Direct entry · Year 2 & Year 3
Don't start over. Start ahead.
BHMS admits qualified students straight into Year 2 or Year 3 of its Bachelor of Arts programs — your completed coursework and work experience decide the entry point, and every transcript is reviewed individually.
Two routes in
Credits or experience — both open the door
The academic route
Successfully completed the first or second year of a hospitality or culinary arts program at another institution — a US community college included? You can join BHMS to complete your bachelor's degree, entering Year 2 or Year 3 depending on what your transcript covers.
Studied something adjacent (business, tourism, general studies)? Send the transcript anyway — the review is individual, and the Summer Abroad program is a low-commitment way to see the school first.
The experience route
Verified work experience in hospitality or culinary arts equivalent to the first-year curriculum fast-tracks you into Year 2 of study — skipping Year 1 entirely. Two years behind a front desk, in a kitchen brigade or running F&B shifts is academic currency here.
Employer letters and role descriptions are what admissions verifies — collect them before you apply and the review goes faster.
The checklist
Requirements and entry-year fees
Admission requirements
- Minimum 18 years of age
- Completed at least one year of equivalent training or two years' work experience
- English at IELTS 5.5 or equivalent — the 10-week Preparatory English Programme bridges the gap below that
- Transcript or verified work-experience documentation
Charged in your entry year
- CHF 1'000 application fee (Year 2 or Year 3 entrants)
- CHF 500 uniform & knife set — culinary-track BAs only
- Standard per-year totals from there: the full fee tables
Your timeline
What Year 2 and Year 3 entry look like
Enter Year 2 → graduate in 2 years
- Semester 3 — six months of academic study in Lucerne
- Semester 4 — six-month paid internship, Switzerland or worldwide
- Semester 5 — final academic semester
- Semester 6 — final paid internship → BA + RGU degree
Enter Year 3 → graduate in 1 year
- Semester 5 — six months of academic study in Lucerne
- Semester 6 — six-month paid internship → BA + RGU degree
Year 3 entry is limited to selected intakes — tell us your target start and we confirm the next eligible date.
The honest print
- BHMS does not guarantee that academic credits from other institutions will be accepted. Every transcript is reviewed individually.
- In certain cases, you may be required to complete an additional term to fulfill the module requirements.
- Provisional acceptance letters are possible while transcripts are being obtained.
Questions
Direct entry, answered
Which credits qualify for Year 2 or Year 3 entry?
BHMS admits students who have successfully completed the first or second year of a hospitality or culinary arts program at another institution. Every transcript is reviewed individually — BHMS does not guarantee that academic credits from other institutions will be accepted, so the honest first step is sending your transcript for a review.
I have work experience instead of credits — does that count?
Yes. Verified work experience in hospitality or culinary arts equivalent to the first-year curriculum fast-tracks you into Year 2 of study, skipping Year 1 entirely.
What are the admission requirements?
Minimum 18 years of age; completed at least one year of equivalent training or two years' work experience; English at IELTS 5.5 or equivalent. Below that English level, the Preparatory English Programme (10 weeks) bridges the gap.
Can I really finish in one year?
Year 3 is one six-month academic semester plus one final six-month paid internship — twelve months for students who qualify for Year 3 entry. But plan honestly: in certain cases you may be required to complete an additional term to fulfil the module requirements, and Year 3 entry is limited to selected intakes.
What extra fees do direct-entry students pay?
The CHF 1'000 application fee is charged in your entry year (Year 2 or Year 3). On the two culinary-track BAs, a CHF 500 uniform and knife set is added. Everything else follows the standard per-year fee table.
What documents do I need to apply?
Your transcript (or proof of work experience), proof of English, and a passport copy. BHMS can issue a provisional letter of acceptance while transcripts are still being obtained.
Find out where your credits place you.
Direct entry into Year 2 or Year 3 of a BHMS Bachelor of Arts — Lucerne, Switzerland. Multiple intakes through the year.
Every BA is awarded by BHMS and Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen — and each academic semester is followed by a six-month paid internship. Swiss hospitality placements pay a gross CHF 2'390/month. How the internships work →