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About Glion

Glion Institute of Higher Education is an international hospitality management institution based in Switzerland. Opened in the spring of 1962 in the former Bellevue Hotel, Glion has been offering degree programs that combine industry knowledge with managerial skills and personal development for nearly 50 years.

Every year, Glion provides tertiary level education for approximately 1,500 students from 90 countries around the world. The success of our graduates can be attributed to Glion's time-tested fusion of practice and theory, combined with our close ties with the hospitality industry and our faculty focus on creating reflective practitioners.

For over 48 years, thousands of graduates have gone through the "Glion Experience" and carry the famous "Glion Spirit" out as Alumni to represent our institution as leaders in the hospitality industry.

Glion and Laureate Hospitality Education

Glion Institute of Higher Education is part of Laureate Hospitality Education, the most extensive group of hospitality schools - with a consortium of 8 institutions in 5 countries and 4 continents - providing hospitality, tourism, event, sport and entertainment management education to over 7,500 hospitality students annually.

Laureate Hospitality Education network is united by a passionate philosophy towards the hospitality industry which combines an outstanding business education with practical expertise and experience in the industry.

Online Partnership

Glion and Laureate Online Education

The online services partnership between Glion Institute of Higher Education and Laureate Online Education bring together a unique combination of resource capabilities and academic excellence.

Glion is responsible for the academic quality of the online MBA and awards the Master degree. Laureate Online Education makes Glion's MBA program available online, provides the e-learning environment, and personal student support. Both organizations are renowned for quality, innovation and a commitment to continuous improvement in online teaching and learning for working professionals.

Ranking

Glion again ranked among the top hospitality management schools worldwide!

“In a global survey of 5-star hotel hiring managers, Glion was ranked number 2 among all international hospitality management schools for an international career.  Statistically, three institutes occupy this ranking position.”

(TNS Global Survey, September 2010).

This industry research was conducted by one of the most respected market research firms in the industry, Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS). The goal of the ranking survey was to benchmark academic programs and career prospects for students in international hospitality education universities.

In the summer of 2010, an online survey was delivered to an extensive worldwide employer database. The potential respondent database is comprised of more than 50,000 hospitality professionals working in more than 70 countries. The potential respondents received an email from TNS inviting them to participate in this survey, which was then accessed by a link to a questionnaire which was hosted on a secure site by TNS. To maintain objectivity, the name of Laureate/LHE was not revealed to respondents. Over 10’000 recipients opened the email, while over 1’000 clicked on the link of the survey itself.

What were the results?

1. The Top 4 schools as rated by industry hiring managers are Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne, Les Roches International School of Hotel Management, Glion Institute of Higher Education and Cornell University. This result matches the findings of the TNS survey conducted in 2007 in the sense that Glion Institute of Higher Education remains among the top hospitality schools in the world for an international career.
2. Of note is that three of the top four schools are Swiss hospitality management institutes. Switzerland remains the foremost worldwide leader in international hospitality management education.
3. Six of the Top 10 schools have direct links with Switzerland.

Like any research, the results of this survey should be considered within the factual context and methodology of the survey. To increase transparency, the White Paper is available online offering the complete details of how this survey was conducted.

Click here for the full details in the TNS White Paper.

A message from the CEO

A university or a higher education is an important investment, a pathway to career choices, and a foundation for lifelong networking and a successful future. At Glion Institute of Higher Education, we are confident that we provide excellent value in all of these areas, ensuring that our graduates enter the workforce as well-rounded leaders who are ready to manage and motivate teams in any type of organization.

A degree from Glion opens up the doors for a career in hospitality and events management, two industries which are growing steadily and which provide diverse career opportunities. The World Travel and Tourism Council estimates that over the next ten years, the industry's total contribution to GDP is expected to rise by 4.2% per year to reach US$ 9.2 trillion in 2021, which translates to approximately 65 million new jobs in ten years. By 2021, 10% of workers on the planet will be employed in Travel & Tourism and related sectors (WTTC, March 2011). This encouraging forecast indicates that a world of opportunity is opening for people who want to work in hospitality, tourism, gaming, entertainment, events, sports management or travel.

By choosing Glion, you will join a team of passionate educators committed to developing future leaders along with a team of enthusiastic students dedicated to becoming successful managers and entrepreneurs. With almost 50 years of expertise in Swiss hospitality management education, Glion provides the highest quality of programs and training in this area along with industry insight and career development services to ensure a successful transition into professional life.

I wish you success as you explore your options for an exciting future and I look forward to welcome you to Glion.

Kind regards.

Philippe Attia

Glion Faculty

All Glion Online Faculty have higher degrees (masters or a doctorate) from well established institutions, substantial practical experience in appropriate businesses, international experience and considerable teaching experience.

In addition to their existing online teaching experience, the Faculty are also required to take part in bespoke online training for the Glion program.

Faculty are expected to bring a combination of practical expertise and a strong academic knowledge base to the online classroom in order to promote students to critically analyze both academic and practical problems, and to enable students to find new alternative and creative solutions for them.

"In the past people could move up the career ladder on experience alone, nowadays we are seeing that employers are also asking for a high-level of education from working professionals looking to climb the career ladder."

"The Online MBA program balances international management theory with practical case studies of real life problems within the wider service industries.  Our fantastic online learning environment will give our students the unique opportunity to interact with a highly international group of student peers."

Dr. Martin Senior

Program Leader for the online MBA

Click here to read Dr. Senior’s professional biography.

"The online Glion MBA extends our educational portfolio to those business professionals who want to use sound theory and applied practice for personal development and career advancement. It is an excellent opportunity to continue lifelong learning in a global classroom while retaining the competitive edge of paid employment."

