Postgraduate Diploma in Hospitality Management · 12 months
One year. One Swiss award.
Six months of academic study in Lucerne, then a six-month internship in Switzerland or worldwide. 60 ECTS, 120 credits — and, unlike the BA and the MSc, this one is awarded by BHMS alone.
The shape of the year
Two semesters. One of them in a hotel.
The Postgraduate Diploma runs twelve months. Semester 1 is six months on campus — the management core of a hotel school, compressed for people who already hold a degree. Semester 2 is a six-month internship, arranged in Switzerland or worldwide, which is where the classroom half gets tested.
It is built for two kinds of applicant: the career changer who already has a degree in another field and wants a hospitality management credential without starting a second bachelor, and the experienced hospitality employee with an associate degree who wants a Swiss qualification in one year rather than three.
BHMS navigation sometimes lists the same programme as the Postgraduate Diploma in Business & Hospitality — it is one award under two labels.
How the internship model works
Read this before you apply
There is no UK dual award on this programme
The Postgraduate Diploma is awarded by BHMS on its own. There is no Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen (UK) dual award attached to it. That makes it different from the BA, the MSc and the Graduate Certificate, all three of which do carry the Robert Gordon University element — and it is the single thing applicants most often get wrong about this programme.
If the UK university award is what you actually want, take one of these instead:
- MSc in International Hospitality Business Management — twelve months, dual-awarded with Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen (UK), CHF 40,600 all-inclusive.
- Graduate Certificate in International Hospitality Business Management — the short route, also carrying the Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen (UK) element.
What the Postgraduate Diploma does give you is a Swiss hotel school qualification in one calendar year, half of it spent working, and a recognised route onward: the BHMS MSc accepts holders of this diploma.
Semester 1 · on campus
What the academic semester covers
Operations, revenue and sustainability, plus the study and language skills that make the rest of it land — then six months in the industry.
| Module | Semester |
|---|---|
| Study Skills | Semester 1 — academic |
| eCommerce | Semester 1 — academic |
| Business Sustainability | Semester 1 — academic |
| Supervisory Development | Semester 1 — academic |
| Hospitality and Tourism Structure | Semester 1 — academic |
| F&B Operations (two courses) | Semester 1 — academic |
| Yield and Revenue Management | Semester 1 — academic |
| Sustainable Change Management | Semester 1 — academic |
| Language Communication | Semester 1 — academic |
| Industry placement — Switzerland or worldwide | Semester 2 — six months |
The programme carries 120 credits, equivalent to 60 ECTS. BHMS does not publish a per-module credit or contact-hour breakdown, so none is invented here — the detailed course programme is confirmed at application, and elective courses may substitute or amend the list.
Electives include: Data Analytics · Small Business Management · Menu Design · Food & Wine Pairing
Award & admission
What you graduate with, and what it takes to get in
Your award
Postgraduate Diploma in Hospitality Management, awarded by BHMS. 120 credits, equivalent to 60 ECTS, over 1 year.
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.
No Robert Gordon University dual award on this programme — see above.
Entry requirements
- An associate degree or equivalent plus a minimum of two years of full-time work experience — or a bachelor's degree in another discipline
- English at IELTS 5.0 or equivalent
- Applicants below that English level can be considered for the BHMS Preparatory English Programme, which serves Postgraduate Diploma and Graduate Certificate applicants
Intakes: August 2026 · November 2026 · February 2027 · May 2027
Visa processing takes about 8–12 weeks for non-EU nationals and 4–6 weeks for EU nationals, so apply with that lead time in hand.
Semester 2
Six months paid, and what that really means
BHMS publishes CHF 2,390 per month gross for internship placements in Switzerland. That is a gross figure, before deductions for room, board and social insurance — so it is worth knowing the net before you build a budget around it.
Realistic net per the BHMS FAQ: around CHF 1,500 a month where the employer provides accommodation and meals · around CHF 800–1,000 a month in a big city without
Placements are available in Switzerland or worldwide. BHMS notes that placements inside Switzerland depend very much on your German, French or Italian language skills — if you have none of the three, expect the search to point outward.
Students who need a visa to study in Switzerland may not work outside the internships included in their programme.
Fees
CHF 38,600 for the year. Everything in.
The year is invoiced as one all-inclusive figure: tuition CHF 29,100, operating costs CHF 2,600, living expenses for 24 weeks CHF 5,900 and the application fee CHF 1,000. That 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 the diploma
Continue to the master's
The MSc in International Hospitality Business Management accepts holders of the BHMS Postgraduate Diploma. It runs twelve months, is dual-awarded with Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen (UK), and costs CHF 40,600 all-inclusive — which is the route to take if you want the UK university award that this diploma does not carry.
The MSc in detail
Questions
Straight answers
Does this come with the UK dual degree?
No. The Postgraduate Diploma in Hospitality Management is awarded by BHMS alone — there is no Robert Gordon University dual award on this programme, unlike the BA, the MSc and the Graduate Certificate. If a UK university award is what you are after, look at the MSc in International Hospitality Business Management or the Graduate Certificate instead; both carry the Robert Gordon University element.
How is the year structured?
Twelve months in two halves. Semester 1 is six months of academic study on campus in Lucerne. Semester 2 is a six-month internship, in Switzerland or worldwide. The award carries 120 credits, equivalent to 60 ECTS.
What are the entry requirements?
Either an associate degree or equivalent plus a minimum of two years of full-time work experience, or a bachelor’s degree in another discipline. English at IELTS 5.0 or equivalent. Applicants who do not yet meet the English requirement can be considered for the BHMS Preparatory English Programme, which also serves Graduate Certificate applicants.
What does the year cost and what is included?
CHF 38,600 all-inclusive: tuition CHF 29,100, operating costs CHF 2,600, living expenses for 24 weeks CHF 5,900 and the application fee CHF 1,000. That covers accommodation in a shared 3–4 bed apartment, meals, health insurance, the first airport pickup and visa support. Budget about CHF 500 a month for personal expenses on top. Swiss citizens and C-permit holders receive a 30% tuition reduction on English-taught programmes of at least 12 months.
How much will I actually earn on the internship?
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 big city without them. Placements inside Switzerland depend very much on your German, French or Italian language skills.
When can I start, and how early should I apply?
Intakes for this programme are August 2026 · November 2026 · February 2027 · May 2027. Allow 8–12 weeks for visa processing if you are a non-EU national, or 4–6 weeks if you are an EU national, and apply well ahead of that. Students who need a visa to study in Switzerland may not work outside the internships included in their programme.
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 →