Advanced education that gets you working

The world's leading hotels are always looking for qualified professionals. Demand is particularly high for candidates with the skills and experience for management positions. 

The Advanced Studies in International Hotel Management (ASIHM) program was created specifically to meet this critical industry need. Through the ASIHM, the Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec (ITHQ) trains future leaders in international hotel management.

This bilingual program (French and English) gives students experience-based training so that you can meet the specific needs of the hotel industry. The goal is to train agile, creative and proactive managers who can cultivate team excellence and anticipate the needs of an always demanding international clientele.

The ASIHM program combines European flair with North American skills to create true Quebec hospitality. Get this unique training in the heart of vibrant and cosmopolitan Montreal, which was named the best student city in the world by QS Best Student Cities 2017.

• Develop the skills of a bilingual hotel manager who is mobile, fully functional and ready for the international requirements of the hospitality and food service sectors 
• Acquire competence in four major areas: 
  • Behavioural and interpersonal skills
  • Leadership within hotel enterprises
  • Operations engineering for hotels and food services
  • Hotel operations management

Manager
I enrolled in the ASIHM program because I wanted the best training that would make me a well-rounded manager, no matter what establishment I worked at. Through this program, I developed my curiosity and analysis skills and explored many management-related fields. This has been very useful in a job like mine that requires you to wear many hats! 

Guest Relation Manager
The ITHQ network gives us access to management positions at the world's best hotels starting from our very first internship. For twelve months, we get in-the-field training to apply what we have learned in class and to develop our skills by offering our employers new solutions. Once you get out into the workplace, you can really see how great this program is!

Housekeeping Supervisor
The practical experience taught me just how capable I am of achieving my objectives. During the two internships, you really have to make every effort to succeed or you'll find yourself giving up when you're only halfway there. You have to manage your time well to succeed. After completing the program, I knew I’d be able to meet the most extreme challenges in my professional career.

Our programs in Hotel Management offer the perfect learning environment for students wanting challenging and rewarding careers at home and around the globe. However it is the unique collaboration with our values partners and collaborators that has secured the success of these programs and provided meaningful and challenging careers for many of our students. We wish to thank them and invite you to explore the world of opportunities offered by each.

• Program start date in the fall (September) each year
• Spread over twenty-six months (four consecutive terms of 8, 6, 6 and 6 months each), in a work-study format
  • Terms 1 and 3: courses held during the day, full time
  • Terms 2 and 4: online courses combined with internships
• Total of 1,350 course hours and 2 internships of 6 months each
• Internship schedules are set by the host hotels.

TERM 1 (IN CLASS): Hospitality professions and professional development

• The hospitality industry and environment
• The hotel business and its operations
• Hospitality accounting
• Exploring leadership potential
• Rooms division service processes
• Food service processes
• Managing guest reception
• Interpersonal communications in the hospitality context
• The hotel hiring process
• Hotel information and communication technologies
• Managing diversity in the hotel environment
• Legal frameworks governing hotels

INTERNSHIP 1 AND TERM 2 (ONLINE): Practical skills and personal positioning

• Adapting to hotel dynamics
• Front-line practical skills
• Managing technical maintenance and hotel safety and security
• Employee integration, socialization and training

TERM 3 (IN CLASS): Hospitality management skills

• Managing, interpreting and presenting financial information
• Hotel business strategy and decision making
• Innovation in the hospitality industry
• Quality and the guest experience
• Managing hotel sales and promotions
• Strategic revenue management
• Department operational performance
• Coordinating group market operations
• Work relations in the hospitality industry
• Project management in the hotel environment

INTERNSHIP 2 AND TERM 4 (ONLINE): Senior management, performance and service culture

• Senior hotel management: aspects and perspectives
• Department control mechanisms
• Hotel technology tool performance
• Comprehensive activity: Service culture

• Terms 2 and 4: a 6-month internship (675 hours minimum) in each term
• An integration activity at the end of the program

An alternating work-study format is the foundation of the ASIHM program. Students are encouraged to complete their internships at renowned hotels in Canada and overseas (obtaining a visa could be necessary). They conduct their own research, taking into account their objectives and place of origin, to find an internship with a hotel chain that will help them get the most out of the experience. To help optimize the personalized internship experience based on the students’ objectives and their acquired knowledge and skills, the ITHQ accompanies them throughout the process.

