Overview
Licensure
Confederation of Tourism and Hospitality (CTH)
AHA is a licensed CTH Teaching Center approved to deliver the following qualifications:
– Level 4 Diploma in Hospitality Management
– Level 5 Advanced Diploma in Hospitality Management
– Level 6 Professional Diploma in Tourism and Hospitality Management
– Level 7 Executive Diploma in Hospitality and Tourism Management
CTH is the UK’s leading specialist professional awarding body for qualifications in the growing hospitality and tourism sector.
Over the last 40 years, CTH has focused on developing and adding value to careers globally in the Hospitality, Culinary & Tourism industries. They now have a network of over two hundred Approved Teaching Centers worldwide delivering industry relevant CTH qualifications to thousands of new students each year.
Like any awarding body, CTH does not actually teach the qualifications themselves, they offer them to be taught and studied at the teaching centers that they approve. CTH is recognized and regulated by Ofqual, the regulator for qualifications, exams and tests in England. Ofqual’s work ensures that learners get the results they deserve and that the qualifications they receive count, both now and in the future.
Unless otherwise indicated, all CTH qualifications sit within the Ofqual’s Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) that has replaced both the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) and the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) and can be found on Ofqual’s Register of Regulated Qualifications.
Ministry of Labor and Social Protection
American Hotel Academy is licensed by the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, to deliver educational programs and to award the following certifications:
- Hotel Director Diploma
- Certificate of Entrepreneurship Competences
ATHE
ATHE is a global awarding organisation regulated by Ofqual and other UK and international regulators since 2011. We work with more than 280 recognised centres in over 55 countries to complement our strong brandpresence in the UK.
ATHE qualifications are approved as progression pathways for our learners to relevant Bachelor’s and Master’s Top Up degrees by 25 UK and international Universities, with many more accepting our Ofqual regulated qualifications for progression purposes.
Degree Awarding Partners
IU International University of Applied Sciences
IU is the largest university in Germany with over 100,000 students from 176 countries attending degree programmes on campus or online. IU runs a large career focused portfolio of higher education programmes (Bachelors, Masters, MBAs, Certificates) under a high-quality accreditation framework while providing students with flexible study formats and time models at affordable prices, thus ensuring that everybody can access education to grow.
The following study programmes are available to AHA students as part of an academic partnership between IU and AHA:
Bachelor of Arts Digital Business
Master of Arts Digital Marketing
University of Derby
The University of Derby is a modern university with a modern outlook. Everything we do is driven by delivering excellence and opportunities for our students, our staff and our region. Working in partnership with other institutions is fundamental to the way in which the University promotes participation in higher and further education and contributes to regional and global economic growth.
We are a leader in online education and have been for almost two decades. Here, at the University of Derby Online Learning, we have over 100 part-time courses specially designed for online study. We can help you to achieve more and be more in your professional and personal life.
Bachelor of Arts (Hons) International Hospitality Business Management Top-Up is available to AHA students through a progression partnership between University of Derby, CTH and AHA.
This course is accredited by the Institute of Hospitality.
Bachelor of Science (Hons) Business and Management Top-Up is available to AHA students through a progression partnership between University of Derby, CTH and AHA.
This course is accredited by the Chartered Management Institute.
Anglia Ruskin University (ARU)
Anglia Ruskin is an innovative global university with students from 185 countries studying with us. We’re proud once again being named as one of the top 350 institutions in the world in The Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings 2022.
We’re made up of a diverse community with people from all backgrounds and different walks of life and it is in this diversity that we find our strength. Our people make us who we are, and we’re proud of what we have achieved together since gaining university status in 1992.
Our dedicated distance learning support team and expert tutors will support you every step of the way. With our world-class online Learning Management System (LMS), accessible from your phone, tablet or computer you can access materials, study and engage with tutors and other distance learners from wherever you are.
The Online MBA (Master of Business Administration) with Advanced Standing is available to AHA students through a progression partnership between ARU and AHA.
This course is accredited by theChartered Management Institute (CMI).
Coventry University London (CUL)
We are located in the center of London’s financial district, just a few minutes’ walk from Liverpool Street Station – a key commuting hub. We are part of one of the largest providers of business-related degree courses in Europe. Our achievements are a clear indication that the University is consistently delivering quality across a number of key areas, including student satisfaction, teaching and research quality, graduate job prospects, degree results achieved and more.
MSc International Hospitality & Tourism Management with Advanced Standing is available to AHA students through a progression partnership between CUL, CTH and AHA.
This course is accredited by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI). Students who successfully pass the integrated CMI Module offered in this course on their way to achieving the full Coventry University qualification will be eligible for a CMI Level 7 Certificate in Strategic Management & Leadership award and assigned the Foundation Chartered Manager (fCMgr) status.
Manchester Metropolitan University
Dating back to 1824, Manchester Metropolitan University is one of the largest in the UK. We have over 36,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students, including a diverse community of 3,000 international students from 120 countries.
