Bahrain - Baisan Institute of Hospitality and Retail

Program Overview

The hospitality industry in the Middle East is growing rapidly. It is estimated that over 50,000 new hotel rooms will be built in the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates) in the next five years. In this surging hospitality market in the Middle East, Northwood University (NU) and Baisan Institute of Hospitality and Retail (BIHR) signed an agreement in fall 2006 to offer the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree in Hotel, Restaurant and Resort Management in Bahrain. BIHR is a private institution wholly owned by the Dadabhai Group, a private company based in Bahrain, and recognized by the Ministry of Education.

The BIHR program is based on a "2+2" format. Students complete a two year Diploma in Hospitality Management and then apply to continue on in the BBA program of NU. Students can earn the entire degree in Bahrain or complete the diploma at BIHR, and then transfer to one of NU’s campuses in the U.S.

The program is scheduled to launch in 2009. Once it is launched, coursework will be taught by a mixture of local adjunct faculty and NU faculty coming from the U.S. to teach intensive short courses.

Bahrain Institute of Hospitality and Retail is at  http://www.bihm.net/

Location

The program is located at BIHR's facilities in Manama, Bahrain. The facility offers classrooms and laboratories, computer labs, dining facilities, an in-house library, and faculty and administrative offices.

Manama, a city of approximately 160,000, is a rapidly developing city with significant new construction and is a short distance from the international airport serving the Kingdom of Bahrain. Manama is the capital city and is rapidly becoming a regional and international center for tourism and finance.

Programs Offered

The BBA program at BIHR consists of six modules taught within three, 20+ week semesters over a period of approximately eighteen months of coursework, with intensive "mini" sessions taught in the period between modules. The coursework will be followed by an internship of six  to eight months culminating with a project report.

The following programs are offered by NU in Bahrain:

  • BBA in Management 
  • BBA in Hotel, Restaurant & Resort Management 

Tuition and Fees

 For complete information about tuition and fees, please contact BIHR.

Admissions Criteria

All students who wish to apply to NU must complete an NU undergraduate application. Applications may be obtained from BIHR (see contact information below) and must be completed in its entirety and submitted for consideration along with official academic transcripts. Official acceptance into NU will be communicated in a letter of admission.

Entry requirements are:

  • Completion of a high school degree (or the equivalent thereof, such as secondary exams certified by a national Ministry of Education) with at least a "C" average (2.0 on a U.S. 4.0 scale) or at least an "O" level in all subjects (British-based systems).
  • Official transcript showing completion of the BIHR diploma. Unless otherwise noted, all coursework completed with BIHR and listed on an official transcript from BIHM (as part of the diploma program) will be accepted for transfer credit towards completion of the NU BBA degree. 
  • Transfer students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 or above (on a U.S. 4.0 scale), or the equivalent thereof, for regular admission. Official transcripts must be submitted in English or the original official transcript must be accompanied by a certified English translation. Transfer credit for other prior university coursework (as listed on an official transcript with a grade of "C" or better) may be accepted upon review and approval by the NU Registrar.  Transfer students must complete a minimum of 44 NU credits. Transfer students must be officially accepted by NU before commencing the NU program. 
  • International students must submit TOEFL scores or IELTS scores for regular admission. Scores must be submitted on an original official score sheet issued by the TOEFL or IELTS testing center. Applicants must have a minimum TOEFL score of 500 (written) or 173 (computer based) or 61 (internet based) to be accepted to the BBA program. Applicants must have a minimum IELTS score of 6.0 on the Overall Band Score to be accepted to the BBA program. 
  • NOTE: Applicants with test scores below minimum levels for the NU BBA program may be admitted, but required to take additional ESL (English as a Second Language) coursework, which will not count toward degree credit.

Contact Information

Dr. Roy C. Wood, FHEA, FIH
Chief Operating Officer
Gulf Hospitality and Tourism Educational Company
Bahrain Institute of Hospitality and Retail
WLL Block No. 96, Avenue 20 Area 524, Barbar
Manama Kingdom of Bahrain

E-mail: roy.wood@bihr.com.bh
Telephone: +973 176 93233
Mobile Telephone: +973 360 48500

Contact Information
International Programs
Church Family Administration Building
4000 Whiting Drive
Midland, MI 48640