Three BHMS students in business suits by the Lucerne waterfront

Direct entry · final BA year · Hotel Management & Business

From associate degree to Swiss bachelor’s

Associate degree in Hotel Management or Business? Enter the final year of a BHMS Bachelor of Arts — one academic semester in Lucerne, one six-month paid internship — and graduate with two degrees, from BHMS and Robert Gordon University (UK).

The final year at a glance

You join
Year 3 · Semester 5
Then
6-month paid internship
Year-3 fee, all-inclusive
CHF 41'700
Next starts
16 November 202622 February 202716 August 2027
You graduate with
BA · BHMS + Robert Gordon University

In certain cases, you may be required to complete an additional term to fulfill the module requirements.

Who it is for

Your associate degree counts

Associate degree holders in Hotel Management or Business enter the final BA semester at BHMS directly.

Studied hospitality, tourism or another business subject? Send the transcript anyway — every transcript is reviewed individually, and it decides whether you join Year 3 or Year 2.

Deciding between this final year and two more years at a US four-year university? Our guide compares time, credits, cost and paid work, on official US figures and the 2027 fees.

  • Minimum 18 years of age
  • Associate degree in Hotel Management or Business — or your latest college transcript if you are still finishing it
  • English at IELTS 5.5 or equivalent

Your final year → twelve months

2 semesters
Semester 5 · 6 monthsAcademic · Lucerne Semester 6 · 6 monthsPaid internship BA + RGU

Final-year entry runs in February, August and November. Next starts: 16 November 2026, 22 February 2027 and 16 August 2027.

  • 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.

Choose your degree

Two bachelor’s, one final year each

What you study in Semester 5, as BHMS publishes it.

BHMS student working at a hotel front-office desk during an industry placement

BA · business track

Hotel & Hospitality Management

Run the hotel, not just work in it — operations, revenue and strategy for the international hotel industry.

Your final-year modules

  • Managing Events
  • Contemporary Hospitality Services Management
  • Hotel Operations Management
  • Strategic Management in the Hotel & Hospitality Industry
  • Hospitality Business Concepts
  • Academic Writing & Composition
BHMS students in business dress seated together in a bright classroom

BA · business track

Global Business Management

The business generalist route — international business, project management and digital media on a hospitality foundation.

Your final-year modules

  • Product and Service Innovation
  • Human Resources Management for Global Business
  • International Business Environments
  • Project Management
  • Digital Media
  • Academic Writing & Composition

Culinary Arts or Pastry instead? The culinary final year

Watch

The final year, on film

The Academic Dean on the bachelor’s, a student supervising at the Mandarin Oriental during her internship, hotel partners on BHMS graduates, and a business class.

The numbers

One fee, one internship, five documents

Your Year-3 fee

Tuition, Year 3CHF 31'800
Operating costs — health insurance, visa / B-permit, e-campus, internship placement, first airport pick-upCHF 2'750
Living expenses — shared room and meals, 24-week academic semesterCHF 6'150
Application fee — direct entry, charged in your entry yearCHF 1'000
Total, all-inclusiveCHF 41'700

Pay in full 90 days before term: CHF 1'000 off. Living expenses apply to the academic semester only. Fees are reviewed every year and are subject to change. All fee tables

The paid internship

CHF 2'390/month

Gross, Swiss placements — before deductions for room, board and social insurance.

BHMS works with an established network of industry partners to guarantee internship placements. Most positions in Switzerland depend on your German, French or Italian — you can learn them at BHMS. How the internships work

What to send

  1. The application form — admissions emails it to you once you start on the Apply page
  2. Your CV
  3. A motivation letter
  4. Your associate degree transcript — or your latest college transcript if you have not graduated yet
  5. A passport scan

Everything in English.

Dining room at the BHMS campus set for service

See it first

Swiss Summer Abroad 2027

Ten days in Lucerne for US community college students, 28 June – 7 July 2027 — CHF 3'300 per student, CHF 2'900 at the group rate. Participation costs are credited toward BA tuition when you continue into a BHMS bachelor’s program.

The 10-day program

Questions

The final year, answered

Still deciding? Ask on WhatsApp — or read how direct entry works.

Who can enter the final year?

Associate degree holders in Hotel Management or Business enter the final BA semester at BHMS directly. Every direct entrant is at least 18 and has English at IELTS 5.5 or equivalent. BHMS does not guarantee that academic credits from other institutions will be accepted. Every transcript is reviewed individually — and if it places you in Year 2 instead, you graduate in two years.

How long does the final year take?

Twelve months: Semester 5 is a six-month academic semester in Lucerne, Semester 6 a six-month paid internship. In certain cases, you may be required to complete an additional term to fulfill the module requirements.

When can I start?

Final-year entry runs in three intakes a year — February, August and November. The next starts are 16 November 2026, 22 February 2027 and 16 August 2027. Tell admissions your target date and they confirm the timeline with you.

What does the final year cost?

CHF 41'700 all-inclusive for Year 3: tuition CHF 31'800, operating costs CHF 2'750, living expenses CHF 6'150 (shared room and meals for the 24-week academic semester) and the CHF 1'000 application fee direct entrants pay in their entry year. Pay in full 90 days before term and CHF 1'000 comes off. Fees are reviewed every year and are subject to change.

Is the internship paid?

Yes. Each academic semester is followed by a six-month internship, and BHMS works with an established network of industry partners to guarantee internship placements. Swiss placements pay a gross CHF 2'390 per month, before deductions for room, board and social insurance. Most positions in Switzerland depend on your German, French or Italian — and you can learn them at BHMS.

Which degree do I graduate with?

A Bachelor of Arts awarded by BHMS and by Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, UK — two degrees. The full program is 180 ECTS / 360 UK credits.

What do I send to apply?

Five things: (1) the application form — admissions emails it to you once you start on the Apply page, (2) your CV, (3) a motivation letter, (4) your associate degree transcript, or your latest college transcript if you have not graduated yet, (5) a passport scan. Everything in English. BHMS can issue a provisional letter of acceptance while transcripts are on the way.

Can I see the school first?

Yes — the Swiss Summer Abroad 2027 runs 28 June – 7 July 2027 for US community college students (CHF 3'300; CHF 2'900 at the group rate). Participation costs are credited toward BA tuition when you continue into a BHMS bachelor’s program.

Watch

See it for yourself

Next step

One semester in Lucerne. One paid internship. Two degrees.

Final-year entry for associate degree holders in Hotel Management or Business.

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