Choosing a track, paving your future

"Most importantly, it is all about fun and if you choose wisely, you will surely have a blast and a successful career."

The first two and a half years at HMSM show you all the aspects of the hospitality world, but there comes a time you have to decide which track you want to pursue for the last one and a half years. In year 3, the choice of tracks and a decision between minors, going on  exchange or doing a pre-master program gets many of us in a nervous confusion. In this blog I would like to try and clear the air for you a little bit and explain what the different tracks are and which opportunities each one of them brings!

Tracks at hotel school Maastricht

To start off, a track is a specialisation within the bachelor and within hospitality. Thus, by choosing one of the three tracks that hotel school Maastricht offers, what you are really doing is identifying your personal preference for your future career. The three different tracks are: Hotel Management, Foodservice or Horizons in Hospitality.

In the Hotel Management track, the primary focus is on the career opportunities directly connected to hotels, such as positions within different hotel departments, hotel development or hotel consulting. In the Foodservice track, the focus is on  gastronomy aspect and is suitable for anyone who is passionate about food, be it a desire to open or manage a restaurant or to become a world-class renowned chef. Lastly, the Horizons in Hospitality track allows you to explore opportunities in applying your skills somewhere else outside the hospitality, as for example general consulting for or job opportunities within large corporations, be it wholesale, IT, or any other industry. 

Read up on the minors 

What each of these tracks provides you with are 2 minors, or else 10-week programs that allow you to specialise in a field of your interest. While one main minor is a must for a track you chose, there is always an opportunity to select a minor from a different track as a second. This allows you to explore two different sides of your interest. My advice, before selecting a preferred track make sure to check which combination of minors you are interested in. It can help you to make a thought-through decision based on the topics you find most interesting. 

Going on exchange

In addition, don’t forget there is always an opportunity to go abroad for an exchange program in a foreign university. It is a good opportunity to experience different culture and styles of teaching, to put one of the world-known universities on your CV and of course it is a lot of fun! In case you want to go for an exchange, you will by default be choosing a Hotel Track and not do any minors.

Doing a pre-master

Here is another thing you can do – a pre-master. We all know how valuable a master’s diploma is these days. Nevertheless, to enrol in a master’s program in the Netherlands, as a student of an Applied Science University you need to do a pre-masters. You can do so in your 3rd year at the University of Maastricht (UM). It is a great opportunity to experience an academic life of the UM student and avoid losing a year in-between you Bachelor and Master studies. Keep in mind,  when choosing for the pre-master, you will be required to do your master’s at Maastricht University. Currently the pre-master grants access to the following Master studies: International Business, Management of Learning, Global Supply Chain Management and Change, and Information and Network Economics.

To conclude, I should mention that your graduation project in year 4 and your management internship will be dependent on your choice of the track. Most importantly, it is all about fun and if you choose wisely, you will surely have a blast and a successful career!

About Uliana

Hello everyone! My name is Uliana and I am a fourth year student of the Hotel Management School Maastricht. I love exploring and learning new things, which is why I take on so many hobbies, that always keep me busy. I am an extremely curious person and travelling has always allowed me to feel free and connected to the world. I hope you’ll enjoy reading my blog and will find some inspiration there. 

Have fun and stay safe!