Tourism Development Strategies (TDS) Stralsund University of Applied Sciences

Our international Master's programme in Tourism Development Strategies (TDS) is a business degree with a specialisation in tourism.

The programme name reflects its distinctive profile: it combines the components "strategy" and "development" in a unique way within tourism and management. Its title also underlines the international character of the degree. The programme is taught in English.

TDS in a nutshell: international, strategic, individual

Students will acquire and further develop e.g. the following skills:

• Expertise in tourism, business administration and management
• Analysis and interpretation of tourism markets and their environments
• Prediction and utilisation of trends
• Product development and development of new tourism regions
• Sustainable destination development/ destination management
• Ability to think and act strategically
• Using creativity and innovations as competitive factors
• Dealing with change and communication skills
• Real-life projects
• Self-learning competence

Our Master's programme is tailored to graduates of business-related degrees, as we offer two-semester, three-semester and four-semester study paths. Students in all variants complete the programme with a Master's thesis and colloquium. Depending on their undergraduate degree, these are completed in the second, third or fourth semester.

Career Profile – fit for the national and international job market

Thanks to its focus on strategy and development, as well as its broad academic orientation, the programme prepares graduates for positions in tourism planning, business development and other areas of strategic planning and management. Graduates learn to identify opportunities, trends and developments and use these insights to create both operative and strategic tourism solutions. At the same time, the programme’s strategic approach allows students to transfer their skills to other business sectors and broaden their career prospects.

Graduates have gone on to work in areas such as:

• Managerial positions in areas related to general business administration
• Managerial positions in the field of destination management (destination management organisations, tourism boards and institutions)
• Tourism-specific managerial positions in various tourism companies (product management, marketing, etc.)
• Positions in the field of tourism/consulting
• Positions in academia and research
• Positions in PR and event management

The roles our graduates have taken on and the organisations they work for reflect the wide range of career opportunities offered by a TDS Master’s degree.

Courses are generally held four days a week. International guest lecturers and academic study trips abroad are integral parts of the programme and reflect its strong international orientation. Modern teaching methods such as seminars, discussions, case studies, real-life projects and excursions ensure a close connection between theory and practice. Students also benefit from lectures by industry experts and networking opportunities with leading companies and institutions.

Before starting the Master’s thesis, students take the module Scientific Training, which provides targeted preparation for academic research and writing.

Two-semester programme: The first semester focuses on the core modules and offers intensive training in tourism-related topics such as sustainability and transformation in tourism, business administration and values-based management. A particular highlight is the international excursion, for which students prepare academically around a specific theme. Previous destinations have included Portugal and Iceland. The excursion takes place at the beginning of the semester and offers an inspiring start to the programme by combining academic learning, practical insights and early group bonding.

In addition to professional knowledge, the programme strongly emphasises methodological, interpersonal and future-oriented working skills. Courses such as Diversity Management help students engage appropriately with different opinions and cultures, while modules such as Innovation and Change address ethical, social and organisational challenges. A real-life project during the first semester further underlines the programme’s practical orientation. The semester is rounded off by modules that strengthen self-study and methodological competencies, as well as individual media training to develop communication and rhetorical skills.

The entire second semester is dedicated to preparing and writing the Master’s thesis.

Three- and four-semester programmes: In the second semester, students choose modules that strengthen both professional expertise and academic self-development, including topics such as Managing Financial Performance, Development of Personal Skills, Supply Chain Management, Communication and Media, Destination Development and Cultural Heritage Management in Tourism.

Students in the four-semester programme complete a compulsory internship in the third semester, which helps them further develop their professional profile.

Throughout the programme, up-to-date teaching methods and close ties between academia and industry ensure that students can directly apply their knowledge in practice.

Option to gain a Master's degree together with:

Universita degli di Bergamo (Italy)

An internship of 21 weeks is mandatory in the four-semester Master's programme. Our online job exchange, internship professor and programme manager support and assist students during the process of finding an internship.

Two-semester course:

• A first academic degree in business studies (240 ECTS)
• A relevant internship that lasted at least 12 weeks or professional experience (internships during undergraduate degree will be credited)
• Secondary school leaving certificate / high school diploma
• Signed undertaking to pay administrative programme costs (1,970 EUR in total for the entire study period) for academic study trips to foreign countries, appointments with leading companies, social and intercultural events

Any money that is not entirely spent will be reimbursed (programme costs).

