Postgraduate taught 

Tourism & Heritage (Dumfries campus) MSc

Heritage and culture can hold different meanings to people across the world. This Masters in Tourism & Heritage uses global examples from Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia, and also draws on the history and culture of Scotland to help you understand these different meanings.

Register your interest for more information

privacy

Why this programme

  • This Masters uniquely combines tourism and heritage through a social sciences and arts perspective, offering a broader and more critical exploration beyond typical business-focussed approaches.
  • The programme is delivered by the School of Social & Environmental Sustainability, Dumfries Campus, a location that is rich in cultural and natural heritage. You’ll have access to historic tourism sites, national parks, and natural landscapes for hands-on field trips.
  • Courses will explore tourism and heritage issues across the globe, from Europe, Africa, the Americas, and Asia. This programme goes beyond traditional teaching models by providing you with the skills to question what is meant by heritage, and how using innovation and modern technology can help enhance the tourism sector. 
  • You will analyse the cultural and societal impacts of tourism and heritage rather than traditional management studies. You will explore these aspects of heritage:
    • the tangible (buildings, infrastructure)
    • the intangible (customs, traditions)
    • the natural (national parks, wildlife).
  • Whether you’re advancing a career in tourism or switching fields, this programme offers placement opportunities, guest lectures, and real-world experience to equip you for diverse roles in tourism and heritage industries worldwide.
  • You will have the opportunity to engage in discussions on pressing issues within the tourism industry. This will include exploring the politics of heritage, the perspectives of local communities vs visitors, cultural representation, and the complex histories associated with heritage sites.
  • As part of our diverse and growing postgraduate community, you will have access to dedicated academic staff specialising in tourism research throughout the world.

Programme structure

Learning and teaching on this programme consists of a variety of methods including lectures, group activity, tutorials, field trips, problem-based learning, seminars and case studies. You will be expected to prepare for seminars by reading selected material beforehand and will be presented with contemporary theories and contrasting analyses of the course subject matter.

Discussion is a key component of this programme, and you will be expected to engage in debate. You will demonstrate your intellectual skills through seminar presentations, and student or staff led discussions. You will also be assigned readings which you will be expected to analyse, discuss, and debate in class. Courses will utilise case-study simulations, policy debates, and interactive workshops.

You will take four core and two optional courses across two semesters. During the summer you will either undertake a dissertation or a work placement.

Core courses

Recommended optional courses

+++

All optional courses

---

Programme alteration or discontinuation
The University of Glasgow endeavours to run all programmes as advertised. In exceptional circumstances, however, the University may withdraw or alter a programme. For more information, please see: Student contract.

Career prospects

This programme will produce graduates who have a strong understanding of the cultural and societal impacts of tourism and heritage from a global perspective.

Potential career paths may include:

  • Public sector: national government agencies (e.g. VisitScotland); local tourist boards; local government posts; museums; art galleries; heritage centres; education (school, college, university teaching and research).
  • Private sector: heritage attractions; art galleries; travel agents; tour companies; tourism consultancy; hotel management; media organisations.    
  • Related work in business or public sector organisations.

Find out more about careers paths and opportunities.

Fees & funding

Tuition fees for 2025-26

MSc

UK

  • Full-time fee: £11250
  • Part-time fee: £1250 per 20 credits

International & EU

  • Full-time fee: £25320

Deposits

International and EU applicants are required to pay a deposit of £2000 when an offer is made.

Deposits: terms & conditions

This programme requires some students to pay a deposit to secure their place.

If you are an international student, we will only issue a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) once the deposit has been paid.

Your offer letter will state:

  • how to pay the deposit payment
  • the deadline for paying the deposit

The following guidelines will apply in determining whether a deposit will be refunded. Where the deposit is refunded, a 25% handling fee will be deducted.

Deposits will be refunded to applicants under the following circumstances:

  1. Where the University is unable to offer you a place.
  2. Where the applicant has personal circumstances such as illness, bereavement or other family situations that has prevented them coming to the UK. Medical or other proof may be requested.
  3. Applicant can prove that they have applied for a visa to attend the University of Glasgow, but the VISA has been refused. The applicant must have shown 'real intent' to study at the University of Glasgow but has been unable to obtain their visa.
  4. Applicant does not meet his / her conditions of offer: this may be academic or language test requirements. Satisfactory evidence must be uploaded to the student’s applicant self-service to prove that they have not met the conditions of their offer (note that applicants who do not meet the language condition of their offer must show reasonable attempt to meet this, i.e. they must provide a language test which was taken after the date that the deposit was paid).

