Intakes · February · May · August · November
Lose months, not a year
Results day didn't go to plan. That does not have to cost you a year — with four starts a year in Lucerne, the next intake is usually a matter of weeks away, not seasons.
The calendar
Four doors into the same semester
The Certificate semester runs 6 months and starts every February, May, August and November. Same programme, same campus, whichever door you take.
February
6-month semester · Lucerne
May
6-month semester · Lucerne
August
6-month semester · Lucerne
November
6-month semester · Lucerne
Why four starts matter
The August maths
A typical UK pathway year runs on the university calendar: one big September start, sometimes a January second door.
Miss your grades in August and the standard UK answer is to wait for September of next year — or January, if the university runs a mid-year intake. Either way, the clock runs while you stand still.
Here, results in August point at a November start in Lucerne. You keep the momentum of a school year, finish the Certificate semester by early summer, and step into Year 1 of a BHMS degree after completing it — while the September-next-year plan is still in its first week of lectures.
Your results day
From results to first lecture
Find your exam system, and the nearest start is on the same line.
| Exam system | Results land | Your nearest start |
|---|---|---|
| IB results | early July | August |
| A-level results (UK) | mid August | November |
| GCSE results (UK) | late August | November |
| ATAR (Australia) | mid December | February |
Exam calendars shift slightly year to year — treat the results months as typical, and confirm your own dates with your school or exam board.
One honest planning note
Count the visa weeks backwards
Non-EU applicants need a Swiss national D visa, and processing typically takes 8–12 weeks through the cantonal migration office. So work backwards from your intake: results in late August, November start — that is workable, but the visa file should open the same week your results arrive.
Applying at 17? There are a couple of extra documents to prepare, and they are straightforward once you know about them — the visa at 17, explained.
Admissions will tell you honestly whether your target intake is realistic for your passport and timing — that is a two-minute WhatsApp question, not a form.
The next start is months away, not a year.
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 →