Hotels! We look forward to staying in them when we travel overseas, because of their awesome amenities and service. All this we can credit to good staff and the expert hotel managers that lead them.

(Have you seen Michelle Chong’s ‘stress test’? It isn’t easy working in the hospitality sector!)

If challenge is your middle name, consider working your way up the hotel industry! Here are some courses to get you started.

* This compilation is not an endorsement of the courses, please do adequate research to make sure that any course you have in mind is suitable for your needs! Fees are accurate as of April 2019 and are in SGD unless otherwise specified.

Introductory courses

• HTMi Singapore – Foundation Course in International Hotel and Tourism Management

The first Swiss Hospitality School in Singapore, HTMi Singapore offers the Foundation Course in International Hotel and Tourism Management for those who are keen to enter the industry but require more academic qualifications. Written exams and final projects make up the assessments, and graduates can continue on to the Diploma in International Hotel and Tourism Management.

Duration: 5 days weekly over a period of 6 months (200 contact hours)
Fees: 2,500 for Singaporeans and 5,000 for international students

Accreditation: HTMi Singapore is EduTrust certified.

Curriculum: As per course outline, students will study a total of 5 modules. They are 1) Fundamentals of Hospitality Operations, 2) Intercultural Communication, 3) Introduction to Hospitality and Tourism, 4) Numeracy for the Hospitality Industry and 5) Research and Study Skills.

Diplomas

• DIMENSIONS International College – Diploma in Hotel Management

DIMENSIONS International College was established in 1980 as DIMENSIONS Commercial School. Their Diploma in Hotel Management consists of 9 months of institutional training, which will be conducted in training facilities for areas such as bars, restaurants, front-desks, hotel rooms and kitchens. The first step for individuals interested in working for the Hotel industry, students can go on to read the Advanced Diploma and then a degree.

Duration: 9 months, 18 months
Fees: 10,381.68 (full-time), 9,048.50 (part-time)

Accreditation: DIMENSIONS International College is EduTrust Certified and is a member of the Singapore Association for Private Education. The Diploma in Hotel Management is a Pearson Assured Programme (an independent benchmark).

Curriculum: As per course outline, students will study a total of 8 modules. They are The Contemporary Hospitality Industry, Customer Service, Financial Management, Information Management and Technology, Food & Beverage Operations, Rooms Division Operations, The Developing Manager and lastly, Food & Society.

• Ascott Centre for Excellence (ACE) – WSQ Diploma in Hotel & Accommodation Services

The global hospitality training centre of The Ascott Limited and a SkillsFuture Singapore appointed Continuing Education and Training (CET) centre for the Hotel and Accommodation Services Sector, ACE offers the WSQ Diploma in Hotel & Accommodation Services to mid-career switchers, new entrants, as well as current industry professionals looking to upskill. Classes are taught through a mix of lectures, role-plays, projects and discussions and class sizes are 1:15 on average.

Duration: 6 months (part-time, twice-weekly)
Fees: 4,038.00. If you’re eligible for, or are under, the SkillsFuture Workfare Training Support Scheme and the Mid-career enhanced subsidy, you’ll stand to pay reduced fees.

Accreditation: ACE is registered with the Centre for Private Education (CPE).

Curriculum: As per course outline, students will study a total of 7 modules. They are WSQ Develop Service Operations, WSQ Contribute towards a Learning Organisation, WSQ Manage Housekeeping Operations, WSQ Supervise Front Office Operations, WSQ Develop Service Recovery Framework, WSQ Supervise Reservation Services and lastly, WSQ Implement Loss/Risk Prevention.

• Republic Polytechnic – Diploma in Hotel & Hospitality Management

The only polytechnic to have a dedicated School of Hospitality, Republic Polytechnic offers the Diploma in Hotel & Hospitality Management. Students will receive hands-on training at Republic Polytechnic’s on-campus hotel training facilities and through a mandatory industry immersion programme. Upon graduation, students can find work opportunities in the hospitality sector or read a degree in business and hospitality management related programmes.

Duration: 3 years

Fees: 2,986.50 for Singaporeans, 5,916.50 for Permanent Residents, and 10,559.50 for international students.

Degrees and others

• SDH Institute – Bachelor’s Degree in International Hotel Management (Top Up)

Awarded by VATEL, an international French hotel and tourism management school that was named the Best Hospitality School during the Worldwide Hospitality Awards 2016, the Bachelor’s Degree in International Hotel Management alternates coursework with practical situations. The degree is delivered through lectures, tutorials and discussions, and successful graduates can go on to enrol in VATEL’s MBA in International Hotel Management (also offered by SDH Institute).

Duration: 6 months (full-time and part-time), coupled with a 6-month industrial attachment
Fees: 17,000 (GST included)

Accreditation: SDH Institute is EduTrust certified.

Curriculum: As per course outline, students will study a total of 15 modules. They are 1) Introduction to Cost Control, 2) Marketing III, 3) Human Resources III, 4) Taxation, 5) IT Applications III, 6) Career Project, 7) Multicultural Management, 8) Public Relations and Advertising, 9) Geopolitics, 10) Wine, Beer and Spirits, 11) Tourism and Travelling, 12) Negotiations, 13) Business Communication III, 14) French III and lastly 15) Managerial Experience.

• Temasek Polytechnic – Specialist Diploma in Hotel Operations and Management

Do note that interested individuals should have at least 3 years of working experience, preferably from a related field, and hold at least a diploma qualification.

Duration: 1 year, part-time (The Diploma is not available for the October 2019 intake).
Fees: 282.48 for Singaporeans aged 40 and above, 410.88 for Singaporeans aged 40 and below, 1,104.24 for Permanent Residents and 2,760.60 for repeat students/others. This Specialist Diploma is SkillsFuture credit claimable and fees may be further reduced for those under the Workfare Training Scheme.

Curriculum: As per course outline, this diploma consists of two Post-Diploma Certificates with 3 modules each. Students will study Front Office Operations, Food & Beverage Business, Customer Service Excellence, MICE Management, Human Resource Management and lastly, Hospitality Revenue Management.

Curriculum: Read modules such as Rooms Division Management, Hospitality Information Systems, Business Statistics, and Communication in the Global Workplace.

While this list is not exhaustive, we hope that it has helped you better understand what courses are out there! If you are a reader that’s taken a course in any of these institutions, do share your experience with us and help fellow readers! All the best in your (future) hotel career!