Swiss Professional Degree
Continuing Education
The Swiss Professional Degree in Hotel & Gastronomy is a comprehensive program to prepare you to become a successful Hotel or Restaurant Manager. Our study-work format enables you to combine classes with a part-time job.
Next intakes: 05 August 2024, January 20, 2025
Practical approach:
Our program emphasizes hands-on training and real-life practical experience, enabling you to develop the essential skills required in the industry.
Adapted to a 50-70% job:
you can keep a permanent position during your studies: you stay financially independent and earn work experience while progressing towards your degree.
Industry-Relevant curriculum:
We have established strong collaborations with leading hotels and restaurants and our curriculum is naturally designed to align with the latest trends of the industry.
The Lab Hotel:
We have our own 65-room hotel on campus! You will have the chance to practice being a hotel manager in a real-life environment right at school.
Cool, modern learning spaces:
Our school has a unique vibe, with its colorful facilities that reflect the laid-back style of modern hotel concepts. The friendly atmosphere will enhance your learning experience.
Recognized diploma:
The Swiss Professional Diploma in Hotel and Restaurant Management offered by our school is recognized by the Swiss Confederation and highly regarded in the industry. Our graduates are highly sought-after.
Advanced Federal Diploma of Higher Education in Hospitality Management
(Dipl. Hoteliere-Gastronomin/Hotelier-Gastronom HF)
3,5 years
Thun, Canton Bern, Switzerland
Part-time
(3 years full-time format also available)
The part-time course lasts 3.5 years. In principle, classes take place during two consecutive days of the week, with one continuous project week taking place each semester. After the first semester of Kitchen, Service and Rooms Division courses, the next 6 school semesters offer classes in the areas of gastronomy and hotel business, economics and law as well as language and communication. The practical experience takes place during the entire study period via an employment relationship with a company in the hospitality industry.
Students with the relevant EFZ diploma can be exempted from the Kitchen, Catering or the Rooms Division module
Introductory week (module hours: 40)
- Insight into the entrepreneurial world
- Exchanges and links between theory and practice
- Work with first and second device
- Basic attitudes in study and professional life
Kitchen (Module hours: 280)
- Trends and guest needs
- Infrastructure in the production premises
- Food safety, HACCP
- Basic knowledge of purchasing organization, production and supply planning
- Cooking methods, culinary & presentation
- Dietetics, food knowledge, sustainability
Restaurant Service (Module hours: 220)
- Organization, service types, service procedures
- Guest groups / types
- Guest service / communication
- Service rules and techniques
- Working at the guest table
- Basic knowledge of wine, coffee incl. service rules
Rooms Division (Module hours: 350)
- Housekeeping
- Front Office, Guest Relation and Service
- Night operations
Training Coaching (Module Hours: 10)
- Learning comprehension, learning strategies, learning biography
- Work techniques, self-reflection
- Time management
- Development competence, group dynamics
- Personal development
My Business (module hours: 150)
- Principles and contexts of business management
- Human resources
- Productivity and profitability
- Introduction legal studies
- Economic basics
- Management tasks at a glance
Market4you (Module hours: 140)
- Environmental analysis & trends / demand analysis
- Techniques and instruments of strategic analysis
- Offer definition in the hospitality sector
- Introduction to marketing and distribution
- Basics of marketing concepts
- Marketing communication
Service to the guest (module hours: 170)
- Introduction to the structure and organization of a hospitality company
- Rooms division
- F&B management
- Other business areas (including processes, MICE, catering, events, etc.)