Dr. Lyn Glanz

Dean of the Graduate School

Click here to read Dr. Glanz’s biography.

For more information about the full Glion Faculty, please click here.

Alumni

For nearly 50 years, Glion has been a leader in educating the finest hospitality and leisure professionals. All our graduates become members of our alumni network. The Alumni website allows graduates to maintain relationships, network and connect with other Alumni from around the world.

Glion has a very active Alumni Network servicing our international graduates from all over the world. The Glion Alumni Association counts for over 8,000 Alumni whose work situations range from junior to senior executives in over 120 countries.
Graduate of the Glion Institute of Higher Education breakdown into the following job profiles:

1. Owners: 11,2%
2. Presidents & Vice-Presidents: 5,6%
3. General / Hotel Manager: 7,%
4. Directors / Managers: 28,2%
5. Mid-Manager / Supervisors: 14,2%

Glion's Alumni Events in Numbers

With the support of the international Alumni network, graduates will continue to carry the famous "Glion Spirit" beyond their studies in both their professional and social networks.  To support the Alumni network, events are regularly organized around the world.

1. Events organized worldwide: 45
2. AAG Committee meetings: 4
3. General Assembly: 1
4. Alumni Indsutry Panel: 1
5. Alumni visits in Bulle/Glion: 40

To visit the Glion Alumni Association website click here.

Glion Advisory Board

Making sure the Online MBA and Postgraduate programs are current and up-to-date; the role of the Glion Advisory Board is to advise the school about the evolution and trends of the hospitality, tourism, and wider services industry. The Advisory Board will also ensure the subject matter of the Online MBA in International Hospitality and Service Industries Management and the Postgraduate programs meets the highest academic standards that define one of the world's prestigious hospitality management universities.

Video

Members of the Advisory Board share their views on developing talent for the international hospitality industry

Play Video

Student Impressions

At Glion we are particularly proud of the students that study on our online program – all of whom are business professionals looking to excel in their careers and further their expertise with continuous learning.

Read what they have to say about the Online MBA program, their first impressions of Glion and online learning.

"The hotelier of the future needs to be a great leader, smart communicator and financial expert. The Glion Online MBA teaches me such skills and is therefore an ideal program to enhance my career. Only nine months after starting the program, I have been promoted to Resident Manager of our flagship property Banyan Tree Phuket, and I am sure that the master's degree will enable me to achieve my goal of becoming a General Manager."

Johannes Rabl
Resident Manager, Banyan Tree Phuket, Thailand

"In our very first class we have students representing 17 nationalities working in 18 countries. It is an amazing experience to learn from so many hospitality professionals, everyone has such a wealth of skills and knowledge. And the study time is flexible to my daily professional and personal activities. This is the perfect venture for all of us in the professional world trying to achieve an MBA, and I would highly recommend it."

Jacqueline Volkart
General Manager
The Ritz-Carlton, Coconut Grove
Miami

"I'm a brand person. With the Glion brand, I trust in my future success. With Glion, you get the whole package – knowledge, recognition and a fully accredited degree that is recognized by the industry. Having the knowledge, education and background combined with the right network is what brings someone to the next level in their career."

Andrew Garcia
General Manager, Howard Johnson Business Club Hotel Shanghai, China

Close Industry Ties

Glion has close ties to the hospitality, tourism and wider services industry supported by our dedicated and active Industry Advisory Board. Composed of industry professionals in key positions, their role is to advise Glion about the evolution and trends of the industry.

Read what they have to say about the Glion Institute and how we develop executive talent for the global hospitality industry.

"When I look at the curriculum of the Glion Institute it certainly meets the needs of our companies.  Our five business essentials are: grow on a global basis, brilliant execution, market leading returns and world class brands, and to do all this we want to win with talent and I think that the Glion Institute certainly takes a major step to develop the talent that we need for the future."

Martin Franck
Senior Vice-President HR
EMEA Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide
Member of the Glion Institute of Higher Education Industry Advisory Board

"What I've experienced in Glion since I was here [as a student] and today, is that Glion has an enormous capacity to adapt its programs to market needs. The program that I was here to study in 1997 and the one offered today has changed. But it has changed in the right direction and will continue to change in the future – and this is great because I think the people here, the management and the staff are continuously looking to improve.  This is certainly the case with the new online MBA program that will bring the market something that meets new demands."

Jaume Tapiès
President of Relais & Chateaux
Member of the Glion Institute of Higher Education Industry Advisory Board
Glion Graduate 1989

Accreditation & Recognition

New England Association of Schools and Colleges

Glion Institute of Higher Education is accredited at university level by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc. through its Commission on Institutions of Higher Education (CIHE). Glion is one of only three schools in Switzerland to hold this University level accreditation.

Accreditation by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) indicates that Glion meets or exceeds the standards for institutional quality assurance, which are periodically assessed through a peer review process. An accredited college or university has the necessary resources to achieve its stated purpose through appropriate educational programs, is substantially doing so, and gives reasonable evidence that it will continue to do so in the foreseeable future. Institutional integrity is also addressed through accreditation.

State Recognition

Glion is recognized by the Canton of Fribourg-Switzerland. In 2005, Glion underwent an in-depth review that resulted in the recognition of the Canton of Fribourg, where we deliver our degrees.

Click here for more information.

Other Recognitions

1. Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education in the UK - this agency sets benchmarks for graduates and makes recommendations on the curriculum content.
2. EdExcel is a curriculum design and awards provider in the UK for vocational awards; they set standards for the content of the programs up to higher diploma level. They also give guidance on learning outcomes, assessment methods and graduate common skills.
3. Advisory Board Composed of industry professionals in key positions, their role is to advise Glion about the evolution and trends of the industry.
   For a complete list of the members of the board, please click here.