EHL: What it's really like
Learn all about one of the top hospitality schools in the world
Want to pursue an international career in hospitality, management, finance, or marketing? EHL might be the perfect university for you.
École hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL) at a glance:
| Founded | Founded in 1893, it was the first hotel school in the world. |
| Locations | Lausanne, Switzerland; Passugg, Switzerland; and Singapore. |
| Length | 4 years including two semesters of internship - the professional pathway has more internships so is slightly longer |
| Courses | EHL offers a Bachelors of Science in International Hospitality Management in two pathways - the Academic pathway in Lausanne and Singapore and the Professional pathway in Passugg. The Swiss Professional Degree is also possible in Passugg. |
| Students | 3,726 |
| Great for | Students who want to pursue a career in management, finance, luxury management, or hospitality at one of the best hospitality schools in the world. |
| Not for | Students aiming for a career path that requires a specific degree, such as law or medicine. |
Louise Pitcher, Regional Recruitment Manager at EHL, explains what makes EHL special - and how to put together a strong application.
EHL Hospitality Business School was the first of its kind, founded in 1893. Year after year, EHL ranks number one among universities for hospitality management studies. Today, EHL is a business school with a hospitality lens.
Build experience as you study
The program begins with a preparatory year where you gain hospitality training in real-life situations to build vital personal skills for the professional service world. You also practice your customer experience learnings through the semesters and two internships that follow.
EHL’s immersive course structure will give you confidence in any situation. Through events and a range of assignments, you will graduate with experience in public speaking, pitching, networking, collaborating, and independent working.
A place to grow, personally and professionally
From day one of your Bachelor, you will be immersed in a professional environment where business attire is a normal part of daily life. Collaborative work, weekly events, and mentorship opportunities open doors for you to form connections and become part of the thriving EHL network.
It is also an international environment, helping you develop a cultural awareness that will serve you for a lifetime. Not only will you join a cohort of students from around the world but you have the possibility to study in Singapore during your second and final years. You can also complete your internship anywhere in the world. These possibilities enable you to put yourself close to the career opportunities you want to pursue.
Who isn’t the right fit for EHL?
The BA program at EHL is an extremely flexible degree, and is hugely respected in many fields. However, if you have a specific career course in mind - working at Barclays, perhaps, or becoming a maths teacher - then you’d be better off pursuing a specialist course at a different university to get yourself there more quickly. Likewise, though there are conversion courses, if you’re hoping to become a doctor or a lawyer, you’ll do better pursuing a degree in medicine or law right from the off.
Any application tips?
Because EHL is relatively small, they have the capacity to help you individually with your application - so reach out! Getting in touch with the person who handles admissions from your region can help clarify the process and make sure you understand exactly what you need to do at every step of the way.
Make sure to talk about your extracurricular activities as well! Even if they seem totally irrelevant to the course, like chess or horseback riding, what EHL is interested in is learning how you pursue your passions, that you’re the kind of person who goes above and beyond. Plus, because it is such a small, collaborative environment, it’s just useful to get a broad sense of who you are as a person, and how you’ll contribute to the EHL community.
Remember, Unifrog’s Personal statement tool can help you share everything you’ve been doing so that you can make your application stand out!