Bachelor's degree Tourism - University of Applied Sciences of the Grisons

For the English class, you must have a language certificate at B2 level (Cambridge First Certificate or similar) which is not older than three years at the start of the studies.

For the German-English class, we recommend a B2 level in English (Cambridge First Certificate or similar).

You should be proficient in terms, equations and functions, as these form the basis of the mathematics taught during the assessment year. This mathematics test will help you to assess whether your proficiency in mathematics is sufficient for this programme.

Basic skills of double entry accounting are required and will be tested at the beginning of the programme. Therefore, we recommend an accounting course prior to the studies or to acquire the knowledge in self-study.

Work experience of one year in a full-time role must be demonstrated. In cases in which the level of employment is reduced, the required duration is extended accordingly. The work experience must be completed prior to commencing the study course. This work experience may comprise several positions performed with different employers. The Director of Studies decides which professional experience is taken into account when determining the amount of completed work experience. Both practical and theoretical professional experience are considered here. You are required to prove your work experience by providing confirmation of employment. This confirmation must state the duration of the work experience as well as the specialist activities that you performed during this time.

To arrange a transfer from another university, university of applied sciences or PET college, you must contact the Director of Studies. Credits may be awarded, in consultation with the Director of Studies, for modules already completed at another university.

In exceptional cases, you may be admitted to the programme without fulfilling the requirements mentioned above (admission based on your academic record and application). The Prorector and the Director of Studies decide on admissions on a case-by-case basis.

Proficiency in modern languages has an important place in the bachelor’s degree programme in tourism at the University of Applied Sciences of the Grisons. Students with an international background who are interested in an international career or who have a good command of English can attend international programme where all modules are taught in English. In the German-language programme, students are taught partly in English starting in the second year, and the majority of the classes are taught in English in the third year.

You learn how to actively develop offers, prepare them in a timely manner and allow customers to book them directly. You are taught the strategy and basic principles of the hard sell, both in theory and practice.

Possible job functions could be

• Content manager
• Sales representative
• Social media manager

You learn how to develop and market innovative, practical tourism offers through creative techniques and communication strategies.

Possible job functions could be

• Marketing project manager
• Product manager
• Content manager

You learn specific methods essential for managerial staff in small and medium-sized businesses that allow you to deal with a variety of management situations, including employee management, conflict resolution and stress management.

Possible job functions could be

• Project management roles
• Personnel management roles

You learn how to plan and run events and to develop concepts for exciting events. Further topics are team leadership, production planning, venue layout and event staging.

Possible job functions could be

• Project coordinator
• Event manager in the tourism industry or at events agencies

You learn the role and importance of tourism as a tool for sustainable economic development, be it in a general business context or related to international development cooperation.

Possible job functions could be

• Product manager for sustainable destinations
• NGO employee

Learn more about the new major in the fact sheet.

You receive an introduction to how the media work. You learn about the latest developments in the industry and in active corporate PR management.

You learn how to develop new services in a sustainable manner to create thrilling, unusual and profitable experiences for tourists.

You explore the hotel industry in all its different forms and learn the basics of hotel management. You are prepared specifically by the minor for a career in the accommodation sector.

Using theoretical knowledge, you learn about the aviation industry from a practical perspective and obtain a better understanding of the special characteristics of this industry. You will also get to know how companies in the aviation industry are managed.

You learn to identify innovative niche tourism products, to understand the environment in which they can exist and how to successfully assess the challenges involved in turning them into reality.

You master the challenges of marketing and managing Alpine destinations and cable cars with corresponding solutions learnt in practice.

You examine the relationship between sports and tourism on both a conceptual as well as on an industrial level. You will get to know the different stakeholders and analyse the social, economic and environmental impacts of sports tourism.

You analyse a wide range of quality management models and learn how to design and implement quality structures and processes.

Students will engage in research projects and will write an academic paper. The module also foresees participation in the International Tourism Students Conference (ITSC).

You learn about the importance and drivers of health tourism, how to develop health tourism strategies and how to design and implement suitable offers in tourism companies.

You learn about the fundamental drivers of demand in the leisure industry and the associated challenges faced by service providers in this field with interesting inputs from practice.

You obtain background information on the relevant aspects relating to mobility in the tourism industry. This minor course covers, in particular, land-based transport systems and explores the challenges faced by integrated mobility systems.

