News · 29 October 2026
Study Abroad Switzerland: 10 Days or a Final Year | BHMS
Study abroad in Switzerland can mean ten days or a whole degree year. The length decides the cost, the paperwork and what you leave with.
If you want to study abroad in Switzerland from a US community college, pick the length first. It sets the cost, the paperwork and what you leave with. At BHMS in Lucerne you have two choices: a 10-day program from 28 June to 7 July 2027 at CHF 3'300 (about USD 4,001[3]), or the final year of a bachelor's degree, which can take as little as 12 months.
What does "study abroad in Switzerland" mean for a community college student?
Search results lump very different things under one phrase: a week of classes, a semester, a whole degree. They're not the same decision. The 10-day program gives you a taste of Lucerne, with possible credit at home. The final year is a way to finish your bachelor's. Here's how each one works.
What is the 10-day Swiss Summer Abroad 2027?
It runs 28 June to 7 July 2027 (10 days, 9 nights) in Lucerne. You pick a culinary arts or a hospitality track. Meals, evenings and excursions are shared with the whole group: Zurich with a Lindt visit, Mount Rigi, a cheese factory.
You can earn up to 2 US academic credits, if your home college approves them. Apply by March 31, 2027. If you later continue into a BHMS bachelor's program, we credit your Summer Abroad costs toward BA tuition. You'll find the day-by-day plan on the Summer Abroad 2027 page.
What is the one-year option?
If you hold an associate degree in Hotel Management, Business or Culinary Arts, you enter the final BA semester at BHMS directly. Year 3 is one 6-month academic semester plus one 6-month internship, so you can finish in as little as 12 months. Sometimes you'll need an additional term.
You need to be 18 or older. You also need one year of equivalent training or two years' work experience, and IELTS 5.5. Final-year entry runs in February, August and November only. The next starts are 22 February 2027 and 16 August 2027. You graduate with a BA that BHMS and Robert Gordon University (UK) award together.
We look at every transcript one by one. BHMS can't guarantee that another institution's credits are accepted, so don't plan around a number until you've heard from us.
What do the two options cost?
| Option | Length | Price | About in USD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summer Abroad 2027, per student | 10 days | CHF 3'300 | USD 4,001 |
| Summer Abroad 2027, group rate (10+ from one college) | 10 days | CHF 2'900 | USD 3,516 |
| Year 3, hotel and business track | as little as 12 months | CHF 41'700 | USD 50,558 |
| Year 3, culinary track | as little as 12 months | CHF 42'200 | USD 51,164 |
We converted the dollar amounts at 0.8248 Swiss francs per US dollar, the Federal Reserve rate of October 23, 2026.[3] They'll shift as the exchange rate moves, and we review fees every year.
The Year 3 figure is all-inclusive. It covers tuition, health insurance, visa and B-permit, local tax, the internship placement service, a shared standard room and meals. Your internship pays CHF 2'404 gross per month from 1 January 2027 (about USD 2,915[3]). Room, board and social insurance come out of that. Non-EU students don't work part-time while they study at BHMS.
Can you use FAFSA, Pell or federal loans?
No. You can't use US federal student aid (FAFSA, Pell, federal loans) at BHMS. Staying on the US route has real advantages: in-state tuition, federal aid and living near home. Weigh them honestly. For the 10-day program, ask your own college's financial aid office how it treats a program that earns credit at home.
Is the paperwork the same for 10 days and for a year?
No, and the length is the reason. Switzerland sorts stays into two kinds. Up to 90 days within a 180-day period covers tourism and short-term language studies. More than 90 days is the other kind.[1] That longer stay needs a national visa and authorization from the cantonal migration authority, and "long-term student" is one of its examples.[1]
Ten days sits far under that line. A 24-week semester and a full year don't. To find out whether your passport needs a visa, the Swiss pages send you to a list from the State Secretariat for Migration. If you aren't obliged to hold a visa, you can enter without one. You must still register with the cantonal authority within 14 days of arriving.[2] Check your own passport on that list before you book anything. If you study at BHMS, the operating expense covers the visa or B-permit and local tax.
Which one fits you?
- You want to see Lucerne first, and your college may give credit: the 10-day program fits. Ask your advisor about the 2 credits early.
- You hold, or are close to, an associate degree in hotel management, business or culinary arts: the final year may fit. Start with how direct entry works, then read the hotel and business or culinary and pastry page.
- Cost, federal aid and home matter most to you: a four-year US university may be the better answer. That's a fair outcome.
Not sure which length suits you? Take the two-minute fit check, or read the full guide to study abroad in Switzerland and the 2027 fee tables.