Deposits will not be refunded to applicants under the following circumstances:

  1. Applicant has decided to defer – in this situation the University will retain the deposit and credit it against the applicant’s account for securing their place for the following year of entry.

Refund requests must be made within 30 days of the programme start date stated on your offer letter.

Requests made after this date will be subject to discretion.


Additional fees

  • Fee for re-assessment of a dissertation (PGT programme): £370
  • Submission of thesis after deadline lapsed: £350
  • Registration/exam only fee: £170

Funding opportunities

GREAT Scholarships 2025

In partnership with the British Council and the GREAT Britain Campaign, University of Glasgow is offering 3 scholarships to students in Greece, Egypt, China, Mexico, Turkey, Spain or Thailand applying for postgraduate courses in any subject (excluding MBA and MSc by Research courses). All eligible courses can be viewed under the 'eligible programmes' tab on this webpage. 

The scholarship offers financial support of £10,000 to students pursuing one-year postgraduate study in the UK. This discount cannot be combined with another University scholarship.

University of Glasgow African Excellence Award

The University of Glasgow African Excellence Award aims to support high achieving students from across Africa in their journey to become Future World Changers.  We are looking for students who wish to undertake Masters level study, to further develop their knowledge and skills, in order to positively contribute to their community in the future. 

The University is offering up to 15 scholarships for International students from Africa, starting a 1 year postgraduate taught Masters programme, in any discipline for academic session 2025/26.  The scholarship is a full tuition fee waiver. 

University of Glasgow Caribbean Excellence Award

The University of Glasgow Caribbean Excellence Award aims to support high achieving students from across the Caribbean in their journey to become Future World Changers.  We are looking for students who wish to undertake Masters level study, to further develop their knowledge and skills, in order to positively contribute to their community in the future. 

The University is offering up to 5 scholarships for International students from the Caribbean, starting a 1 year postgraduate taught Masters programme, in any discipline for academic session 2025/26.  The scholarship is a full tuition fee waiver. 

World Changers Glasgow Scholarship

The University of Glasgow is proud to announce the World Changers Glasgow Scholarship for September 2025 entry to acknowledge incredible applicants from India, Singapore, Nigeria, Thailand, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Vietnam, Israel, Jordan, Palestinian Territories, Syria, Yemen, Mexico, Brazil, Lebanon and Colombia. The scholarship is awarded as a £5,000 tuition fee discount and will automatically awarded to all eligible applicants. 

Alumni Discount

In response to the current unprecedented economic climate, the University is offering a 20% discount on all Postgraduate Research and full Postgraduate Taught Masters programmes to its alumni, commencing study in Academic session 2025/26. This includes University of Glasgow graduates and those who have completed a Study Abroad programme, International Summer School programme or the Erasmus Programme at the University of Glasgow. The discount applies to all full-time, part-time and online programmes. This discount can be awarded alongside most University scholarships.

Postgraduate Access Scholarship

The University of Glasgow is pleased to be offering Postgraduate Access Scholarships to support Home students who could face financial difficulties in taking up their place to study at the University. Applications are particularly welcomed from applicants who met any of our widening participation criteria, or equivalent, at undergraduate level. The value of each scholarship is £4,000 and they are for students undertaking a one or two year Taught Masters programme. For two year Taught Masters programmes, the scholarship is available in year one only.

Global Leadership Scholarship

The University of Glasgow has several Global Leadership Scholarships available to International fee students starting a postgraduate taught Masters programme in any discipline for Academic Session 2025/2026. The scholarship is awarded as a tuition fees discount.

HESPAL Scholarship

The University has worked in partnership with the British Council in a scheme to provide Higher Education Scholarships for Palestinians (HESPAL), for the past decade.

Through the HESPAL scheme, we have been able to offer fee waivers to students from the Palestinian Territories, enhancing educational opportunities for deserving individuals.

