Announced at the end of 2014, Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL) welcomed on 7 September 2015 the first 28 students admitted to the new Master of Science HES-SO in Global Hospitality Business.
With an international, business-centered and highly demanding curriculum, the MSc in Global Hospitality Business provides an ambitious program for future hospitality managers. Designed in partnership with renowned institutions in Hong Kong and Houston, students will gain first-hand insights to the specificities of global hotel and tourism markets, as well as strong professional exposure.
International exposure
The selected cohort of students will begin their curriculum in Switzerland at EHL, and move to the School of Hotel & Tourism Management at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University for their second semester. They will then spend 3 months in residence with an international hospitality company and finally complete their third semester at the Hilton College in Houston, Texas.
Industry recognition
The intense 16-month curriculum is fully endorsed by top hospitality companies and includes practical, real-life professional experience with EHL’s industry partners:
- Professional Certifications: Workshops to provide students with insights from industry professionals and a report completed with live industry data.
- Business Field Trips: Excursions to tourism centers on each continent, such as Paris, Macau and New York, to give students a behind the scenes view of the chief tourism destinations with an exclusive chance to meet and discuss with the major players locally.
- Capstone Projects: Students are assigned a real-life consultancy project to complete throughout their program, including 3 months at the company’s offices.
Combining advanced academics, knowledge of local markets and unparalleled professional immersion, this Master’s will ensure graduates are equipped to drive the hospitality business forward.
Student profiles
For the inaugural 2015-2016 Master’s program, 28 bachelor graduates have been selected from top hospitality institutions worldwide. With an average age of 23 years, the majority of students (75%) have a previous degree in Hospitality & Tourism or Business & Economics (18%). Students’ nationalities span four continents with 19 nationalities represented.
Fast-growing sector
The first of its kind, this new Master’s program raises the bar for higher education in one of the world’s fastest growing industries. Last year, travel and tourism contributed 9.8% of global economy GDP according to the World Travel & Tourism Council annual report, and represented 1 in 11 jobs worldwide. The same study forecasts continued growth for the sector, outperforming growth in the majority of other fields. The new MSc in Global Hospitality Business is specifically designed to respond to this increasing demand for a highly qualified talent pool in hospitality management.
