Tourism

The Master's program in Tourism features deep international integration aimed at developing and implementing joint educational programs with leading foreign partner universities. The uniqueness of the program lies in its practical orientation and the formation of universal competencies, enabling graduates to function not only as organizers of all types of tourism activities and experts in evaluating investment projects but also as higher education methodologists capable of scientific and pedagogical activities.

Accreditation, Certification and Quality Assurance Institute (ACQUIN) 28.03.2024 – 30.09.2032 7M11102 Tourism

A distinctive feature of the educational process is the active development of multilingualism, including the teaching of specialized disciplines in English and expanding English-language informational support for students. The program is based on an innovative approach, incorporating online educational products on platforms such as Coursera, as well as close collaboration with employers, who participate in reviewing curricula and syllabi.

An important component is the entrepreneurial focus, implemented through the development of start-up projects within a business incubator, and a strong research component, requiring master’s students to participate in international conferences and publish research results in journals indexed in RSCI, Web of Science, and Scopus. Thus, the program prepares highly qualified personnel who possess modern research and management methodologies, capable of working effectively in a rapidly changing global labor market.

Classes are conducted by a highly qualified faculty: Doctors of Science, PhD candidates, and PhD holders; instructors in children’s and youth tourism; Category 1 judges in sports tourism and multi-discipline tourism; recipients of the honorary badge from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan “For Contribution to Tourism Development”; chairpersons of the Student Tourism Commission of the Federation of Sports Tourism and Multi-discipline Tourism of Kazakhstan; and lecturers with practical experience in the taught disciplines, authors of SCOPUS articles, monographs, textbooks, and teaching aids.

In practical terms, students develop technical skills in handling equipment and learn to work with specialized software. Mastery of communication and marketing skills is also an essential indicator of quality.

Graduates of the program hold leadership positions such as Chairperson of the Corporate Fund «Turistik Kamkor», President of the European Tourism Association, Director of Activetours LLP, as well as managers of travel agencies, restaurant managers, administrators, engage in scientific and pedagogical activities, and continue their studies in doctoral programs.

The program prepares graduates for continuous professional self-improvement, career growth, and mobility in a changing environment; it develops creativity, initiative, and innovation, as well as the ability to acquire new professional knowledge and skills according to the demands of domestic and foreign employers.

The program ensures the preparation of highly qualified personnel in the tourism industry, capable of managerial activities and developing skills in organizing and conducting scientific research.

Graduates in this field can perform the following professional activities: prospective and current planning of tourism activities, taking into account socio-political and socio-economic changes in Kazakhstan and abroad; development and promotion of new types of tourism services; organization of accounting and control to optimize the management process; management of tourism services in various sectors of the tourism business; conducting marketing research to improve tourism sales efficiency; organizing preventive measures for tourism safety; innovative activities in tourism management.

At the international level, the program has been accredited by ACQUIN (Germany, Accreditation, Certification and Quality Assurance Institute (ACQUIN) 28.03.2024 – 30.09.2032), as well as IQAA and NAAR, confirming compliance with high international education standards.

Project and research activities in tourism and recreation; government and municipal management in tourism and recreation; regional entrepreneurship strategy in tourism and recreational activities.

Objects of professional activity for a master in services include government bodies involved in tourism organization; public and private companies engaged in tourism business; tourism consulting companies; marketing departments of tourism enterprises; tourism infrastructure facilities.

Expected Learning Outcomes of the Master’s Program «Tourism» are focused on forming a highly qualified specialist capable not only of planning and implementing all types of tourism activities according to labor market demands but also effectively interacting with Kazakhstani and foreign partners and related service providers.

Graduates should master methods of teaching specialized disciplines and be ready to engage in scientific and pedagogical activities in higher education institutions, applying modern educational technologies and the results of their own research in practical work. An important outcome is the development of the ability to critically analyze existing concepts and theories, independently conduct research in tourism, collect and process data to find optimal solutions to industry problems, and professionally work with regulatory, educational, and scientific texts.

A master should possess deep knowledge of tourism enterprise organization principles, including skills in financial documentation and accounting, and be able to provide expert evaluation of investment projects. The ultimate goal is forming a professional personality striving for continuous knowledge updating and skill enhancement, capable of solving complex pedagogical and management tasks based on scientific research methodology.

Master’s students rank among the best in the country in subject Olympiads of programs such as «Tourism» (1st place in 2025), and over three years secured 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places in the Republican NIRM competition. At the Regional World Skills Almaty Championship 2025, a master’s student served as the chief expert in the «Restaurant Service» competence.

The program is implemented in modern campuses with a comfortable environment. It includes 2 academic buildings, a scientific library with a modern literature collection, classrooms, a computer lab (over 500 computers), a gym, a choreography hall, a sports hall with a futsal field, 2 medical centers, and a student dormitory.

Specialized laboratories for «Service, Tourism, and Hospitality» are available for master’s students. Educational laboratories are equipped with the necessary tools for practical training and skills development. Specialized laboratories include: «Hospitality Academy», «Restaurant Concepts Laboratory» and «Active Tourism Laboratory».