Swiss Culinary Academy by BHMS · Lucerne
The Swiss Culinary Academy: culinary school in Switzerland
Swiss Culinary Academy by BHMS is a culinary school in Lucerne, Switzerland, training students in seven professional kitchens with a guaranteed paid six-month internship every programme year, at CHF 2'390/month gross minimum.
QS World University Rankings 2026 — #12 in Hospitality & Leisure Management
- Guaranteed 6-month paid internship every year — CHF 2'390/month gross minimum
- Admissions replies within 72 hours
- One fee covers tuition, accommodation, meals, insurance, visa and airport pickup
- #12 worldwide · QS Hospitality & Leisure Management 2026
- 7 professional training kitchens
- Two degrees · BHMS + Robert Gordon University (UK)
- Guaranteed paid six-month internship every programme year
- CHF 2'390/month gross minimum in Switzerland
- ACFEFAC-accredited culinary training
- All programmes taught in English
Why BHMS
The numbers behind the name
#12
worldwide — QS Hospitality & Leisure Management 2026
CHF 43'000+
guaranteed gross internship earnings across the 3-year bachelor (all-Swiss placements)
7
professional training kitchens across three Lucerne locations
2
degrees at graduation — BHMS + Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen (UK)
Your path
Start at 16. Stop when you're running the business.
One ladder, four entry points — finish any rung with a full qualification, continue whenever you're ready.
- CHF 43'020
- earned so far, gross
- 605
- kitchen hours logged
- 3
- awards in hand
- Year 1 · Semester 1 Culinary labs in Lucerne European cuisine, garde manger, bakery, breads, cakes and creams. 270 kitchen hours
- Year 1 · Semester 2 Paid internship Your first six-month paid internship, guaranteed. CHF 2'390 a month, gross minimum
- Diploma in Culinary Arts Year 1, all-inclusive: CHF 40'200
- Year 2 · Semester 3 Back in the kitchens International, Mediterranean and à la carte cuisine, plus chocolate work. 335 kitchen hours
- Year 2 · Semester 4 Paid internship A second guaranteed paid internship. CHF 2'390 a month, gross minimum
- Higher Diploma in Culinary Arts Year 2, all-inclusive: CHF 41'200
- Year 3 · Semester 5 The leadership year Management modules and a real-life event you run yourself.
- Year 3 · Semester 6 Paid internship Your third paid internship, then graduation with two bachelor degrees. CHF 2'390 a month, gross minimum
- BA in Culinary Arts (Dual Degree) Year 3, all-inclusive: CHF 42'200
CHF 2'390 a month is the gross minimum under the Swiss hospitality labour agreement (2027 rate), before deductions for board, lodging and social insurance. How the internship model works
Ages 16–19: Culinary Summer Camp · The summit: MSc Culinary Entrepreneurship
How it works
Apply online. Hear back in 72 hours. Start cooking in Lucerne.
- 1
Apply
Start online — admissions then emails you the application form and the documents to send back; the Duolingo English Test is accepted. Admissions replies within 72 hours.
- 2
Reserve your place
Receive your Letter of Acceptance, then secure your place with a deposit within 10 days.
- 3
Arrive
BHMS handles your visa paperwork and meets you at Zurich Airport — included in your fee — for your first day in a Swiss kitchen.
Watch
Inside the Swiss Culinary Academy
Our head chef on the programmes and the kitchens, a culinary student’s tips for growing as a professional chef — and a US culinary student on her summer in Lucerne.
Earn while you learn
Guaranteed. Paid. Housed.
BHMS guarantees a paid six-month internship after every academic semester, at a gross minimum of CHF 2'390/month — placed across BHMS's partner network, from family-run Swiss houses to five-star flags and Michelin-starred kitchens.
3 internships × 6 months × CHF 2'390 = CHF 43'000+ before graduation
Resort employers typically provide staff accommodation and meals — students commonly keep around CHF 1'500 a month. At most culinary schools abroad, placements are short and unpaid. In Swiss hospitality, paid internships are the law.
How the internship model works
Campus
A grand hotel for a campus
The Lakeside Campus lives inside the historic Union Hotel — professional kitchens and a fine-dining Grand Hall under one early-20th-century roof, minutes from Lake Lucerne. Accommodation, three daily meals, insurance and airport pickup are all in one fee.
Kitchens, rooms & meals
News & guides
Guides from admissions
Finishing high school in the US? Read how a US high-school graduate enters culinary school in Switzerland: the entry requirements, the start dates after graduation and the five documents to send.
- BHMS culinary fees 2027: every programme, all-inclusive
- How much does culinary school cost? US and Swiss prices for 2026–27
- Chef salary: what executive chefs, sous chefs and cooks earn
- How to become a chef: training routes and timeline
- Culinary schools in Europe, country by country
- Traditional Swiss food: dishes to know, by region
- Licenciatura en gastronomía en Suiza, en español
Questions
Are internships really paid? How much does it cost? When can I start?
Are BHMS culinary internships really paid?
Yes. In Switzerland, interns from recognised schools are entitled under the national hospitality labour agreement (L-GAV) to a gross minimum of CHF 2'390 per month (2027 rate, before deductions for board, lodging and social insurance). BHMS is on the official recognised-school list, and every programme year includes a guaranteed six-month placement.
What degree do I graduate with?
The three-year bachelor path ends with two degrees: a Bachelor of Arts in Culinary Arts from the Swiss Culinary Academy by BHMS and one from Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen (UK) — 180 ECTS total, with ACFEFAC-accredited culinary training.
Do I need to speak German or French?
No — all programmes are taught in English. German or French classes are part of every programme year, so you graduate with a second working language on top of daily exposure to Switzerland’s multilingual life.
How much does it cost?
The BHMS Diploma in Culinary Arts costs CHF 40'200 for Year 1; the full three-year dual-degree bachelor totals about CHF 123'600. Both are all-inclusive — tuition, shared accommodation, three daily meals, Swiss health insurance, visa administration, airport pickup, uniforms and knives — and the bachelor is offset by CHF 43'000+ in guaranteed gross internship earnings.
How do culinary schools in Switzerland compare?
Look at three things: the qualification, the kitchen hours and whether placements are paid. At BHMS in Lucerne every programme year is six months in seven professional kitchens and six months of paid internship (CHF 2'390/month gross minimum in Switzerland), each year ends with a qualification, and the bachelor is a dual degree with Robert Gordon University (UK). Our guides to culinary schools in Europe and in the world compare the well-known names.
When can I start?
Three intakes per year: 16 November 2026, 22 February 2027 and 16 August 2027. Applications take about two minutes to start online, and admissions responds within 72 hours.
Watch
See it for yourself
Next step
Three intakes a year. One decision that pays you back.
Next intakes: 16 November 2026 · 22 February 2027 · 16 August 2027 · Lucerne, Switzerland
Every bachelor year pairs six months of study with a six-month paid internship — a guaranteed gross minimum of CHF 2'390/month in Switzerland. How the internship model works →