From tourist to expert in one step.

Tourism goes beyond simple visits to places. It involves understanding a location comprehensively, from climatic factors to geography and human behavior. Our program specializes in culinary tourism, offering a strategic approach aligned with the most innovative trends. The focus is on the management and design of gastronomic experiences, equipping students with the skills necessary to excel in an industry that provides increasing professional opportunities due to the growing interest in gastronomy within the tourism sector.

Located in Donostia-San Sebastián, the epicenter of culinary tourism, our master's program provides a unique opportunity to learn and work in an environment steeped in tradition and culinary culture. Pintxos, local markets, restaurants, and the quality of regional products are just a few examples of the gastronomic richness this region has to offer, and our program is the gateway to discovering it.

Practical information

• Start Date: november 2024

• Number of credits: 60 ECTS

• Part-Time On-Site Format

• Duration: 10 months in total

  • 4 months online (november 2024 to march 2025)

  • 3 months in-person (march to june 2025)

  • 3 months of internships (june to september 2025)

• 20 Spots Available

• Master 's Degree awarded by Mondragon Unibertsitatea, delivered by the Faculty of Gastronomic Sciences at Basque Culinary Center.

• For inquiries and further information, please contact us at cursos@bculinary.com.

​Master'S Objectives

• Design, position, and promote creative, innovative, and competitive products and experiences in Gastronomic Tourism.

• Understand the operation of Gastronomic Tourism destinations.

• Implement tourist and marketing plans for Gastronomic Tourism.

• Address the relationship with markets to attract and establish successful and lasting relationships with gastronomic tourists.

• Develop sensory skills that allow for understanding and distinguishing tasting and sensory evaluation processes.

Career Opportunities

We understand that professional opportunities can vary based on geographical location and individual preferences; however, with this program, participants can take on roles and functions in the following positions and areas:

• Tourism and gastronomy advisor/consultant.

• Director of tourist destinations with a gastronomic component.

• Organizer of gastronomic events.

• Wine tourism manager in wineries.

• Tourism manager in dairies, oil mills, etc.

• Travel agent in agencies specializing in gastronomic tourism.

• Experience manager in hotels or hotel chains.

• Guide for gastronomic tours.

Personal Experiencies

10+1 Reasons

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The Master's program is designed for individuals with the following profiles:

• Recent graduates in Tourism, Business Administration, Marketing, Communication, Advertising, Public Relations, etc.

• Professionals in the tourism industry with an interest in specializing in gastronomic tourism.

• Managers and technicians responsible for tourist destinations who wish to enhance gastronomic tourism in their regions.

• Professionals in Business Administration, Marketing, Communication, Advertising, and Public Relations looking to specialize in gastronomic tourism.

• Professionals aiming to start a business in the field of gastronomic tourism.

Language Requirements:

• Some sessions will be conducted in English, so a minimum level of B2 (upper-intermediate) English proficiency is valued.

If your profile does not align with the points above and you are interested in the Master's program, do not hesitate to apply. We will assess your education and experience and get in touch with you.

Programme

The Master's Degree study programme gives students overall competencies, supplemented with a period of work placement during which the final project is prepared.

Master's thesis

Creation of a gastronomy tourism development and marketing plan at a certain destination from the perspective of organisation of tourism management at the destination, or a tourism development and marketing plan for a gastronomy tourism business. There is also a possibility of a research itinerary, which could focus on topics in connection with the relationships between the world of food, gastronomy and tourism, from the academic-research perspective.

The project will be presented either in situ or in a virtual format in September 2024.

Program outline

 Collaboration agreements with over 700 companies and institutions working in the catering sector and tourism, among which the World Tourism Organisation, for you to carry out an internship with the institution.

Calendar

• Total Duration: 10 months

• Number of credits: 60 ECTS 

• Online Academic Period: november 2024 to march 2025 (4 months)

• On-site Academic Period: march to may 2025 (3 months)

• Schedule:

  • Online Component: live sessions on Thursdays at 7:00 PM (CEST)

  • On- site Component: monday to thursday from 3:15 PM to 8:15 PM (CEST)

• Curricular Internships: june to september 2025 (3 months)

*Please note that some of the learning journeys, gastronomic activities, or guest sessions may be scheduled in the morning or on different days of the week as compared to the above-mentioned timings.

Methodology

The program is delivered using the "learning by doing" methodology, which is based on the idea that the best way to learn is through practical experience and direct action. Instead of focusing solely on theory and passive instruction, this methodology encourages students to acquire knowledge and skills by actively participating in practical activities and real projects.

The online component, will include live classes that include challenges, practical workshops, case studies, collaborative work, and guided learning by expert instructors.

• 100% designed content for online training, interdisciplinary, and applicable.

• Audiovisual resources such as interviews and reports. 

• Weekly live classes with professors and experts, 

• Live working sessions guided by experts

• Individual and group activities such as challenges, interactive exercises, assignments, tests, forum participation

• Continuous guidance and mentoring throughout the learning process.

Teachers and guests

Students will have the opportunity to learn from accomplished professionals in the field, recognized for their academic, intellectual, and social influence, as well as their impactful contributions. The program features a panel of instructors composed of seasoned culinary experts with specialized knowledge in the field of Gastronomy.

Teachers

Expert collaborators

Fees / Grants

The total cost of the Master's program is €11.030, and it will be paid as follows:

• €150 upon application (fully refundable in case of non-admission).

• €2.720 (25% of the total) upon confirmation of admission as a reservation fee.

• The remaining amount will be paid in 3 installments of €2.720 to be paid in the months of November, January, and March.

The price includes:

• Access to the online training platform.

