City of Westminster tour guiding

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Applications for this course will open in late May 2012 for the course starting in September 2012. Please email Scott McCririe-Hallman mccrirs@westminster.ac.uk with your interest, who will contact you when the application process has opened.

This course develops the skills required to plan, prepare and deliver walking tours. The course is focused on the City of Westminster, which contains some of the world’s most famous landmarks and urban districts. Sites of significant events and the homes of famous individuals provide opportunities to bring the area to life to maximise experiences for visitors. The course mixes learning about Westminster and its history with sessions devoted to the skills required to interpret the area to diverse audiences.

Course content

The course should be of interest to those people who want to learn how to guide in Westminster or those already guiding who want to gain a formal qualification to guide in the City.

Students who successfully complete the course will be qualified to conduct walking tours in the City of Westminster and receive a University certificate confirming the award of 30 credits at second year undergraduate level and membership of the City of Westminster Guide Lecturers Association (CWGLA). The course is hosted by the School of Architecture and the Built Environment at the University of Westminster which has an excellent reputation for research and teaching in London’s architectural history and in city tourism.

The course will involve a mixture of classroom based sessions and practice walks in the City of Westminster. The staff involved are lecturers and qualified guides with lots of experience of guiding and teaching guiding skills. Performance will be adjudged by assessing walks and related materials prepared by students, as well as through an essay and a written exam.

Entry requirements

There are no minimum entry requirements, but students need to demonstrate both the commitment and the potential to become a professional guide and have basic writing and research skills that will allow them to complete the course. Students will be interviewed to assess their suitability.

Further information

Scott McCririe-Hallman

T: +44 (0) 20 7911 5000 ext. 3220
E: mccrirs@westminster.ac.uk