Hospitality and Tourism Foundations

Description

The Hospitality and Tourism Foundations is an eight-month, two-semester certificate program that introduces students to the fundamentals of Hospitality Management while offering the flexibility to explore specialized career paths. In addition to completing core foundational courses, students have the opportunity to select elective courses tailored to their individual interests and career goals. Elective options will include options from the already established Hotel and Resort, Tourism or Flight Services diploma programs.

This one-year certificate emphasizes experiential, hands-on learning through live labs, simulation technology, and small class sizes led by industry professionals. Students will also participate in field excursions, including day and overnight trips, providing practical experience in real-world settings.

Career Opportunities

Graduates of the Hospitality and Tourism Foundations certificate program will have a range of entry-level opportunities across various sectors in the hospitality and tourism industry. Here is a list of some of the opportunities they can expect:

• Hotel Front Desk Agent / Reservations Agent 
• Restaurant Front and Back of House Staff
• Housekeeping and Rooms Division Staff
• Event Assistant / Coordinator
• Tour Guide
• Guest Services Representative
• Flight Attendant and Cabin Crew
• Travel Agent 
• Cruise Ship Staff
• Tourism Attractions Guide / Staff
• Destination Marketing Assistant
• Tourism Information Officer
• Sales Assistant in Travel or Hospitality

Program Learning Outcomes

The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:

1. deliver professional hospitality services to enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty; 
2. identify interdependencies within global tourism sectors in order to support daily operations;

3. calculate and report financial metrics to enhance the efficiency of hospitality and tourism operations;

4. assist in marketing, sales and market research to promote successful operation of a hospitality enterprise;

5. comply with regulations, legislation, and procedures to ensure health and safety of clients, self and others in the provision of hospitality and tourism services;
6. plan and implement personal and professional development strategies related to the hospitality industry;
7. use current technologies, systems, and computer applications to support daily communications and functions of a hospitality operation;
8. review the provision of hospitality services to improve quality and value of the industry as a whole;
9. collaborate across departments and on multidisciplinary teams to ensure an integrated approach to hospitality and tourism services.

Program Progression 

The following reflects the planned progression for full-time offerings of the program.

Fall Intake

• Sem 1: Fall 2026
• Sem 2: Winter 2027

Admission Requirements

• Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent, or mature student status
• Grade 12 English (C or U)

Mature students, non-secondary school applicants (19 years or older), and home school applicants may also be considered for admission. Eligibility may be met by applicants who have taken equivalent courses, upgrading, completed their GED, and equivalency testing. For complete details refer to: www.georgiancollege.ca/admissions/academic-regulations/

Applicants who have taken courses from a recognized and accredited post-secondary institution and/or have relevant life/learning experience may also be considered for admission; refer to the Credit for Prior Learning website for details:
www.georgiancollege.ca/admissions/credit-transfer/

Graduation Requirements

10 Program Courses
1 Option Course
1 Communications Course
1 General Education Course

Graduation Eligibility

To graduate from this program, the passing weighted average for promotion through each semester, and to graduate is 60%. Additionally, a student must attain a minimum of 50% or a letter grade of P (Pass) or S (Satisfactory) in each course in each semester unless otherwise stated on the course outline.

Program Tracking 

The following reflects the planned course sequence for full-time offerings of the Fall intake of the program. Where more  than one intake is offered  contact the program co-ordinator for the program tracking.

Plan of Study Grid

Semester 1		Hours
Program Courses
FLIE 1002	Industry Certifications	28
MATH 1041	Mathematics for Hospitality	28
REAS 1000	Research Concepts and Applications	42
TOUR 1009	Dynamics of Hospitality and Tourism	42
Program Courses
Select 1 additional course from the Program Courses listed below.		84
Communications Course
Select 1 course from the Communications list during registration.		42
General Education Course
Select 1 course from the General Education list during registration.		42
	Hours	308
Semester 2
Program Courses
BUSI 2005	Customer Service	42
FNCE 1003	Financial Analysis	42
MKTG 1000	Introduction to Marketing	42
TOUR 1013	Global Destinations	42
Program Courses
Select 1 additional course from the Program Courses listed below.		84
Option Course
Select 1 course from the Option Courses listed below.		42
	Hours	294
	Total Hours	602

Program Courses

Course List

Code	Title
FOSR 1025	Restaurant Service
FOSR 1028	Kitchen Theory and Operations
TOUR 1015	Outdoor Adventure Travel
TOUR 1016	Guiding and Interpretation

Option Courses

Course List

Code	Title
FLIE 1001	Introduction to Cabin Crew
TOUR 1014	Rooms Division - Integrated Theory and Practice
TOUR 2033	Destination and Events Management

Graduation Window

Students unable to adhere to the program duration of one year (as stated above) may take a maximum of two years to complete their credential. After this time, students must be re-admitted into the program, and follow the curriculum in place at the time of re-admission.

Disclaimer: The information in this document is correct at the time of publication. Academic content of programs and courses is revised on an ongoing basis to ensure relevance to changing educational objectives and employment market needs. 

Program outlines may be subject to change in response to emerging situations, in order to facilitate student achievement of the learning outcomes required for graduation. Components such as courses, progression, coop work terms, placements, internships and other requirements may be delivered differently than published.