Culinary Arts Academy Switzerland

With a focus on entrepreneurship, discover cuisine from around the world with our state of the art culinary facilities. Choose between two campuses, Le Bouveret (French-speaking Switzerland) and Lucerne (German-speaking Switzerland). Focus on French and Italian dishes,  specialise in Swiss Pastry or become an expert in the Art of Chocolate.

Culinary Arts Academy was founded in 1991 and the following year, Domino Carlton Tivoli International Hotel Management Career Centre, as the school was first known, welcomed its first students to its campus in Lucerne’s Carlton-Tivoli Hotel building overlooking the shores of Lake Lucerne. In this location, the school grew and developed in its first years, establishing initial relationships with both Johnson & Wales University and Lynn University.

In 1996, DCT International Hotel & Business Management School was formed when a group of the original Swiss founders formed a partnership to take over from its original investors. DCT also expanded its programme offerings, adding courses specialising in European Gourmet Cuisine and in European Pastry and Chocolate to the initial Diploma and Postgraduate Diploma programmes in Hotel & Tourism Management, as well as establishing partnerships with Florida International University and the University of Massachusetts - Amherst.

In 2003, DCT moved its campus out of the 100-year-old Carlton-Tivoli Hotel building and further along the shores of Lake Lucerne to the village of Vitznau. In this setting, DCT continued to develop and grow, including the addition of an MBA in Hospitality Management program and the new Master Gourmet Culinary Arts course, plus an expanded relationship with Lynn University and its Switzerland Program.

In 2011, Swiss Education Group [1] acquired DCT University Center. DCT University Center was renamed to Culinary Arts Academy Switzerland and its two campuses are shared with another Swiss Education Groups school, César Ritz Colleges Switzerland.

In 2012, the campus moved to downtown Lucerne – back to the centre of the city where the school was founded more than two decades earlier. The César Ritz Colleges/Culinary Arts Academy campus is now housed in modern facilities in Lucerne near Löwenplatz, bordering the city’s historical and central shopping districts.

Please complete the application form and send it with the following documents:

• High-school/university certificates/transcripts
• Proof of English proficiency (TOEFL or IELTS or OOPT or equivalent)
• Completed Statement of Health document
• Copy of passport
• Four passport-size photographs (3x4 cm – required upon arrival in Switzerland)
• Curriculum vitae (résumé)
• Motivation letter
• Work reference letters (if available)

• Student Services

When you join our hotel school, you will become a part of a bigger family. Whether you find yourself far from home for the first time, or if you need a bit of friendly academic advice, we make sure there is always someone you can talk to.

• Activities & Events

Discover a selection of sporting and social activities throughout the academic year organised with the help of the Student Ambassador Forum and our experienced Sports & Leisure Coordinator.

• Discover Switzerland

From skiing to rowing, Art Basel to the Montreux Jazz Festival, discover what Switzerland can offer you. Located in the heart of Europe, explore some of the world's most beautiful landscapes with an eclectic cultural heritage.