Master of Science in International Hospitality Business
with specialization in Guest Experience & Service Design
Drive value through exceptional guest experiences
Duration: 1.5 years, 2 academic semesters + 6-month internship with Applied Research Report or Business Research Project
Intakes: Spring and Fall
Location: Glion and Bulle campuses, Switzerland
Credits: ECTS* 90 / US 45
*European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System
The Master’s in International Hospitality Business with specialization in Guest Experience & Service Design develops the strategic, analytical and leadership capabilities required to design exceptional guest experiences that create measurable value and drive sustainable business performance.
Your first semester is dedicated to building your hospitality business knowledge at both a strategic and operational level. Via intensive classes with expert faculty, you will sharpen your capabilities in areas such as finance, strategy, marketing, data analytics, AI and sustainability.
In your second semester, you will learn how to turn guest insights into strategies that enhance experiences, create value and drive commercial performance, while developing the leadership skills to deliver change across experience-driven organizations. Dedicated classes cultivate your expertise in areas such as guest experience analytics, service design and experience innovation within hospitality, sales and distribution, business performance and hospitality concept design.
Through Industry Weeks, a business field trip and an Industry Business Project, the program connects academic learning with real-world industry challenges, while providing exceptional opportunities to grow your professional network.
Semester 1
Glion or Bulle
Semester 2
Glion or Bulle
Semester 3
6-month internship with Applied Research Report or Business Research Project
Program highlights
Explore the strategy behind the experience
Use guest experience analytics and insights to identify opportunities and enhance every step of the guest journey.
Connect customer experience with business performance
Explore how experience strategy, business models, financial performance and asset decisions combine to create sustainable value.
Transform insight into innovation
Apply service and concept design to create innovative guest experiences, while developing the leadership skills to bring them to life across organizations.
Enjoy unique industry immersion
Build your network and apply your knowledge through Industry Weeks, a business field trip and an Industry Business Project.
Program details
Semester 1
Core Semester
Glion or Bulle campus, Switzerland
Business Strategy & Foundations
- Managerial Accounting & Financial Analysis
- Strategic Marketing & Brand Value
- Revenue & Demand Generation
- Strategic Management
Operations, Experience & Performance
- Operations & Service Excellence
- Leadership & Organizational Behavior
Transformation, Innovation & Responsibility
- Digital, Data & AI for Decision-Makers
- Sustainability, Governance & Responsible Decisions
- Evidence-Based Management & Research Methods
Industry Exposure & Networking
- Industry Weeks with access to executives, entrepreneurs and experts across hospitality, luxury, family business and real estate
- + Business field trip
Semester 2
Guest Experience & Service Design specialization
Glion or Bulle campus, Switzerland
- Economics & Business Models of the Experience Industry
- Guest Experience Analytics & Insights
- Guest Journey & Experience Innovation
- Customer Experience Strategy & Management
- Value Creation & Business Performance
- Leading Change in Experience-Driven Organizations
- Hospitality Concept Development
+ Choice of one elective*
- Brand Identity, Creativity & Storytelling
- Strategic Leadership Across Generations
- Experience Audit: From Mystery Shopping to Employer Brand Technology & AI in Hospitality
*Please note that the elective courses shown are representative examples and may be subject to alteration for each intake
Industry Exposure & Networking
- Industry Business Project
Semester 3
Real-world application
Choose between:
- 6-month professional internship with Applied Research Report
- or Business Research Project
Meet some of your expert faculty
Edouard Louapre
Specialist subject: Leadership in Action
Experience: With a wealth of hospitality industry experience gained at brands such as the Dorchester Collection, Radisson Blu, and Beau Rivage Palace and a long track history of academic teaching for Universities based in the USA, the UK, and in Switzerland, Edouard has all the right attributes to inspire students. Alongside his academic career, Edouard also holds the position of Chief Executive Officer at a real estate company based in Sion, Switzerland.
Pia Huh
Specialist subject: Managerial Accounting and Financial Analysis / Hotel Asset Management and Concept Creation
Experience: Pia joined Glion in 1999, and has taught courses in hospitality real estate finance, property asset management, corporate finance, portfolio management, and management finance and accounting. She holds an MSc in Banking and Finance, an MPS in Hospitality Real Estate Finance.