The search for internships is facilitated in part by the ITHQ Hotel Partnership Program and the ITHQ's many collaborators. This means that outstanding students may complete their internships with major hotel chains such as Relais & Châteaux, Sofitel Hotels, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts and Starwood Hotels and Resorts. On completion of their training, those who have proven themselves in the work environment will also be well positioned to gain admission to the management training programs of these major hotels and pursue their careers there.

To obtain a diploma in any of our regular programs, students must complete internships under established rules. Internship offers and locations may be limited by particular aspects of a student's situation (health condition, family situation, criminal record, etc.) known at the time of registration, but in no case may such conditions be used to justify a waiver of the rules for internships, which must be completed as provided for under the program.

Note :

• Internships carried out in Canada are always remunerated.

Thanks to agreements with the Escuela Universitaria de Hotelería y Turismo de Sant Pol de Mar (EUHT StPOL) near Barcelona, Spain, you can continue on and do your graduate studies in Europe after getting your ASIHM diploma. EUHT StPol admissions and diploma requirements apply. For more information, please contact us.

Students are required to wear the classic attire (French only) of the ITHQ at all times. All students must adhere to certain basic professional image rules.

This program is intended for students and professionals from around the world. To be eligible, you must meet the requirements listed below, in addition to being sufficiently fluent in spoken and written French and English and having advanced intermediate-level knowledge of at least one of these languages (language skills evaluation tests are required). Note that any relevant experience in guest or front desk service or any other duties performed in hospitality or food service are an asset.

On the basis of post-secondary studies successfully completed in Québec:

• Have a Diploma of College Studies (DCS) or a university diploma, including one mathematics course (Introduction to Quantitative Methods or the equivalent) or accounting course (with a minimum R score of 24).

On the basis of studies successfully completed in another Canadian province:

• Have a diploma issued by a recognized institution outside Québec after at least 13 years of studies or the equivalent, and have successfully completed one year of university studies, including the required mathematics or accounting course.

On the basis of studies successfully completed outside Canada:

• Have a diploma equivalent to a diploma of college studies or university degree issued by a recognized institution and including an advanced mathematics or accounting course.

On the basis of experience:

• Have program-relevant professional experience (the applicant’s file will be reviewed to determine eligibility).

Interview

All selected candidates will be called for an admission interview (in person or remotely) for an evaluation of their motivation for the program and a career in international hotel management.

Language Skills Evaluation Test

All selected candidates must take the ITHQ’s language test (85 KB) to have their knowledge of oral and written French and/or English evaluated.

Preparatory training allows applicants who do not meet all the eligibility requirements of the ASIHM program to acquire the necessary foundational knowledge and skills that will facilitate their integration into this post-secondary training. This 8-month program aims to improve students’ English skills (written and oral) as well as their understanding of hotel management, and to provide students with relevant professional experience in hospitality.

Content

Mandatory section for all students

• Block A from January to May: Skills development in hospitality and food service, including practical experience in the various services provided by the ITHQ Hotel, 4 half-days per week (180 h).

Optional sections according to the applicant’s situation

• Block B from January to May: Language classes in English or French to obtain the C1 proficiency level required for admission to the ASIHM program, 15 hours/per week, at the Académie linguistique internationale (ALI) or in another language school (240 h).
• Block C from June to August: Summer internship in hospitality, paid or not according to legislation in the country where the internship is completed (mandatory for international students to obtain a co-op or internship work permit, minimum of 390 h).
• Block D from June to August: Complementary language classes in English or French, if necessary. Additional registration fees apply (unless the classes are taken at ALI). 

