Some Universities of Applied Sciences offer an UAS Health Care degree course in Nursing that is aimed exclusively at qualified nurses with an UAS degree, while other degree courses are also open to graduates with a Federal Vocational Baccalaureate, Specialized Baccalaureate or Baccalaureate, as well as holders of specific UAS or AFPE degrees (such as Podiatrist UAS, Druggist UAS, Activation Specialist UAS, etc.) who have completed a nursing internship before starting their studies. Detailed admission requirements can be obtained directly from the relevant Universities via the contact form.

Both the HF and FH nursing degrees are at tertiary level. This also means that both nursing degrees impart knowledge in a very practical way and work closely with the world of work. The difference between HF and FH in the nursing profession lies in the:

• Admission requirements: While an EFZ or technical secondary school certificate is sufficient for the HF Pflege (Höhere Fachschule Pflege), a Fachmaturität, Berufsmaturität or gymnasiale Maturität is required for Pflege FH (Fachhochschule) as a university profession.
• Duration: It is the same for both full-time variants - namely 3 years. In the part-time form, the FH takes 4 to 4.5 years and HF only three to four years.
• Teaching structure: Compared to HF, FH teaches in-depth scientific knowledge (research, theory and control). HF, on the other hand, focuses on expanding practical knowledge - also through close exchange with the Swiss job market.
• Degree: The HF diploma is a federal diploma in the field of nursing called dip. Pflegefachfrau/Pflegefachmann HF. The FH degree is a bachelor's degree in nursing - i.e. Bachelor of Science (FH) in Nursing.
• Career prospects: Both degrees enable good placement in the job market - with HF in activities with practical, technical and management-related questions as a nursing specialist (possibly team leader or responsible learner) or with FH activities in the design, control and development of products and services, e.g. as a ward manager.
• Salary: The salary for nurses depends on qualifications, regionality, area of work and function. While the average salary range for nurses HF is CHF 5,300 to CHF 5,935 per month, the salary for nurses FH is between CHF 5,600 and CHF 6,699.

The difference between HF and FH in the nursing profession, as well as the right choice for yourself, therefore depends in particular on your previous education, but also on your later professional goals. Both degrees offer an opportunity for career changers in the nursing profession.