Jean-Marc Levrat
Specialist subject: People Management in a Global Environment
Experience: Jean-Marc has over 25 years of combined expertise in academia and the hospitality industry and has embraced professional and cultural diversities across three continents.
He sharpened his leadership skills in Canada as the Director of Operations for a network of 27 restaurant outlets, overseeing the activities of more than 1,000 employees.
Giovanni Manfredini
Specialist subject: Marketing Management for Hospitality Leaders
Experience: Giovanni has had over 30 years of experience in a range of industries, taking on managerial roles at organizations in Europe, Russia and the USA. Giovanni holds an MBA in Marketing, Digital Communication and Sales Management.
Anu Laukkala
Specialist subject: Sales and Distribution Strategies in Hospitality
Experience: A graduate from Aalto University (Helsinki School of Economics and Business Administration), she holds both an MBA in Digital Technology Management and an MSc in Marketing. She has a teacher’s pedagogical qualification from Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences, Finland. Before entering the world of academia, she worked at Total Quality Management and consulted for public sector procurement and supply chain management.
Business Field Trip
Explore the industry & make career connections
Every full-time Master’s program incorporates an immersive field trip that offers unique access to key industry players representative of your study topic.
These bespoke, multi-day experiences have packed itineraries featuring company visits, presentations by senior executives, plus lunches and dinners at which you can experience the best of local gastronomy while getting to know fellow students in more relaxed circumstances.
Learn
Integrate theoretical and experiential education.
Network
Meet industry leaders grow your professional network.
Connect
Discover new trends in the industry and enrich your knowledge.
Recent field trips have included:
Barcelona, Spain
Students stepped into the heart of the industry, exploring leading hotels, exchanging with professionals, and uncovering the legacy of Familia Torres vineyards.
An immersive field trip designed to connect academic insights with real-world perspective, all while sharing meaningful moments along the way.
Paris, France
An immersion in the world of luxury during an exceptional field trip in Paris. From discovering the elegance of Plaza Athenee, exploring the craftsmanship behind Hublot and Dior, to visiting Remy Cointreau and the Telmont Champagne vineyards, the trip offered exclusive insights into luxury, heritage, and exceptional guest experiences — all culminating in a memorable dinner overlooking the Eiffel Tower.
Copenhagen, Denmark
Students recently travelled to Copenhagen for an immersive field trip exploring the future of sustainability, tourism, and hospitality.
From inspiring hotel visits and industry insights to innovation bootcamps and hands-on learning experiences, the trip offered a unique opportunity to discover how one of the world’s leading sustainable cities is shaping the future of the industry. A week filled with learning, collaboration, new perspectives, and unforgettable moments
The field trips listed are provided as examples and are subject to change. Business field trip destinations and content may vary from one semester to another, depending on academic planning and industry opportunities.
Program entry requirements
for the Master's in International Hospitality Business with specialization in Guest Experience & Service Design
Minimum age
21 years old at the start of the program.
Education
Bachelor-level undergraduate degree* in a relevant field (business or hospitality preferred).
Minimum English language entry requirements
If English is not your first language, or if you have not spent the last two years* studying in a school where English is the primary language of instruction, please enclose a copy of one of the following:
- International English Language Test (IELTS)**: 6.0 overall (min. 5.5 in any subcomponent)
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL): min. overall score of 4.5 and min. 4.0 in every subcomponent (listening, reading, writing, speaking). The TOEFL testing code for Glion is 7327.
- First Cambridge Exam: Grade A
- Cambridge Advanced Exam: Grade C
For London campus admissions, same as above, except Non-UK and Irish passport holders will need to undertake IELTS UKVI: 6.0 overall and min. 5.5 in any subcomponent.
Note: All English certificates must have been issued in the 12 months prior to admission. Glion offers a Pathway to English Proficiency program. If your English level does not meet the levels indicated above, then please contact us for more information.
*If a degree/transcript is not in English (for UK) or English, French, German or Italian (for Switzerland), an official certified/translated copy in English will be required.
**Only tests taken/issued in an official IELTS testing center are accepted.
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