👉 The International Master’s Program of Tourism and Hospitality Regulations on Academic Studies (2019、2020、2021)

The International Master’s Program of Tourism and HospitalityRegulations on Academic Studies (2023)

Promulgated by Academic Meeting, Nov 29, 2023

1. The International Master’s Program of Tourism and Hospitality (IMTH) at National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism (NKUHT) sets the following regulation for master’s students in compliance with the NKUHT Regulations for Master’s Degrees Conferment and other relevant guidelines.
2. Entry requirements for full-time students and international students are described in the university’s Procedures Governing Student Admissions.
3. The study period is 1 to 4 years.
4. Credit Requirements
   1. This program consists of required courses and elective courses. The minimum course requirement for the IMTH degree is 30 credits, including a 6-credit thesis undertaken at NKUHT.
   2. The maximum number of credits students can earn in their each semester in the first year of study is 24, including a minimum of 6 elective course credits.
   3. IMTH students can also take interdisciplinary graduate school courses with the approval of the director or thesis advisor and will be included in the calculation of graduation credits. Special cases may be deliberated in the IMTH regular meeting.
   4. The number of required credits for graduation is 30, specifically 18 from required courses and 12 from elective courses.
5. Academic Activity Credits:
   1. To graduate, IMTH students should gain at least 6 points by performing the following academic activities during their study period:
      1. Publish research papers in English in academic journals which are included in the Web of Science (WOS): 6 points
      2. Publish research papers in English in peer-reviewed academic journals: 5 points
      3. Give an oral presentation in English at an international symposium or conference: 4 points
      4. Participate in a public sector cooperation project or industry–academia cooperation project and be proofed by the thesis advisor: 4 points
      5. Give a poster presentation in English at an international academic symposium or conference: 3 points
      6. Be awarded in an international academic symposium, conference, or competition related to hospitality and tourism: 3 points
      7. Provide an attendance certificate proving participation in an international academic symposium or conference: 2 points
      8. Obtain a relevant international certification related to hospitality and tourism: 2 points
      9. Pass TOEIC 785 or an equivalent English proficiency test: 2 points
   2. Explanation of academic activities principles:
      1. The published thesis and participation in competition must be relevant to the major of this program.
      2. If a student publishes a paper as a single author, the point weight will be 100%. However, if students plan to be co-authors, all co-authors are required apply jointly. In this case, the point weight will be 60% to the first or corresponding author, 30% to the second author, and 10% to the third author.
      3. If a thesis has many authors, then points other than those allocated by their thesis advisor are calculated in accordance with Article 5-2-2.
      4. Thesis publication, English certification, and professional certification of hospitality and tourism are adapted after admission.
   3. Regarding points for academic activities, special cases may be deliberated in the IMTH regular meeting.
6. According to the university’s Teaching Hours Accounting Principle, each faculty member should have at most 4 students under their supervision each year.
7. IMTH students, who hold a non–major-related bachelor’s degree or qualifications equal to our academic degree system must fulfill the requirements of the university by taking a 3-credit undergraduate course specified by the director or thesis advisor. These credits, however, will not count toward a graduate degree.
8. Thesis Formats:In this program, theses can be of three different formats: academic research papers, technical reports, and professional practice reports. Graduate students may choose the format that aligns with their educational objectives, subject to approval by their supervising professor and the program committee.
9. The master thesis will be supervised and reviewed by the advisor. If students wish to change their thesis advisor, then the relevant applicant form must be completed. The application must be approved by the original advisor, the prospective advisor, and the director.
10. Application for credit exemption must be applied for in the first semester of enrollment. The maximum number of exempt credits is 6. The application may only be submitted once.
11. Academic grade:
    1. The passing grade of all courses is 70%, and the full grade of all courses is 100%.Students who fail any course do not earn credit from it, and make-up examinations are not offered. Students must therefore retake the failed course.
    2. The final grade at graduation is the average of academic grades and the oral thesis examination.
12. Assignments and reports, upon investigation, were found to involve plagiarism, cheating, outsourcing (including ghostwriting software), or lack of originality, the course should be considered a failing grade, and a significant demerit will be recorded. Checked against and compared in the Turnitin thesis originality comparison system, the percentage of total similarity should be lower than 20% after plagiarism detection, and the final decision will be based on the discretion of the course instructor.
13. Students should meet the following requirements before taking the oral thesis examination
    1. All required credits have been earned. The credits of courses taken in the current semester can be counted.
    2. The oral thesis proposal hearing has been passed and approval has been received from the thesis advisor.
    3. The thesis (technical report) should be checked against and compared in the Turnitin thesis originality comparison system, the percentage of total similarity should be lower than 20% after plagiarism detection, and the judgment of the thesis advisor will be the final prevail.
    4. The academic ethics course has been completed in accordance with Chapter 5, Article 68 of the NKUHT Academic Regulations. The academic ethics course is completed in accordance with the university’s Guidelines Governing the Academic Ethics Course.
14. The thesis proposal committee must comprise of 3 to 5 professors (including the thesis advisor) and must be present for the English oral defense to proceed. One-third of the committee must comprise external examiners. The director will recommend committee members to the NKUHT president. One committee member will be chosen to chair the oral defense of thesis proposal. If changes are required, then the thesis will be returned to the student for correction. After the advisor has approved the contents of the thesis, students can proceed with the graduation procedure.
15. Students who fail the English oral defense examination can retake it if the study time has not exceeded the length of study in the next semester but can only do so once. Students who again fail the thesis oral defense will be suspended from the school.
16. Any plagiarism or unethical actions discovered by the examination committee will result in a failing grade. Even if the degree is granted, the diploma will be revoked.
17. Any matters regarding the IMTH degree not listed herein shall be implemented in accordance with relevant regulations of the Ministry of Education and relevant regulations of  NKUHT.
18. The regulations will be implemented subject to approval at the meeting of academic affairs. Any further modifications agreed upon later will undergo the same approval process.

Revised and arranged by The International Master’s Program of Tourism and Hospitality