TOURISM GUIDANCE DEPARTMENT
The Tourism Guidance Department, which was established within the Faculty of Tourism of Afyon Kocatepe University with the decision numbered 2013/4710 published in the Official Gazette on 24.05.2013, started to accept students in the 2015-2016 academic year. The education and training period of the Tourism Guidance Department is four years and there is an optional preparatory class (English). There are 8 teaching staff, including 1 Professor Doctor, 1 Associate Professor Doctor, 2 Doctor assistant professor, 2 Lecturers and 2 Research Assistants working in the department.
Students who graduate from the Department of Tourism Guidance by meeting the necessary conditions can work as a tourist guide, if they have obtained at least 75 points from YDS (Foreign Language Exam) or a valid score from the foreign language exam given by TUREB, and have completed a 45-day (national) or 8-day (regional) domestic practice trip. Then they must apply to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and as a result, they will be able to provide Tourism Guidance profession in Turkish or in the language(s) written in their tourist guide card, by obtaining a Professional Tourist Guiding License. In addition, students will be able to be employed in middle or senior management positions in any of the tourism enterprises, especially in travel, accommodation and yacht marina businesses, with the tourism management education they have received in addition to the tourism guidance education. Department graduates, who get sufficient points from the Public Personnel Selection Examination (KPSS), will be able to be employed as civil servants in other public institutions. Graduates who want to pursue an academic career will be able to work as a lecturer in a program of any university, provided that they meet the necessary conditions (they get the necessary scores from the ALES-Academic Personnel and Graduate Education Entrance Exam and YDS exam conducted by ÖSYM and have industry experience if requested). Graduates of the department will also have employment opportunities at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Provincial Culture and Tourism Directorates and Information Bureaus, Museums and Ruins.
There are a total of 18 classrooms, 1 of which is a computer lab, within the faculty and used by our department. In our computer laboratory, there are 60 computers with package programs related to tourism management and internet access that the students of our department will benefit from both in their future careers and in their courses. Again, when necessary, our students benefit from the Education Practice Building within the Faculty. In the Tourism Guidance Department, vocational package programs are given to our students as courses. Internship and abroad working opportunities are also offered to our department students with the joint initiatives of the international relations coordinator and our department chair. In order for our students to receive their graduation certificates, they must complete 60 working days of sectoral internship during their undergraduate education in addition to the four-year program (240 ECTS) – five years for students took English preparatory course.
The Faculty of Tourism, where educational activities are carried out, is located in the Ahmet Necdet Sezer Main Campus, which is the central campus of Afyon Kocatepe University. This situation provides an advantage for students in terms of benefiting from many facilities (social, cultural, sportive activities, congress center, cafeteria, etc.) on campus. Thanks to the existence of many sports facilities, students can do football, basketball, volleyball, tennis, table tennis, badminton, athletics, rhythmic gymnastics, step mountaineering, boxing, wrestling, taekwondo and karate sports and participate in tournaments by entering teams. During the academic year, seminars, symposiums, conferences, panels and interviews are held on various subjects. On the other hand, there are student clubs operating on the university campus to allow students to continuously improve themselves, and it is possible for department students to take part in these activities. For example, the “Tourism Club”, which organizes trips to cities and regions with cultural, historical and natural riches, is one of them, with the active work and efforts of the students of the Faculty of Tourism. In addition to the tourism club, there are clubs such as technology club, travelers club, folklore club, photography club, literature club, book club, aviation club, young entrepreneurs club, bicycle club and scouting club within the university, and it is possible for the students of the department to take part in these activities.
Defined program teaching objectives and department missions of our department are as follows:
Program Teaching Objectives
PTO1: To train graduates who are equipped to be a tourist guide on a regional and national scale, and who can carry out guidance activities.
PTO2: To train manager candidates who are suitable to take part in tourism enterprises (travel, accommodation, transportation, yacht-marina enterprises, etc.) as well as tourist guides.
PTO3: To train graduates with high communication skills who continuously increase their knowledge, have social responsibility and ethical awareness, contribute to the development of the field of tourism/tourism guidance at national and international level.
