In the latest ranking of universities in the fields of tourism, published in the April issue of "Wiadomości turystyczne", our course "tourism and recreation", organized by the Institute of Urban Geography and Tourism Studies at the Faculty of Geographical Sciences, University of Lodz, was classified on the honorable first place in the category of "public schools with undergraduate and graduate degree education "!
Therefore, we invite you to study the best public "tourism and recreation" in Poland!
Why it is worth study with us?
General description
The departmental team is above all "predestined" to undertake research related to large urban areas where it is possible to conduct empirical research on all the issues listed above. The considerable experience gained in the organization of academic education for tourism purposes should lead to the creation of an original international syllabus for a tourism and recreation course. Its originality would lie in the geographical roots of the course and in the unique study programme worked out at the University of Łódź. Adapting the teaching standards established by the Polish Ministry of Education, the programme should include relevant thematic modules and preserve the achievements of the department:
a) a "geography" module, a set of subjects which provide students with a general knowledge of the environment, the economy and society and teach them tourism geography as a geographical sub-discipline;
b) a "hotel management" module, an original academic contribution of Łódź geographers;
c) a module on research methods and techniques to enable students to prepare their MA theses and, consequently, acquire the skills of analysing phenomena and processes which is also indispensable in active professional work;
d) a fieldwork module divided into three parts: the subject of fieldwork itself - which teaches students how to undertake research and make objective observations; regional fieldwork for gathering information; and professional fieldwork at a wide variety of placements.
While constructing the syllabus it must be remembered that apart from specialists able to speak foreign languages fluently and use a computer, and who have knowledge of organization and management, contemporary tourism requires them to gain a wide general knowledge which will allow them to specialise their offer and service. Tourism specialists must be intelligent people and not programmed robots, and this should remain the motto of tourism education at the University of Łódź.
Career
Graduate in tourism and recreation is well prepared to run his own business or to work in tourism related institutions like:
- travel agencies, hotels, recreation centers, sports and recreation, leisure centers and wellness facilities, tourist information centers and others;
- positions related to the organization, operation and management of tourist traffic and recreation organization;
- central and local government (organization and management of space tourism and tourist products);
- non-governmental organizations, foundations and associations;
- professional education;
- managemant.
Subjects
First of all studies in tourism and recreation let gain a wide and detailed knowledge of tourism and recreation. There are subjects after-mentioned in tourism and recreation studies:
Tourism
Students have possibilities to gain a knowledge of: Introduction to Tourism, Tourist movement, Nature in tourism, Pilgrimage centres, Cultural heritage in tourism, History of tourism, Museums, Tourism and nature protection, Tourist geography of Poland, Tourist cities in Poland, Spa resorts in Poland, Ancient castles and palaces, Convents in Poland, Tourist /recreational management, Tourist information and promotion, Tourist product, Sightseeing, Tourist geography of the world, Tourist World Cities, Legal aspects of tourism, Organising tours, International guide training, Tourist policy, Tourist region, Tourist consulting, Rural tourism, Urban tourism, Tourism development strategy, Tourist space, Tourist settlement, Tourist planning.
Recreation
There are subjects on: Introduction to recreation, Physical Education, Winter sport camp, Summer camp, Health education and promotion, Active and special interest tourism camp, Organising recreation.
Hotel management
Within subjects on hotel management students have possibilities to gain knowledge of: Introduction to hotel management ,Organisation of accommodation, Reception office, Organisation in the catering industry, Management of accommodation, Organising congresses, Food as world tourist attraction, Hotel chains, Customer care, Geography of hotel industry.
Field trips
One of many advantages of studies in tourism and recreations are field trips and practices. There are trips organized to Polish (Northern Southern and Eastern Poland) and European geographical regions. There are also sightseeing in Łódź and it's region. The last form of classes organized out of the Institute there are camps: winter (skiing) and summer (rafting, biking, cycling etc.).
Geography
The studies in geography are provided in the Faculty of Geographical Sciences. Therefore we put a big attention in geographical education. Within this topic there are subjects on: Physical Geography, Ecology and environmental protection, Biogeography, Socio-economic geography, Geography of Poland, Regional geography of the world, History of geographical discoveries, Geography of tourism and hotels industry.
Economic sciences
Tourism, hotel management and recreation there are first of all contemporary business. Therefore our students get knowledge connected also with economy, management and marketing in tourism. Economy, Organisation and management, Marketing of tourism/recreation, Economics of tourism, Total quality management in tourism, Finance of enterprises and introduction to accounting.
Human sciences
We also take care of classical education. There are realized subjects on Human physiology, History of art and architecture, Pedagogics of leisure, Professional ethics, History of Polish architecture, Psychology, Sociology of leisure, History of culture, Elements of religious studies, Elements of political sciences, Elements of ethnography, Elements archaeology, Introduction to philosophy.
The research methodes and techniques
There are subjects as follow: Information technology, Techniques of negotiation, Introduction to statistics, Field research methods, Tourist cartography, Informatics in tourism/recreation, GIS. Besides students get knowledge about global distributions systems like Worldspan, Galileo and Amadeus. The best students will have possibilities to get certificate let them to work with GDS.
Foreign languages
We also take care of learning foreign languages. Students have possibilities to choose different foreign languages.
Internships
Internships take place in the field trimester (May-June) in a variety of tourism-related institutions such as national parks, museums, tourist accommodation facilities, travel agents and others. The host institutions includes Polish National Parks, Wawel Castle, Malbork Castle, the Museum of the Warsaw Uprising, the international network of travel agencies like TUI, Neckermann and international hotel systems such as Accor, Hilton , Marriott, Radisson, Sheraton and many others, both in Poland and abroad (for example through Erasmus Internships).
Studenci stacjonarnych studiów licencjackich realizują zajęcia w wymienionych instytucjach łącznie przez 18 tygodni (570 godzin), studenci niestacjonarnych studiów licencjackich łącznie przez 4 tygodnie (120 godzin), mając możliwość wyboru dwóch instytucji.
Urban Geography is one of seven Master's programs offered by the Faculty of Geography. This particular course is conducted by the Institute of Urban Geography and Tourism Studies. Lecturers are recruited from the Institute's and the Faculty's scholars as well as from practitioners - mainly town-planners. The studies are organized in the intramural system.
To be enrolled on this Master's course one requires the Bachelor's degree in geography or the related discipline: spatial planning, economy, sociology, environmental protection, etc. The aim of this program is the education of future geographers, fully capable of working in a variety of organizations and institutions dealing with the issues of spatial planning and built environment. Therefore, the student will receive not only the professional knowledge but also the methodological and practical skills in designing and conducting empirical studies, crucial to become a successful town-planner. Courses taught within the Master's program primarily refer to the issues of settlement geography, town planning and architecture.
The program lasts two years and its completion requires the preparation of a Master's thesis. The program comprises of 847 hours of lectures - 120 ECTS points, 60 per one academic year. Lectures, workshops and seminars taught within the frame of the Master's course are divided into two major groups: obligatory subjects and free-choice subjects. The former ones address the theoretical and methodical issues of human and physical geography, and the professional internships - e.g.: in a town planning bureau. The latter subjects introduce the problems of regional science.
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