skills module is the integration of knowledge and understanding built in the core module, consolidated and deepened through guided application in bridging modules and extended and specialized in elective modules, and finally culminating in independent application in an individual research project and reflective journal.
When embarking on their Masters programmes, students will have benefited from an introduction to disciplinary standards and expectations of UK higher education research appropriate to their chosen area of study. The ability to read and write critically is further, an essential academic skill in UK higher education.
Indicative content for this module includes defining research, research philosophy and approaches, ethical considerations, generating a research topic, determining the research question, writing the research proposal, critical standpoint, identifying key details, understanding the context of authorship, understanding inductive and deductive inferences and arguments; identifying arguments, aim and scope of literature review, research methodologies and the gap.
- The focus in the Research Skills module is the integration of knowledge and understanding built in the core module, consolidated and deepened through guided application in bridging modules and extended and specialized in elective modules, and finally culminating in independent application in an individual research project and reflective journal.
- Entrepreneurship
- In the Entrepreneurship module you will learn the key concepts of social, responsible, anthropological, and psychological entrepreneurship.
Entrepreneurship has a prominent role in making any country the world’s most competitive economy. It is, however, equally important to create a favourable climate, encourage innovation initiatives and provide competitive reward to the adroit.
This module will further establish a clear distinction between ‘entrepreneurs’ and ‘intrapreneurs’, and discuss how the ecosystem of a country plays a vital role in the process of opportunity recognition, assessment, and realization. Interplay between entrepreneurship and the digital age will also be explored in this module.
Indicative content for this module includes theories and forms of entrepreneurship,
entrepreneurship process, entrepreneurship ecosystem, sources of opportunity,
route to market customers/marketing strategy, team roles and responsibilities, leadership and management, self-management, influencing, negotiation and reflective cycle theories and models.
- In the Entrepreneurship module you will learn the key concepts of social, responsible, anthropological, and psychological entrepreneurship.
- International Visitor Economy
- In the International Visitor Economy elective module you will learn about the visitor economy from an international perspective and the principles and practices of sustainability within the industry, the main theoretical focus being on consumer theory and business behaviour.
The Visitor Economy is the umbrella term for travel, tourism, hospitality and events. The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) defines it as any direct, indirect, and induced economic activity resulting from visitors’ interactions with their destination. The question of sustainability and ethical decision-making are key to contemporary issues in this international industry.
The focus in this module is on extending and specialising knowledge and understanding of key facts, concepts and methods introduced and developed in the core module, which are then integrated into independent application in culminatory individual research projects in the capstone module.
Indicative content in this module includes tourism, hospitality and event management, comparisons, key concepts of sustainability, sustainable tourism, event management, characteristics and leadership styles, consumer behaviourism and the industry, sustainable development goals, green business, global warming, globalization, ethics, culture, technology, virtual reality, digital literacy and dark tourism.
- In the International Visitor Economy elective module you will learn about the visitor economy from an international perspective and the principles and practices of sustainability within the industry, the main theoretical focus being on consumer theory and business behaviour.
OR
- Finance and Investment Management
- In the Finance and Investment Management module you will gain an understanding of the main theories and models of Financial and Investment Management. You will learn about the principles governing financial management of a business and about the uses of information in solving practical business problems.
A variety of approaches, including financial tools and techniques, are required for use in the modern global world of finance. There are many factors governing finance and investment decisions as approached by businesses and institutional investors which contribute to the management of investment portfolios and capital projects.
In this module you will apply a variety of financial tools to construct, rebalance and evaluate a portfolio consisting of financial assets mainly equities. You will be exposed to a wide range of techniques for use in rebalancing, comparing and analysing financial assets and applying learned techniques of inquiry in your chosen specialism.
Indicative content for this module includes financial markets, derivatives - options and futures, institutional Investors, investment portfolio and diversification, risk and return - sources and measures, cost structure and Investment decisions.
- In the Finance and Investment Management module you will gain an understanding of the main theories and models of Financial and Investment Management. You will learn about the principles governing financial management of a business and about the uses of information in solving practical business problems.
Semester 3 - Learn to Innovate
- Strategy in Action
- The Strategy in Action module aims to enhance critical and in-depth evaluation skills, through rigorous exploration of reliable secondary resources and assessment of strength of evidence and argument, as found within the range of academic texts students are likely to encounter later in their programme and at Masters level study at the University of Surrey.
As strategic change is everywhere, there is growing need to think like 'managers' at all times. This involves evaluating the role of stakeholders, analysing the business competitive environment, further extending to strategic analysis and planning, whilst understanding the global and technological influences that shape business strategy.
This module is an attempt to introduce and develop the concepts of strategic management in a critical way and focuses on the application of the relevant strategic management conceptual frameworks.
Indicative content for this module includes definition, vision, mission, values and objectives, strategy framework, change management, forecasting and scenario analysis, defining the industry, competitive forces, market segments, stakeholder mapping and internationalization strategies.
- The Strategy in Action module aims to enhance critical and in-depth evaluation skills, through rigorous exploration of reliable secondary resources and assessment of strength of evidence and argument, as found within the range of academic texts students are likely to encounter later in their programme and at Masters level study at the University of Surrey.
- Research Skills for Masters
- Entrepreneurship
All students also take the Academic English Skills module, the Student Leadership Programme and are eligible to enter the Sustainable Enterprise Competition.
Study plan
| English language level | Semesters | Course length | Start date | End date |
| IELTS 6.0 (5.5 in all skills) | 1 semester | 15 weeks | Sep | Feb |
| IELTS 6.0 (5.5 in all skills) | 1 semester | 15 weeks | Feb | Jul |
| IELTS 6.0 (5.5 in all skills) | 1 semester | 15 weeks | May | Sep |
| IELTS 5.5 (5.5 in all skills) | 2 semesters | 30 weeks | Sep | Jun |
| IELTS 5.5 (5.5 in all skills) | 2 semesters | 30 weeks | Jan | Aug |
RANKINGS
1st in the UK and 15th in the world for Hospitality and Tourism
(QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024)
1st in the UK and 3rd in the world for Hospitality and Tourism Management
(Shanghai Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2021)
1st in the UK for Tourism, Transport, Travel and Heritage
(Complete University Guide 2025)
Key facts
Course length
1 or 2 semesters
Entry points: 2 semesters - September, November (Enhanced Induction), or January; 1 semester - September, November (Enhanced Induction) or May
Age: students are normally 20 years of age or older on the first day of their academic programme at the International Study Centre.
Entry requirements: visit our entry requirements page for a list of academic, English language and country-specific entry requirements for all programmes.
Progression degrees
This programme can lead to one of the postgraduate degrees in the table below. Grades and progression degree titles are guidelines and subject to change.
Please note, for English Grades: W stands for Writing, R is Reading, L is Listening and S is Speaking
| Degree Programme Name | Award | Overall Grade | English Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| No Results | |||
Students progressing onto Postgraduate degrees in MSc Accounting and Finance, MSc International Corporate Finance, MSc International Financial Management or MSc Investment Management will require a “pass” in Mathematics in their High School Certificate.
- Accounting and Finance
- Business Analytics
- Digital Marketing
- Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management
- International Business Management
- International Corporate Finance
- International Events Management
- International Financial Management
- International Hotel Management
- International Marketing
- International Tourism Management
- Investment Management
- Strategic Marketing
Study business in the UK
Study business at Surrey and benefit from professional career skills as well as expert subject knowledge.
Discover Business at Surrey
