Southern Cross University

What you'll study

This program blends foundational business disciplines with specialist hotel management subjects and practical industry experience. You will study topics such as hotel operations, front office management, food and beverage management, housekeeping and facilities management, and events and banqueting. Core business units typically include accounting and finance for managers, marketing, human resource management, and business law, giving you the commercial skills needed to run accommodation enterprises.

• Hotel operations and service management – day-to-day running of accommodation, guest service standards and operational systems.
• Front office and reservations – reception operations, guest check‑in/out, reservations systems and customer relationship management.
• Food and beverage management – restaurant and catering operations, menu planning, cost control and hygiene standards.
• Housekeeping and facilities – standards, scheduling, procurement and maintenance of accommodation environments.
• Revenue and yield management – pricing strategies, forecasting and distribution channels for accommodation businesses.
• Events and banqueting – planning, logistics and management of conferences, weddings and corporate events.
• Business fundamentals – accounting, marketing, HRM, organisational behaviour and business law relevant to hospitality contexts.
• Industry placement or work integrated learning – supervised practical placement in a hotel or resort environment to apply classroom learning.
• Capstone or project – integrative project addressing a real or simulated hotel management challenge.

Entry requirements

Admission is typically based on secondary school completion (an ATAR-equivalent) or successful completion of recognised tertiary study. Southern Cross University also considers mature-age applicants with relevant work experience and applicants with vocational qualifications in hospitality. International applicants must meet English language requirements demonstrated through recognised tests (for example IELTS or equivalent) or approved English pathway programs. Specific credit or recognition of prior learning may be available for relevant industry certificates or previous tertiary study.

Career prospects

Graduates are prepared for supervisory and management roles in a wide range of accommodation and hospitality settings. Typical roles include:

• Hotel or resort manager
• Front office or guest services manager
• Food and beverage manager or restaurant manager
• Reservations and revenue manager
• Events coordinator or conference manager
• Housekeeping and facilities supervisor
• Operations manager within hospitality and tourism businesses

Alumni also move into related areas such as tourism management, hospitality consulting, hospitality technology roles, or further study in postgraduate hotel and tourism management programmes.

Why study at Southern Cross University

• Industry‑focused training: Southern Cross emphasises practical, work‑integrated learning with industry placements and partnerships across hotels and resorts.
• Specialist facilities: Access to simulated hospitality training environments and industry standard systems used in operational hotel work.
• Regional and coastal campuses: Southern Cross has campuses in locations with strong tourism economies, offering local placement and employment opportunities in accommodation and events.
• Small class sizes and supportive teaching: Emphasis on applied learning and close contact with academic and professional staff who have industry experience.
• Pathways and further study: Options for credit, honours or postgraduate study in hospitality, tourism or broader business disciplines.