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Need Analysis

A first needs analysis was performed on February 2017 when academic bodies at UNIPA met stakeholders with the specific aim to present the study plan of the master’s degree programme in Tourism Systems and Hospitality Management, so to ask them points of weakness and strengths, and, finally, to discuss a joint approach to plan and manage opportune actions to support students during their study path. 

Several efforts have been made to identify specific needs at different geographical levels (local, regional, national, international). To define and structure the current study programme, a long and in-depth needs analysis was conducted and improved in the following years. 

Common Guidelines and Board

The Universities (UNIPA, UNIDU and UMA) have tried out a long-standing experience in the implementation of study programmes in Tourism, Hospitality and Leisure at undergraduate and graduate (masters and PhDs) levels, by releasing degrees to hundreds of students a year.

Moreover, they have a specific and in-depth common knowledge of issues relating: destinations and tourism systems; mass tourism; tourism flows with a strong seasonal component (typically, one peak pattern); prevalent demand of sun, sand and sea tourism; domestic and low-value demand; environmental, cultural and social negative impacts; sustainability for destinations; tourism supply by micro or small enterprises and own-account workers, characterized by low degree of professional skills, difficulties to access to banking sector, low purchasing power, dominated by multinational corporations and characterized by low impact of tourism revenue on local communities.

The "Boards"

The advisory bodies, “Boards”, will meet periodically to identify common procedures and practices among the three partner Universities; each Board will have the task of discussing a specific topic. The three partner institutions are invited to collaborate to guarantee a coherent educational path in all its aspects with the aim of simplifying and homogenising the procedures for students who will obtain the multiple degree. The purpose of this organisation is to improve the quality of educational programmes and services offered to students and to promote the multiple degree and related EMJM Erasmus programme internationally.

The task of each Board is to establish common actions that make the educational offer, the evaluation and selection criteria, and parameters and services offered by each university homogeneous and coherent.The establishment of the Boards will therefore allow Universities to constantly exchange opinions and to monitor all the implemente operations.The Boards responsible for monitoring and implementing specific issues will be: Admission Board, Student Board, Educational Board, Stakeholder Board.

Selection

The Admission Board shall be responsible for the selection and admission of all students to the degree programme. The Admission Board shall consist of one representative from each Partner Institution; the Partner Institution is responsible for appointing its representative in accordance with its own procedures and national regulations.

The Admission Board will:

  • Define common standards for admission, a common application procedure.
  • Organise a multiple student and scholar selection process;
  • Review admission and selection criteria annually and make necessary changes;
  • Agree on the selection procedures and methods;
  • Agree on the allocation of evaluation tasks between partners;
  • Select the students and establish the proposed list of scholarships holders to be sent to EACEA.

The maximum number of students who could be enrolled in each multiple or double degree programme is 10 (ten), for each academic year, by each University.

Each university will announce yearly the application call for participating in multiple or double degree programmes.

The evaluation of the applications and applicants’ selection will be mainly based on their motivation, academic career and the level of knowledge of the official language at the hosting university (English for UMA students going to UNIPA and UNIDU, Spanish for UNIPA and UNIDU students going to UMA).

Incoming students must meet the general admission requirements for international students’ admission at the hosting university. 

Before attending the courses at the host university, students admitted to the multiple/double degree programme must possess the minimum level of knowledge of the official language at the host university (B2 English for UMA students going to UNIPA and UNIDU; and B2 Spanish for UNIPA and UNIDU students going to UMA). In the case of students who possess a level of knowledge almost correspondent to the minimum required and under previous approval of the coordinators of the multiple or double degree programme, this minimum level could be attained by taking and passing language courses at the host university’s Language Centre. Also, in this case, the minimum level must be reached before starting the courses at the host university.