On 17 March 2022, EHL Hospitality Business School launched a new master’s degree in Hospitality Management: the MSc in Hospitality Management (MiHM). The question many prospective students ask is a simple one: is a master’s in hospitality management actually worth it?
The answer depends less on prestige and more on career intent. For those aiming to build long-term leadership careers within hospitality and adjacent service sectors, EHL’s MiHM was designed as a response to how the industry is changing and what future managers are increasingly expected to deliver.
As part of its mission to redefine hospitality leadership for a new generation, EHL developed a master’s programme shaped by evolving customer expectations, technological change, innovation in service design, and a growing emphasis on soft skills in management.
In brief, it is an agile hospitality master’s programme that brings hospitality ideas to life within the practical realities of today’s operating environment.
The Value of MiHM
A master’s in hospitality management tends to be worth the investment when it accelerates progression beyond operational roles and into decision-making positions.
For candidates with prior exposure to hospitality or service-based industries, the MiHM is structured to convert experience into managerial capability. It focuses on leadership, financial reasoning, talent management, and service business design rather than entry-level operational training.
It may be less suitable for those seeking a general business master’s without industry specialisation, or for individuals planning to remain in strictly operational roles. The programme assumes ambition toward management, ownership-facing roles, or cross-functional leadership.
Understanding that distinction is central to assessing its value.
Preparing for Tomorrow’s Hospitality World
The MSc in Hospitality Management is designed to prepare learners for management roles in contemporary hospitality settings. It combines service management principles with specialist industry best practices, allowing students to apply previous studies and experience through structured research and a 12-week professional placement.
Students are trained in service business design, talent management, financial controls, customer centricity, and leadership. Every subject is taught through a hospitality lens, reinforcing industry relevance rather than abstract theory.
Courses in critical thinking, academic research, and writing support the successful completion of a capstone thesis and help students develop structured problem-solving skills valued in senior roles.
Balancing Hands-On Experience with Academic Research
The MSc in Hospitality Management is a full-time degree delivered over three semesters and taught in English at EHL’s Lausanne campus.
The programme is aimed at learners who want to build on existing experience, deepen their strategic understanding of hospitality management, and learn how to balance applied research with real-world execution.
A key part of this balance is the integration of academic work with a 12-week professional immersion. Students are challenged to move between theory and practice, strengthening their ability to analyse operational realities, stakeholder priorities, and managerial complexity.
Full Immersion and Specialization
Small, interactive on-site classes allow for full immersion in EHL’s hospitality culture, its international student body, and its extensive industry network.
The MiHM programme includes modules covering entrepreneurship, talent management, and leadership development, alongside field trips, guest speakers, and optional side classes that lead to additional certifications.
What distinguishes the programme structurally is its specialisation track. In the second semester, students choose between two academic routes that allow them to develop focused expertise alongside broad hospitality management training.
Specialization Option 1: F&B
This track explores innovation in food and beverage concepts and service models, with an emphasis on operational efficiency without compromising quality. Students examine cost control, experience design, and new dining concepts.
The track includes a culinary business field trip and EHL’s F&B concept week, as well as modules touching on interior design and experiential innovation. Additional professional certifications are planned and will be confirmed.
Specialization Option 2: Hospitality Finance, Real Estate and Consulting
This route is designed for students interested in the asset and investment side of hospitality. Learners study hospitality finance, private equity, mergers and acquisitions, feasibility analysis, real estate valuation, portfolio management, and consulting from a hospitality perspective.
For candidates considering careers beyond day-to-day operations, this specialisation provides exposure to ownership-facing and advisory roles. Optional professional certifications are available and will be confirmed.
How the Programme Is Structured
The first semester focuses on core hospitality and management skills, including business logics, service economics, customer centricity, people management, and leadership development.
The second semester introduces the chosen specialisation track and marks the start of the capstone thesis. Students deepen expertise in their selected area while beginning applied research into a real managerial challenge.
The third semester takes place off campus and consists of a paid three-month professional immersion. Students are supported in finding placements that allow them to apply academic learning in real organisational contexts.
This immersion forms part of the capstone thesis and exposes students to the realities of management responsibility. It also strengthens employability, builds professional networks, and enables students to gain industry-recognised certifications alongside their studies.
After the immersion, students complete and present their capstone thesis, an applied research project addressing a concrete hospitality management issue. Each student works closely with a faculty supervisor throughout this process.
Career Prospects and Long-Term Value
Depending on their specialisation, MiHM graduates can enter roles across hospitality, finance, real estate, and consulting. The programme is aimed at learners with ambitious career plans who want to retain industry focus while expanding their strategic and managerial scope.
The MSc in Hospitality Management prepares graduates for leadership in service-driven organisations. It develops competence in leadership, innovation, service design, and talent management, supporting agility across different functions and environments.
Learning Agility and Soft Skills
Modern hospitality managers must navigate continuous operational pressure, seasonal demand, high-value assets, and diverse teams.
The MiHM combines core business principles with a strong emphasis on soft skills. Students learn how to manage talent, develop revenue strategies, interpret data, and make decisions in fast-changing conditions.
By integrating analytical thinking with interpersonal and leadership capability, the programme aims to develop managers who can operate confidently across complexity rather than relying on rigid frameworks.
Final Perspective: Is It Worth It?
Master in Hospitality Management
Read More
A master’s in hospitality management is worth it when it aligns with a clear intention to move into leadership, strategy, or ownership-facing roles within the hospitality and service ecosystem.
EHL’s MSc in Hospitality Management is not designed as a general business degree, nor as an entry-level qualification. Its value lies in helping motivated candidates convert experience into strategic capability, broaden career options, and position themselves for long-term progression in a changing industry.
For those committed to hospitality as a career, and ready to step into management responsibility, the MiHM offers a focused and future-oriented path forward.
