Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne: Bachelor of Science in International Hospitality Management

Our unique educational approach confers excellence in all aspects of hospitality management. We blend business and strategy courses with hands-on practical work, projects and special events designed to develop your artistic and people management skills.

Preparatory Year: Immersion in the world of hospitality. Internship in Operations.

In your first year, you will be completely immersed in the world of hospitality. This preparatory year will give you hands-on experience in the many facets of hospitality careers. It embodies our unique philosophy of teaching which combines the art of hospitality and the science of management. You will deepen your hospitality culture, being exposed to a wide range of subjects in a hospitality context, with courses such as Food & Culture, History of Wine, Hospitality Economics and Anthropology of Hospitality.

Our values of excellence, our "savoir-faire" and "savoir-être" are transmitted through our teaching of culinary and other hospitality arts. You will develop your "manual intelligence" through diverse operational posts, acquiring both practical knowledge and an understanding of managerial implications. The preparatory year culminates with an intense 24-week operational internship.

Year 1: Foundation

In Year 1, you will build the foundation and core competencies needed for your future role as a manager.  Courses will focus on business fundamentals applied to the hospitality sector in fields such as accounting, economics, marketing, operations management, human behaviour, and legal risk management.

You will start working in small teams, which will help develop your interpersonal and leadership skills.  You will improve your communication skills with courses in foreign languages and academic writing. By the end of the year, you will have acquired the first set of tools needed to become an efficient decision-maker.

Year 2: Application, then industry internship at management level.

Year 2 is divided into two very distinct semesters.  In the first semester, you will build upon the foundations acquired in Year 1 and continue with subjects at an advanced level. Teamwork will also grow in importance and form an integral part of the learning experience, laying the groundwork for effective communication and collaboration in your future workplace.

The second semester will allow you to apply your knowledge in a real professional setting. Your 24-week internship will be at a managerial or administrative level in functions such as Marketing, Finance, HR, or Events. You will gain real-world experience, and emerge prepared for your final year of study.

Year 3: Integration, diploma project.

Your last year of study will bring together the skills, knowledge and experience you have acquired since the preparatory year.

In the first semester, you will study strategic management, and benefit from hands-on learning opportunities by participating in case studies with experts from the hospitality industry.

In the second semester, for the first 6 weeks you will enrol in option courses where you will have the opportunity to further explore subjects that interest you, working in close collaboration with industry specialists.

Diploma Project or Thesis:  For the final 9 weeks, you will complete your curriculum with a final diploma project or thesis.

You will complete your year 3 with a final project, selecting either a Student Business Project, or an Individual Applied Research Project.

If you choose a Student Business Project, you will integrate a small team of students mandated to carry out a consulting assignment for an external real-life client, which can range from market studies and business analyses to the creation of new hospitality and F&B concepts. More than 70% of Student Business Projects have seen their proposals implemented by the company that mandated the project.

If you choose the Individual Applied Research Project, you will be mentored by an experienced professor and acquire the methodologies necessary to conduct your own applied research project. You will be mandated to solve an industry-specific challenge using both qualitative and quantitative research methods.