Tourism & Heritage (Taught)

Heritage and culture can hold different meanings to people across the world. This Masters in Tourism & Heritage uses global examples from Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia, and also draws on the history and culture of Scotland to help you understand these different meanings.

WHY THIS PROGRAMME

• This Masters uniquely combines tourism and heritage through a social sciences and arts perspective, offering a broader and more critical exploration beyond typical business-focussed approaches.

• The programme is delivered by the School of Social & Environmental Sustainability, Dumfries Campus, a location that is rich in cultural and natural heritage. You’ll have access to historic tourism sites, national parks, and natural landscapes for hands-on field trips.

• You will analyse the cultural and societal impacts of tourism and heritage rather than traditional management studies. You will explore these aspects of heritage: the tangible (buildings, infrastructure), the intangible (customs, traditions), and the natural (national parks, wildlife).

• Whether you’re advancing a career in tourism or switching fields, this programme offers placement opportunities, guest lectures, and real-world experience to equip you for diverse roles in tourism and heritage industries worldwide.

• Courses will explore tourism and heritage issues across the globe, from Europe, Africa, the Americas, and Asia. This programme goes beyond traditional teaching models by providing you with the skills to question what is meant by heritage, and how using innovation and modern technology can help enhance the tourism sector.

• You will have the opportunity to engage in discussions on pressing issues within the tourism industry. This will include exploring the politics of heritage, the perspectives of local communities vs visitors, cultural representation, and the complex histories associated with heritage sites.

• As part of our diverse and growing postgraduate community, you will have access to dedicated academic staff specialising in tourism research throughout the world.

PROGRAMME STRUCTURE

Learning and teaching on this programme consists of a variety of methods including lectures, group activity, tutorials, field trips, problem-based learning, seminars and case studies. You will be expected to prepare for seminars by reading selected material beforehand and will be presented with contemporary theories and contrasting analyses of the course subject matter.

Discussion is a key component of this programme, and you will be expected to engage in debate. You will demonstrate your intellectual skills through seminar presentations, and student or staff led discussions. You will also be assigned readings which you will be expected to analyse, discuss, and debate in class. Courses will utilise case-study simulations, policy debates, and interactive workshops.

You will take four core and two optional courses across two semesters. During the summer you will either undertake a dissertation or a work placement.

Core courses
Tourism And Regional Development
Heritage, Interpretation And Development
Smart Tourism and Heritage
Social Science Research Methods

Recommended optional courses
Environmental Communication
Events Management
Sustainable Heritage Management
The Economics of Circular Tourism
Tourism Marketing
Wildlife Tourism and Environmental Responsibility

Research project
Tourism and Heritage Dissertation or Work Placement