DEPARTMENT OF HOTEL, RESTAURANT AND CATERING

DEPARTMENT OF HOTEL, RESTAURANT AND CATERING

PROGRAMME IN TOURISM AND HOTEL MANAGEMENT

The Programme in Tourism and Hotel Management has started its educational activities in the fall semester of 2013-2014 academic year under the Department of Hotel, Restaurant and Catering in Karamanoğlu Mehmetbey University Social Sciences Vocational School.

The Programme in Tourism and Hotel Management aims to train qualified employees and middle-level management candidates who can show initiative, effectively use information technologies and prioritize customer satisfaction, offer creative solutions to the problems faced, have the code of business ethics for the tourism sector which has grown a little more each year in the 21st century.

In our country, there is a continuous increase in the number of people participating in tourism activities and the number of businesses operating in the field of tourism. Due to this increase, the demand for qualified labour in the tourism industry, which is already a labour-intensive sector, is increasing even more. The aim of the Programme in Tourism and Hotel Management is to provide students with the necessary knowledge and skills in service, housekeeping, kitchen, front office and human relations in order to meet the demand for professionals in the tourism industry.

Graduates can be employed in enterprises and institutions, such as;

* Hospitality Businesses,

* Travel Agencies,

* Public Institutions and Organizations Providing Hospitality Services,

* Hospitality Facilities (Hotel, Holiday Resorts),

* Food and Beverage Enterprises (Restaurants, Cafes),

* Airline Companies,

* Various Transportation Companies,

* Tourism Guidance,

* Ministry of Tourism,

* Tourism Writing and Photography,

* Congress-Conference Centres,

* Tourism Information Centres.
 

The education lasts four semesters. Students who successfully complete all the courses in the programme are awarded with an Associate Degree in Tourism and Hotel Management. Students who have completed the associate degree program and fulfil the graduation requirements are entitled to take the External Transfer Exam (DGS). According to their scores they obtain from DGS, they can enrol at four-year faculties and colleges as listed below;

  * Business Related Departments

  * Hospitality Management,

  * Hospitality and Tourism Management,

  * Hotel Management,

  * Tourism Management,

  * Tourism and Hospitality Departments
 

PROGRAMME IN CULINARY ARTS

The Programme in Culinary Arts was opened in 2015 and has started education activities in the Department of Hotel Restaurant and Catering in the Social Sciences Vocational School since the fall semester of 2015-2016. Our department has a quota of 100 students, of which 50 are normal education and 50 are evening education.

The aim of the Culinary Arts Programme, which is prepared for individuals who see cookery as a professional occupation and pursue it as a career; to train young executive chefs who are equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills and can compete internationally. For these purposes, candidates are taught all the necessary attributes of food and beverage management and the art of cooking from beginner to the most advanced level during this associate degree programme. Classical cooking techniques, Turkish, Ottoman, Seljuk, World Cuisine and Modern Cuisine techniques are applied in practical culinary courses. In addition to such practical courses, students thoroughly examine culinary art and culture, the chemistry of food stuffs and their importance on nutrition thorough theoretical courses such as Nutrition Principles, Food Chemistry, Food Science and Technology, Hygiene-Sanitation and Menu Planning.

Our department has an application kitchen where 40 students can practice simultaneously at the same time, as well as an application hotel which accommodates a restaurant with the workshop space for 30 people. While, our close links with the tourism sector contribute to internship placements of our students to reputable enterprises, our academics having experience in the tourism sector enable us to update our curriculum according to demands of the sector.

Those who want to study in the Culinary Arts Programme should be meticulous and have the sensations of a developed taste and smell along with a habit of regular work routine. Creativity is a feature that increases success in the profession.

Graduates is awarded with a title of a ‘Culinary Profession’ and can work in the kitchens of various institutions such as;

  * Kitchen in hotels,

  * Kitchen in restaurants,

  * Kitchen in factories,

  * Kitchen in military units,

  * Kitchen in offices,

  * Kitchen in catering companies,

  * Kitchen in schools, universities and other education units,

  * Kitchen in hospitals,

  * Kitchen in cruises,

  * Kitchen in airplanes as flight attendant,

  * Kitchen in trains,

  * Kitchen in buses.

Depending on the graduate's knowledge, skills and competence, unemployment problems are unlikely to occur in this profession. Well-trained creative cooks can easily find high-paying jobs.

Graduates who want to proceed their education can pass directly to the third grade of the departments within the Faculty of Open Education without taking any further exam. Furthermore, graduates can make external transition to such departments listed below;

   * Family and Consumer Sciences,

   * Nutrition and Dietetics,

   * Gastronomy,

   * Culinary Arts and Management,

based on their success in External Transfer Exam (DGS) held by the Evaluation, Selection and Placement Centre (OSYM).

PROGRAMME IN PASTRY AND BAKERY

The Pastry and Bakery Programme was founded in 2019 and is to start education activities in the fall semester of 2020-2021 as a normal education within the Department of Hotel, Restaurant and Catering in the Social Sciences Vocational School. For our programme, quota allocation of 40 students is considered.

The main aim of the program is to provide the professionals with the qualification of at least one foreign language, independent thinking, decision making and determination, ability to follow up latest developments in gastronomy, good communication skills, wide horizon, creativity, necessary theoretical knowledge and professional experience in the field of pastry and bakery required by the food and tourism industry and nationally and internationally independent enterprises (patisseries, bakeries, cafes, etc.).

Graduates of the programme can work not only in bakery and pastry departments of hospitality enterprises, but also in enterprises of independent patisseries, cafes and bakeries where flour products are made and sold, as employees taking responsible positions. In addition to these places, graduates are also needed in various establishments such as sweet departments of the companies offering à-la-carte catering services, in the pastry departments of the public institution kitchens, etc.

Our department has an application kitchen where 40 students can practice simultaneously, as well as an application hotel which accommodates a restaurant with the workshop space for 30 people.

While, our close links with the tourism sector contribute to internship placements of our students to reputable enterprises, our academics having experience in the tourism sector enable us to update our curriculum according to demands of the sector.