Diploma in Pastry, Chocolate and Bakery · Year 1
The year you learn the foundations properly
330 kitchen hours across patisserie, boulangerie, viennoiserie, European cakes and chocolate — then six months paid in a real production kitchen at CHF 2,390/month gross minimum.
The year at a glance
One semester taught. One semester paid.
Semester 1 is six months in Lucerne at your own bench — six practical labs that move from doughs and creams through classic patisserie, laminated viennoiserie and traditional European cakes to your first tempered chocolate, backed by the academics a professional pastry kitchen expects you to know.
Semester 2 is a six-month paid internship in Switzerland or worldwide, assessed by the employer. You finish Year 1 with 120 credits / 60 ECTS, 330 logged kitchen hours and half a year of production experience.
How the internship model works
Semester 1 · 330 kitchen hours
What you make before you earn
Six practical labs and five academic modules. The labs are named for what comes out of them.
| Module | Type |
|---|---|
| Pastry and Bakery Foundations | Practical lab |
| Classic Patisserie | Practical lab |
| Boulangerie and Viennoiserie | Practical lab |
| Traditional European Cakes | Practical lab |
| Chocolate Work Foundations | Practical lab |
| Culinary Foundations | Practical lab |
| Nutrition | Academic |
| Food Safety | Academic |
| Academic Study Skills | Academic |
| German or French Communications | Academic |
| Career Development and Professional Integration | Academic |
| Semester 2 — paid industry internship | 6 months |
120 credits / 60 ECTS for the year. BHMS publishes 330 practical kitchen hours for Semester 1 as a total; hours are not broken down per lab. The detailed course programme is confirmed at application.
Award & admission
A full qualification — and a first rung
Your award
Diploma in Pastry, Chocolate and Bakery — 120 credits / 60 ECTS. BHMS describes the Swiss Diploma in Pastry, Chocolate and Bakery as accredited by the American Culinary Federation.
Finish the year with a complete qualification — or continue into the Higher Diploma and on to the dual bachelor degree.
Entry requirements
- Minimum age 17
- High school diploma or equivalent
- English at IELTS 5.0 level or equivalent
- Below that level? The Preparatory English Programme bridges the gap
- No prior pastry experience required
Intakes: August 2026 · November 2026 · February 2027
Fees
CHF 39,100. One figure.
The Year 1 fee published by BHMS breaks down as:
| Tuition | CHF 29,100 |
|---|---|
| Operating costs | CHF 2,600 |
| Living expenses | CHF 5,900 |
| Application fee | CHF 1,000 |
| Uniforms and equipment | CHF 500 |
| Total, Year 1 | CHF 39,100 |
And in Semester 2 the money moves the other way — a gross minimum of CHF 2,390/month during a Swiss internship.
All fees and what is included
After Year 1
Continue: the Higher Diploma
Year 2 moves from foundations to the work that gets photographed: entremets cakes, advanced chocolate pralines, petits fours and petits gâteaux, ice creams and plated desserts, and the art of showpieces — 300 kitchen hours, a second paid internship, and the route into the dual bachelor degree. CHF 40,100 all-inclusive.
Year 2 in detail
Questions
Straight answers
How is the diploma year structured?
Two semesters. Semester 1 is taught in Lucerne — 330 practical kitchen hours across six pastry, bakery and chocolate labs, alongside five academic modules. Semester 2 is a six-month paid internship in Switzerland or worldwide, evaluated by the employer.
Is the internship paid, and how much?
Yes. BHMS states students earn CHF 2,390 per month gross in Switzerland — the 2026 rate under the national hospitality labour agreement — before deductions for room, board and social security. BHMS puts the net remainder at around CHF 1,500 a month in the countryside with accommodation and meals provided, or roughly CHF 800–1,000 in a big city without them.
What qualification do I graduate with?
The Diploma in Pastry, Chocolate and Bakery — 120 credits / 60 ECTS. BHMS describes the Swiss Diploma in Pastry, Chocolate and Bakery as accredited by the American Culinary Federation. It is a complete qualification on its own, and Year 1 of the three-year path to the Bachelor of Arts in Culinary Arts and Patisserie.
Do I need pastry experience to enrol?
No. Semester 1 opens with Pastry and Bakery Foundations and Chocolate Work Foundations, which assume no professional background. Entry requirements are a minimum age of 17, a high school diploma or equivalent, and English at IELTS 5.0 level or equivalent. A Preparatory English Programme is available for applicants below that level.
Three intakes a year. One decision that pays you back.
Next intakes: August 2026 · November 2026 · February 2027 · Lucerne, Switzerland
Every programme year pairs a taught semester with a six-month paid internship — CHF 2,390/month gross minimum in Switzerland under the national hospitality labour agreement. How the internship model works →