Innovative Tourism

The aim of the study programme Innovative tourism on the 3rd level is to develop a doctoral degree graduate for the needs of tourism activities who will be qualified for both research and applied work in tourism. The programme will deliver specific knowledge and skills in the field of innovative tourism who will, taking into account all stakeholders and the environment responsibly, contribute to the increase of competitiveness of tourism services and products on Slovenian and international tourism market.

The aim of the programme is to give doctoral degree graduates an in-depth insight into the general/classical and particularly specific/current contents of tourism and methodological and research knowledge for the independent development of innovative solutions, creation of new knowledge and their application in practice, professional performance in the most demanding commercial and non – commercial systems and scientific research projects covering wide range of professional and academic fields, and to develop critical reflection.

Among the major objectives of the programme, Innovative tourism also encourages students to continue study from the 1st to the 3rd level of study. General study of the 1st level is followed by specialist-oriented 2nd level programme Tourism or Heritage Tourism degree, followed by a narrowly specialised 3rd level programme. Doctoral level graduates will be trained for independent research work. Their final work will represent a new contribution to science and after graduation enable productive employment as well as raise the quality of tourism.

 By achieving the fundamental goals of the study program, students will develop the following general competencies:

• The ability to identify key research challenges in the field of tourism;
• The ability to choose and use appropriate scientific research methods, procedures and processes in a wide spectrum of problems in changing circumstances and the creation of new knowledge and solutions;
• Capacity for independent study, for the development of critical reflection, for the acquisition of social and communication skills, to assess current events and place them in a wider context for the interpretation and evaluation of social phenomena;
• The ability to use the acquired knowledge in practice – in specific areas of tourism and the ability of solving problems using scientific methods and procedures;
• The group leadership ability, cooperativeness and teamwork;
• Commitment to professional ethics and the ability for ethical reflection;
• The ability to reasonably, (self) critically confront scientific views and approaches with other members of the academic community.

By achieving the fundamental goals of the study program, students will develop the following subject-specific competencies:

• Ability for further independent and team research studies and independent study of various fundamental and applied issues in the field of tourism and novelty and innovation in tourism;
• An understanding of the general structure and interpretation of the fundamental disciplines of tourism and the connection between its sub-disciplines;
• Mastery of theoretical problems of tourism profession and their solutions; 
• Management of various research methods and ability of independent work with research and interpretive methods in the field of tourism;
• Ability to conduct research in the field of tourism, with an emphasis on innovative approaches and creativity, and presentation of the results to the public;
• The development and use of research approaches to generate new knowledge;
• Implementation of action research and applied research in tourism phenomena, both at the local and regional level as well as in the international context;
• Understanding how tourism systems operate in global social situations and the ability to analyse, synthesise, and anticipate solutions and consequences of events in the field of tourism;
• The ability to transfer theoretical and research knowledge in the field of tourism in a specific environment, the ability to integrate knowledge from different fields and its application in domestic and international business environments;
• Managing the communication process with the help of modern technology and the use of appropriate communication techniques between the different actors in a situation of interdependence to ensure the quality of tourism services, both locally and internationally.

The 3rd level doctoral programme Innovative tourism at the University of Primorska, Faculty of Tourism Studies - Turistica is open to all candidates who meet the following conditions:
a) 2nd level study programme degree; or
b) Undergraduate university study programme degree (study program adopted before 1th June 2004); or
c) 2nd level uniform master`s degree programme, when evaluated with 300 ECTS credits and lasted 5 years.

All candidates will have an oral interview in which the candidate will present his view on study, his ambitions and areas of interest.
If the number of applicants exceeds the number of available places, the following shall be taken into account in the selection of candidates:

• the average grade of exams as part of the previous studies (50 %),
• the number of points obtained in the selection exam (50%).

The following will be evaluated in the selection exam:

• the candidate's CV (up to 25 points); 
• the presentation of the candidate's previous research work (up to 25 points),
• the candidate's previous achievements in the scientific and professional fields (published scientific and professional articles, awards, prizes, etc.) (up to 25 points); 
• a motivation letter (up to 25 points).

