ITS

The Institute of Tourism Studies, usually shortened to ITS, is where Malta trains the people who run its hotels, restaurants, bars, events and travel businesses. It opened in 1987 and describes itself as the country's leading institution for tourism and hospitality education, offering courses from Foundation level up to a Master's degree. The main campus sits in Ħal Luqa beside Malta International Airport, so it is one of the easiest colleges on the island to reach on arrival.

For UK readers there are two reasons to know about it: prospective students looking at hospitality and culinary study abroad, and employers or visitors curious about the people behind Malta's hospitality industry. ITS is listed on VisitMalta.co.uk in the directory of translation services in Malta, and this page explains what it teaches and how to approach it.

History and accreditation

ITS has trained and graduated people since 1987, and many of them have gone on to become entrepreneurs, managers and specialists in their fields. The institute is an accredited institution of THE-ICE, the International Centre of Excellence in Tourism and Hospitality Education, which recognises colleges that meet international standards in tourism, hospitality, events and culinary arts education.

In Malta it is licensed as a higher education institution by the MFHEA, the national regulator, under licence number 2017-008. Its programmes are mapped to the Malta Qualifications Framework, the MQF, which runs from Level 2 at Foundation to Level 7 at Master's. UK students will find this similar in spirit to the way British qualifications sit on a ladder of levels, though the numbering is different.

Courses and study levels

The course finder on the institute's site lets applicants search by area of study, MQF level and study mode. The areas are culinary arts, tourism and hospitality, and management, and the study modes are on campus, online and blended. Programmes are grouped as Foundation, Certificate, Diploma, Undergraduate Diploma, Undergraduate Higher Diploma, Bachelor's degree preparation, Bachelor's degree and Master's degree.

Teaching mixes academic theory with practical work. Classes are kept relatively small so students get individual attention, and the aim is for graduates to be ready for work in a fast-changing industry. A downloadable prospectus covers the full-time and part-time accredited courses on offer, and an application and admission section explains how to apply, with separate pages for entry requirements, fees, scholarships and financial aid, recognition of prior learning and stipends and grants.

Beyond the main programmes, the institute runs a group of related ventures: the International School of Diving Safety and Management, the Screen Arts Academy, a training school, the training restaurants and a Skills Pass scheme. There is also a route for recognising prior learning, which suits people who already have industry experience, and scheduled courses and industry training for working professionals who want to refresh or extend their skills without enrolling on a full degree.

Campuses and facilities

The Malta campus is at Aviation Park in Ħal Luqa. Its teaching spaces include a pastry lab, individual kitchens, a wine lab, a bar lab, a rooms division lab for hotel housekeeping and front-of-house training, a computer lab and a youth hub. Students also cook and serve in the institute's training restaurants, which let them practise in a working dining room.

The second campus is in Qala on the island of Gozo and has its own individual kitchens and a hostel, and it is home to the International School of Diving Safety and Management. If you are planning time on the sister island, our Gozo guide and our list of hotels in Gozo will help with the trip itself.

ITS also runs a satellite campus in Shanghai, China, where facilities include a simulated restaurant, kitchens, a production bar, a wine cellar and a wine tasting classroom. The Malta and Gozo campuses are each open from 7:45am to 5:00pm, Monday to Friday.

Day to day, the campus feels more like a working hospitality business than a lecture hall. Students wear uniform, practise service in front of real diners, and learn in rooms laid out like hotel floors, bars and professional kitchens. That setting is part of why the institute describes its graduates as employable before they finish, and it is a useful thing for parents, schools and prospective students to see on an open day.

Work-based learning and international links

Work-based learning is a compulsory, credit-bearing part of every full-time programme. Students are placed with partner employers and earn a basic salary in line with regulations. Foundation and Certificate students complete a 14-week full-time placement starting in June, Diploma students a one-year placement starting in June or July, and Undergraduate Diploma and Bachelor's students a 14-week placement starting in June.

Priority placement areas cover kitchens and pastry, food and beverage service, events, front office, housekeeping, travel and tourism operations, wellness and spa work, sales and marketing, human resources and administration. ITS also offers Erasmus study abroad and international internships, and it has partnerships with Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences in Finland and with Institut Lyfe in France, formerly Institut Paul Bocuse. Students are supported in preparing for an internship abroad, including welfare sessions by video call while on placement.

Support for students and young people

Student support at ITS includes a wellbeing team, a student liaison officer, a career guidance officer and a group of learning associates who help students with individual needs and learning challenges. Career support covers CV feedback, mock interviews and advice on choosing a programme, and the team visits secondary and post-secondary schools for orientation talks. Learning associates provide extra study sessions for tests and exams and work with lecturers on access arrangements.

On campus, youth workers from Aġenzija Żgħażagħ run a youth hub on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9am to 2pm, with board games, table football and air hockey, and offer two seven-week programmes: Planning for Success for Foundation and Certificate students, and Be Mobile Like a Pro for Diploma and degree students preparing to work abroad.

The institute also keeps a close link with the wider tourism sector through its alumni network, its career centre and its industry events, so graduates stay connected with employers in Malta and abroad long after they have collected their certificates.

International students and employers

International applicants have a dedicated area covering studying in Malta, entry requirements and the application process, the visa process and tuition and other fees. If you are comparing destinations, our guide to relocating to Malta from the UK and our overview of where to stay in Malta give the wider picture, and our flights to Malta page covers getting here.

Employers in hospitality and tourism can recruit through the work-based learning department. A vacancy is reviewed against programme standards, then posted free of charge on the HOSCO career platform, where students are notified, applications are reviewed and interviews arranged, and a formal agreement confirms each placement. Partner organisations are expected to provide a contract, at least the national minimum wage and a supervisor. ITS also takes part in open doors events and a career expo.

Getting in touch with ITS

The Malta campus is at Aviation Park, Aviation Avenue in Ħal Luqa, a few minutes from the terminal, and the Gozo campus is on Triq l-Isqof Buttigieg in Qala. Visitors combining a trip with a campus visit can browse our things to do in Malta guide for ideas. Planning a visit around the academic year is easier with our Malta weather guide, and the capital is well worth an afternoon, as our Valletta guide explains.

Whether you are a prospective student, a school, an international agent or an employer, the best first step is a short message saying who you are and what you want to know. Use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to ITS.