Eligibility

To be eligible for this preparatory training, the applicant must:

• Have a CEGEP diploma or the equivalent (e.g., general bachelor’s degree or the French technological baccalauréat), or any other training deemed sufficient.
• Be 18 years of age at the start of the internship.

Application deadline for classes beginning in January:
August 31 of every year

Notes:

• Applicants who have not taken a CEGEP-level math course or the equivalent must pass a pre-university college level mathematics or accounting course (additional fees apply).
• It is the student’s responsibility to secure their internship, which can be completed in Quebec or outside Quebec. Please note that the ITHQ Hotel accepts several interns every year.  
• Despite the fact that this training is preparatory for the ASIHM program, it is the applicant’s responsibility to meet all the eligibility criteria set by the program.
• The program is not accredited by the Quebec Ministère de l’Éducation et de l’Enseignement supérieur (MEES). ITHQ will issue a certificate of achievement at the end of the training.

Cost

Notes :

• For international applicants, a $50 fee may be added for a comparative evaluation of studies completed outside Quebec, if required.
• Students may keep their uniform for the duration of their studies at ITHQ.

Cancellation

Ancillary costs and tuition will be reimbursed, minus administrative costs of 25%, if you cancel your registration before the first day of the training. After this deadline, no reimbursement will be made.

For more details, please download the terms of payment (in French only).

Cancellation

Registration and tuition fees for each term of the program are refundable minus a 25% administrative fee, provided that students cancel their registration before the first day of the term. No refunds will be granted after this date.

Notes :

• Registration fees include administrative services, student association fee, voluntary contribution to the Fondation de l'ITHQ and third-party liability insurance.
• Students must pay the costs associated with internships and compulsory activities (including airfare, visa(s), living expenses, etc.). They should also allow for additional costs to purchase books and lecture notes.
• All amounts are in Canadian dollars.
• All amounts listed can changed without noticed.
• Employers subject to the Act to promote workforce skills development and recognition are entitled to submit the cost of this training program as part of the 1% of total payroll that companies must invest in employee training. Don't forget to inform your employer!

The Fondation de l’ITHQ awards scholarships to program students who meet certain conditions:

• Scholarships worth $2,500 each, awarded to two students in recognition of professional behaviours and attitudes demonstrated during their studies at the ITHQ (first and third terms).
  The scholarship eligibility requirements are announced by the Internship Department at the beginning of the first term.
• A total of $25,000 in scholarships to financially assist students while they complete their required internships.

The scholarship eligibility requirements and application deadline are announced by the Internship Department at the beginning of the first term (individual scholarship amounts are based on internship projects).

Note :

• Students in the ASIHM program are not eligible for the Quebec government’s  loans and bursaries program.

Advanced Studies in International Hotel Management ITHQ Signature Diploma.

If you want to play many professional roles, then think about working in the hotel sector, an industry that is as rewarding as it is demanding. The hotel industry is constantly evolving based on new trends, changing customer needs, and new generations of managers. The industry has had to respond to the many ups and downs of the global economy.

In general, hotels have at least three main activity sectors:

• Accommodation: reception, reservations, night auditor, housekeeping, car and concierge service.
• Food services: restaurants, banquets, room service, purchasing.
• Administration: accounting, marketing, sales, human resources, management.

Because customers need services at any time of day or night, people skills play a huge role in hotel positions. Since customers are demanding, you need to be highly adaptable and have a sense of drive and initiative to offer a quality service that meets the hotel’s standards.

Finally, working conditions vary depending on whether the hotel belongs to an international or local brand. Also note that you will have to work long hours standing up, while periods of intense stress are inevitable no matter what type of hotel you work at.

Accommodation

Reception clerk | Reservation clerk | Concierge Housekeeping attendant :

Welcomes customer and answers their questions; sells goods and services using promotional tools and computerized reservation systems. Cleans common areas and rooms (housekeeping). This type of role is physically demanding and requires adhering to the company’s standards and code of ethics. This is an entry-level job that may or may not require experience, depending on the hotel. This means it can lead to other positions that required hotel-industry experience.