- Internal & external communication
- Concept analyses, structural and process organizations
Procurement and management (module hours: 110)
- Procurement and purchasing policy
- Principles and developments in purchasing
- Purchasing and procurement as a process
- Purchasing planning and organization
- Goods storage and management
Fundamentals of accounting (Module hours: 80)
- Double-entry bookkeeping
Transfer module (project week) (Module hours: 40)
- Project management
- Preparation of documentation, scientific work
Training coaching (module hours: 10)
- Emotional competencies, empathy, perspectives
- Self-perception and perception of others
- impact competence
- Communication in conversation
- Personal conflict, emotion and stress management
French I (Module hours: 120)
- Language skills in service, restaurant & hotel business
- Language skills for management
Digital Applications and Technologies I (Module hours: 80)
- Digital trends and developments
- Digital applications to support processes
- Individual consolidation of digital applications and technologies
Securing finances (Module hours: 90)
- Chart of accounts
- Value Added Tax
- Technology: Accounting software / New EZ- bills
- Payroll accounting
- Minimum wages
- Cash flow statement
- Cost accounting
- Utilization threshold
Our offer (Module hours: 180)
- Hospitality world
- Strategic decision areas and strategy options
- Introduction to the conception and design of hospitality offers
- Pricing and calculation of hospitality services
- Deepening of marketing instruments and marketing mix
- Communication / promotion of offers on different channels
- Controlling
Employee-oriented management (Module hours: 180)
- Employee-oriented basic logic
- Core tasks of personnel management
- Communication
- Company correspondence
- Practical application in the Lab Hotel or in in the context of a Pop Up
Transfer module (Module hours 120)
- Developing hotel and gastronomy concepts
- Create concepts for marketing the business and ensure their implementation
- Determine leadership and cooperation with employees
- Actively participate in recruiting and leadership
Training coaching (Module hours 10)
- Group skills
- Relationship competence
- Introduction to leadership coaching
English I (Module hours: 120)
- Language skills for kitchen, service, reception, housekeeping
- Language skills for human resources and management
French II (Module hours: 120)
- Language skills for cuisine, - service, reception, housekeeping
- Language skills for guest relations, human resources, management
- General language structure
Digital Applications and Technologies II (Module hours: 80)
- Observation of trends and developments
- Digital applications and technologies in the back office area
- Digital applications and technologies in communication
- Individual deepening in digital applications and technologies
Organizational and human resources development (module hours: 130)
- Developing awareness and attitude in HR
- Employee policy as a basis
- Trends and visions: Use of current models
- Motivation, satisfaction, intercultural competences from the employer's point of view
- Different types of conversations
- Employee administration
Key factors of company management (module hours: 200)
- Corporate models
- Change management, innovation management
- Quality Management
- Financial feasibility
- Business plan "live”
- Work with business simulation
- Corporate law, inheritance law
Financial planning (module hours: 130)
- Balance sheet and performance analysis
- Liquidity planning
- Sole proprietorship, joint stock company
- Investment appraisal, financing
- Reorganization
- Budget, budget process
- Company valuation with capitalized earnings method
- Financial feasibility
Facility management (module hours 80)
- Alignment of infrastructures with strategy
- Operational organization: space organization, space relations, guest routes,
merchandise routes, work processes, capacities, type of operation
- Catering trade planning
- Architectural brief/operational organization project assessment
- Evaluation and procurement of facilities and infrastructures
- Value preservation
Transfer module (module hours 80)
- Develop hotel and catering concepts, derive offers.
- Determine and implement leadership and collaboration with staff.
- Carry out financial planning of the operation, ensure achievement
- Plan and monitor management of infrastructure
Training coaching (module hours: 10)
- Leadership coaching
- Respect others in development, engage and motivate
- Accompany change processes
- Role flexibility
- Conflict management and facilitation
English II (Module hours: 120)
- Language skills for kitchen, service, reception, housekeeping
- Language skills for human resources and management, sustainability
Diploma thesis (module hours: 150)
- According to individual agreement
01/20/25 - 06/27/25 2nd semester (Sports break: 02/15/25 - 02/23/25, Spring break: 22.03.25 - 13.04.25)
04.08.25 - 16.01.26 3rd semester (Fall break: 27.09.25 - 19.10.25, Christmas break: 20.12.25 - 04.01.26)
01/19/2016 - 06/26/2016 4th semester (Sports break: 02/14/2016 - 02/22/2016, Spring break: 21.03.26 - 12.04.26)
08/10/2016 - 01/22/2017 5th semester (Fall Break: 10/03/2016 - 10/25/2016, Christmas Break: 19.12.26 - 03.01.27)
01/25/2017 - 07/02/2017 6th semester (Sports break: 02/13/2017 - 02/21/2017, Spring break: 27.03.27 - 18.04.27)
09.08.27 – 21.01.28 7th semester (Fall break: 02.10.27 – 24.10.27, Christmas break: 24.12.27 – 09.01.28)
Gisela Pogrielz-Krebs
Program Advisor
Do you have questions about the program or the school?
Get in touch with me! I will be happy to help.
Are you a company with an employee interested in our program?
The following qualifications in the hotel and catering trade are considered relevant EFZ:
Students who do not live in Switzerland must pay the cantonal HFSV contributions.
Please contact us for details.
We offer a special funding model for companies wishing to have their employees join our program.
We offer special rates for our work-study program students:
Depending on availability, parking spaces can be rented for CHF 240 per semester (2 days/week).
Lisa Bürki
Swiss Professional Degree Student (Part-time)
"I decided to study part-time at the Hotel Management School Thun because it has a family atmosphere and I can apply the theory directly in practice. The training is designed to be readily applicable, which helps me a lot as a career changer."
Matthias Möri
Swiss Professional Degree Student (part-time)
Fabian Aebi
Swiss Professional Degree Student (part-time)
After successful completion of the HF program, students can continue their studies and earn the EHL Bachelor's degree, ranked world’s #1 in three additional full-time semesters.
2 Semesters at EHL Campus Passugg
Final Semester at EHL Campus Lausanne
Fill out the form to get your brochure for the Swiss Professional Degree in Hotel & Gastronomy - Part-Time (in German).
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