Bachelor of Business in Hotel Management

The Bachelor of Business in Hotel Management at Southern Cross University is a three-year degree built around the day-to-day reality of running hotels, resorts and hospitality businesses. You study the business side first, accounting, marketing, human resource management, food and beverage operations, rooms division, revenue management and hospitality law, then apply it in kitchens, front desks and event spaces. Units are delivered across trimesters at Southern Cross, so you typically take three study periods a year rather than two. That pace suits students who want to finish sooner or keep working while they study.

How the degree is structured

As an Australian bachelor degree, this course sits at Level 7 of the Australian Qualifications Framework. You complete a set number of units of study, each worth credit points, and accumulate enough credit points to graduate. Core units cover hotel and tourism management, business finance, consumer behaviour and service operations. You choose electives or a specialisation to shape the degree toward areas such as event management, resort operations or international hotel chains. Many students finish with a capstone or industry project in their final year, pulling together what they have learned into a real business problem or plan.

Work-integrated learning and placement

Hotel management is a field where you learn by doing, and this degree includes work-integrated learning. That usually means a professional placement or industry internship in a hotel, resort, events company or hospitality group, where you work alongside staff and take on supervised responsibilities. Southern Cross has long-standing links with hotel operators and tourism businesses in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales and south-east Queensland, and many students complete placements in those areas or further afield. Placement hours count toward your degree and give you something concrete to talk about at interviews.

Skills and who it suits

You graduate with skills in managing rosters and budgets, handling guest complaints, reading a profit and loss statement, coordinating events, and leading a team through a busy service period. The degree suits school leavers who want a business career with a practical edge, as well as people already working in hospitality who want to move into supervisory or management roles. If you are an international student, you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight while your course is in session, and after graduating you may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream. English requirements are set out on the university's official page, and the Department of Home Affairs sets a separate English threshold for the Student visa itself. Check the CRICOS register and the Southern Cross University course page for current fees, intake dates and unit details.

• Hotel or resort duty manager, supervising front office, housekeeping or food and beverage teams in Australian hotels and resorts.
• Food and beverage manager, running restaurants, bars and banquet operations for hospitality groups, clubs and event venues.
• Revenue or reservations manager, setting room rates and managing bookings for hotel chains and independent properties.
• Event coordinator, planning conferences, weddings and corporate functions at venues, wineries and convention centres.
• Guest experience manager, handling service quality, loyalty programmes and guest relations for international hotel brands.
• Tourism operations supervisor, managing tours, transfers and visitor services for tour operators and regional tourism bodies.
• Hospitality business owner or operator, running small hotels, motels, cafes or catering businesses.

Australian employers in these roles include international hotel chains, resort groups, registered clubs, catering companies, event venues, and state and regional tourism organisations. Graduates also find work in cruise operations, airline hospitality and serviced apartment management.