Objectives and competences
The master's degree in Urban Tourism provides an opportunity to train in a very dynamic professional area with excellent future prospects, in a context of rapidly changing cities, increasing consolidation of the smart city model, and the emergence of the urban environment as a tourism hub. The course focuses specifically on urban tourism, unlike other courses that cover tourism in general. It includes two new areas: entrepreneurship in urban destinations; and knowledge generation and smart tourism.
The master's degree in Urban Tourism was designed to meet the increasing demand for formal knowledge of urban tourism at postgraduate level, in a context of rapidly changing cities, increasing consolidation of the smart city model, and the emergence of the urban environment as a tourism hub. The general objective is to train high-level professionals and researchers to work in existing and new professional roles, designing and managing projects related to tourism production and consumption and activities associated with tourism in urban environments.
The course differs from other master's degrees in tourism that have a broader focus and more general content. It is a specific course covering the main principles of urban tourism, the structure of production and consumption, and direction, planning and management. In addition, two fundamental new areas are included: entrepreneurship in urban destinations; and knowledge generation and smart tourism.
The master's degree is aimed at graduates in tourism and holders of related degrees in the human, social, economic and legal sciences who wish to complete advanced, specialized training in preparation for careers in various areas of urban tourism.
The course differs from other master's degrees in tourism that have a broader focus and more general content. It is a specific course covering the main principles of urban tourism, the structure of production and consumption, and direction, planning and management. In addition, two fundamental new areas are included: entrepreneurship in urban destinations; and knowledge generation and smart tourism.
The master's degree is aimed at graduates in tourism and holders of related degrees in the human, social, economic and legal sciences who wish to complete advanced, specialized training in preparation for careers in various areas of urban tourism.
Basic information
| Type | Master's degree |
|---|---|
| Faculty or school | Faculty of Geography and History |
| Branch of knowledge |
|
| Mode of delivery |
|
| Credits | 60 |
| Number of places available | 30 |
| Length of course | 1 academic year |
| Language(s) of instruction | Spanish |
| Approximate price per credit | 27.67 euros per credit (82 euros for students who are not EU nationals and do not currently reside in Spain). Fees for the academic year 2024-2025 |
| Coordination | DOLORES SANCHEZ AGUILERA |
| Course details | Indicators |
| Open pre-enrolment | Yes |
| Open enrolment | No |
| Lead to doctoral studies | Yes |
| Admission for applicants not holding a degree qualification | No |
| Bridging courses | Yes |
Objectives and competences
Objectives
- To provide students with knowledge of the fundamental principles and dynamics of the city and the characteristics of tourism.
- To train students to master theoretical and conceptual tools for analysing and interpreting complex urban and tourism phenomena.
- To acquire training in the use of new information and communication technologies in urban tourism, the management of databases in tourism companies and institutions, big data, and components of the new 'smart destination' paradigm.
- To train students to make decisions in positions of responsibility in tourism companies and related institutions.
- To develop professional profiles that reflect the importance of innovation in business management, and the need to understand and apply tourism intelligence.
- To acquire training in the analysis and understanding of tourism production and consumption processes in cities, in order to identify strengths and weaknesses and enable students to undertake projects and initiatives related to the economic and institutional framework of tourism in urban and metropolitan areas.
- To train students to critically analyse, appraise and integrate the different aspects of complex issues.
Competences
- Capacity to recognise the foundations and dynamics of the city.
- Capacity to describe the bases of tourism management of the city and its governance.
- Capacity to identify the characteristics of the tourism phenomenon and of urban tourism in particular.
- Capacity to analyse and interpret the city as a tourism destination, and the destination as a tourism system.
- Capacity to interpret and assess the diversity of urban elements of heritage and their value to tourism.
- Capacity to analyse the dynamics of tourism markets and the contexts of the urban destination.
- Capacity to discuss the processes of leadership and management of tourism organisations, initiatives for the development of projects, and tourism products.
- Capacity to design and undertake tourism projects and the activities of production or consumption associated with tourism.
- Capacity to formulate processes of tourism development in cities, and the diversity of models.