BA (Hons) International Hotel Business Management is offered at our campus in Brasov, Romania, as part of an academic partnership between the American Hotel Academy and Manchester Metropolitan University.
Programme Validation Status
Programme’s Name: Bachelor of Arts (HONS) – International Hotel Business Management
Status: Re-validated in March 2018
Validation End Date: August 2026
International Recognition of Diplomas and Awards
Qualification Levels – United Kingdom RQF compared to the European Union EQF
A common structure has been put in place for qualification systems as a translation device to make qualifications more readable and understandable across different countries, enabling learners, learning providers and employers to compare them, making it easier for students and graduates to transfer and get a job in various countries.
Most qualifications are organized in “levels” ranging from level 1 (end of the compulsory education) to level 8 (Doctorate). The higher the level, the more difficult the qualification is.
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, qualifications are divided into Higher Education Qualifications, which are on the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ) and are awarded by bodies with degree awarding powers (such as universities), and Regulated Qualifications, which are on the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) and are accredited by Ofqual in England. The FHEQ corresponds with levels 4 to 8 of the RQF.
The EQF (European Qualifications Framework) is the common European reference framework that links EU countries’ qualification systems together. The EQF applies to all types of education, training and qualifications, from school education to academic, professional and vocational. The Romanian Qualifications Framework fully matches the EQF.
Due to the compatibility and mutual recognition, the UK national qualifications system under the RQF corresponds to the traditional British higher education system (FHEQ) and is fully compatible with the European education system according to the EQF (European Qualifications Framework) and with the Romanian National Qualifications System (ROQF). Information in the table below presents the placement of knowledge, diplomas and certifications by level of education and qualification in the UK, EU and Romanian system.
| Knowledge | UK RQF (AHA) | UK FHEQ | ROQF | EQF | Qualification type – examples |
| Factual and theoretical knowledge in broad contexts within a field of work or study | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | Upper secondary school leaving certificate, A-level, |
| Comprehensive, specialized, factual and theoretical knowledge within a field of work or study and an awareness of the boundaries of that knowledge | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5 | 5 | Higher National Certificate, Higher National Diploma, Foundation Degree, Certificate of Higher Education, Diploma of Higher Education, Short Cycle Education Certificate
Short cycle higher education |
| Advanced knowledge of a field of work or study, involving a critical understanding of theories and principles | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | Bachelor’s degree with Honours (BA Hons), bachelor’s degree without Honours, Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma
First cycle higher education |
| Highly specialized knowledge, some of which is at the forefront of knowledge in a field of work or study, as the basis for original thinking and/or research
Critical awareness of knowledge issues in a field and at the interface between different fields |
7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | Master’s degree, Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma
Second cycle higher education |
| Knowledge at the most advanced frontier of a field of work or study and at the interface between fields | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | Doctorate, PhD, Professional Doctorate
Third cycle of higher education |
Qualification Credits - UK (England) Credits compared to EU ECTS Credits
The UK (England) credit framework can be used as the basis for the design of qualifications for Level 4 and above.
This table shows the credits attached to UK (England) University awards and their CTH equivalents, also when CTH awards are combined with UK (England) University awards and then their European Credit Transfer & Accumulation System (ECTS) credit equivalents.
| Study Programme | UK (England) Levels | UK Credits | ECTS Credits |
| UK (England) University bachelor’s degree with Honours | 4, 5 and 6 | 360 | 180 |
| UK CTH Undergraduate Diplomas combined | 4, 5 and 6 | 360 | 180 |
| UK CTH level 4 and 5 Undergraduate Diplomas plus UK (England) University bachelor’s degree with Honours (final year) | 4, 5 and 6 | 360 | 180 |
| UK CTH level 4, 5 and 6 Undergraduate Diplomas plus UK (England) University bachelor’s degree with Honours (final year)* | 4, 5 and 6 | 420 | 210 |
| UK University master’s degree | 7 | 180 | 90 |
| CTH Executive Diploma | 7 | 120 | 60 |
| CTH Executive Diploma plus Dissertation stage of UK University master’s degree* | 7 | 180 | 90 |
*These are the diplomas and degrees that we offer, so that you can better understand where they stand compared to other study programs.
IU Degrees Recognition
IU University of Applied Sciences is state accredited in Germany and all its study programmes are compatible with the EU’s Bologna Process standards for international university degree recognition. That means that the degree you’ll earn is recognised around the world.
Progression Partnerships
Swiss Hotel Management School
This partnership allows for seamless academic progression between the two institutions. AHA students who complete Levels 4, 5, and 6 Diplomas in Hospitality Management can transition to SHMS for further studies, including Swiss immersion programs and postgraduate diplomas. In addition, AHA students can opt for study abroad experiences at SHMS and other institutions within Swiss Education Group (Cesar Ritz Colleges and Hotel Institute of Montreux).