Key facts about the programme

Curriculum

• Year 1 - Culinary Arts & Restaurant Management

  Semester 1: Food & Beverage Operations
  The first semester familiarises you with the world of a hotelier. Through combined practical experiences in our Fine Dining restaurant and theory classes in F&B, you internalise the attitude of hospitality professionals in both thought and action. 

  Learning content:

  • Culinary Arts in Theory & Practice
  • Pastry Creation & Baking Techniques
  • Nutrition & Sustainable Lifestyle
  • The Art of Service in Theory & Practice
  • Oenology & Beverage Science
  • Event & Banquet Operations
  • Food & Beverage Management
  • Interdisciplinary Competences
  • German
  • Pre-Internship Coaching

  Semester 2: Industry Internship Food & Beverage
  This hands-on experience allows you to practice your newly acquired F&B skills by working in a SHL approved establishment in Switzerland or abroad.  

  • Location: Switzerland or abroad*
  • Duration: 24 weeks
  • Positions: culinary or service positions - à la carte, patisserie, catering/banquet, purchasing/menu planning, breakfast service, bar, room service, events
  • Type: full-time paid internship

  _{*either the first or the second internship must be completed in Switzerland}

• Year 2 - Core Hotel Operations

  Semester 3: Rooms Division Operations
  Along with Front Office and Housekeeping, this semester covers the environmental impact and financial aspects of managing the core departments of a hotel.

  Learning content:

  • Rooms Division Management
  • Mystery Guest Experience
  • Hospitality & Tourism Concepts
  • Quality Assurance
  • Foundations in Business Operations & Procedures
  • Business Simulation
  • Hospitality IT Tools
  • Interdisciplinary Competences
  • German
  • Pre-Internship Coaching

  Semester 4: Industry Internship Rooms Division
  The second industry internship allows you to put the knowledge gained in semester three into practice. You are expected to take on more responsibility and to gain supervisory experience.

  • Location: Switzerland or abroad *
  • Duration: 24 weeks
  • Positions: front office, night audit, guest relations, reservations, facilities management, rooms division
  • Type: full-time paid internship

  
  If the programme is started in February, students take an interim semester after semester 4. Students are free to decide how they use this time. We recommend a language study trip or a further practical placement to gain initial management experience (e.g. management training).

  _{*either the first or the second internship must be completed in Switzerland}

• Year 3 - Hospitality Business Administration & Hospitality Management

  The following two semesters focus on Hospitality Business Administration and Hospitality Management, with emphasis on how to generate and maintain financial stability through strong leadership. Individual and group research encourages in-depth reflection on the subjects studied, and you will also write your own business plans in small groups. With the specialisations offered in semester 6.1, you can tailor the semester according to your preferences.

  Learning content semesters 5 and 6.1:

  • Corporate Organisation & Strategy
  • Leadership
  • Financial & Managerial Accounting
  • Economics Revenue Management, Distribution & Investment Psychology
  • Strategic Marketing, Concepts & Communication
  • International Legal Awareness & Risk Management
  • Hotel Development - Building & Design
  • Art & Culture in Hospitality
  • Applied Business Projects in Gastronomy & Hospitality
  • Mathematics for Business & Economics
  • HR Management & Talent Development
  • Capstone Specialization Project
  • Developing Academic Skills
  • Interdisciplinary Competences
  • German

  Students commencing their studies in the spring intake benefit from a flexible period between Semester 5 and Semester 6.1. We recommend making the most of this time by undertaking a management training programme or gaining valuable leadership experience.

  Semester 6.1 concludes with the award of the «Professional Bachelor in Hospitality Management» qualification.

  After a short break of three weeks, students transition to the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU) for Semester 6.2, where they begin the first modules on their way towards the Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management.

  Learning content semester 6.2 (at HSLU):

  • Tourism Foundations & Bridging (6 ECTS)
  • Operations Management (6 ECTS)
  • Research Fundamentals (6 ECTS)

• Year 4 - International Business & Sustainability

  Semesters 7 and 8 deepen the core subjects of International Business, Tourism and Sustainability at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU). Students' practice-oriented knowledge is purposefully complemented by academic competencies – for instance in the areas of academic writing and research-based problem solving.

  Learning content semesters 7 and 8 (at HSLU):

  • Sustainability in Tourism & Hospitality inkl. Study Trip (6 ECTS)
  • International Project Management (6 ECTS)
  • Cross-Cultural Communication & Management (6 ECTS)
  • Risk & Resilience Management (3 ECTS)
  • Digital Dynamics (3 ECTS)
  • Sustainable Business Operations & Ethics (3 ECTS)
  • Destination Management (3 ECTS)
  • Research Methods (6 ECTS)
  • Change, Innovation & Entrepreneurship (6 ECTS)
  • Think Tank (3 ECTS)
  • Electives (6 ECTS)
  • Experience & Visitor Management (3 ECTS)
  • MICE & Live Communication (3 ECTS)
  • Bachelor Thesis (15 ECTS)

  Upon successful completion of Semester 8, students are awarded the HSLU degree «Bachelor of Science, Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts/FHZ, in Hospitality Management with a focus on International Business & Sustainability».