Free Hospitality Certifications

Overview of Free Hospitality Certifications

Full hospitality certification programs are not typically available for free; however, students can utilize many free resources, courses, and lessons to gain a solid foundation in the field. Before pursuing coursework for a professional certification, these resources can offer valuable preparatory information. While these courses cannot offer college credit or progress towards a professional certification, they can be a solid start in the hospitality field.

The University of Queensland Australia on EdX

The University of Queensland's Tourism and Travel Management course, offered online at the introductory level, discusses what challenges face hotels and tourist destinations, as well as how workers in this industry can solve them. Students work with case studies and watch lectures from industry experts. Service management, the role of technology, planning and operations, and HR management are all topics that are covered. By studying for two to three hours each week, students can complete the course in seven weeks. A certificate can be obtained for a fee.

Udemy

Udemy offers a free course titled Intro to Hotel Financial Statements, taught online by a business strategist. The course is designed for beginners who have very little financial background and those who are interested in working in hotel management. There are no assignments or tests, and the course is taught via short video lectures and articles. Students can move at their own pace and access the course multiple times. A certificate of completion is available, but this does not lead to college credit.

Yonsei University on Coursera

Yonsei University's International Hospitality & Healthcare Services Marketing course teaches students how to improve their management skills in both the hospitality and healthcare industries through online video instruction. The hospitality portion of this course focuses on teaching creative business management strategies and how to manage customer expectations. Another focus of the course is teaching students how to navigate supply and demand and how to improve their marketing strategies. Students can complete the course over three weeks with one to two hours of study per week, and the course offers flexible deadlines.

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University on EdX

Hong Kong's Polytechnic University hosts a free online course in Managing Human Resources in the Hospitality and Tourism Industry. Offered at the intermediate level, this course aims to teach students theories of human resource management and how they can be applied to the hospitality field specifically, as well as how to solve complex HR problems in this sphere. The course lasts for six weeks and can be completed with six to eight hours of study per week. An add-on verified certificate is available for a fee.

ESSEC Business School on Coursera

ESSEC Business School offers a free Fundamentals of Hotel Distribution course that focuses on how to manage a hotel's web presence, such as the brand's website, using online video content. The course is designed to help hotel management better understand industry best practices, especially when it comes to the web. Students can finish the course in approximately four weeks, with two to four hours of dedicated study each week.