For parents
Your child's results weren't the plan. Here are the options.
You do not need a dramatic rescue. You need the options on one page, honest numbers, and a timeline you can act on. That is this page.
The options
Three realistic routes from here
Before this programme can be the answer, it has to survive a fair comparison. All three of these routes are legitimate.
Where it fits — and where it does not. This is the right conversation for a student who is at least 17, holds 5 iGCSEs including Maths and English, or equivalent, has English 5.0 / B2 or equivalent, and can picture a future in business, hospitality or culinary management. It is not the route to medicine or engineering, and it is not open-entry: the eligibility floor is real, and admissions assesses it first.
The facts
What the programme is, in one table
| Programme | Certificate in Hospitality and Business Operations — Your pathway into the BHMS bachelor degrees |
|---|---|
| Length | 6 months — one semester |
| Where | Lucerne, Switzerland — BHMS campus, Guetschstrasse 2-6 |
| Awards | Certificate in Hospitality and Business Operations, plus the included BTEC Level 3 Subsidiary Diploma in Business (Pearson) — a secondary credential equivalent in size to one A-level. BHMS is a Pearson BTEC Approved Centre. |
| Entry floor | Min. 17 years old · 5 iGCSEs including Maths and English, or equivalent · English 5.0 / B2 or equivalent |
| Fee | CHF 26'200 — all-inclusive, with shared accommodation |
| Starts | February · May · August · November — four starts a year |
| Leads to | Year 1 of three BHMS bachelor degrees validated by Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen |
The factsheet prices the programme as "all-inclusive, with shared accommodation". It does not publish an itemised inclusion list, so we do not print one — request the written breakdown from admissions before you commit. More on fees →
Safety & structure
Where they live, and who is around them
Your child lives in shared on-campus accommodation — it is part of the fee, so there is no flat hunt in one of the world's most expensive countries and no separate landlord to manage from another time zone.
Around them: a school that has taught international students for 27+ years, with 95+ nationalities on campus. Around the school: Lucerne — a small, orderly lakeside city, compact enough to cross on foot.
If a younger sibling is curious about the same campus, BHMS also runs a Summer Camp in Switzerland (ages 16–20) — a way to experience student life in Lucerne first, before any bigger decision.
See campus & accommodation
27+
years teaching international students in Lucerne
95+
nationalities on campus — your child will not be the only new arrival
4
starts a year — February · May · August · November
The plan on one page
From enquiry to first day of class
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Enquiry
Ask anything on WhatsApp or by email. No forms, no commitment — just answers from admissions.
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Eligibility check
The 2-minute Fit Check tells you whether the entry floor is met — you can complete it on your child's behalf. Borderline or "equivalent" cases go to admissions for an honest assessment.
Take the Fit Check → -
Application
Admissions confirms the document list for your situation and walks you through submission.
How applying works → -
Visa — the step that sets the timeline
Non-EU nationals need a Swiss D visa, typically 8–12 weeks. Under-18s also need notarized parental consent and a guardianship arrangement.
The visa at 17, explained → -
Start
Four starts a year — February, May, August, November — so the next realistic start date is never far away.
Match results day to an intake →
After the Certificate
What the six months open
Complete the Certificate semester — including its BTEC component — and your child steps into Year 1 of one of three BHMS bachelor degrees.
BA Global Business Management
BHMS bachelor degree, validated by Robert Gordon University
BA Hotel and Hospitality Management
BHMS bachelor degree, validated by Robert Gordon University
BA Culinary Arts
BHMS bachelor degree, validated by Robert Gordon University
Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen is Scotland's top-ranked modern university in the current editions of all three major UK league tables, and Top 20 in the UK for graduate career prospects (Guardian 2026).
One thing we will not tell you: that progression is automatic no matter what. It depends on completing the Certificate — that condition is the whole point of the semester. See the full pathway →
Talk to a human
The fastest way to clarity is a conversation
Fifteen minutes with admissions will tell you more than an evening of browsing. Everything below works on your child's behalf — they do not need to be involved until you both want them to be.
Prefer the phone? +41 76 344 33 29 — BHMS admissions, Lucerne.
A calm plan beats a rushed one.
Four starts a year — February · May · August · November. Lucerne, Switzerland.
Finish the 6-month Certificate semester — earn the Certificate in Hospitality and Business Operations, with the BTEC Level 3 Subsidiary Diploma in Business (Pearson) included — and step into Year 1 of a BHMS bachelor degree validated by Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen. See the full pathway →