Are you interested in developing sustainable leisure concepts from an economic and management perspective? This programme allows you to do just that.
Single Degree (60 ECTS)
EU students: 15 August
non-EU students: 31 May
More information
Graduates of our master programme in International Leisure, Tourism & Events Management have a variety of career opportunities in the labour market. These include jobs as policymakers at the local, regional or national level or as managers at a hotel chain, theme park or other venues.
Careers open to graduates include:
To be admitted to this master’s programme, you will need to meet admission requirements as outlined in Dutch Higher Education law. For an international master’s programme at NHL Stenden, you will need a relevant bachelor’s degree that is at least equivalent to an NLQF 6/EQF 6 level (Dutch/European Qualifications Framework)* and comparable to an admissible Dutch bachelor diploma.
In general, you will need a relevant bachelor’s degree (NLQF 6/EQF 6) from a recognized university to be admitted to this master’s programme. Relevant fields of study for the master’s in International Leisure, Tourism & Events Management include Leisure / Tourism / Events Management, Economics and Business Management.
Your qualifications will be assessed by an Admissions Officer at the Central Student Administration (CSA) department at NHL Stenden once you have applied for the specific programme through Studielink. In addition to the degree you have obtained, CSA will also consider your motivation letter and CV as part of the admissions procedure.
If you wish to apply but you do not have a relevant bachelor’s degree, please apply anyway through Studielink as we evaluate applications to master’s programmes on a case-by-case basis. In all cases, an interview may form part of the admissions procedure.
If it is unclear what the equivalent level of your bachelor diploma is within the Dutch education system, NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences will have your diploma evaluated by Nuffic, a Dutch organisation specialised in the assessment of international qualifications. For an indication of how your educational system compares to the Dutch system, please visit the Nuffic website.
* The European Qualifications Framework (EQF) is a tool for understanding and comparing qualifications awarded in different countries and by different education and training systems. Its eight levels are described in terms of learning outcomes: knowledge, skills and competences. The levels of the Dutch Qualification Framework (NLQF) are linked to the levels of the EQF.
All non-EU/EEA applicants are required to submit an English proficiency test with their application to show that their English language skills are at a high enough level to succeed in their studies.
Exceptions can be made for students who have had their preparatory education in a country where English is the only official educational language.
If you are applying for a master’s degree and hold a diploma listed here, and English was included as part of the final exam curriculum, then the additional English language test is not required. The same applies to students who have attained General Certificates of Secondary Education (enough O and A/AS levels with the sufficient score), the European Baccalaureate Certificate, International Baccalaureate Diploma, or an IB career-related programme taught fully in English.
All other applicants need to submit a valid and adequate English language test result with their application.
NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences accepts four kinds of official language tests in accordance with the Code of Conduct International Student in Dutch Higher Education:
• Academic IELTS 6.0 ** (with an advised minimum of 5.0 for each skill)
• TOEFL 550 ** (paper-based), 213 (computer-based) or 80 (internet-based). Original test results must be sent directly from the Educational Testing Service to NHL Stenden. The TOEFL institution code for NHL Stenden is C652.
• Cambridge ESOL score FCE-C (169, or higher).
• TOEIC *670 (Listening and Reading) and 290 (Speaking and Writing).
*We only accept TOEIC® certificates from public programs and not from institutional programs. Public programs are organized in public centers and delivers an official score report which is recognized worldwide.
** IELTS, TOEFL and TOEIC certificates more than 2 years old (at the start date of the study), will not be accepted.
View the comparison of the different scores.
Please note: If you do not yet have the necessary level in English, you may enrol in our Preparatory English Language Course or the Pre-Master Programme.
Master of Arts (MA)
The 12-month Master’s programme in International Leisure, Tourism & Events Management focuses on sustainability and quality of life within the context of the past, present and future. You will explore established theories relating to leisure and tourism (past), discuss current cases (present) and use scenario planning as a tool for identifying future trends and developments (future). The courses contains different education methods such as seminars, workshops, lectures, presentations, group assignments and guest lectures.
As part of your studies, you will take three modules that prepare you for the process of writing your final-year thesis. You will learn how to develop a research proposal and how to collect and analyse data.
You will discuss current theories related to leisure and tourism, based on topics such as games, experience, culture, social class, lifestyle, mobility, the environment, development and economic systems. The objective of the course is to develop your own perspective on leisure and tourism.
This module examines quality in all its facets: you investigate the quality of recreation and tourism in relation to the quality of human life in general. You will learn to make connections between society and organisations using multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary methods. If you have opted for the Master of Science programme, it will start in this module.
This module focuses on the complex and dynamic nature of policymaking in the recreation and tourism industry. You will explore parameters and topics for developing policies, learn how to use scenario planning and how to apply change and project management for this purpose. The Master of Science programme will finish during this module.
At this stage of the programme you will choose your minor (specialisation). You can opt for one of the NHL Stenden EFTI projects, Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Managing Event Organisations or Current Issues in Heritage Management.
Have you chosen the elective Event Management? Then you will follow your lessons in separate classes, go on specific field trips, meet guest speakers from the industry, and get additional literature.
In this module you can choose between four exciting electives:
1. Entrepreneurship & Innovation
This includes entrepreneur ship, innovative concepts and business perspectives. This module is an accelerated research-based programme designed to provide you with the opportunity to accrue the skills, framework, and learning experiences necessary to create business opportunities in service-oriented organisations, or new companies, by applying entrepreneurial and innovative initiatives.
2. Managing Events Organisations
This module addresses key concepts that help to understand how to manage an events organisation and how to create competitive advantages imperative to success.
3. ETFI Projects
This module focuses on a research project related to the research programmes of the research unit of the Academy of Leisure & Tourism Management.
4. Current Issues in Heritage
On successful completion of the module you will be able to critically assess the potential of heritage in contemporary society with specified application to the leisure, tourism and events industries in a given situation
As part of your course, you will be working closely with the European Tourism Future Institute (ETFI), NHL Stenden’s research institute dedicated to tourism. The ETFI specialises in developing, researching and applying scenario planning related to tourism and leisure.
The Master’s programme in International Leisure and Tourism Studies has received the following accreditation and quality labels:
To view the full course programme, please feel free to download the our brochure.
You will discover a variety of educational methods during the programme, including seminars, workshops, lectures, presentations, group assignments and guest lectures.