Hospitality & Tourism

Bachelor of Hospitality and Institutional Management

The Bachelor of Hospitality and Institutional Management is a four-year programme that prepares students for hospitality operations, institutional catering and food service management. Students study food production, food and beverage service, accommodation operations, institutional catering and hospitality management. The programme combines practical hospitality skills with management theory for the hospitality and institutional sectors.

Students develop competencies in food production, food and beverage service, front office operations, housekeeping, institutional catering, menu planning and hospitality management. They learn to manage hospitality operations, plan menus, supervise staff and deliver quality service. The programme covers food production, beverage service, accommodation, institutional catering and hospitality management.

In Kenya, hospitality and institutional management is a growing field with demand from hotels, restaurants, institutions, hospitals, schools and corporate catering. Kenya's tourism sector and growing institutional catering needs create opportunities. Graduates find roles in hotels, restaurants, hospitals, schools, universities, corporate catering and catering companies.

Teaching is delivered through lectures, practical kitchen and restaurant sessions, industrial attachment and research projects. Students cook in training kitchens, serve in training restaurants, manage front office operations and undertake industrial attachment. The programme includes a final-year research project.

Graduates pursue careers as hospitality managers, institutional catering managers, food and beverage managers, executive chefs and accommodation managers. Some work for hotels or restaurants. Others join hospitals, schools, universities or corporate catering.

This programme is ideal for individuals with service orientation, practical skills and interest in hospitality and food service.

Duration: 4 years
Public, up to: Ksh 250,000
Private, up to: Ksh 467,000
Job market: Moderate

The programme

What you study, how long it takes, and how it is delivered.

Practicalities

Study mode: Full-time
Attachment: 3 months
Average class: 40 students
Award: Bachelor

What you study

10 subjects

Food Production and Culinary Arts
Food and Beverage Service
Accommodation Operations and Housekeeping
Front Office Management
Institutional Catering and Food Service
Menu Planning and Nutrition
Hospitality Management and Administration
Beverage Studies and Bar Operations
Events Management
Research Methods

Modules

12 in the programme

Introduction to Hospitality Industry
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Introduction to Hospitality Industry: Fundamentals of hospitality industry, sectors and career opportunities Covers theoretical foundations, practical applications, and industry-relevant skills.
Food Production Principles
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Basic cookery, kitchen operations, hygiene and food safety. The module covers theoretical foundations, practical applications and industry-relevant skills, assessed through continuous assessment te...
Food and Beverage Service
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Food and Beverage Service: Restaurant service, table service, beverage service and customer care Covers theoretical foundations, practical applications, and industry-relevant skills.
Front Office Operations
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Front Office Operations: Front office management, reservations, guest relations and PMS Covers theoretical foundations, practical applications, and industry-relevant skills.
Accommodation Operations and Housekeeping
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Accommodation Operations and Housekeeping: Housekeeping, laundry, room maintenance and accommodation management Covers theoretical foundations, practical applications, and industry-relevant skills.
Institutional Catering and Food Service
Year 2Semester 33 creditsCore
Institutional Catering and Food Service: Institutional catering for hospitals, schools and large-scale food service Covers theoretical foundations, practical applications, and industry-relevant ski...
Menu Planning and Nutrition
Year 3Semester 13 creditsCore
Menu Planning and Nutrition: Menu planning, nutritional considerations, costing and menu engineering Covers planning theory, regulatory frameworks, and sustainable development practices.
Beverage Studies and Bar Operations
Year 3Semester 23 creditsCore
Beverage Studies and Bar Operations: Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, bar management and wine studies Covers theoretical foundations, practical applications, and industry-relevant skills.
Events Management
Year 3Semester 33 creditsCore
Events Management: Event planning, conference management, banqueting and event operations Covers planning, organising, leadership, and control in organisational contexts.
Hospitality Management and Administration
Year 4Semester 13 creditsCore
Hospitality Management and Administration: Strategic hospitality management, finance, HR and operations management Covers planning, organising, leadership, and control in organisational contexts.
Quality Assurance in Hospitality
Year 4Semester 23 creditsCore
Quality management, standards, HACCP and service quality. The module covers theoretical foundations, practical applications and industry-relevant skills, assessed through continuous assessment test...
Final Year Research Project
Year 4Semester 36 creditsCore
Final Year Research Project: Independent research on hospitality and institutional management Involves independent research, data analysis, and scholarly writing under supervision.

