BHMS · Lucerne, Switzerland
Hotel school in the country that invented it
Switzerland invented the hotel school. Here it still comes with a paid job every single year — three six-month internships, a dual UK bachelor degree, and CHF 43,000+ gross earned before you graduate.
Why BHMS
The numbers behind the name
#12
worldwide in Hospitality & Leisure Management — QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026
CHF 43,000+
gross internship earnings across the three-year bachelor, at Swiss rates
18 months
of paid industry experience on your CV at graduation — three placements, six months each
2
degrees at graduation — BHMS and Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen (UK)
180
ECTS across the bachelor, equivalent to 360 UK credits
5★
QS five-star institution rating, listed on the BHMS accreditations page
Your path
Three years. Three awards. Three salaries.
Each year is a full qualification in its own right — six months on campus, six months paid in industry. Step off with an award in hand, or climb to the dual degree.
- Year 1 Diploma in Business & Hospitality Management A semester on campus, then internship #1 · 60 ECTS · CHF 38,600
- Year 2 Higher Diploma in Business & Hospitality Management Revenue, front office and HR, then internship #2 · CHF 39,600
- Year 3 BA in Hotel & Hospitality Management Dual degree with Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen (UK), then internship #3 · CHF 40,500
- Already have a degree? Postgraduate Diploma · Graduate Certificate · MSc Ten weeks to twelve months, for graduates and career changers
Earn while you learn
The Swiss half-year rhythm
Six months of study, six months of paid work — repeated three times. That is the model Swiss hotel schools built, and it is why a BHMS CV arrives with 18 months of hotel operations on it rather than a summer placement or two.
3 internships × 6 months × CHF 2,390 gross = CHF 43,000+ before graduation
CHF 2,390 is the gross monthly figure BHMS publishes for placements in Switzerland, before deductions for room, board and social insurance. Realistically you keep around CHF 1,500 a month where accommodation and meals are provided, or CHF 800–1,000 in a city where they are not. BHMS says so plainly, and so do we.
How the internship model works
The degree
Swiss training. British degree.
The bachelor is awarded jointly by BHMS and Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen (UK) — so you graduate with a Swiss hotel school education and a UK university degree recognised by employers and postgraduate admissions worldwide. 180 ECTS, 360 UK credits.
The hospitality programmes are accredited by the Institute of Hospitality (UK), and the school holds the Swiss eduQua quality label.
The dual bachelor in detail
Campus
Lucerne, and everything in one fee
Two campuses — Lucerne and Zurich — in one of the most photographed corners of Europe. Accommodation in a shared apartment, meals, Swiss health insurance, your first airport pickup and visa administration are all inside the fee, not bolted on afterwards.
Campus, rooms & meals
Questions
Straight answers
Are the internships really paid?
Yes. BHMS publishes a gross figure of CHF 2,390 per month for internships in Switzerland, before deductions for room, board and social insurance. Every academic semester is followed by a six-month placement — three of them across the three-year bachelor, so you finish with 18 months of paid industry experience.
What do I actually take home from an internship?
BHMS answers this directly: if your placement is outside the cities and the employer provides accommodation and meals, you might have around CHF 1,500 left after tax, meals and insurance. In a big city without accommodation provided, expect roughly CHF 800–1,000 a month. The gross figure is CHF 2,390; the rest is deductions.
What degree do I graduate with?
A Bachelor of Arts in Hotel & Hospitality Management, awarded jointly by BHMS and Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, UK — 180 ECTS, equivalent to 360 UK credits. Years 1 and 2 also carry their own exit awards: the Diploma and the Higher Diploma in Business & Hospitality Management.
What does the whole degree cost?
Year 1 is CHF 38,600, Year 2 CHF 39,600 and Year 3 CHF 40,500 — about CHF 118,700 for the three years. That is all-inclusive: tuition, career services, shared accommodation, meals, Swiss health insurance, first airport pickup and visa support. Budget about CHF 500 a month on top for personal expenses.
Do I need to speak German?
No — all programmes are taught in English, and German communication is a Year 1 module. It does matter for one thing: BHMS notes that internship placements inside Switzerland depend very much on your German, French or Italian language skills. Placements are also available worldwide.
When can I start, and how early should I apply?
Bachelor intakes are 17 August 2026, 16 November 2026 and February 2027. Swiss student visas take 8 to 12 weeks to process for non-EU citizens and 4 to 6 weeks for EU citizens, so apply around four months before your intake.
Three intakes a year. A degree that pays you back before you graduate.
Next intakes: 17 August 2026 · 16 November 2026 · February 2027 · Lucerne, Switzerland
Every academic semester is followed by a six-month paid internship — CHF 2,390/month gross in Switzerland, three times across the bachelor. How the internship model works →