Higher Diploma in Culinary Arts · Year 2
The year your cooking goes global
International, Mediterranean and à la carte cuisine, a specialist chocolate lab, and the business skills behind every great kitchen — 335 kitchen hours, then your second guaranteed paid internship.
The year at a glance
From technique to artistry — and management
Year 2 explores regional and international cuisines until you can compose, plate and defend a dish in any style — while a specialist chocolate course deepens the patisserie craft from Year 1.
And because great chefs run great numbers, the academics move into the business of food: menu design, food costing and acquisition, budgeting for F&B, and human resource management. It is the bridge between cooking well and running the kitchen — and the qualifying step to the dual bachelor year.
How the paid internship model works
Semester 1 · 335 kitchen hours
The official curriculum
| Code | Module | Credits | Contact hrs |
|---|---|---|---|
| CLN 2202 | International Cuisine (Lab) | 12 | 60 |
| CLN 2203 | A La Carte Cuisine (Lab) | 12 | 60 |
| CLN 2205 | Contemporary Culinary Arts (Lab) | 12 | 60 |
| CLN 2206 | Mediterranean Cuisine (Lab) | 12 | 60 |
| CLN 2550 | Garde Manger II (Lab) | 6 | 30 |
| CLN 2751 | Chocolate Creations (Lab) | 6 | 30 |
| CLN 2400 | Menu Design | 6 | 25 |
| CLN 2701 | Food Costing & Acquisition Management | 6 | 25 |
| HMT 2250 | Budgeting for Food & Beverage | 6 | 25 |
| BBA 2700 | Human Resource Management | 6 | 25 |
| HM 1210 | Food Service Operations | 6 | 25 |
| CLN 1800 | Food & Wine Pairing (elective) | 6 | 25 |
| CLN 2500 | Culinary Business Analysis (elective) | 6 | 25 |
| Sem. 2 | Paid Industry Training — your second internship | 24 | 6 months |
120 credits total (60 ECTS); one elective is chosen. Elective courses may substitute or amend the list — the detailed programme is confirmed at application.
Award & admission
The qualifying step to the dual degree
Your award
Higher Diploma in Culinary Arts — 120 credits / 60 ECTS, ACFEFAC-accredited. A full qualification in its own right, and the entry ticket to the dual bachelor year with Robert Gordon University (UK).
Entry requirements
- Age 18+
- Completed secondary school (10 + 2 years)
- BHMS Diploma in Culinary Arts or equivalent — direct entry from other schools welcome
- English at IELTS 5.5 level or equivalent
Fees: CHF 40'100 all-inclusive · Intakes: 17 August 2026 · 16 November 2026 · February 2027
After Year 2
One year from two degrees
With the Higher Diploma in hand, Year 3 is the leadership year — management capstones, a real-live event, your third paid internship, and graduation with bachelor degrees from both BHMS and Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen (UK).
Year 3: the dual BA in detail
Questions
Straight answers
What is new in Year 2 compared to the diploma year?
The labs go global and à la carte: International Cuisine, Mediterranean Cuisine, Contemporary Culinary Arts, A La Carte Cuisine, Garde Manger II and a specialist Chocolate Creations lab — 335 kitchen hours in total. On the academic side you add the business of food: Menu Design, Food Costing, Budgeting for F&B, Human Resource Management and Food Service Operations.
Can I join Year 2 directly, without the BHMS diploma?
Yes — with a Diploma in Culinary Arts or equivalent from another school. Direct-entry students take Food Preparation Techniques before continuing into the advanced cuisine labs, plus additional language electives to prepare for the Swiss internship.
Is the internship paid?
Yes. Every programme year at BHMS includes a six-month paid internship — a guaranteed gross minimum of CHF 2,390 per month in Switzerland (2026 rate under the L-GAV hospitality agreement), with placement guaranteed.
What are the entry requirements?
Age 18 or above, completed secondary school, the BHMS Diploma in Culinary Arts or an equivalent Year-1 culinary qualification, and English at IELTS 5.5 level or equivalent.
Three intakes a year. One decision that pays you back.
Next intakes: 17 August 2026 · 16 November 2026 · February 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 →