Specialisations

Culinary Arts
Specialization in Culinary Arts, preparing graduates for careers such as hotel-manager. This specialisation equips graduates with discipline-specific competencies for professional practice in Kenya and the East African region, with pathways to postgraduate study and professional certification.
Events Management
Specialization in Events Management, preparing graduates for careers such as hotel-manager. This specialisation equips graduates with discipline-specific competencies for professional practice in Kenya and the East African region, with pathways to postgraduate study and professional certification.
Accommodation Management
Specialization in Accommodation Management, preparing graduates for careers such as hotel-manager. This specialisation equips graduates with discipline-specific competencies for professional practice in Kenya and the East African region, with pathways to postgraduate study and professional certification.
Food and Beverage Management
Specialization in Food and Beverage Management, preparing graduates for careers such as hotel-manager.
Hospitality Operations
Specialization in Hospitality Operations, preparing graduates for careers such as hotel-manager. This specialisation equips graduates with discipline-specific competencies for professional practice in Kenya and the East African region, with pathways to postgraduate study and professional certification.
Institutional Catering
Specialization in Institutional Catering, preparing graduates for careers such as hotel-manager. This specialisation equips graduates with discipline-specific competencies for professional practice in Kenya and the East African region, with pathways to postgraduate study and professional certification.

A day as a student

A typical day combines morning lectures on hospitality management or food production with afternoon practical kitchen or restaurant sessions. Students may cook in training kitchens, serve in training restaurants, manage front office operations or work on hospitality projects.

The trade offs

In its favour

Diverse career paths in hotels, institutions and corporate catering
Relevant to Kenya's growing tourism and hospitality sector
Practical skills combined with management training
Opportunity for career advancement to management

Against it

Some roles require working irregular hours and holidays
Entry-level positions may have modest salaries
Physical demands of kitchen and service work
Industry can be affected by tourism seasonality

What it costs

Tuition at both ends of the market, and how to pay for it.

What it costs, and where

Against 91 hospitality & tourism courses

Public141k to 250k

141k at Kenyatta University250k at University of Nairobi

Private192k to 467k

192k at Kabarak University467k at Strathmore University

Annual tuition in Kenyan shillings, rounded. The upright tick is the median for this field, so a bar sitting entirely to its right is an expensive programme by the standards of its own subject.

The fine print

KU 141K/yr (fixusjobs), UoN 250K/yr (uonbi.ac.ke). Kabarak 192K, Strathmore 467K/yr (kabarak.ac.ke, shika.co.ke)

Students may access HELB loans and county bursaries. Some hotels and hospitality companies offer internship stipends.

Funding options

Higher Education Loans Board (HELB)
LoanKsh 60,000
National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF)
Bursary
County Government Bursaries
Bursary

Scholarships

5 recorded

Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) Loan
LoanKsh 60,000Kenyan
Kenyan students admitted to recognised universities
County Government Bursaries
BursaryKenyan
Residents of respective counties
Higher Education Fund (HEF)
BursaryKenyan
Kenyan undergraduate students placed by KUCCPS in public universities
Kenya Utalii College Bursary
BursaryKenyan
Students admitted to tourism and hospitality programmes at Kenya Utalii College
Tourism Training Revolution Fund
BursaryKenyan
Students pursuing tourism and hospitality training

Getting in

The grades, the alternatives, and who accredits the award.

What you need

KCSE mean grade: C+
Alternative entry: Relevant diploma or equivalent qualification

English or Kiswahili
C+
Mathematics A/B or any Group II
C
Any Group III, IV or V subject
C+
Any Group III, IV or V subject
C+

How you are assessed

4 components

Final Examination
Coursework40% of the mark
Industrial Attachment Report
Coursework10% of the mark
Continuous Assessment Tests (CATs)
Coursework20% of the mark
Practical Sessions and Project Work
Coursework30% of the mark

Accreditation

Accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE).

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
InstitutionalRequired

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

5 roles

Executive Chef
Moderate demandKsh 70,000 to Ksh 300,000
Leads kitchen operations and food production
Institutional Catering Manager
Moderate demandKsh 55,000 to Ksh 200,000
Manages catering operations in hospitals, schools and institutions
Hospitality Manager
Moderate demandKsh 60,000 to Ksh 250,000
Manages hospitality operations in hotels and institutions
Accommodation Manager
Moderate demandKsh 55,000 to Ksh 200,000
Manages accommodation and housekeeping operations
Food and Beverage Manager
Moderate demandKsh 60,000 to Ksh 220,000
Manages food and beverage operations in hospitality establishments

Graduate outcomes

Graduates work as hospitality managers, institutional catering managers, food and beverage managers, executive chefs and accommodation managers in hotels, restaurants, hospitals, schools, universities, corporate catering and catering companies.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

Opera PMS
Hotel managementPrimary
Microsoft Excel
Spreadsheet
QuickBooks
Accounting
Micros POS
Point of sale
HACCP Systems
Safety
Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point food safety management systems

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Hospitality management is just about cooking
Hospitality management covers operations, marketing, finance, human resources and strategic management.
There are limited career opportunities in hospitality
Kenya's tourism sector and institutional catering create diverse opportunities.
Hospitality is only for hotels
Institutional catering covers hospitals, schools, universities and corporate catering.
You don't need a degree for hospitality
Professional hospitality management requires training in operations, finance and management.