Diploma in Business & Hospitality Management · Year 1
One year. Half of it inside a hotel.
The first year of the three-year path in Lucerne. Semester 1 is academic and on campus; Semester 2 is a six-month internship placement. 60 ECTS, CHF 38,600 all-inclusive.
The shape of the year
Two semesters, two very different rooms
Year 1 is built the way every year of the BHMS path is built: a taught semester on campus followed by six months of industry. Semester 1 covers the foundations — service operations, accounting, leadership, customer experience, sustainability and the academic and language skills the rest of the degree assumes. Semester 2 puts all of it into a working operation.
The academic year carries 60 ECTS and ends with the Diploma in Business & Hospitality Management — a complete exit award, not a certificate of attendance. If you continue, it becomes the first third of the dual bachelor awarded with Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen (UK).
Six-month placement · CHF 2,390 per month gross in Switzerland
How the internship model works
Year by year
Where the Diploma sits in the path
| 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 pages. The application fee is included in the Year 1 figure. Three years together: about CHF 118,700.
Semester 1 · on campus
What the first year covers
Nine modules, and none of them decorative: the service floor, the ledger behind it, the guest in front of it, and the German you will want if you hope to be placed inside Switzerland.
| Module | Semester |
|---|---|
| Academic Skills | Semester 1 — academic |
| German Communication | Semester 1 — academic |
| Contemporary Hospitality Industry | Semester 1 — academic |
| Accounting Principles | Semester 1 — academic |
| Food & Beverage Service Management | Semester 1 — academic |
| Hospitality Business Toolkit | Semester 1 — academic |
| Leadership and Management for Hospitality | Semester 1 — academic |
| Managing Customer Experience | Semester 1 — academic |
| Sustainable Hospitality Practice | Semester 1 — academic |
| Industry placement — your first paid internship | Semester 2 — six months |
Year 1 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, and how you get in
Your award
Diploma in Business & Hospitality Management, awarded by BHMS after 1 year — one taught semester and one six-month placement.
60 ECTS for the academic year. It stands on its own, and it is also the entry point to the Higher Diploma and then the dual BA awarded with Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen (UK).
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
Intakes: 17 August 2026 · 16 November 2026 · February 2027
Allow 8–12 weeks for visa processing if you are a non-EU applicant, or 4–6 weeks if you are an EU applicant — count backwards from your intake date before you apply.
Semester 2
The six months that change the CV
Your second semester is a placement, and BHMS supports you into it as part of the fee. For placements in Switzerland the school publishes CHF 2,390 per month gross, before deductions for room, board and social insurance.
Be honest with yourself about the net. The BHMS FAQ puts it at around CHF 1,500 a month where the employer provides accommodation and meals, and around CHF 800 to CHF 1,000 a month in a big city where you pay for your own room. It is a real wage for real work, not a windfall — and it offsets a meaningful part of the year.
Placements inside Switzerland depend very much on your German, French or Italian language skills — which is why German Communication sits in Semester 1. Placements are also available worldwide. Students who need a visa to study in Switzerland may not work outside the internships included in their programme.
Placement support in detail
Fees
CHF 38,600 for Year 1. Everything in.
One all-inclusive invoice: tuition CHF 29,100, operating costs CHF 2,600, living expenses CHF 5,900 and the CHF 1,000 application fee. It covers:
- 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, on holidays and during term breaks
- 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
After Year 1
Continue to the Higher Diploma
Year 2 is the Higher Diploma in Business & Hospitality Management — CHF 39,600 all-inclusive, again one taught semester followed by a six-month placement. Year 3 completes the BA in Hotel & Hospitality Management, awarded with Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen (UK).
The Higher Diploma in detail
Questions
Straight answers
What do I actually graduate with after Year 1?
The Diploma in Business & Hospitality Management — a full exit award in its own right, carrying 60 ECTS. It is also the first year of the three-year path that continues to the Higher Diploma and then to the dual BA awarded with Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen (UK), so nothing is wasted if you stop after one year or if you carry on.
How is the year split between class and industry?
Semester 1 is academic and taught on campus in Lucerne. Semester 2 is a six-month internship placement. So half of your first year is spent inside a working hospitality operation rather than in a classroom.
What does Year 1 cost, and what is in the price?
CHF 38,600 all-inclusive: tuition CHF 29,100, operating costs CHF 2,600, living expenses CHF 5,900 and the CHF 1,000 application fee. That covers tuition and career services, accommodation in a shared 3–4 bed apartment, meals, health insurance, your first airport pickup and visa support. Budget about CHF 500 a month on top for personal expenses. Swiss citizens and C-permit holders receive a 30% tuition reduction on English-taught programmes of at least 12 months.
Is the internship paid, and what do I actually take home?
BHMS publishes CHF 2,390 per month gross for placements in Switzerland, before deductions for room, board and social insurance. The BHMS FAQ puts the realistic net at around CHF 1,500 a month where the employer provides accommodation and meals, and around CHF 800 to CHF 1,000 a month in a large city without accommodation. Placements are also available worldwide.
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 book a test.
Can I take a part-time job while I study?
If you need a visa to study in Switzerland you may not work outside the internships included in your programme. The internship placement in Semester 2 is the paid work, and it is built into the year rather than added on top of it.
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 →