Hospitality and Culinary Arts

Build a career across culinary arts, hospitality and tourism

The Hospitality and Culinary Arts programme at VUM is designed for students who wish to develop professional culinary skills within a broader hospitality and tourism education. Building on the culinary, business and management foundation, the programme further expands into hotel operations, hotel practice, tourism intermediaries, service management and the wider hospitality and tourism environment. This combination prepares graduates for careers ranging from professional kitchens and restaurants to hotels, resorts, tourism organisations and integrated hospitality businesses.

Why choose Hospitality and Culinary Arts at VUM?

Integrated culinary and hospitality education: Students combine practical culinary training with academic study in business, management, hospitality and tourism, developing an understanding of both professional kitchen operations and the wider organisations in which they operate.
Strong culinary foundation and progressive kitchen skills development: Students develop practical knowledge and skills in kitchen operations, culinary techniques, food preparation, food safety and hygiene, nutrition, food costing and the organisation of professional culinary work. Their training progresses from kitchen fundamentals and basic culinary skills to molecular cuisine, event implementation, food and beverage operations, international restaurant management, culinary innovation and contemporary industry issues.
Extended hospitality and tourism perspective: In addition to the culinary and business foundation, the programme includes hotel operations, hotel practice, tourism intermediaries, service management, hospitality technologies and sustainable hotel and hospitality management, broadening students’ preparation beyond the culinary sector.
Practical training and internship experience: Practical kitchen laboratories, training restaurant, hotel practice, and culinary and hospitality internships form an important part of the programme, supporting the development of professional discipline, workplace experience and confidence across culinary and hospitality environments.
British degree opportunity in Bulgaria: Eligible full-time students may study towards both an accredited Bulgarian Bachelor’s degree from VUM and the British BA (Hons) International Hotel and Hospitality Management awarded by Cardiff Metropolitan University.

Key Facts

Programme	Hospitality and Culinary Arts
Mode of study	Full-time
Language of instruction	English
Degree awarded by VUM	Bachelor
International award option	Cardiff Metropolitan University award available for eligible students in the final year
Cardiff Met final award	BA (Hons) International Hotel and Hospitality Management
Practical training	Practical kitchen laboratories, training restaurant, hotel practice, and culinary and hospitality internships
Location	Varna University of Management, Bulgaria

Intakes

Route	September Intake	February Intake
Bachelor	4 years / 8 semesters	4.5 years / 8 semesters

* February-intake students complete the same number of semesters over a slightly longer calendar period, allowing their studies to align with the programme’s standard September progression cycle, including, where applicable, the final-year Cardiff Met top-up route.

Programme Details

Curriculum

Select degree route and year of intake

Bachelor – 8 semesters
Intake 2026-27
Intake 2025-26
Intake 2024-25
Intake 2023-24

* Curricula may vary depending on the year of admission. Applicants and students should consult the curriculum applicable to their intake. * Please note that elective modules and additional credit-bearing optional modules are subject to availability and student demand; therefore, not all such modules may be offered in every academic year. Additional optional modules may carry credits but do not count towards the required credits for the degree.

Admission Requirements

Admission to VUM is based on the applicant’s educational background, academic performance, motivation, English language proficiency and submission of the required application documents. The admission process is carried out in accordance with VUM’s admission rules and the applicable Bulgarian legislation. Additional requirements may apply depending on the applicant’s citizenship, educational background, chosen mode of study and, where applicable, progression to the Cardiff Met final-year option. Applicants with documents issued outside Bulgaria may also be required to complete recognition, legalisation and translation procedures.

View Admission Requirements and Application Steps

Tuition Fees, Scholarships and Student Loans

You can find detailed information about scholarship opportunities, semester tuition fees and student loans here.

Cardiff Met Degree - Key Information

The Cardiff Met top-up route is delivered at VUM in Bulgaria in the final year and is subject to meeting the applicable academic, English language, administrative and assessment requirements of both institutions.

How the Cardiff Met Top-up Route Works

The Cardiff Met option is available only in Year 4 of the full-time Bachelor programme.

During the first three years, students are enrolled at VUM and follow the VUM curriculum, which combines practical culinary education and applied learning with academic study in hospitality, tourism, food and beverage operations, business and management. Students may be considered for registration with Cardiff Metropolitan University in Year 4 only after they have successfully completed the required VUM studies and met the applicable academic, English language and progression requirements.

Admission Policy and Procedures for Cardiff Met Programmes at VUM

Credits and Final Award

The Cardiff Met top-up route follows Cardiff Metropolitan University’s model for modular degrees. To receive an honours degree, students must successfully complete a total of 360 British credit points.

As this is a one-year top-up route, students who have successfully completed the required VUM studies before the final year and meet the applicable progression requirements are normally eligible for recognition of 240 British credit points through Cardiff Met’s applicable Accreditation of Prior Learning procedures. They then complete the final-year modules worth 120 British credit points at VUM.

The final-year comprises the following Cardiff Met modules:

Module	British Credit Points
Critical Hospitality	20
Strategic Leadership and Change Management	20
Sustainable Hotel and Hospitality Management in a Changing World	20
Marketing Communications in the Digital Age	20
Dissertation or Enterprise Project	40
Total final-year credit points	120
Final Award: BA (Hons) International Hotel and Hospitality Management

* Disclaimer: Programme structures, modules, learning activities and assessment requirements may change due to academic, regulatory, validation-related or operational reasons. VUM makes every effort to keep website information accurate and up to date; however, applicants are advised to request the latest programme information during the application process.

Student Mobility

VUM students have opportunities to take part in international mobility for study or traineeships. Students may spend a semester or academic year at one of VUM’s partner universities or complete traineeships with partner employers abroad, where applicable and subject to Erasmus+ rules and selection procedures.

VUM works with more than 100 partner universities in over 20 countries and has long-standing partnerships with nearly 200 employers across Europe. For full-time students, traineeships are an important part of the study experience and are recognised towards the degree. Within the full educational cycle, students may take part in outgoing mobilities with a combined duration of up to 12 months.

You can find detailed information about Erasmus+ study and traineeship opportunities here

Career Development

The Hospitality and Culinary Arts programme is designed to support students’ professional development and preparation for careers across culinary arts, food and beverage operations, hospitality and tourism.

Graduates of the programme may pursue careers in areas such as:

professional kitchens, restaurants and culinary operations;
hotels, resorts and international hospitality groups;
food and beverage departments and restaurant management;
tourism organisations, travel companies and destination services;
events, catering and hospitality services;
food product development and culinary innovation;
public or international organisations related to hospitality and tourism;
culinary and hospitality business development.

Typical professional roles may include chef, sous-chef, kitchen supervisor, restaurant or food and beverage manager, hotel operations manager, guest relations manager, tourism specialist, events coordinator, hospitality entrepreneur or manager of a culinary or hospitality business. Career progression depends on professional experience, individual performance and the requirements of the relevant employer.