- Capacity to apply methods and techniques of analysis and management of urban tourism.
- Capacity to apply instruments for planning and managing the urban destination, and techniques to assess the economic impact of urban tourism.
- Capacity to manage databases and documents in tourism companies and institutions in urban destinations, and components of the new paradigm of the smart urban destination.
- Capacity to design protocols for the creation, dissemination and application of tourism knowledge.
Basic and general competences
Basic competences
- Knowledge forming the basis of original thinking in the development or application of ideas, typically in a research context.
- Capacity to apply the acquired knowledge to problem-solving in new or relatively unknown environments within broader (or multidisciplinary) contexts related to the field of studies.
- Capacity to integrate knowledge and tackle the complexity of formulating judgements based on incomplete or limited information, taking due consideration of the social and ethical responsibilities involved in applying knowledge and making judgements.
- Capacity to communicate knowledge and conclusions and the grounds on which they have been reached to specialist and non-specialist audiences in a clear and unambiguous manner.
- Capacity for ongoing self-directed and independent learning.
General competences
- Capacity to work in interdisciplinary teams and at international level.
- Capacity to generate, process and analyse data and information relating to the study area.
- Capacity to design projects or plans of action aimed at identifying and resolving specific problems.
- Capacity to make original contributions in the context of advanced research or professional applications in the field of urban tourism.
- Capacity to make decisions, solve problems and negotiate effectively and independently.
- Capacity to use as a reference the principles of sustainability and innovation.
- Capacity to acquire theoretical and conceptual tools for the analysis and interpretation of complex urban and tourism phenomena.
- Capacity to apply information and communication technologies to urban tourism.
Access and admission
Applicant profile and access requirements
Recommended applicant profile
- Holders of bachelor's degrees and university diplomas in tourism, or graduates in social, economic and legal disciplines related to the study, knowledge and management of tourism who wish to gain advanced, specialized training and are interested in working in urban tourism.- Professionals who carry out academic or professional tasks related to urban tourism in the public or private sector, and who wish to improve their training and career prospects.
Prospective students should have innovative, entrepreneurial, organizational, planning, communication and teamwork skills, and an interdisciplinary perspective on the field.
Access requirements and conditions
General requirementsStudents wishing to be admitted to a university master's degree must hold one of the following qualifications:
- Official Spanish university degree.
- A degree issued by a higher education institution within the European Higher Education Area framework that authorizes the holder to access university master's degree courses in the country of issue.
- A qualification issued by an institution outside the framework of the European Higher Education Area. In this case, applicants must request homologation of the degree to its equivalent official Spanish university qualification or obtain express approval from the University of Barcelona, which will conduct a study of equivalence to ensure that the degree is of a comparable level to an official Spanish university qualification and that it grants access to university master's degree study in the country of issue. Admission shall not, in any case, imply that prior qualifications have been recognized as equivalent to a Spanish master's degree and does not confer recognition for any purposes other than that of admission to the master's degree course.
Specific requirements
To access the master's degree, candidates must have taken a bachelor's degree or equivalent university studies in the field of the social, economic and legal sciences or humanities. Specifically, the master's degree is designed for holders of bachelor's or pre-EHEA degrees in the fields of tourism, geography, economic sciences and sociology or equivalent qualifications in the Spanish university system and the university systems of other countries. Due to the cross-disciplinary nature of the master's degree, candidates who hold one of the above qualifications will not have to take bridging courses.
Holders of bachelor's or pre-EHEA degrees in the field of social, economic and legal sciences or the humanities with a qualification other than those mentioned above may also be admitted to the master's degree. These candidates must meet the specific requirements that are established in the selection criteria, and take bridging courses. In each case, the Academic Committee will establish which bridging courses need to be taken, up to a maximum of 12 credits, depending on the candidate's qualification. The Academic Committee may also consider the suitability of other university graduates whose CVs include professional experience in tourism that is related to the objectives of the master's degree.