Considering the current challenges and the significant obstacles faced by individuals impacted by the conflict in leaving the area, the University of Glasgow extends their support in the academic year 2025/2026 to offer up to 3 postgraduate taught scholarships and up to 2 postgraduate research scholarships.

This scholarship is offered as a full fee discount.

World Changers Glasgow Scholarship PGT (EU)

The University of Glasgow continues to be committed to ensuring a strong relationship with our existing and future EU students, and supporting EU talent to make their home at the University of Glasgow. 

We appreciate the challenging financial implications that have arisen for our European applicants, and are therefore delighted to offer the World Changers Glasgow Scholarship PGT (EU) to new incoming EU students starting an postgraduate programme for Academic Session 2025-26. The scholarship is awarded as a tuition fee discount of £5,000 for every year of study and is subject to satisfactory progress for consecutive years of study. This discount cannot be combined with another University scholarship.

Applicants that completed a Study Abroad year, Exchange programme or International Summer School at the University of Glasgow and therefore eligible for the Alumni discount could be granted the EU Welcome Award, as well.

Glasgow Excellence Award (UK)

The University of Glasgow has a total of 40 Glasgow Excellence Scholarships available to UK students entering any of the University’s Colleges.

Sanctuary Scholarships

The University of Glasgow is offering up to 30 Sanctuary Scholarships for applicants to the University, who have been forced to travel to the UK for humanitarian reasons and are facing challenges in progressing onto Higher Education. The scholarship is open to prospective undergraduate and postgraduate taught students at the University of Glasgow applying for entry in September 2025/26. Please note that you must have applied to the University before submitting an application for this scholarship.

The scholarship will meet the cost of tuition fees for the duration of your programme, for applicants who are unable to access mainstream funding through Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) or Student Finance. The Sanctuary Scholarship also provides a £5,000 per year stipend, to assist with study costs. In addition, if the eligibility criteria for university accommodation is met, this will also be provided for the duration of your degree, if required. For more information on the accommodation criteria, please see the Accommodation Services section on the website.

Undergraduate students with refugee status (or equivalent) and access to funding, are eligible to apply for the scholarship and would receive the £5,000 stipend towards study costs only, if successful.

Postgraduate Taught Masters students with refugee status (or equivalent) and access to funding, are eligible to apply for the scholarship and would receive the £5,000 stipend towards study costs and a partial tuition fee waiver, to cover any shortfall not met by your Postgraduate Masters tuition fee loan.

The scholarships above are specific to this programme. For more funding opportunities search the scholarships database

Entry requirements

2.1 Hons (or non-UK equivalent) in a Social Science or Humanities subject.

English language requirements

For applicants whose first language is not English, the University sets a minimum English Language proficiency level.

International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic and Academic Online (not General Training)

  • 6.5 with no subtests under 6.0
  • IELTS One Skill Retake Accepted
  • Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

Common equivalent English language qualifications for entry to this programme

TOEFL (ibt, mybest or athome)

  • 90 overall with Reading 20; Listening 19; Speaking 19; Writing 21
  • Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements, this includes TOEFL mybest.

Pearsons PTE Academic

  • 59 with minimum 59 in all subtests
  • Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

Cambridge Proficiency in English (CPE) and Cambridge Advanced English (CAE) 

  • 176 overall, no subtest less than 169
  • Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

Oxford English Test

  • 7 overall with no subtest less than 6
  • Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

LanguageCert Academic SELT

  • 70 overall with no subtest less than 60
  • Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

Password Skills Plus

  • 6.5 overall with no subtest less than 6.0
  • Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

Trinity College Tests

  • Integrated Skills in English II & III & IV: ISEII Distinction with Distinction in all sub-tests
  • Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

University of Glasgow Pre-sessional courses

  • Tests are accepted for 2 years following date of successful completion.

Alternatives to English Language qualification

  • Degree from majority-English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI including Canada if taught in English)
    • students must have studied for a minimum of 2 years at Undergraduate level, or 9 months at Master's level, and must have completed their degree in that majority-English speaking country within the last 6 years.
  • Undergraduate 2+2 degrees from majority-English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI including Canada if taught in English)
    • students must have completed their final two years study in that majority-English speaking country within the last 6 years.

