URJC Tourism Degree 2026: What Changes in the Curriculum

Key data

The profile of the Tourism graduate from Rey Juan Carlos University changes in 2026. The Resolution of February 18, 2026, published in the BOE on April 23, officially formalizes the modification of the Tourism Degree curriculum, also called Bachelor in Tourism in its bilingual version. This is not a minor adjustment: it involves changes in the curricular structure that directly affect what future graduates will learn—and be able to do—when the tourism sector incorporates them into its workforce.

For executives of tourism companies, hotels, travel agencies and tour operators, this modification is relevant because it defines the competencies with which the next graduates of one of the universities with the highest volume of tourism graduates in the Madrid region will enter the labor market.

What does this regulation establish?

The resolution formally publishes the modification of the curriculum for the Tourism Degree / Bachelor in Tourism at URJC, following the verification and official publication procedure required by Spanish university regulations.

The approved changes may affect one or several of the following elements of the curriculum:

• General curricular structure of the degree
• Subjects: incorporation of new courses, elimination or merger of existing ones
• Distribution of ECTS credits among subjects and modules
• Competencies and learning outcomes associated with the degree

The bilingual denomination Bachelor in Tourism is maintained, indicating that the degree continues to be oriented toward a profile with international projection. The modification follows the regulatory procedure established for Spanish universities: verification by the corresponding quality agency and official publication in the BOE.

The complete text with details of each specific change is available in the resolution published in the BOE (BOE-A-2026-8953).

Economic and operational impact

For companies in the tourism sector, the impact of this modification is not immediate nor does it generate direct costs. However, it has operational consequences in the medium term that are worth anticipating:

• Change in candidate profile: Graduates entering the market after implementation of the new curriculum will have different competencies than current graduates. If your company has selection profiles based on the previous curriculum, you may need to update them.
• Recruitment opportunities: If the new curriculum incorporates competencies more aligned with digitalization, sustainability or tourism data management—current sector trends—new graduates can provide differential value.
• Planning of internships and agreements: Companies with internship agreements with URJC should know the new curriculum to adjust internship profiles to the actual competencies students will develop.
• Adaptation of current students: Students already enrolled will need to adapt to the new curriculum, which may generate changes in study completion schedules and, therefore, in the availability of candidates.

Who does it affect?

• Students enrolled in the Tourism Degree at URJC: Will need to adapt to the new curriculum in force, with the transition mechanisms established by the university.
• Future students of the Tourism Degree at URJC: Will be incorporated directly into the new curriculum from their enrollment.
• Companies in the tourism sector that recruit URJC graduates: Hotels, hotel chains, travel agencies, tour operators, destination management companies and sector consultancies.
• HR departments with internship agreements with URJC: Need to know the new competency profile of students to adjust internship offers.
• Executives and training managers in tourism companies: To anticipate what skills new graduates will bring and what additional training may be necessary.

Practical example

A hotel chain based in Madrid that regularly incorporates several Tourism graduates from URJC each year into its management trainee programs has selection profiles defined based on the previous curriculum.

With the entry into force of the new curriculum, candidates who graduate after its implementation will have taken courses, acquired credits and developed potentially different competencies. If the new curriculum, for example, strengthens digital management or revenue management courses, these candidates will arrive with a stronger foundation in those areas. If, on the other hand, language courses or external internships have been modified, the profile may vary in other aspects.

The concrete action for this hotel chain: review the new curriculum published in the BOE, compare it with the previous one and update selection criteria and internship profiles before the next recruitment call.

What should companies do now?

1. Consult the complete text of the resolution in the BOE (BOE-A-2026-8953) to know exactly what subjects, credits and competencies have changed compared to the previous curriculum.
2. Compare the new curriculum with the previous one and identify the differences relevant to your sector or company: new competencies incorporated, subjects eliminated, changes in the weight of practical credits.
3. Update selection profiles if your company regularly recruits Tourism graduates from URJC, so they reflect the competencies of the new curriculum.
4. Review existing internship agreements with URJC to ensure that internship profiles remain consistent with the actual training students receive under the new curriculum.
5. Contact URJC to learn the exact implementation schedule of the new curriculum and when it will affect current students and new enrollments.