On the 3rd level programme Innovative tourism also skills and knowledge acquired prior the enrolment in the study:

• Various forms of formal education leading to a qualification at postgraduate level,
• programs for training,
• the various forms of non-formal education.

Students demonstrate the knowledge acquired through formal education by certificates and other documents evidencing the content and scope of the student`s work in order for the knowledge and skills to be evaluated according to the ECTS system.

Individual applications for the recognition of knowledge and skills acquired prior to enrolment are examined and decided by the competent authority of the UP Faculty of tourism study - Turistica in accordance with rules on the recognition, adopted by the University of Primorska. The provisions on the recognition of knowledge and skills acquired prior to enrolment in the study programme are also followed in the recognition of knowledge and skills acquired during studies, in case it is agreed in advance in the form of a learning agreement.

Enrolment in the next year:

Students can enrol into the 2nd year of study if they managed to complete the following courses from the 1st year: Qualitative and quantitative research methodology, Epistemology and critical thinking in social sciences, Business and organizational aspects of tourism, Social sciences and humanities perspectives in tourism, Spatial and environmental aspects in tourism and Practicum for writing of thesis proposal (i.e. 36 ECTS acquired out of 60 ECTS).

The condition for advancing to the 3rd year is the accomplishment of all requirements from the 1st year and the completion of the following courses in the 2nd year: Innovation in tourism, optional courses 2 and 3 and the submission and presentation of the doctoral dissertation disposition (i.e. 42 ECTS acquired out of 60 ECTS).

Before the defence of the doctoral dissertation, within the course Preparation and publication of a scientific article, the student must also complete the obligation to publish a scientific article in a scientific journal indexed in SCI, SSCI, AHCI or Scopus (at least A').

Exceptional enrolment in the next year:

In exceptional cases, students are allowed to enrol in the 2nd year if they managed to complete at least five of the abovementioned courses, which are the condition to enrol in the next year (i.e. at least 30 ECTS acquired out of 60 ECTS).

In exceptional cases, students are allowed to enrol in the 3rd year upon the accomplishment of all requirements from the 1st year and the completion of the following courses Optional course 2 and Innovation in tourism (i.e. 12 ECTS out of 60 ECTS) and presented topic of the doctoral dissertation.

The missing obligations have to be fulfilled before the dissertation defence.

Repetition of the study year:

Students can repeat the year only once during their study period if they have not changed the study programme.

In accordance with the Measurements for transferring between study programmes a candidate, who is transferring from a comparable study programme of the same level (3rd level) may enrol to a higher year of the doctoral study programme Innovative tourism.

The transfer is possible:

• if the study programmes at the conclusion of the studies enable the acquirement of similar competencies or learning outcomes, and
• between study programmes, where at least half of the study obligations, according to the conditions for recognising skills and knowledge, obtained prior to the enrolment, can be recognised, according to the ETCS system, from the first study programme and related to the mandatory subjects at the new study programme.

The candidate is required to comply to the conditions for the enrolment to the study programme.If the number of candidates’ applications exceeds the number of available places, the candidates shall be selected based on their average grade of the previous studies.

The applications for transferring between study programmes are processed by the 2nd and 3rd level Commission for study matters. In the application-selection process the

aforementioned Commission determines the year, to which the candidate can enrol or based on the contents obtained prior to the enrolment, defines the obligations, that they have to meet, if they wish to graduate on this study programme. The candidates can enrol into a higher year of study programme, if during the process of transferring we recognise the required number and appropriateness of credits, that are necessary for enrolling into a higher year of the study programme. All candidates who enrol in the second year according to the transition criteria must complete the course " Practicum for writing of thesis proposal " after enrolment. The competent committee can also determine other differential exams for the candidate.

Doctoral study graduates of the 3rd level study programme Innovative tourism can be employed in the following fields:

• Research: independent management, scientific research and teaching in science and higher education research;
• Economy: management positions in national and international tourism organisations, research/development department of tourism enterprises;
• Public sector: the most demanding professional and managerial work in government (regional, local) organisations (LTO, RTO, NTO, ministries, government departments – for regional development).

Curriculum link.

The contents of the subjects are also published in the Courses Catalog at UP at the following link: Course Catalog of Study Programs (upr.si).