• Learning journeys (transportation, visit management, accommodation, and breakfast).

• Masterclasses by guest experts.

• Management of curricular internships.

• Participation in other activities and events organized by Basque Culinary Center.

• Access to the more than 5,000 references in the Faculty Library.

• Issuance and delivery of the diploma.

Admission

Basque Culinary Center has an admissions system aimed at ensuring that our students have the academic level and personal competencies necessary to successfully complete an innovative and demanding curriculum. After completing the application process, the Admissions Committee will select the admitted candidates.

*Note for foreign students: To study a programme with a duration of more than 90 days, students from countries outside the Schengen Area must make arrangements for a long-duration student visa to enable them to reside legally in Spain. The Faculty will provide each student with the necessary documentation to obtain the visa when the course booking has been confirmed.

Students must also comply with any other requisites stipulated by the Spanish Embassy. You can consult the entire administration process in this section for arrangements to be made before travelling.

Basque Culinary Center will provide the following academic documentation, which is necessary to obtain the visa:

• Certificate of registration, signed and stamped by Basque Culinary Center

• Teaching programme stamped by Basque Culinary Center

• Academic calendar stamped by Basque Culinary Center

For any queries or further information, please contact admisiones@bculinary.com 

Student service

Accommodation

More information about accommodation here

Other accommodation options

Religious residences

These types of residence are small and have restricted entrance times. The rooms can be single or double and they do not always have an ensuite bathroom. Those that offer full board may not offer all the meals at weekends. Admission to these residences entails a personal interview with the families. The prices given below are approximate.
 

Female residences

Male residences

Secular residences

These are mixed and are larger than the religious residences. As a general rule, they do not have entrance times.

Mixed residences

Accommodation in shared flats

Prior authorisation from interested parties, the BCC Students'Office favours contact among admitted students so that they can organise themselves to share flats. Traditionally, students have created groups in social media to contact each other. The BCC also informs students about rented flat offers that the owners send us. The average price per student in a shared flat in Donostia-San Sebastian is around €300 per month.

Procedures before travelling

Students from European Union member countries, Norway, Switzerland. Liechtenstein and Iceland will not require a visa to reside in Spain.

Other international students will have to request a long-term student visa which will allow them to reside in Spain for a period longer than 180 days.

Visas should be requested from, and issued by the Diplomatic Missions and Spanish Consul Offices abroad.  It is important to obtain information on the required documentation and gather it as soon as possible, since the relevant authorities may take up to two months to notify that visas will be granted.

Once students have arrived in Donostia-San Sebastian, they have one month from the time of their arrival to request the foreign students’ card at the Foreign Residents Office in Donostia-San Sebastian. The students’ office of the BCC will provide the necessary information to students in this matter.

Sport service

Through the MU Sports Service, students can access team sports as well as individual sporting activities and Group trips (weekend skiing, surfing trips….).

Donostia-San Sebastian also has an extensive offer of municipal sporting facilities. The Kirol Txartela (sport card) permits access to all the city’s municipal facilities at a very economical price. For more information, go to the following link.

Cost of living info

Information on the COST OF LIVING in San Sebastian is given below:

Donostia - San Sebastián

Donostia-San Sebastian is the administrative capital of Gipuzkoa, one of the territories that integrates the Basque Country. There are two official languages: Spanish and Basque.

On the banks of the Bay of Biscay,, Donostia-San Sebastián is a small town within a natural framework of incomparable beauty. A holiday destination for monarchs and nobles during the Belle Epoque, Donostia-San Sebastian arose as a lordly city where tradition and modernity exist side by side.

If there is something that can compete with its spectacular beauty that is its gastronomy: cradle of the “new Basque cuisine”, Mecca of culinary avant-garde and the world capital of the pintxo, Donostia-San Sebastian is the city with the most Michelin stars per square metres in the world. The importance of its restaurants, its famous gastronomic societies and the quality of its raw material convert Donostia-San Sebastian into a gastronomic reference in the world. Not in vain, the British magazine, “Which”, chose Donostia-San Sebastian as the best gastronomic destination in the world.

Over the last few years, innovation and sustainability have been the two main pillars for the development of Donostia-San Sebastian, which has fostered an ideal city of pedestrians and bicycles.

Why study gastronomy in Donostia-San Sebastian?:

• ecause in Donostia-San Sebastian, as in the rest of the Basque Country, gastronomy forms part of society and good food is present at any event and celebration. Donostia-San Sebastian, a city of 185,000 inhabitants, has 120 gastronomic societies.
• Because four of the eight restaurants with three Michelin stars in Spain are in the Basque Country, three of them in Donostia-San Sebastian.
• Because of its cultural offer, which includes internationally renowned film and jazz festivals. Donostia-San Sebastian has been named as European Capital of Culture for 2016.
• Due to its beaches, ideal for practicing surf all year round.
• Due to its mountains, just 2.5 hours from the Pyrenees.
• Because it is a safe, accessible and welcoming city.

How to reach Donostia-San Sebastian

Donostia-San Sebastian is connected to the main Spanish cities by bus, train and plane. The airport of Donostia-San Sebastian is 20 kilometres from the city. It is a small airport with direct flights from Madrid and Barcelona. It has a bus service to the city centre. The international airport of Bilbao is one hour from Donostia-San Sebastian, and it is connected to the city with a frequent bus service from the actual airport. The international airport of Biarritz is 45 minutes away although it only offers a direct bus to Donostia-San Sebastian once a day. DISTANCE IN KMS.

• Bilbao – 99 km
• Biarritz – 50 km
• Madrid – 450 km
• Barcelona – 570 km

BCulinary Alumni

You can access all the information in the following link.