Tourism & Hospitality Management Diploma - Adventure Guiding Option

Train on Vancouver Island to become an adventure guide and gain the skills to own or operate an adventure tourism business. Develop essential knowledge to work across cultures, with consideration towards environmental sustainability and risk management. Balance classroom theory with applied learning.

This diploma pairs our popular Adventure Guiding Certificate program with elements of the Tourism & Hospitality Management diplomas. Year 1 and parts of year 2 of the Adventure Guiding diploma are offered on a cost recovery basis.

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Admission Requirements

C in English 12 or equivalent or successful English assessment or IELTS 6.0 or equivalent . Students are recommended to take ENG 104 in the first semester. Students who do not have a band score of Academic IELTS 6.0, TOEFL iBT 20, PTE 50, CAEL 60 or higher in Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking will be required to take ENG 104 in the first semester.
B in Workplace Math 11 or equivalent or successful Math assessment
Adventure Guiding option applicants must also complete and submit the medical forms by the first day of the program.

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Course Requirements

Year 1

Field Focused Core Competencies
TGA - 100 Guiding Skills 1
TGA - 101 Interpretation
TGA - 103 Sea Kayaking 1
TGA - 106 Sea Kayaking 2
TGA - 110 Guiding Skills 2
TGA - 111 Wilderness First Aid
NAU - 016 Restricted Operator Certificate-Maritime *
TCS - 010 SuperHost Foundations of Service Quality *
TFS - 010 FoodSafe Level I *
*Note - courses are scheduled with reserved sections for the Adventure Guiding option - no separate course registration is necessary.
Field Skill Options

Plus two field skill electives totaling 4 credits are required to meet program requirements. Students may choose additional field skill electives, in which case additional charges will be incurred.
TGA - 102 Wildlife Viewing
TGA - 104 River Rafting 1
TGA - 105 Canoeing
TGA - 107 Sailing
TGA - 108 Mountain Skills 1
TGA - 109 Winter Mountain Travel 1
TGA - 112 Rock Skills 1
TGA - 114 River Rafting 2
TGA - 131 Field Specialty Option 1 (Please discuss with coordinator)
TGA - 132 Field Specialty Option 2 (Please discuss with coordinator)
Note: Field skill course availability and delivery model is based on enrolment; registration for the Field Skill Option choices are done individually with a permission form completed in consultation with Adventure Guiding Faculty.
Applied Theory
THM - 100 The Tourism Industry
THM - 211 Sustainable Tourism Industry
THM - 225 Cross Cultural Tourism
One of the following:
ENG - 160 Effective Organizational Writing or
ENG - 166 Effective Organizational Communications
Students wishing to exit at this point must take TGA 700 Work Placement (1 credit) in order to receive the Adventure Guiding Certificate

Year 2

Choose three of the following (totaling 9 credits):
BUS - 100 Financial Accounting Fundamentals
BUS - 162 Principles of Marketing
THM - 107 Accommodating Your Guest
THM - 108 Human Resource Management
THM - 112 Leadership and Management
THM - 170 Food & Beverage Service
THM - 175 Mixology & Oenology
THM - 212 Tourism and Hospitality Law and Ethics
THM - 219 Tourism & Hospitality-Year 2 Field Trip
Plus six electives totaling 18 credits chosen from courses numbered 100 or higher that transfer to a BC degree-granting institution. These can include additional courses from the above options for THM and BUS courses, if pre-requisites are met.

Plus choose a minimum of three from the following 2-credit field courses (6 credits):
Field skill course availability and delivery model based on enrolment
TGA - 102 Wildlife Viewing
TGA - 104 River Rafting 1
TGA - 105 Canoeing
TGA - 107 Sailing
TGA - 108 Mountain Skills 1
TGA - 109 Winter Mountain Travel 1
TGA - 112 Rock Skills 1
TGA - 114 River Rafting 2
TGA - 133 Field Specialty Option 3 (Please discuss with coordinator)
TGA - 134 Field Specialty Option 4 (Please discuss with coordinator)
Co-op mandatory for all students

Students must complete EMP 100 in the Fall term as a prerequisite to Co-operative Education Internship Work Term (THM 197 ) in the Spring. Co-op work terms must be completed between first and second term for full-time students and prior to the last course term for part-time students.
EMP - 100 Co-Operative Education Pre-Employment Seminar
THM - 197 Co-Operative Education Internship Work Term

Completion Requirements

This is a two-year program requiring completion within five years of admission.
To successfully complete the Adventure Guiding option, students must pass all courses and attain an overall average of at least a C (2.0 GPA minimum).
A minimum of 50% of the program must be taken at North Island College.