Master of Science in
Business Administration
Major in Tourism
www.hslu.ch/w-master
Table of contents

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Master of Science in Business Administration
Major in Tourism
Preface
The programme at a glance
The Bologna reforms and the new Master’s degree
What advantage does a Master’s of Science in Business Administration –
Major in Tourism offer?
The programme – overview of competencies
The programme – success factors
The programme – modules
Application, admission and further information
The value of the Master’s degree for your career
Additional information
Location


During the second year, the programme offers a series of integrated modules
that examine specific aspects of the tourism industry. First, students will learn
about the international tourism environment. They will examine important
business models found in the industry in order to understand how tourism and
the environment interrelate – primarily as seen from an economic perspective –
by working on case studies and going on excursions. Strategy, communication
and marketing lie at the core of the curriculum, which aims to develop stu-
dents’ analytical, strategic and methodological skills. Because interpersonal
skills such as conflict management, sensitivity to foreign cultures and indirect
leadership are highly significant in tourism, the major pays special attention to
these.

Leading experts agree that the Major in Tourism will provide students with the
competencies needed to make a long-term contribution to the international
tourism industry. And that is exactly what the Master’s program is all about.
Preface
1
Dr. Andreas Liebrich
Head of the Major in Tourism
Lucerne School of Business
The world is a book, and those who do not travel
read only one page.
St. Augustine
354-430 AD
The programme continues where a Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent qualifi-
cations) in economics or business administration leaves off. Those with a
Bachelor’s degree in another discipline, in particular economic geography, may
be admitted to the programme if they show proof of having accumulated a
minimum of 6 credits in economics or economic geography and 6 credits in

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The Master of Science is not the same as the Master of Advanced Studies
The new consecutive Master’s degree counts as a second level of higher educa-
tion and should not be confused with the Master of Advanced Studies (MAS) or
an Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) degree. Both the MAS
and the EMBA are professional development programmes that require students
to have several years of practical experience. The consecutive Master’s degree,
however, demands a higher workload and features more stringent academic
requirements.
The Bologna reforms and the new Master’s degree
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Contributing approximately 300,000 jobs and 4% of the GDP, tourism ranks as the
fourth-largest export industry of Switzerland, and is known universally as the largest
industry. Growth in tourism organisations abroad and in Switzerland, combined
with increasingly complex projects underway in Eastern Europe, India, China and
other emerging destinations, open up a wide range of perspectives in tourism-
related organisations for highly trained graduates holding a Master’s degree.

A sought-after degree with interesting career options
The Master in Business Administration with a Major in Tourism offers the follow-
ing advantages:

Study with a strong industry orientation: The curriculum is closely tailored to
the needs of industry. Lecturers from industry, industry simulations, case studies
and the option work in the industry are only a few examples. The university
believes that successfully combining a strong practical orientation with challeng-
ing applied programme components will enhance its graduates’ long-term
prospects in the job market.

Strong international focus: The programme’s content is geared primarily to the


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The programme – overview of competencies
Developing a broad range of expertise
The consecutive Master of Science in Business Administra-
tion with a Major in Tourism constitutes a specialist and
management programme with a strong academic focus
and an industry orientation. Graduates will acquire the
following competencies in particular:
Specialist skills in tourism
Graduates will have the expertise needed to devise solu-
tions to management problems encountered in tourism and
its environment (see page 8).
Strategic decision making
Managers who adopt a strategic approach and can respond
ex ante to anticipated moves of partners or competitors
will have a foundation on which to build a sustainable
competitive advantage. The programme includes a number
of modules that introduce students to the principles of
successful strategic decision making.
Analytical skills
Students will learn how to analyse complex issues and prob-
lems in and around tourism organisations, develop solu-
tions, and implement these successfully using a range of –

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with guided and self-directed study. To ensure that the
programme aligns academic and practical orientations in a
meaningful way, lecturers working at the Master’s level
must have a rigorous academic background as well as
up-to-date practical experience in their field.
Language
The programme is taught in English because a strong
command of English is essential for a career in interna-
tional tourism. The university recommends level C1 of the
Cambridge ESOL (IELTS 6.0 – 7.0) or an equivalent as the
entrance requirement.
The programme – success factors
Students
The Master’s programme is primarily geared to graduates
who hold academic or Bachelor’s degrees in business from
a university or university of applied sciences. Those with
another university or Bachelor’s degree may be admitted if
they have earned at least 6 credits in business administra-
tion and 6 credits in economics or economic geography.
Students with no background in tourism at the time of
enrolment will have opportunities to acquire these credits
over the course of the first two semesters.
Lecturers
Lucerne School of Business engages lecturers from select
partner universities such as the University of Brighton.
Furthermore, the teaching staff includes a distinguished
group of experts from companies, consulting firms and
other organisations. This ensures that the curriculum
maintains its high quality standards for content and
relevance to applied fields.

Master’s Thesis
Major in Tourism
Studies while working (up to 50% of full-time position)
Possibly a
supplementary module
2
nd
Semester3
rd
Semester4
th
Semester
M1 = module 1 6C = 6 ECTS credits (1 credit = 30-hour workload for students)
Modul 10 9 C
Applied Project Work
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The programme – modules
The Master of Science in Business Administration comprises
a fundamental component with general management
content and a clear focus on service management that
includes all coursework completed during the first and
second semesters.
Modules 4 – 8 constitute the Major in Tourism
The Strategy in Tourism and Marketing and Communica-
tion in Tourism modules, both of which examine individual
organisations, make up the core of the Major. Moreover,
the programme studies a range of business models,
allowing students to learn about the sub-sectors of the
tourism industry. Business models are of particular interest
because they depend on their ability to form close networks

