Diploma in Culinary Management

Diploma in Culinary Management

Program: Year 1 of the Advanced Diploma in Culinary Management

Duration: One year

Availability: This offer is available to all potential students who meet the entry criteria.

OverviewThe Diploma in Culinary Management consists of one intensive study period of 6 months at the BHMS campus in Lucerne, Switzerland, and one practical paid industry training period of 4-6 months in the Swiss hospitality industry.

BHMS is a member of the Bénédict Switzerland group of schools, founded in 1928, whose mission is to provide adult education for people with a desire to succeed. Bénédict School is one of Switzerland’s largest private education organizations and is teaching each year more than 15,000 full and part time students.
 The Diploma program is accredited by the American Culinary Federation Foundation (ACFF), established in 1929, and the largest professional chefs' organization in North America. ACFF comprises more than 230 chapters and 20’000 members across the United States. The mission of ACFF is to make a positive difference for culinarians through education, apprenticeship, and certification, while creating a fraternal bond of respect and integrity among culinarians everywhere.

Students learn from a dedicated faculty, who in addition to their academic credentials, bring along know-how and experience in the culinary field. This ensures that what is learnt in class is contemporary in a daily food and beverage environment in highly relevant to real operational situations.

Aim of the ProgramThe BHMS Diploma in Culinary Management program is specifically designed for young adults wishing to enter the field of gastronomy. The program offers students practical and professional core competency training in this field, so that they are able to function after graduation in a competent manner. This carries considerable value and prestige with employers worldwide. It can also benefit people looking to obtain the necessary specialized knowledge when contemplating opening their own culinary or catering business. Students with the appropriate qualifications can enter the program in the second year.

This first year program introduces potential students to the wonderful world of food and food production. It teaches basic food production techniques and allows the students to understand what the demands are that the industry requires of future culinarians. This basic course prepares a student for his first internship in a commercial kitchen and will allow him/her to obtain enough knowledge and skills to survive in the hustle and bustle of a large, fully-functional kitchen. Interpersonal and business communication skills are as much a necessity for culinarians as learning how to handle a knife and other kitchen equipment.

Paid Industry Training in SwitzerlandIndustry training is an integral part of the study program at BHMS and provides an opportunity to gain paid work-experience during the early stages of a career. This will prove invaluable when applying for the first supervisory or management position. Generally, the first industry training position will be in a junior position, where students can practice the skills that they learned in the first academic year at BHMS.

Students will complete their training in the kitchen area according to their talent. Successful students may be able to assume more responsibility and develop their culinary creativity in their second year.

The industry training salary in Switzerland, negotiated between the employers’ association and the Employee Union, is presently set at minimum CHF 2’168 per month gross. From this salary, students have to pay for room, board, and taxes. The average net income per month varies from CHF 1’000 to 1’400.