BHM

Do you have an impressive personality or possess extremely good communication skills? Then hospitality is a good career choice for you. Hospitality management as a profession requires one to possess strong interpersonal communication skills, be meticulous and have business sense. The first step in making a career in the field of hospitality is to pursue a course from a good college and one of the most popular programmes pursued by students right after their Class 12 in this field is Bachelor of Hotel Management (BHM).

BHM is an undergraduate course that spans a duration of three years. However, some colleges such as Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration offer it as a four-year degree programme. As part of a BHM course, candidates are taught about different facets of the hospitality industry. Thus, in a BHM course aspirants are taught food and beverage preparation, housekeeping operations, front office operations, computer applications, business communication, accommodation operation, corporate finance, sales, marketing, public relations etc. BHM course is known to have a theory as well as practical subjects.

The BHM course also emphasises developing and enhancing the personal skills of an aspirant as a good personality is a must in this career path. Apart from this, the BHM course also educates students on aspects such as hygiene, food safety as well as nutrition that is in tune with international standards.  

Students can pursue a BHM course right after their Class 12. For most colleges, the eligibility criteria to pursue a BHM course is that the candidate should have cleared his 10+2 from a recognised board. However, other colleges have a specific requirement that candidates need to fulfil in order to pursue a BHM course which includes that aspirants should have secured at least 50 per cent aggregate marks in their Class 12 exams or should have studied English at their Class 12 level and secured passing marks in the subject.

Some hotel management colleges also set age limits for candidates who can apply for and secure admission in the BHM course offered by them. These colleges have fixed 22 years as the upper age limit for the students belonging to the General or Other Backward Classes (OBC) category and 25 years for Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) category.

In order to secure admission to reputed hotel management colleges, aspirants need to appear for and clear an entrance exam. Hotel management entrance exams usually comprise a written test in which questions are asked from subjects such as numerical ability and scientific aptitude, general knowledge and current affairs, reasoning and logical deduction and English language. Apart from these, questions in hotel management entrance exams also try to evaluate if candidates have the required aptitude to work in the service sector. After conducting an entrance exam some colleges further shortlist candidates on the basis of their performance in an interview round and/or followed by a group discussion round.

Some of the popular hotel management entrance exams that candidates can consider appearing for in order to secure admission to the BHM course are listed below:

Also Read: Popular hospitality & travel exams.

To make a career in the field of hotel management candidates need to possess a service-minded approach. Some key skills that an aspirant should possess when they consider pursuing a BHM course are listed below:

The subjects taught in the BHM course vary from college to college. Also, the BHM course is offered at some colleges as a three-year programme while at some it is a four-year course. Popular colleges that offer hospitality management courses offer some or all the subjects that are listed below:

Apart from the above-mentioned theory subjects, candidates who pursue the BHM course, also need to attempt and clear practical papers in subjects such as Food Production, Front Office, Food & Beverage Service and House Keeping.

As part of the BHM course, candidates need to mandatorily undergo industrial training for a few months.

After completing a BHM course, candidates can either consider pursuing a master’s degree, that is, Masters in Hotel Management, Masters in Hotel Management & Catering Technology, MSc in Hotel Management, MBA in Hotel Management etc.

Many five-star hotels also offer internships to students. If students perform well in their training period then companies consider them for recruitment after their internship period ends. Click here to find out more on how and where to apply for hotel management internships.

Popular job profiles in which BHM graduates are hired by hotels are Front office executives, Food and Beverage executive, steward, air hostess/ flight steward etc. Aspirants can view the detailed job profiles that they can pursue in the hospitality industry by clicking the link here – Hotel Management: Types of job profiles.

Some companies that are known to hire hospitality management graduates are listed below:

Q. What is the BHM course?

A. BHM or Bachelor of Hotel Management is a bachelor’s degree programme in the hospitality and travel field. This course is usually of three years duration. Candidates who have cleared their Class 12 from any stream (Humanities, Commerce or Science) are eligible to pursue this course.

Q. What is the difference between BHM and BHMCT?

A. Bachelor of Hotel Management and Catering Technology (BHMCT) and a Bachelor of Hotel Management (BHM) have more or less the same scope. However, BHMCT has a wider reach as compared to BHM. BHMCT is usually of four years duration and covers topics related to hotel operations as well as catering. On the other hand, BHM is of three years duration and covers only hotel operations by and large.

Q. What can I do after the BHM course?

A. After completing the BHM course, one can either apply for a job in the field of hospitality and travel or they can even pursue higher education. Some courses that candidates can pursue after the BHM course are Master of Hotel Management (MHM), Master of Science in Hotel Management (MSc Hotel Management), Masters in Travel and Tourism Management, Master of Business Administration in Tourism and Hotel Management (MBA Tourism and Hotel Management), Post Graduate Diploma in Accommodation Operation and Management (PGDAOM). etc.

Q. Which is better BBA or BHM?

A. Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) and a Bachelor of Hotel Management (BHM) are both undergraduate level programmes. The duration of BBA, as well as BHM, is three years. Generally speaking, BBA is a general degree that has a lower fee structure, on the other hand, BHM is a vocational course and its fee is slightly on the higher side.

Q. Is hotel management a good career?

A. Hotel management is a good career choice. After completing a course in this stream, candidates can pursue many hotel management job profiles such as hotel manager, housekeeping manager, chef, etc.

Q. Can I do MBA after BHM?

A. Yes, after completing the BHM course, candidates are eligible to pursue an MBA programme. Aspirants can pursue an MBA in the Hotel Management sphere as well as a generic MBA degree after completing the BHM course.

Q. Can I pursue a BHM course after 10+2?

A. Yes you can pursue a BHM course after 10+2.

Q. What is the duration of the BHM course?

A. BHM is a 3 years duration course.

Q. What is taught in the BHM course?

A. In a BHM course aspirants are taught food and beverage preparation, housekeeping operations, front office operations, computer applications, business communication, accommodation operation, corporate finance, sales, marketing, public relations etc. BHM course is known to have a theory as well as practical subjects.

Q. What skills are needed for the BHM course?

A. BHM requires one to possess strong interpersonal communication skills, be meticulous and have business sense.

Q. What is the admission process for the BHM course?

A. Most colleges take admission based on merit. However, in some cases, entrance exams are also held.