A good spa is more than a relaxing massage. Someone has to plan the treatments, schedule the therapists, keep an eye on the budget and build a brand that guests remember. The Wellness and SPA bachelor’s programme at the University of Technology and Arts in Applied Sciences in Warsaw (ATA), available in English, combines business management with health, nutrition and client-care skills — and at the end you can check whether this blend of business and well-being suits you.
Wellness and SPA is a three-year bachelor’s programme run within the field of Management at ATA in Warsaw, a university that until 2024 operated as the University of Ecology and Management. Students earn 180 ECTS credits and graduate with a bachelor’s degree. Classes can be taken in Polish or in English, and the programme is also listed in the university’s online offer.
There are two forms of study: full-time, with classes on weekdays, and part-time, with classes at weekends.
The university describes the programme as practice-oriented. According to its own breakdown, practical skills make up 64 percent of the programme, while theoretical knowledge and professional internships account for 18 percent each. A professional internship is part of the study plan.
The first area is managing wellness and spa facilities. Students are prepared to run a wellness centre or to manage a wellness department in a large hotel complex. Marketing, logistics and finance are taught as tools for planning services and building a brand.
The second area is direct work with clients. The programme introduces massage techniques, physiotherapy and relaxation therapies used in wellness salons, while psychotherapy and music therapy are presented as ways of creating a calm, relaxing atmosphere.
The study plan mixes classic management courses with subjects from the world of health and beauty. On the business side, students take, among others:
The wellness block is built around subjects such as:
The plan also includes Psychology, Ethics, Philosophy, English Language, Physical Education and a diploma seminar that ends with the bachelor’s thesis.
Graduates should be able to manage spa and wellness facilities, plan treatments and services, and organise staff, including therapists. They are expected to apply marketing, logistics and financial planning in practice and to promote a salon or a mobile studio. The programme also gives them practical knowledge of massage, physiotherapy and relaxation therapies, a grounding in dietetics, kinesitherapy and nutrition, and an awareness of aromatherapy, music therapy and hydrotherapy.
The university lists several career paths. A graduate can become a spa manager in a luxury hotel, responsible for the treatment offer, therapists’ schedules and service quality. Another option is a wellness specialist in rehabilitation centres and health resorts, helping people recover after injuries or surgery. Some graduates may set up their own wellness studio, for example a massage studio offering aromatherapy, music therapy or anti-stress treatments. Others can work as healthy lifestyle consultants for individuals, hotels, fitness clubs and corporate well-being programmes, or find jobs in tourism and hospitality, including resorts, luxury cruise ships and international hotel chains.
After the bachelor’s degree, graduates can continue with a master’s programme in Management. The university also advertises a partnership with Herzing University in the United States, described as exclusive in Poland: Management students can earn an American Bachelor of Science in Business Management after a year of study there, with an optional visa extension and work under the Optional Practical Training scheme. Current admission rules and fees are worth checking on the university’s admissions website, as they vary between intakes.
The programme is aimed at people interested in a healthy lifestyle who want to help others feel better, at those who would like to grow in hospitality and tourism, for instance by managing wellness areas in resorts, and at future entrepreneurs who dream of their own brand on the wellness market.
Wellness and SPA at ATA is a three-year, 180-ECTS bachelor’s programme in the field of Management, available in English, full-time or at weekends. It combines management, marketing and finance with anatomy, nutrition, cosmetology and physiotherapy services, and prepares graduates for roles from spa manager in a hotel to running their own wellness studio.
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