You study and apply basic concepts in retail management and learn how to position shopping as an important part of the tourist experience.

In the module Distinguished Speakers Series you listen to exceptional personalities in tourism, who have achieved incredible milestones with their thinking and behaviour and have  contributed to the development of tourism.

In 2015, the first event of the series was dedicated to the NZZ-journalist Christoph Zürcher and the internationally known photographer James Robertson, who have brought hope and happiness to a war-disabled zone in the north of Afghanistan with the Afghan Ski Challenge.

Event series DSS

In the module Project Management in Theory, the students do not only have the opportunity to obtain the internationally popular IPMA project management certification, but to implement what they learnt on a study trip, which they also document with different media instruments. At the centre is a research question which they answer through analyses, business visits and expert interviews.

Students can put theory into practice through consulting projects and bachelor theses for companies. Furthermore, there are opportunities for students who are interested in research for supporting us during their studies as student employees in our ProFit.Team. Not only will you learn something, but also earn some money at the same time.

There is a one-off enrolment fee of CHF 300, which is deducted from the tuition fee for the first semester. If you do not take up the offer of a place on the programme, the enrolment fee will be forfeited.

The tuition fee per semester is CHF 960 for students with Swiss citizenship or the Principality of Liechtenstein citizenship. The tuition fee per semester for all other students is CHF 1,550.

Foreign students who have resided in Switzerland for at least two years before the start of their studies and who are financially independent and not in education may be able to benefit from the reduced tuition fee of CHF 960. The reduced tuition fee has to be reviewed and approved by the University of Applied Sciences of the Grisons on the basis of documentation provided by the students.

Students not from Switzerland, the Principality of Liechtenstein, the European Union or the European Free Trade Association are charged a deposit of CHF 3,000.

The tuition fees do not include textbooks, travel, food or accommodation in connection with field trips, multiday seminars and the bachelor thesis.

You will need a suitably powerful laptop (Windows recommended).

The universities of applied sciences are recognised by the Swiss Confederation and the cantons, which means students may be entitled to grants. For further information, please contact the grants department of the Department of Education for the canton in question.

Students from outside Switzerland can contact the relevant public funding institutions in their home country.

The taught modules of the study programme are held in Chur, Switzerland. Individual events may take place in other locations and will be communicated in good time.

Spending a semester abroad can open up new horizons for you. International exchange is, of course, a tremendous asset to tourism and leisure. The University of Applied Sciences of the Grisons maintains close ties to a network of universities, technical colleges and other educational establishments worldwide and would be pleased to help you organise one or two semesters of study abroad.

Semesters abroad generally count as full or partial semesters of your prorgramme, enabling you to complete your studies within the planned period.

In the following you can find an overview of the partner universities where you can spend a semester abroad:

Whoever wants to collect more experience abroad can apply for a study year at our partner university USC in Australia. Every year, five students get the opportunity to get one of these study places. You complete (with special conditions) the second study year at the USC and, if you pass all the exams, you will receive the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration of the USC in addition to the Bachelor of Science in Tourism of the University of Applied Sciences of the Grisons after the third year.

The bachelor’s degree programme takes three years when completed on a full-time basis. The programme begins in September (week 38). An introductory week will take place prior to the official commencement of studies. One study year comprises two semesters, generally made up of 14 weeks each. There are also examination weeks and individual block weeks.

Exact dates and details can be found in the academic calendar​​​​​​​.

Lectures are given from Monday to Friday. Some classes are held in blocks or on Saturdays. Lessons are held between 8.15 a.m. and 6.30 p.m. Exceptions are possible.

European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) 
The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) is a tool of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) for making studies and courses more transparent and thus helping students to move between institutions of higer education. ECTS credits are awarded based on the student workload required to achieve the objectives of a course or a programme. ECTS credits are the basis for the recognition of course or programm achievements and diplomas between institutions of higher eduction.

ECTS Credits
An ECTS credit point corresponds to a student workload of 30 hours. The student workload includes the lectures but also time needed to pre- and postprocess the lectures, prepare exams and for self-studying. 60 credits a year are acquired in a full-time study course, which corresponds to a student workload of 1800 hours. At University of Applied Sciences of the Grisons a bachelor's degree course is comprised of 180 ECTS credits, a consecutive master's degree of 90 ECTS credits.

You can find all details in the Study and Examination Regulations document.