Balancing work and studies

Meeting the needs of working professionals in the hospitality, tourism and related service sectors, the Glion Institute of Higher Education in Switzerland has launched a fully accredited, online MBA in international hospitality and service industries management.

The online programme offers a flexible approach to gaining an MBA-level education that carries exactly the same accreditation as an on-campus master's degree, according to Kate Buchanan, programme director for Glion Online MBA.

"Proudly international, Glion has sought to ensure that its new online MBA replicates its on-campus diversity," she says. "With 38 different countries already represented in the first three intakes, the new online MBA looks to be continuing Glion's truly global appeal."

Glion's CEO Christian Beek says the online MBA programme was developed based on research conducted in 2005 and 2009 with more than 1,000 hospitality managers around the world.

"The online MBA promotes the advanced study of organisations, their management and the ever-changing external context in which the hospitality industry operates, enabling students to further their careers within the industry or expand into new fields," Buchanan says.

"The programme offers internationally oriented content, a wide range of international faculty and a global student body of industry professionals. It balances international management theories with practical case studies, giving students the opportunity to interact with fellow students globally."

Featuring specialisations in general management for service industries, marketing and innovation, and asset and revenue management, the programme provides immediate benefits for students and employers by allowing students to directly apply what they have learned to their respective organisations, Buchanan adds. The studies, including an applied business project, can be completed in about 21/2 years. There are five intakes per year to allow for increased flexibility.