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    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

    Hotelfachschule Thun Students

    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.

    Hotelfachschule Campus Thun Students

    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.

    Key Facts

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    Diploma

    Advanced Federal Diploma of Higher Education in Hospitality Management
    (Dipl. Hoteliere-Gastronomin/Hotelier-Gastronom HF)

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    Duration

    3,5 years

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    Location

    Thun, Canton Bern, Switzerland

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    Format

    Part-time 
    (3 years full-time format also available)

    Courses by stage

    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

    Intake dates August 5th 2024 
     
    CheckIn-Semester:
    05.08.24 and 06.08.24: Intro days
    07.08.24 – 25.10.24: Kitchen module (Fall break: 30.09. – 20.10.24)
    28.10.24 – 29.11.24: Restaurant module
    02.12.24 – 17.01.25: Rooms Division module (Christmas break: 21.12.24 – 
    05.01.25)


    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) 

    Hotelfachschule Thun (7)

    Admission Requirements

    • Swiss Federal Certificate of Competence (EFZ) or other upper secondary level qualification (e.g. Matura or Fachmittelschule)
    • If applicants didn’t previously study hospitality, it is recommended that they acquire knowledge of the restaurant and/or hotel industry.
    • The program is delivered in German. Applicants who are not native speakers of German must be able to show that they have passed a C1 level German exam.
    • Prior knowledge of foreign languages: English A2, French no prior knowledge required

    Requirements for the work-study format

    • At least 50% of the professional experience in the hotel and restaurant industry is required for the part-time course.
    • For students without a relevant certificate of proficiency, the professional activity must include employment in both accommodation and gastronomy for the duration of the course.
    • For students with a relevant certificate of proficiency, 800 hours of work must take place in a different area of ​​the hotel/gastronomy industry than the one in which the basic vocational training was completed.

    Are you a company with an employee interested in our program?

    The following qualifications in the hotel and catering trade are considered relevant EFZ:

    • Chef EFZ  
    • Restaurant Specialist EFZ  
    • Hotel specialist EFZ  
    • Hotel communication specialist EFZ  
    • Businessman EFZ / Businesswoman EFZ branch Hotel-Gastro-Tourism
    • Restaurant System specialist EFZ

    Program fees

    Fees for Swiss Students and permanent residents 

    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.

    • Registration fee
      CHF 300
    • Tuition fee CheckIn semester
      introductory days CHF 185
      Kitchen module CHF 1'520
      Rooms Divisions module CHF 1'080
      Restaurant module CHF 1'080
      incl. lunch
    • Tuition fees for the 2nd – 7th semester
      CHF 3,800 each
      including lunch
    • Teaching aids / IT services
      CHF 1'750 approx
    • Examination fees
      CHF 1'000 approx
    • CHF 28'195– 29'715 (7 semesters)
    The Lab Hotel Thun Living Room

    You can live with us !

    We offer special rates for our work-study program students:

    • A room in «The Lab Hotel» in the «EASY» category for CHF 45.00/night (single occupancy)
    • A room in the Campus Lodge for CHF 35.00/night (depending on availability)

    Depending on availability, parking spaces can be rented for CHF 240 per semester (2 days/week). 

    Three Semesters to Bachelor’s Degree Completion

    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  

    • Semesters 3 & 5 of the Bachelor in International Hospitality Management
    • Advanced level courses in business analysis, strategic management, applied and integrated hospitality management, communication, and culture.
    • Teamwork assignments, case studies, and interactions with industry experts.

    Final Semester at EHL Campus Lausanne

    • Semester 6 of the Bachelor in International Hospitality Management.
    • Choose three electives from nearly 20 industry-relevant subjects to develop specific expertise for your career path.
    • Student Business Project: A final group project where you become the consultant and solve a business challenge for an external industry partner.

    Download your Brochure

    Fill out the form to get your brochure for the Swiss Professional Degree in Hotel & Gastronomy - Part-Time (in German).