Three-semester course:

• A first academic degree in business studies (210 ECTS)
• A relevant internship that lasted at least 12 weeks or professional experience (internships during undergraduate degree will be credited)
• Secondary school leaving certificate / high school diploma
• Signed undertaking to pay administrative programme costs (2,170 EUR in total for the entire study period) for academic study trips to foreign countries, appointments with leading companies, social and intercultural events.

Any money that is not entirely spent will be reimbursed (programme costs).

Four-semester course:

• A first academic degree in business studies (180 ECTS)
• Secondary school leaving certificate / high school diploma
• Signed undertaking to pay administrative programme costs (2,170 EUR in total for the entire study period) for academic study trips to foreign countries, appointments with leading companies, social and intercultural events.

Any money that is not entirely spent will be reimbursed (programme costs).

Full-time students: 131 EUR for the first semester and 107 EUR for all subsequent semesters

Erasmus+ students: 103 EUR for each semester

Non-EU: As of 1 January 2020, foreign students and applicants from outside the EU must present a so-called "proof of financing" corresponding to 992 EUR per month (11,904 EUR per year). The actual cost of living in Stralsund amounts to 600 - 750 EUR per month, depending on the lifestyle.

HOST regularly offers student assistant positions for which you can apply (in accordance with the regulations of your residence permit). In addition, the city and the region offer various opportunities for student jobs, especially as it is a tourist region.

The International Office can advise you on the funding opportunities.

Every year, a special fair is organised on campus (SUPA). There, plenty of companies will present job offers as well as offers for internships or topics for the final assignment.

As a campus university, HOST offers one of the most charming accommodation options: in a small village in Scandinavian look and feel, called "Holzhausen", located on campus – just a few steps from the Mensa (Cafeteria) and the faculties.

Whether in student halls of residence, a shared flat or your first own flat, this decision has to be made by you and should be made according to your own desires and available funds. Stralsund offers exceptionally good conditions and is not affected by overly expensive rental prices and a highly competitive property market like in other study locations and cities.

HOST's International Office will help you find accommodation.

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The University of Applied Sciences Stralsund (HOST) is a young and innovative campus university. With its modern facilities, an excellent supervision ratio and its top location directly on the Baltic Sea, the University of Applied Sciences Stralsund offers optimal conditions for study, research and living.

The campus university, located directly on the Baltic Sea, offers prospective students a choice of 26 accredited Bachelor's and Master's programmes and a diploma supplementary course in German or English. As a relatively young university, which was only founded in 1991, Stralsund has many modernly equipped laboratories, lecture halls and seminar rooms, which guarantee an optimal learning environment. Moreover, the university offers on-campus living for up to 270 students within sight of the Baltic Sea.

At present, around 2,000 students from 50 countries study at the three schools of Business Studies, Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering & Computer Science. The range of courses include both classic subjects such as Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Business Administration as well as new and innovative courses such as IT Security and Mobile Systems, Motorsport Engineering and Tourism Development Strategies. Nearly all courses can also be taken in the form of a dual study programme with a highly practical component. The university cooperates with numerous companies for this purpose.

Because studying is important, but it is not everything, there are various leisure activities on campus. For example, the student project teams Baltic Racing, ThaiGer-H2-Racing and MariTeam Racing develop racing cars and motorcycles at the highest level. Recently, the HOST even celebrated three European Championship titles in a row! In addition, the campus has its own gym, weight room and sports field with a wide range of sports activities, such as beach volleyball, sailing and diving.

Although the HOST is a relatively small university in north-eastern Germany, it has a broad international network. Within the framework of the Erasmus+ programme, the university has 72 partner universities throughout Europe. Those who feel that this is not enough can also spend a semester abroad at one of the many partner universities worldwide in locations such as Oman, Australia, Brazil, Argentina and many other countries.

The old Hanseatic town of Stralsund, founded in 1234, is situated in the north-east of the federal state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, and it has been a university town since 1991. Stralsund's 800 historical buildings, which are classified as historical monuments and were built in different historical eras, have witnessed 770 years of the town's history, particularly the Hanseatic period. The city centres of Stralsund and Wismar were recognised by UNESCO as part of the World Heritage Programme in 2002.