Pre-enrolment
Calendar
- First period: from February 3 to April 22, 2025- Second period: from April 24 to June 20, 2025
Notes:
- Pre-enrolment fee: A pre-enrolment fee of 30,21 euros is charged. Students who apply to more than one master's degree must pay the fee for each pre-enrolment request. Pre-enrolment requests cannot be processed until this fee has been paid.Fees will only be refunded if the master's degree in question is suspended.
- Reserved places: A maximum of 5% of the new places of the master's degree are reserved for students who meet the general and specific access requirements and accredit the recognition of a degree of disability equal to or greater than 33%.
Required documentation
- Pre-enrolment application
- Photocopy of degree certificate or equivalent qualification. In case of admission, foreign degrees that require so should be translated and authenticated through diplomatic channels before completing the enrolment.
- Other specific documentation related to the selection criteria
Selection criteria
- Suitability of the qualification used in the admission process: maximum 4 points, awarded as follows:
- Graduates with degrees in tourism; social, economic and legal sciences; or humanities (maximum 4 points).
- Graduates with degrees in related areas (maximum 2 points).
- Graduates with degrees in tourism; social, economic and legal sciences; or humanities (maximum 4 points).
- Academic record for the official university qualification used in the admission process (maximum 3 points).
- Additional training and professional experience in the area of tourism (private or public sector, maximum 2 points).
- Additional criteria established by the Academic Committee, for example grants received or participation in projects (maximum 1 point).
Notification
If the number of places is greater than the potential demand, the Academic Committee may accept students without prioritizing on the basis of specific merits. Otherwise, successful candidates will be listed in priority order. Unsuccessful candidates will be placed on a reserve list and automatically accepted if a successful candidate withdraws, or if additional places are available at the end of the pre-enrolment period.Enrolment
As a general rule, at the UB you will be required to enrol online. Remember that you can lose your place if you do not enrol on the day you have been assigned
- Documents required for enrolment
- Procedure to formalize enrolment
- Grants and financial aid (in Catalan)
- Economic information (in Catalan)
Course curriculum
Subjects and course plans
Distribution of credits
| Type | ECTS |
|---|---|
| Compulsory | 15 |
| Optional | 30 |
| Compulsory placements | 0 |
| Compulsory final project | 15 |
| TOTAL | 60 |
List of subjects
| Subject | Type | Language | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Specialization: Urban Tourism | |||
| City and Governance | Compulsory | 1st semester | 5 |
| Cultural Tourism | Optional | 1st semester | 5 |
| Entrepreneurship and the Creation of Urban Products | Optional | 2nd semester | 5 |
| Final Project | Compulsory |
1st semester
2nd semester |
15 |
| Generation and Transfer of Tourism Knowledge in Urban Destinations | Optional | 1st semester | 5 |
| Institutional or Company Placement | Optional | 2nd semester | 5 |
| Intelligence, Technology and Urban Tourism | Optional | 2nd semester | 5 |
| Management of Tourism Organizations | Optional | 1st semester | 5 |
| Methods and Techniques for the Analysis and Management of Tourism | Compulsory | 1st semester | 5 |
| New Trends in the Demand for Urban Destinations | Optional | 2nd semester | 5 |
| Tourism Development and Management of Urban Destinations | Optional | 1st semester | 5 |
| Tourism Planning Tools for Urban Destinations | Optional | 1st semester | 5 |
| Town and City Planning | Compulsory | 1st semester | 5 |
| Urban Heritage and Tourism | Optional | 2nd semester | 5 |
Bridging courses
| Subject | Type | Language | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Specialization: BC for admission to the Master's Degree in Urban Tourism | |||
| Tourism in the European Union | Optional | 1st semester | 6 |
| Tourism, Territory and Economy | Optional | 1st semester | 6 |
Previous years
Placements
Placements in a company or another type of organization are an integral part of university studies, providing first-hand experience of working methodologies in students' chosen professional fields. They offer invaluable practical experience for the transition into work after graduation.
Placements are supervised by tutors and subject to assessment. They are therefore included in the academic record. There is also an option to complete non-curricular placements of up to 500 hours, which can be extended to 900 hours. For both curricular and non-curricular placements, an educational cooperation agreement is signed between the UB and the company, institution or other organization at which the placement will be carried out.
Institutional information