Attending university is not the only option young people have to prepare for a successful career. Earning a professional degree is an equally favorable alternative. In Switzerland for example, most Swiss students opt to forgo studying for a bachelor's degree in favor of pursuing other educational opportunities.
Why? Well, there are some pretty great reasons for making that decision, but to fully understand them, you first need to have a little background on the unique educational system in Switzerland.
Unlike, perhaps, the educational system in your home country, Swiss educators encourage students to start thinking about their future careers quite early in their schooling. When Swiss students enter the upper secondary level of education, typically when they are only 15 or 16 years old, they need to make a critical decision. Do they choose to attend a High school, a vocational school, or an upper secondary specialized school?
Their decision heavily influences what they will study for the next few years and their path to and through higher education.
Each of these schooling options not only differs in terms of length and content but also when it comes to the credentials and certifications graduates receive. The Swiss educational system can be complex, but here is a brief overview of the types of upper secondary schools students can select to attend:
With such intense schooling from a young age, it is no wonder that Swiss students at the tertiary level are earnest regarding their education. If you want to study in Switzerland to obtain either a professional degree or a bachelor's degree, you must understand your classmates will probably be far more learning-focused than college students in your country. Therefore, it is best to be completely honest with yourself whether you have the desire and discipline necessary to succeed in such a purpose-driven environment. Yet, for students who are ready for the challenge, Swiss schools offer world-class education and facilities.
While both a professional degree and a bachelor's degree count as Level 6 qualifications under the International Standard Classification of Education, there are differences.
A Professional degree is the natural next step for Swiss students who are seeking out more education after graduating from VETs or upper secondary specialized schools. Colleges and universities granting professional degrees offer federally accredited specialized degrees that focus on the skills necessary to succeed in jobs that are in high demand. In 2018 the top most popular professional degrees were in the fields of Nursing, Business Management, Social Pedagogy, and Hotel, Restaurants, and Catering.
Professional schools are similar to VETs and upper secondary specialized schools as they retain the dual approach of theoretical learning in the classroom in addition to hands-on education. This combined approach of real-life work experience and solid fundamentals readies graduates to jump right into management-level positions at an established company or start their own business.
But due to the flexibility of the Swiss educational system, graduates with professional degrees may also continue their studies to earn a bachelor's and eventually even a graduate degree.
While successful professional degree students come from all demographics, they usually share specific characteristics. These include:
There are two separate paths students can follow to earn a bachelor's degree in Switzerland.
The first is by attending a cantonal university. Students who go this route can expect an educational experience similar to universities in other countries. Cantonal Universities are highly academic environments that stress theory and research above practical application. Students in cantonal Universities learn primarily through lectures and seminars with little or no practical experience included as part of their curriculum.
On the other hand, students who choose to study at a University of Applied Science get the lectures and seminars of a cantonal university and the more practical side of a professional degree program. The practical side of the curriculum gives students the chance to "get their hands dirty" by pursuing work experience in their field of study. But many Universities of Applied Science go even further and require students to accumulate a certain amount of work experience to qualify for graduation. This "best of both systems" approach to learning is very popular with UAS students.
Students graduate from both Cantonal Universities and Universities of Allied Science in three to four depending on the course of study and have the opportunity to continue their studies by enrolling in a Master's or other graduate-level programs.
Although Bachelor's degree students are just as diverse as professional degree students, students who enroll in universities tend to:
EHL knows that everyone learns differently, and that's why the school offers two distinctly different paths, both leading to a Bachelor of Science in International Hospitality Management.
For those students who appreciate a more hands-on approach to learning, the Professional Path is a great option. But the Academic Path may better suit students who want to dive deeper into technical knowledge. Whichever path you choose, you will graduate with the skills and experience to succeed in the hospitality management industry.