PTO4: To raise individuals who follow the current in the field of tourism/tourism guidance and contribute to the development of the field.
Department Missions
DM1: To train qualified tourist guides who are needed in the field of guidance and have a good knowledge of sectoral and current developments.
DM2: To train qualified human resources who develop themselves socially and culturally, have the ability to work with scientific methods and solve problems, and increase the competitiveness of the sector.
DM3: To train manager candidates who will work in tourism enterprises.
DM4: To train scientists who have the ability to analyze the conceptual and applied knowledge in the field of tourism/tourist guidance in the light of global developments, and whose studies will make scientific contributions in the field of tourism/tourist guidance.
OBTAINED GRADE
Graduates who successfully complete the program are awarded with a bachelor’s degree in the field.
ACCEPTANCE AND REGISTRATION CONDITIONS
General admission requirements for Turkish and foreign students are valid to start the program. In order for students to enroll in the department, they must be successful in the exams within the scope of the Student Selection and Placement System (ÖSYS) conducted by the Measurement, Selection and Placement Center (ÖSYM). The conditions determined by the university for foreign students are valid for the admission of foreign students to the department.
ACCESS TO HIGHER DEGREE PROGRAMS
Students have the right to apply for master’s, doctoral education and proficiency in arts programs, especially tourism and management programs, within the quota, provided that they get a valid grade from the ALES exam and have sufficient foreign language knowledge.
GRADUATION CONDITIONS
In order to be eligible for graduation, the student must have completed all the courses in the program and must not have an FF, DZ or YZ grade. In this program, the student must provide the minimum ECTS credits determined in the department and have a GPA of at least 2.00 out of 4.00. In addition, the 60 (sixty) working-day “Summer Internship” in the program must be accomplished in accordance with the requirements in line with the Faculty Internship Principles.
FOUNDATION (HISTORY)
Afyon Kocatepe University Faculty of Tourism, which was established with the decision numbered 2013/4710 published in the Official Gazette on 24.05.2013, started to recruit students to the Tourism Guidance Department as of 2015-2016.
EMPLOYMENT PROFILES OF GRADUATES
The places where graduated students can be employed can be listed as follows:
Those who have received at least 75 points from YDS (Foreign Language Exam) or a valid score from TUREB’s foreign language exam, who have completed a 45-day (national) or 8-day (regional) domestic application trip and graduated from the department, can 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 in the language(s) written in their work card, by obtaining a Tourist Guiding License.
Graduates will be able to be employed in middle or senior managerial positions in any of the tourism businesses, especially in travel, accommodation and yacht marina businesses, with the tourism management education they have received in addition to the tourism guidance education.
Graduates, who get sufficient points from the Public Personnel Selection Examination (KPSS), will be able to be employed as civil servants in other public institutions.
Graduates who want to pursue an academic career will be able to work as a lecturer in an university, provided that they meet the necessary conditions (they get the required scores from the ALES-Academic Personnel and Graduate Education Entrance Exam and YDS exam conducted by ÖSYM, and have industry experience if requested).
Provided that they take the pedagogical formation, graduate students also have the opportunity to work as a teacher.
Graduates of the department will also have employment opportunities at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Provincial Culture and Tourism Directorates and Information Bureaus, Museums and Ruins.
EXAMS, ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION
The form of assessment and evaluation applied for each course is defined in detail in the “Course Teaching Plan”. Examinations, Assessment, Evaluation and graduation conditions are basically organized in accordance with the procedures and principles stated in Afyon Kocatepe University Education-Training and Examination Regulations. In this direction, the exams that students will take in the program are; midterm, quiz, final exam, internship exam, make-up exam and single course exam. The Grade Scale is applied as stated in the Education and Examination Regulations.
