The BHMS campus building in Lucerne, where the BA in Hotel & Hospitality Management is taught

BA in Hotel & Hospitality Management · Year 3

One degree. Two awarding bodies.

The final year of the three-year bachelor — and the year your degree is signed by both BHMS and Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen (UK). 180 ECTS, 360 UK credits, 18 months of paid experience behind you.

The shape of the degree

Six semesters. Three of them paid.

The bachelor runs three years and six semesters, alternating six months of academic study with six months of internship. Year 1 ends with the Diploma, Year 2 with the Higher Diploma, and Year 3 with the Bachelor of Arts itself — each a full exit award, so no year is wasted if your plans change.

Each academic year carries 60 ECTS. Across the three years that is 180 ECTS, equivalent to 360 UK credits, and 18 months of paid hotel and hospitality experience on your CV before you have graduated.

3 internships × 6 months × CHF 2,390 gross = CHF 43,000+ earned during the degree

How the internship model works
International BHMS bachelor students at the Lucerne campus

Year by year

Three years, three awards

Year Academic semester Second semester Exit award Fee
Year 1 Semester 1 on campus · 60 ECTS Six-month paid internship Diploma in Business & Hospitality Management CHF 38,600
Year 2 Semester 3 on campus · 60 ECTS Six-month paid internship Higher Diploma in Business & Hospitality Management CHF 39,600
Year 3 Semester 5 on campus · 60 ECTS Six-month paid internship BA — BHMS + Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen (UK) CHF 40,500

2026 rates from the BHMS programme page. The application fee is included in Year 1, and applies in Years 2 and 3 only for transfer students. Three years together: about CHF 118,700.

Semester 5 · on campus

What the final year covers

The management half of hotel school: operations at property level, strategy above it, and the academic writing the degree demands.

ModuleSemester
Managing EventsSemester 5 — academic
Contemporary Hospitality Services ManagementSemester 5 — academic
Hotel Operations ManagementSemester 5 — academic
Strategic Management in Hotel & Hospitality IndustrySemester 5 — academic
Hospitality Business ConceptsSemester 5 — academic
Academic Writing & CompositionSemester 5 — academic
Industry placement — your third paid internship Semester 6 — six months

Year 3 carries 60 ECTS in total. BHMS does not publish a per-module credit or contact-hour breakdown for this year, so none is invented here — the detailed course programme is confirmed at application, and elective courses may substitute or amend the list.

Award & admission

What you graduate with

Your award

Bachelor of Arts in Hotel & Hospitality Management, awarded jointly by BHMS and Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen (UK).

180 ECTS across the three years, equivalent to 360 UK credits. BHMS hospitality programmes are accredited by the Institute of Hospitality (UK); the school holds the Swiss eduQua quality label and a QS five-star institution rating.

Entry requirements

  • Minimum age 17
  • High school diploma or equivalent
  • English at IELTS level or equivalent — confirm the exact level with admissions: the BA programme page states 5.5, while the central Requirements & Intakes page and the FAQ state 5.0
  • Third-year transfer entry: August intake only

Intakes: 17 August 2026 · 16 November 2026 · February 2027

Fees

CHF 40,500 for Year 3. Everything in.

Each year is invoiced as one all-inclusive figure covering:

  • Tuition and career services, including internship and job placement support
  • Accommodation in a shared 3–4 bed apartment
  • Meals — three a day during the week, two at weekends and on holidays
  • Health insurance covering accident, illness and medical treatment
  • First airport pickup
  • Visa and administrative support

Not included: about CHF 500 a month for personal expenses — laundry, mobile, local travel. Swiss citizens and C-permit holders receive a 30% tuition reduction on English-taught programmes of at least 12 months.

Full fees, discounts & the earnings offset
A shared student apartment room included in the BHMS fee

After the bachelor

Continue to the master's

The MSc in International Hospitality Business Management takes twelve months: six months on campus, then an independent research project with an optional internship. It is also dual-awarded with Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen (UK) — 90 ECTS, 180 UK credits, CHF 40,600 all-inclusive.

The MSc in detail
A postgraduate class at the BHMS Lucerne campus

Questions

Straight answers

Who awards the degree?

The Bachelor of Arts in Hotel & Hospitality Management is awarded jointly by BHMS and Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, UK. That is the dual-degree element: one programme, two awarding bodies, a Swiss hotel school education and a UK university degree.

How long is the whole bachelor?

Three years, six semesters. Each academic semester on campus is followed by a six-month internship placement — so the three years contain 18 months of study and 18 months of paid industry experience. Total credits are 180 ECTS, equivalent to 360 UK credits.

Can I join in Year 3 directly?

Transfer entry into the third year is possible, but the central BHMS admissions page notes third-year transfers are only available at the August intake. Your prior qualification is assessed case by case, and an application fee applies to transfer students in Years 2 and 3.

What are the entry requirements?

Minimum age 17 and a high school diploma or equivalent. On English, BHMS currently publishes two different figures — the BA programme page states IELTS 5.5 while the central Requirements & Intakes page and the FAQ state IELTS 5.0 — so confirm the level that applies to your intake with admissions before you test.

What does Year 3 cost?

Year 3 is CHF 40,500 all-inclusive, covering tuition, operating costs and living expenses. Across all three years the path comes to about CHF 118,700, against CHF 43,000+ gross earned across the three internships. Budget about CHF 500 a month for personal expenses on top.

Is the internship in Year 3 also paid?

Yes — every academic semester is followed by a six-month placement, including the final one. BHMS publishes CHF 2,390 per month gross for internships in Switzerland, before deductions for room, board and social insurance. Placements are also available worldwide.

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 →