Lausanne | The new academic year’s intake of students for the Master, Bachelor and Diploma programmes of the l’Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL) will begin their studies on Monday, 15 September, following a rigorous admission selection. This academic year will be marked by the introduction of the new version of the Bachelor programme, now entirely compatible with the Bologna Convention. The Diploma programme has also been revised to provide a curriculum more suited to entrepreneurship and to bring it even closer to the market realities. Dedicated to preparing tomorrow’s executives to the highest possible level, EHL regularly adapts the contents of its three programmes to reflect the latest technologies and trends in the marketplace.

With its 391 new students, the programme that awards a Bachelor of Science in International Hospitality Management as well as an HES Diploma of Corporate Economist in the Hospitality Industry from the University of Applied Sciences of Western Switzerland (HES-SO), remains the programme of choice at EHL. 35 students will be joining the Diploma programme, while 22 have been admitted to the Master programme. All these students have been subjected to a rigorous admissions process. EHL has introduced a new selection process for its Bachelor and Diploma students since the end of 2007.

This means that after careful study of the application files and if they meet the admission criteria, potential students are invited to a Selection Day on campus. Selection Day is made up of a number of steps: three computer evaluations (logic, quantitative, and aptitude for the hospitality professions), role-playing and a 45 minute interview. This process gives a better perception of the academic capacities as well as the motivation for EHL and the hospitality professions of each candidate.

448 new students admitted to the Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne following a rigorous selection process

Those students who are chosen receive an offer of studies from EHL which is accepted by 87% of the candidates, thereby showing that EHL really is the first choice for those students looking for university level training in the hospitality industry.

To go into more detail, EHL received more than 1250 applications for this academic year for all the programmes offered. In the end, there will be 448 students coming to fill the lecture rooms and classrooms at EHL. As always, there will be great cultural diversity amongst this group which is made up of 60 different nationalities (Switzerland retains the majority as 48% hold Swiss passports). 52% are enrolled in the English-speaking section and 48% wish to study in French.

Changes in the leading programme: Bachelor of Science

The 391 students of the Bachelor programme, the future managers of the hospitality industry, will be the first to inaugurate the revised programme which has been harmonised with the Bologna Convention. The three year curriculum (plus a preparatory practical year) is made up of modules, thereby permitting exchanges and has guaranteed international recognition for all students wishing to complete their academic curriculum with a Master.

Today’s market requires new tools and new competencies to enable managers to take quick decisions. The new Bachelor curriculum therefore integrates the various disciplines that, together, make up the hospitality industry. This new programme establishes links between all the branches studied, grouping them into modules or projects to allow students to understand how each aspect of a service company is closely linked to all the others.

The new programme also develops leadership potential in students by placing them in practical situations where they must learn how to work with others on group projects, advice mandates, event organisation...

A new operational and entrepreneurial Diploma over two years

The 35 students entering the new Diploma in Hotel and Restaurant Management will be starting a two year programme that alternates two semesters of classes on theory and two semesters of internships. Oriented more towards the operational side than the Bachelor programme, the goal of this programme is to develop the students’ entrepreneurial capacities and place them in direct contact with the realities of the marketplace while training them in the creation of small to medium sized companies in the hospitality industry (hotels and restaurants).

This programme is destined to those who hold post-apprenticeship or post-baccalaureate diplomas and who are looking for a condensed academic programme that will enable them to climb the career ladder quickly to attain supervisory or management levels.

The only programme that has not changed is the post-graduate Master in Hospitality Administration which was reorganised in 2005 and therefore was not further modified for the beginning of this academic year.

Conclusion

These changes to the Bachelor of Science and the new Diploma provide a fascinating challenge, but they were important and unavoidable for a School who prides itself on always being at the forefront of teaching in its domain.

As the oldest Hotel School in the world, the Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL) provides university level training to students with talent and ambition, who hope to have careers at the forefront of the international hospitality industry. Dedicated to preparing tomorrow’s executives to the highest possible level, EHL regularly adapts the contents of its three programmes to reflect the latest technologies and trends in the marketplace. Since it began in 1893, the Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne has trained more than 25’000 executives for the hospitality industry, providing it today with an invaluable network of contacts for all the members of the EHL community.

Cédric Focking Schneider
Communication Officer
+41 21 785 13 54
EHL