PROGRAM PROFILE
Afyon Kocatepe University Faculty of Tourism was established in 2013. In the Tourism Guidance program, which is one of the 4 departments within the Faculty of Tourism of Afyon Kocatepe University, education is given at the undergraduate level (four years) and there is an optional one-year English preparatory class. Graduated students can work as a tourist guide if they fulfill the relevant conditions: at least 75 points from YDS (Foreign Language Exam) or pass the TUREB’s foreign language exam, have completed a 45-day (national) or 8-day (regional) domestic application trip. In addition, they have employment opportunities in the private sector travel enterprises (Tour Operators, A, B, C Group Travel Agencies, National and International Airline Companies, etc.), in other business types (accommodation enterprises, food and beverage enterprises, recreation enterprises, etc.) and in the relevant units of public institutions and organizations according to the Public Personnel Selection Examination (KPSS) score. Moreover, graduates of the department have the opportunity to continue their postgraduate education and have career opportunities in universities. In addition to their academic courses, students also have to complete 60 working days of workplace internship in accepted businesses. The Tourism Guidance undergraduate program includes the theoretical and practical courses required for Tourist Guidance, and the course program has been prepared in a way that will allow employment as a managerial staff in the tourism sector. Students with a high GPA can continue their second major or minor program in other faculties of the university. It is possible for undergraduate students to study and/or do internships at universities in Turkey and abroad with the ERASMUS and FARABI programs. In accordance with the agreement made with the German Employment Agency (ZAV), a certain number of students have the opportunity to do internship/work in enterprises in Germany each summer term. There are 1 Professor Doctor, 1 Associate Professor Doctor, 2 Doctor assistant professor, 2 Lecturers and 2 Research Assistants in the staff of the department and other faculty members are actively used.
RULES ON RECOGNITION OF PREVIOUS LEARNING
The process related to the recognition of the achievements of the students in other Higher Education programs (courses, internships, laboratory work, etc.) in Turkey or abroad where they previously studied are initiated in the first education period by taking credit and grade transfer requests into account and are evaluated by the board of directors of the faculty. In addition, exemption exams are made at the beginning of each academic term for courses such as IT and English, which are included in the education plans of the programs. Students who are successful in the exam are exempt from the relevant course(s) in the curriculum.
PROGRAM OUTCOMES – Department of Tourism Guidance
PO1: Have knowledge of the basic concepts, theories and field-specific research methods related to the field of tourism and the profession of tourist guiding.
PO2: Have information about Turkey’s touristic attractions (cultural and natural) and the culture, history and arts of civilizations that have lived in Turkey and in the world.
PO3: Have information about local, national and international organizations related to tourism, travel management and tourist guiding profession and their relations with each other, policies and strategies, relevant legislation, occupational standards and practices and service processes.
PO4: Follows, analyzes and interprets the current developments in the fields of tourist guiding profession, business, management leadership, information technology, anthropology, psychology, sociology and archeology and art history, museum studies etc. and contributes to their personal and professional development by making inferences for themselves.
PO5: Plan, implement and supervise a tour by using the information learned in the field of tourist guiding, necessary equipment (headset, tablet, etc.) and information technologies; can improve service processes when necessary.
PO6: With the awareness of protecting tourism attraction elements including intangible and tangible cultural heritage, does researches for the solution of the problems related to the tourist guide profession and presents them in a clear and understandable way for the development of the profession.
PO7: Takes responsibility and manages time effectively, both independently and as a team member.
PO8: Contributes to the professional development of the employees by making self-assessment and team evaluation and produces solutions by taking initiative in case of crisis.
PO9: Increases skills and competencies by sustaining personal and professional development with the awareness of lifelong learning.
PO10: Improves himself/herself in service delivery by following reliable news and developments with specific sources of social, cultural and artistic current.
PO11: Communicate effectively and demonstrate presentation skills in written, verbal, nonverbal and visual communication in business and social life while practicing his profession.
PO12: Knows and uses a foreign language related to his/her field besides his/her mother tongue at B2 level (European Language Portfolio Global Scale, Level B2).
PO13: Knows and uses a second foreign language related to his/her field besides his/her mother tongue at B1 level (“European Language Portfolio Global Scale”, Level B1).
PO14: Acts in accordance with national and international legal regulations, professional standards, ethical codes and awareness of responsibility related to the field of tourism and tourist guidance.
PO15: Makes necessary warnings and guidance by making risk assessment within the scope of ensuring the health and safety of tourists; provides necessary equipment and supplies.