Restaurant services

Server, assistant head waiter (restaurants, banquets, and room service) | Barista, bar employee (bartender) | Host:

Receives orders from customers, checks on order with the kitchen, serves the order; sets up the dining area, food carts, or banquet halls. Provides courteous service that is in line with the company’s standards. Follows up on sales directives for receptions, banquets and special events and is sometimes responsible for making purchases for the dining room. This type of role is physically demanding and requires adhering to the company’s standards and code of ethics. These entry-level jobs require a minimum of one to three years of experience in hotel or restaurant services.

Administration (supervisory positions)

Marketing coordinator | Reception supervisor | Sales representative | Night auditor | Human resources coordinator:

Performs follow-up between different sectors of the establishment. Supervises employees (2 to 15 on average), makes sure they meet hotel standards, trains them, and evaluates them. Meets the targets and ratios set by management; this type of role requires a lot of office work to provide the requested information. These positions require a minimum of five years of experience in the hotel industry and sometimes advanced studies in marketing, sales, accounting or human resources.

Management (supervisory positions)

Accommodation manager | Housekeeping manager | Restaurant services manager | Operations manager | Sales manager | General manager of a hotel establishment:

Plans, organizes, directs and controls the activities of the establishment’s different sectors while ensuring that provided services are efficient and profitable. Attends meetings and works with other sectors of the hotel. Is responsible for tracking occupancy forecasts to perform budget and marketing planning and ensure that the establishment has the human resources to meet service standards. These positions require a minimum of ten years of experience in the hotel industry and sometimes advanced studies in marketing, sales, accounting or human resources.

Here are the main tasks for the different positions listed above, according to the website of the Conseil québécois des ressources humaines en tourisme:

Accommodation

• Answer customer questions.
• Help organize the arrival of customers and groups.
• Make reservations using a computerized system.
• Assign rooms.
• Promote special rates, packages or activities.
• Inform customers about internal policies.
• Perform housekeeping tasks in rooms.
• Clean reception areas.
• Balance accounts or the cash register.
• Update the customer database.

Restaurant services

• Welcome customers, present the menu, make suggestions, and answer questions about food and beverages.
• Answer customer questions.
• Set up the dining rooms or banquet rooms.
• Provide customers with their bills and perform cash transactions.
• Ensure good communication with staff.
• Take orders to the room and serve them.
• Retrieve used dishes from the floors, banquet rooms, and dining rooms.

From the website of the CQRHT

Skills for sales and customer service:

• Teamwork skills, independence, drive, honesty, versatility, motivation, initiative, organizational skills, leadership, and ability to make decisions.
• Ability to communicate in multiple languages (at least French and English) and written and oral communication skills in at least French and English.
• Planning and human resources management skills (team management, conflict resolution).
• Able to perform monetary transactions.
• Knowledge and application of labour standards and basic health and safety principles.
• Tolerance for stress and a good memory.
• Very good knowledge of the main tourist attractions of the local region.
• Mobility, flexibility, versatility, and availability.

Work environments vary and are mainly in the private sector:

• Hotels and hostels (hotel chains, independent hotels, boutique hotels)
• Tourist resorts
• Cruise ships
• Conference centres and reception halls
• Outfitters
• Casinos

You will fully develop in your career if you are open to the working conditions that are particular to the hotel industry:

• Atypical schedules
• Standing for long stretches of time and during periods of high client volume and intense stress
• Ability to lift loads of 20 pounds or more
• Work in extreme or highly contrasted temperatures
• Frequent use of a computer (word processing and database software)
• Many challenges that will strengthen your passion for the restaurant industry!

Placement rate according to Emploi-Québec

The Labour Market Information (LMI) website indicates that job prospects in this sector are favourable (forecasts for 2011 to 2015).

Salaries and employment statistics

Labour Market Information (LMI) http://imt.emploiquebec.net

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