Establishment Date: The proposal to
open a compulsory English preparatory class to the Department of Tourism
Guidance and to transform the language of instruction of the department from
Turkish to English at least 30% was accepted at the Higher Education Executive
Board meeting dated 31.03.2021. In this context, at least 30% of the total
course credits in the curriculum is given in English, and as of the academic
year of 2021-2022, the language of education is Turkish and English.
Mission of the Department: The Tourism Guidance Department
of our university is to train professional tourism guides who can transfer the
historical and natural assets of our country, our cultural values to local
and foreign visitors as voluntary cultural and introductory ambassadors.
Vision of the Department: To become a leading educational
institution in the field of professional tourist guidance with high educational
quality and research activities at national and international level.
General Information About the Department: The language of instruction
of the department is at least 30% English, and there is compulsory preparatory
training in the department. The education period, including compulsory
preparatory education, is 5 years. There are 3
physician lecturers in the staff of the department, and support are got by faculty
members of other faculties of our university for elective foreign language
courses and some courses that require expertise. Elective foreign language
lectures include German, Russian, etc. and students are given the opportunity
to choose the foreign language education they want.
Our department can exchange students with many contracted universities
abroad and within the scope of ERASMUS + Program, Mevlana Exchange Program and
Farabi Exchange Protocol. With the exchange programs, our students are offered
the opportunity to study abroad and do internships. Thus, it is possible for
our students to acquire a new language in the country they are going, and to
develop themselves culturally and gain different perspectives. Our faculty has
made agreements with 40 universities from 25 countries within the scope of
foreign exchange programs, and to increase this number is among our most vital
goals, there are also universities where the agreement process continues.
Learning
Objectives of The Department: With the
5-year Tourism Guidance Training Program along with the preparatory education,
intensive English and second foreign language support, as well as compulsory
and optional vocational courses, our aim is to enable students to comprehend
the concepts and principles specific to the tourism guiding profession and to
develop their practice
Scientific and
Occupational Competencies:
Knowledge (Program
Proficiencies):
·
To know the basic concepts
of the tourism and tourism guidance profession.
·
To have the
ability to transfer professional knowledge in at least one foreign language.
· To undertake the
role of culture and publicity embassy in the promotion of the country with the
lessons learned in the context of tourism guidance
· To be conscious of
issues such as conservation of cultural heritage, sustainability of our
resources and participation of local people.
· Tourism guidance
for the profession both in Turkey to follow and implement new developments in
the world.
· To be able to
create awareness by producing solutions for the country tourism by dominating
the types of tourism.
Skill (Field
Capabilities):
· To have knowledge
in fields like archeology, art history, museology, iconography etc. related to
tourism guiding occupation and to be able to apply them in the field.
· To have
information about tourist attractiveness of Turkey (cultural and natural) and
culture, history and arts of civilizations having lived in Turkey and in the
world.
· To have
information about the legislation and occupational standards related to the
tourism, travel management and tourism guidance profession.
· To be able to
plan, implement and control a tour using the latest developments, applications
and equipment within the technology used in the field of tourism guidance.
·
To be able to
transfer professional knowledge in at least two foreign languages.
Graduation Requirements: In order to graduate, the student must successfully pass all the
lectures in the program, have a general average of 2.00 and above, take at
least 240 ECts lectures and complete compulsory internships.
Career / Employment Opportunities: Students studying in the Tourism Guidance Department
are expected to have foreign language and communication skills, dynamic, free
of travel barriers, leader spirit, solution-oriented, respect, tolerance,
courtesy and ethical values. Students who graduate from the department must
have at least 75 points from the YDS (Foreign Language Exam) in the Tourist
Guiding Vocational Regulation published in the Official Gazette dated
26/12/2014 and numbered 29217 (Article 3 paragraphs) or the foreign language
written by TUREB and to be successful in the written exams, to complete the
national domestic practice trip duration of at least thirty-six calendar days,
and the regional domestic practice trip duration of at least six calendar days
for each region (Article 14 paragraph 2) and to apply to the Ministry of
Culture and Tourism. As a result of their application, they will be able to
provide Tourism Guidance in Turkish or written language / languages
throughout the country by obtaining a Tourist Guide Work Card. However,
tourist guides must be a member of one of the chambers established in the
province where the settlement is located, or one of the chambers established in
the closest province if a chamber has not been established in the province
where the settlement is located. The name, surname and registration numbers of
active and inactive tourist guides are published on the official website of the
relevant association. The profession can only be exercised by active tourist
guides. In order to become an active tourist guide, it is compulsory to obtain
a working card valid for one year. The work card is a permit issued by the
Union to the tourist guides licensed by the Ministry, to be valid for one year
by the chamber in which they are registered and printed by the Union upon their
application. Tourist guides who receive a work card are action tourist guides
and can actually practice the profession.
Students graduating from tourism
guidance can work as a tourist guide in every region of Turkey dependent to an
agency or independently. They can be
employed as an employee and manager in all departments of travel agencies. They
can work in the Ministry of Culture and Tourism staff, tourism offices or
museums. They can work in the operations and ticket sales departments of
airlines, as well as open a workplace related to their field. They can work in
middle or senior management positions in all other tourism businesses
(accommodation businesses, food and beverage businesses, recreation
businesses). The graduates of the department, who get enough points in the
Public Personnel Selection Examination (KPSS), can be employed as civil
servants in other public institutions. At the same time, students who have
graduated from the Department of Tourism Guidance at the undergraduate level
who want to make an academic career can go on their education in postgraduate programs
in the Department of Tourism Guidance, Tourism Management Department and
different departments and can become an academic staff.
Recognition of Prior Learning: The application process for the recognition of the
courses successfully completed by the students who have studied in other
programs of higher education institutions in Turkey or abroad is carried out
after the students make final registration to the department. Applications are
evaluated by the board of directors and decided to cover all education.