Five-Star Facility Practical Training Opportunity: MAKÜ School of Tourism Management and Hospitality

Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University (MAKÜ) School of Tourism Management and Hotel Management is training experienced professionals for the gastronomy and tourism sector.

After the announcement of the Higher Education Institutions Exam (YKS) results, the preference process for university candidates has started. MAKÜ School of Tourism Management and Hotel Management, which offers practical training opportunities in five-star facilities, is among the top choices for candidates who want to gain experience in the gastronomy and tourism sector.

Prof. Dr. Murat Yeşiltaş, the Director of the School, who stated that courses such as world cuisines, Ottoman cuisine, pastry, and bakery are given at the School of Tourism Management and Hotel Management, which is among the first in Turkey to offer 6+2 practical training, said; “Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University (MAKÜ) School of Tourism Management and Hotel Management consists of undergraduate programs in tourism management and gastronomy and culinary arts and their related master's programs. In our undergraduate programs, the 6+2 practical training model is applied. During this process, our students can carry out their practical training in the sector within the scope of workplace vocational training, as well as at the Lavender Hill Hotel within our university. In addition, internship training is mandatory in both departments of our school. This covers 60 days. Therefore, fourth-year students spend a full year in practical training in the sector. At the same time, within the scope of the education process, our students can carry out their training in the application kitchen for 3 years, as well as different courses such as sectoral application at the Lavender Hill Hotel. Our school offers different courses such as world cuisines, Ottoman cuisine, pastry, and bakery in the gastronomy and culinary arts department. These courses are conducted under the supervision of experienced instructors, and thanks to the experiences our students gain here, they can easily find jobs in the sector. In addition, during the courses, students offer the applications or dishes they have made for sale at the Book Coffee Cafeteria within our school, and during this time, students are graded by customers within the scope of the relevant course. These grades are evaluated as success grades for the students under the supervision of the instructors.” he said.

Compulsory Foreign Language Education is Provided

Explaining the importance of foreign language in the tourism sector and stating that there is compulsory foreign language education at the School, Director Yeşiltaş said; “In addition, English courses are compulsory at our school. Education is provided in second and third foreign languages such as German and Russian. If the students who graduate from our school have chosen gastronomy and culinary arts, they work as chefs in kitchens thanks to the experiences they have gained when they graduate. Those who choose the tourism management department can rise to the level of general manager in their jobs, starting as mid-level managers. Of course, extra importance is given to foreign language education at our school. In this sense, we are in close contact with the School of Foreign Languages, and our instructors, who are experts in their field and have a doctorate level, provide foreign language education. In this sense, students who are dedicated and committed to this job can easily serve in the sector with good foreign language knowledge. In addition, we can easily say that the students who graduate from our school do not have a deficiency in practical courses. When they go to the sector, there is no deficiency or disruption. The most important guarantee of this is the presence of our instructors and teaching staff who have sector experience and are competent in the sector.” he said.

Graduated Students Find Jobs Immediately

Mentioning that they bring students together with famous chefs or managers in addition to the practical training given to students, Director Yeşiltaş said, “During the term, we invite chefs or managers at different levels to our school and bring our students together with sector representatives. One of the advantages of our school is that it is close to tourism regions such as Antalya or Fethiye, where the tourism sector is quite good. This proximity provides us with a great benefit. We bring the managers here together with our students. We benefit from their experiences. Therefore, when the Lavender Hill Hotel within our university, the Application Kitchen belonging to our School, and the laboratories within our university are integrated with our instructors, we graduate talented, competent, and highly skilled students. In this sense, our graduates do not have any difficulty in finding jobs in the sector. We are waiting for students who want to gain experience and have a good place in the tourism sector at MAKÜ School of Tourism Management and Hotel Management.” he said.