st
Semester)
Customer Relationship Management
Customer relationship management proposes a holistic
management approach that places the client at the centre
of the organisation’s activities. Client-focused management
practices are further understood as the central strategic
issue of small and medium-sized enterprises across the
industry. Customer relationship management has proven to
be a robust concept in its ability to coordinate cross-func-
tional strategies, processes and measures in the long term
with the aim of securing profitable client relationships.
As they work on projects, students will gain understanding
of the operational methodologies and competencies
relating to internal support functions as encountered in
customer relationship management projects.
Module 3 (6 credits, 2
nd
Semester)
Change Management
This module examines the interface between the organisa-
tion and its markets from a dynamic, developmental
perspective. This means that change becomes the source of
innovation in technology, service and processes and thus is
seen as the prerequisite for safeguarding the long-term
survival of organisations. The need of organisations to
change forces them to recognise the importance of plan-
ning, supporting, driving and evaluating change processes.
The programme – modules
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Stakeholder Management
10
The programme – modules
Major in Tourism (Modules 4 – 8)
Module 4 (6 credits, 3
rd
Semester)
International Tourism Environment
Students will develop an in-depth understanding of the
internationally connected systems found in tourism as they
relate to the environment, politics, law and culture; they will
also learn to identify the resulting opportunities and risks
that individual organisations face.
Module 5 (6 credits, 3
rd
Semester)
Business Models in Tourism
Students will be able to evaluate the business models of
key sub-sectors of the tourism industry (cruise manage-
ment, tour operation, airline and airport management and
hotel chain) using a structured approach. Moreover, they
will work closely with international partner organisations in
order to gain an overview of a range of business models.
Module 6 (6 credits, 3
rd
Semester)
Strategic Management of Tourism Destinations
Students will learn how to cope with the particular strategic
challenges encountered in tourism organisations and
business models. By developing and implementing strate-

4 to 7.
Module 9 (9 credits, 1
st
/ 2
nd
Semester)
Research Methodology
This module enables students to develop the instruments
and methodologies used in applied research by tackling a
particular problem in the field of service management and
innovation.
Module 10 (18 credits, 2
nd
/ 3
rd
Semester)
Applied Project Work
This module enables students to employ the methodologies
used in applied research correctly by focusing on specific
case examples taken from the fields of banking and
finance. To this end, it offers structured exercises that aim
to explore specific problems from Modules 1 and 2 more
deeply.
Module 11 15 credits, 4
th
Semester)
Master’s Thesis
While working on their Master’s thesis (15 credits), stu-
dents will pursue their own research topic independently
and thus create an overarching context for the technical,

be admitted on the condition that they make up any
missing requirements during the first year of the pro-
gramme.
The application must include the completed application
form and all documents listed on this form.

Candidates who are still working on their Bachelor’s studies
at the time of the application may submit any pending
application documents at a later time.
The application documents must be submitted by
mid-May to:
Lucerne School of Business
Secretariat of the Master’s programme
Zentralstrasse 9
CH-6002 Lucerne
Switzerland
T +41 41 228 41 30
F +41 41 228 41 31

The university will conduct interviews starting at the end of
January and will not issue a letter confirming acceptance,
before the interview was conducted. Because seats in the
programme are awarded in the order in which applications
are received, early application is encouraged.
Further information on the consecutive Master’s
programmes and application forms are available at
www.hslu.ch/w-master.
The head of the programme will be happy to provide
advice and information. Contact Dr. Andreas Liebrich at
T +41 41 228 42 34 or at

Jürg Schmid
Director
Switzerland Tourism
“The unique combination of gaining work experi-
ence while studying for a Master’s degree gives
graduates an edge in the job market. That’s
clearly the type of course I’d choose if I were
studying again. As an employer I find it most
impressive.”

succeed in surprising and delighting its guests
if it has a highly innovative culture.”
Clemens Hunziker
General Manager
Hotel Schweizerhof Lucerne
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Additional information
Programme dates
The MSc in Business Administration always starts in
mid-September and lasts two years. The dates of the
semester breaks are posted at www.hslu.ch/w-master.
Weekly programme schedule
Courses are held on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. This
allows students to plan their work schedule or meet their
families’ needs.
Location
Classes are held in the heart of the city of Lucerne. The
campus in Lucerne has modern and well-equipped teaching
facilities.
Programme fees

refer to www.campusluzern.ch for more information.
Career services
Lucerne School of Business works closely with the Lucerne
University of Applied Sciences and Arts in providing career
services so that students are well prepared for life after
graduation. In this regard, career services are the interface
between university and professional life. While offering
practical assistance in starting a job (e.g. individual
counselling, courses, workshops and other important
requirements) career services also provides contacts to
employers, companies and institutes. For more information,
go to www.careers.hslu.ch.
Student housing
The student resident association (StuWo-Luzern) helps
students find affordable housing in the area. For more
information, go to www.stuwo-luzern.ch.
Language
Although all courses are taught in English, it is useful to
learn German as in the everyday life German ist the main
language used in Lucerne. Moreover, it is very hard to find a
job without any knowledge of German.
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Location
Lucerne School of Business
Lucerne School of Business is one of the departments of
Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. As a com-
petence centre for upper management training, it makes
an important contribution to developing the overall level
of knowledge in society through its participation in applied

Langensandbrücke
Bürgenstrasse
Rösslimatte
Werkhofstrasse
P
Inseliquai
Location of facilities in Lucerne

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Lucerne School of Business
Main building
Zentralstrasse 9
CH-6002 Lucerne
Switzerland

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Lucerne School of Business
Institute of Tourism ITW
Rösslimatte 48
CH-6002 Lucerne
Switzerland
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09-2009,V.2.,02.09.230
Lucerne School of Business
Secretariat of the Master’s programme
Zentralstrasse 9
CH-6002 Lucerne
Switzerland
T +41 41 228 41 30