For international students, the Home Office has confirmed that the University can choose to use these tests to make its own assessment of English language ability for visa applications to degree level programmes. The University is also able to accept UKVI approved Secure English Language Tests (SELT) but we do not require a specific UKVI SELT for degree level programmes. We therefore still accept any of the English tests listed for admission to this programme.

Pre-sessional courses

The University of Glasgow accepts evidence of the required language level from the English for Academic Study Unit Pre-sessional courses. We would strongly encourage you to consider the pre-sessional courses at the University of Glasgow's English for Academic Study (EAS) Unit. Our Pre-sessional courses are the best way to bring your English up to entry level for University study. Our courses give you:

  • direct entry to your University programme for successful students (no need to take IELTS)
  • essential academic skills to help you study effectively at University
  • flexible entry dates so you can join the right course for your level.

For more detail on our pre-sessional courses please see:

We can also consider the pre-sessional courses accredited by the below BALEAP approved institutions to meet the language requirements for admission to our postgraduate taught degrees:

  • Heriot Watt
  • Kingston Upon Thames
  • Middlesex University
  • Manchester University
  • Reading University
  • Edinburgh University
  • ST Andrews University
  • UCL
  • Durham.

 

For further information about English language requirements, please contact the Recruitment and International Office using our enquiry form

International students

We are proud of our diverse University community which attracts students and staff from over 140 different countries.

How to apply

To apply for a postgraduate taught degree you must apply online. We cannot accept applications any other way.

Please check you meet the Entry requirements for this programme before you begin your application.

Documents

As part of your online application, you also need to submit the following supporting documents:

  • A copy (or copies) of your official degree certificate(s) (if you have already completed your degree)
  • A copy (or copies) of your official academic transcript(s), showing full details of subjects studied and grades/marks obtained
  • Official English translations of the certificate(s) and transcript(s)
  • One reference letter on headed paper
  • Evidence of your English language ability (if your first language is not English)
  • Any additional documents required for this programme (see Entry requirements for this programme)
  • A copy of the photo page of your passport (Non-EU students only)

You have 42 days to submit your application once you begin the process.

You may save and return to your application as many times as you wish to update information, complete sections or upload supporting documents such as your final transcript or your language test.

For more information about submitting documents or other topics related to applying to a postgraduate taught programme, see how to apply for a postgraduate taught degree

Guidance notes for using the online application

These notes are intended to help you complete the online application form accurately; they are also available within the help section of the online application form. 

If you experience any difficulties accessing the online application, see Application System Help.

  • Name and Date of birth: must appear exactly as they do on your passport. Please take time to check the spelling and lay-out.
  • Contact Details: Correspondence address. All contact relevant to your application will be sent to this address including the offer letter(s). If your address changes, please contact us as soon as possible.
  • Choice of course: Please select carefully the course you want to study. As your application will be sent to the admissions committee for each course you select it is important to consider at this stage why you are interested in the course and that it is reflected in your application.
  • Proposed date of entry: Please state your preferred start date including the month and the year. Taught masters degrees tend to begin in September. Research degrees may start in any month.
  • Education and Qualifications: Please complete this section as fully as possible indicating any relevant Higher Education qualifications starting with the most recent. Complete the name of the Institution (s) as it appears on the degree certificate or transcript.
  • English Language Proficiency: Please state the date of any English language test taken (or to be taken) and the award date (or expected award date if known).
  • Employment and Experience: Please complete this section as fully as possible with all employments relevant to your course. Additional details may be attached in your personal statement/proposal where appropriate.

Reference: Please provide one reference. This should typically be an academic reference but in cases where this is not possible then a reference from a current employer may be accepted instead. Certain programmes, such as the MBA programme, may also accept an employer reference. If you already have a copy of a reference on letter headed paper then please upload this to your application. If you do not already have a reference to upload then please enter your referee’s name and contact details on the online application and we will contact your referee directly.

Application deadlines

September 2025

International & EU applicants

  • 25 July 2025

UK applicants

  • 22 August 2025
Apply now

Careers & Employability

Our programmes prepare you for a career in your desired industry. Hear from some of our Programme Directors, current students, and alumni about potential career paths and opportunities.

Related programmes

Tourism

Dumfries Campus

more related Dumfries Campus programmes

Related links

Students chatting at the quadrangle

Postgraduate events

2 students studying in the James McCune Smith building

Keep in touch