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The Excellence Programme

In this 20 week programme you get to deepen your knowledge about the hospitality business by working on an real-life business case, which you get to present to an industry jury at the end. This extracurricular activity at the Hotel Management School Maastricht allows you to grow as a person and experience the hotel industry like no other! You will get exclusive guest lectures and you will be able to network with professionals from the industry.

Field trip to Utrecht, visit at The Anthony Hotel

Questions about the programme?

Contact: hmsmexcellence@zuyd.nl

Want to know more about our bachelor?

Download the factsheet

What does the Excellence Programme look like?

The Excellence Programme is a programme by and for students. This means that the content, the guest lectures, the field trips and everything else in the programme is organised by students. After you have participated in the programme, you get the chance to be part of the organising team yourself!

During a field trip (to e.g. Antwerp, Cologne, Rotterdam) you will visit an existing location which will be the base of your hospitality project. With additional instructions on budget, dimensions and other guidelines, you are challenged to create a unique concept (in the theme of hospitality) and deliver a successful project! 

The focus of the programme

The Excellence Programme consists of four pillars:

  • Concept Development
  • Market Research
  • Finance & Investment
  • Marketing & Sales

These four pillars all relate back to the business case. Every week you will get an inspiring guest lecture from an expert of the industry, related to one of these four pillars. The knowledge you gain on these topics can be immediately put into practice! This programme allows you to extensively develop your professional and personal skills. Learn to organise events, strenghten your communication and presentation skills, think outside the box and become a true leader in hospitality. 

Workshop at Yust Antwerp

Why should you join?

The Excellence Programme is a unique extracurricular activity that allows you to take the additional step beyond the regular curriculum. Thanks to our network of alumni and widespread connections, you get to experience exclusive company visits and guest lectures from professionals of the industry.

Being part of the Excellence Programme is a commitment and an honourable achievement. Within and outside of the Hotel School it is seen as a strong indicator for your further professional future. Upon successfully completing the programme you will receive an official certificate of completion, signed by the director of the Hotel Management School Maastricht. This will give your CV a boost and makes you stand out from the crowd.

You can apply for the programme once you are in module 5 and 6 of your bachelor. After a careful selection process, based on both academic and personal performance, only 5% of all eligible students are allowed to enter the programme. The Excellence Programme is fully in English.  

Student competitions

As of year 3 of your education you will be able to participate in international hotel school competitions. As a student in the Excellence Programme you have priority in joining competitions. You can also develop your leadership, teamwork and organisational skills by e.g. joining the HSMAI Student Council. 

Examples of student competitions and events you can participate in:

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Huub Hoppener - Student Edition 11
"The Excellence Programme is a tough challenge, but realistic. The experience you gain from building something from the ground up is invaluable, let alone the chance to speak with incredible guest lecturers."
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Louk van Rooijen - Student Edition 10
"I 100% recommend anyone to take on this extra challenge. Personally, I really like to make the most of every opportunity. This was a great moment for me to showcase my dedication.I learned how to plan well, set boundaries, and build great discipline."
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Kevin van Ommen - Student Edition 9, Internal Coordinator Ed. 11 & 12
"I really loved my time during the Excellence Programme. I especially loved the connectivity within my group and between the other groups and the new insight it gave me on the hotel industry."
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Victoria Hamacher - Student Edition 9
"Being part of the Excellence Programme was an amazing opportunity that allowed me to gain valuable insights into the world of hospitality. This challenging but exciting journey helped me to grow into the professional HMSM student I want to become."
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Alisha Rennals - Student Edition 8
"Participating in the programme has fulfilled me personally and professionally. It allowed me to embrace challenges along the way and how to handle a good amount of workload. If I could repeat the journey, I would. It helped me to build great discipline."
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Juliette de Meer - Student Edition 7 and External Coordinator Ed. 9 & 10
"It's been an incredible experience offering theoretical insights on the hospitality industry as well as an opportunity to grow personally. The programme made me even more excited about hospitality and brought me into contact with many interesting people."
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Valentina Wießmeier - Student Edition 6 and External Coordinator Ed. 8 & 9, YHS 2023,SHC 2023
"Being both a participant and coordinator of the Excellence Programme was the ticket to an incredible learning journey. I'm grateful for the existence of the programme which gives students the opportunity for challenging themselves outside the curriculum."
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Martha Årdal - Student Edition 8 and External Coordinator Ed. 10 & 11, YHS 2024, SHC 2024
"This programme lit a spark in me that I did not know I was missing. So many doors have been opened and both personally and professionally the programme has been one of the best things I ever did. If you want an extra challenge, this is for you!"