Master of Tourism Management (MTM)
Introduction
Tourism is the leading and fastest growing industry in the world. It has been estimated that the international tourist arrivals exceeded the 1 billion mark, while international tourism receipts hit US$ 1,075 billion worldwide in 2012 (UNWTO, 2013). Consequently, many countries have invested in tourism, making tourism a key driver of socio-economic progress (UNWTO, 2013). Nonetheless, the development of tourism in different parts of the world has shown that the industry presents both opportunities for development and threats to existing resources and culture. The industry has both positive and negative impacts, particularly to the environment and the local communities that live in proximity to tourism development. In Africa, Kenya is one of the most popular destinations ranked 9th in Africa, 5th in Sub-Saharan Africa and 1st in Eastern Africa in terms of number of visitor arrivals by UNWTO in 2011. The Kenyan tourism industry has maintained a steady growth to position tourism as a major foreign exchange earner for the country contributing over 12% to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2012. Thus Kenya’s Vision 2030 recognizes tourism as the leading player in spearheading national economic growth. However, the rapid development of tourism in Kenya has presented many challenges both at the local, regional and national levels. The challenges include environmental degradation, inequitable distribution of tourism benefits among interest groups, increasing local hostility towards the development of tourism and wildlife conservation, and negative socio-cultural impacts. These appear as threats to the industry that indicate if tourism is not properly planned, managed and developed, the industry may not be sustainable in the long-run.
This Masters programme works to fill the gap in professional tourism training in Kenya and the East African region as a whole. The programme equips graduates with skills, knowledge and competencies to effectively manage the sustainable development of tourism. This programme builds professional capacity to meet the challenges of this rapidly growing industry through innovative and applied research.
The MTM programme shall normally last for a duration of two academic years (4 Semesters). The first year of the study will focus on course-work and development of a research proposal. In the second year of the programme, students will conduct their field research and write a thesis.
Entry Requirements
To be admitted into the Master of Tourism programme, the applicant must fulfil academic requirements as prescribed by Moi University:
- Be a holder of at least second class Bachelors degree of Moi University in any of the following disciplines: Tourism Management, Hotel and Hospitality Management, Travel and Tour Operations Management, Wildlife Management, Business Management, Geography, economics and Humanities of allied disciplines.
- Be a holder of a first degree from an accredited university and recognized by Moi University Senate as equivalent to status of the qualification in 1.7.1 above.
- Any other qualification that may be defined by Senate from time to time.
Programme Duration
The MTM programme shall extend over a period of two years distributed over four semesters of full time attendance, or a maximum period of four years of part-time attendance from the date of registration. The programme shall consist of a minimum of forty (40) units, and a maximum of fifty eight (58) units of coursework, examination and thesis distributed over four (4) semesters.
Semester I
| Code | Course Title |
| MTM 800 | Tourism Development Theory and Practice |
| MTM 801 | Tourism Destination Policy Planning and Development |
| MTM 802 | Sustainable Tourist Destination Management |
| MTM 803 | Social Research Methodology |
| MTM 804 | Statistics for Social Sciences |
| Plus ONE Elective | |
| Code | Course Title |
| MTM 811E | Human Resource Management |
| MTM 812E | Service Quality Management |
| MTM 813E | Tourism Entrepreneurship |
Semester II
| Code | Course Title |
| MTM 805 | Cultural and Heritage Tourism |
| MTM 806 | Tourism Project Management |
| MTM 807 | Strategic Marketing for Tourism |
| MTM 808 | Tourism Economics |
| MTM 898 | Research proposal |
| Plus ONE Elective | |
| Code | Course Title |
| MTM 814E | Adventure Tourism |
| MTM 815E | Protected Area Management |
| MTM 816E | Event Management |