Bachelor of Science in International Sustainable Tourism
We are joining forces with the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU) to launch the Bachelor of Science in International Sustainable Tourism. This unique study programme will be the first time that UN Tourism has been actively involved in an undergraduate programme. The link between the UN body and HSLU will create a promising pathway of shared value creation, giving students the opportunity to benefit from HSLU’s experience in high-quality education and ultimately graduate with a degree from a public Swiss University.
The aim of the International Sustainable Tourism degree programme is to pursue the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals and to make a clear commitment to the long-term development of tourism.
The vision of HSLU and UN Tourism is to create a universally accessible programme that empowers the future-oriented transformation of the entire tourism sector. International diversity is achieved by targeting students from all over the world, with teaching taking place in Madrid (Spain), Lucerne (Switzerland) and online. With versatile content, case studies, multilayered perspectives of experts from the industry and using the UN Tourism Member States network as part of the practical scenarios, students can maximise their career opportunities in international tourism.
Structure:
Three Locations:
- Campus Madrid (1st & 2nd semester): The capital of Spain is home to the UN Tourism headquarters and therefore the ideal choice for this programme's first two semesters. The geographical proximity enables direct integration and means that UN Tourism representatives can contribute to the programme and pass on their expertise to students.
- Online (3rd semester): The second year and especially the third remote semester offers flexibility: students can return home, stay in Madrid or move somewhere else for the next two semesters. The teaching is methodically designed to enable students to participate remotely from all over the world, with group and individual lessons held online.
- Worldwide internship (4th semester): The internship in the fourth semester enables students to gain experience anywhere in the world, intensify their intercultural skills and experience the professional world of tourism first hand. Accompanying online sessions allow this internship to be completed anywhere in the world.
- Campus Lucerne (5th & 6th semester): For the final year students will come to the home campus of HSLU in Switzerland. At the heart of Switzerland at the foot of the Alps lies the charming city of Lucerne. Students benefit from decades of experience of a leading tourism country and modern infrastructure of a university of the future.
Find out more about the study locations here.
Calendar:
Application period
Spring 2024- Spring 2025
Commencement of the academic year 2024/2025
8 September 2025
Orientation week in Madrid
8-14 September 2025
Start of the Academic semester
15 September 2025
Autumn semester
Mid-September to 23 December 2025
Spring semester
Mid-February to end of May 2026
- The only degree programme where UN Tourism is actively involved in the development and execution.
- Students graduate with a quality degree from Switzerland while being able to gain intercultural experience in Spain and beyond.
- Students encounter strong practical orientation – through an internship, guest lectures and projects within an extended tourism network. This represents a unique fusion of academic and practical knowledge and skills.
- Sustainability and innovation are embedded in the entire curriculum.
- The cooperating partners HSLU and UN Tourism open doors to a global partner network.
- Intercultural experiences are guaranteed through international classes, teaching from different perspectives, and changing study locations.
- The remote semester offers the flexibility many students desire nowadays.
Further information:
If you are interested in becoming involved as an industry partner in the degree programme and emphasising applied teaching, e.g. via internships, guest lectures, expert panels, projects, issues for bachelor theses, please feel free to contact bachelor.ist@hslu.ch at any time for further information.
We are also happy to organise online info sessions especially for your organisation and present our degree programme in detail.
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