What does the everyday working life of HF business economists with a HF diploma look like?

A business economist HF has the generalist skills required to take on specialist or management positions in various areas of the company. These can be tasks in the areas of marketing, HR, accounting, project management, process management, IT or in other specialist areas.

In SMEs, business economists HF with the relevant professional experience are often found in management positions. Their strength is their versatile specialist knowledge and the associated company-wide perspective. In practice, a business economist HF creates concepts, optimizes business processes, plans and manages projects and takes on various implementation tasks.

Target group and skills: Who is the Business Administration HF further education course suitable for? What qualities and skills are required?

Further training in business administration at a university of applied sciences to become a business economist HF is suitable for

• for professionals with basic vocational training (EFZ) in the commercial sector and corresponding commercial work experience who would like to receive general business management training in order to be able to take on specialist and management tasks in the future.
• for interested persons with a corresponding federal certificate of proficiency and practical experience who would like to continue their education in the field of business administration and would like to do a generalist training rather than a specialization.
• for ambitious professionals with an apprenticeship (EFZ) in the commercial sector and relevant professional experience who would like to better understand business management contexts and give their career a boost with a generalist business management training course.

Business economists HF should have the following personal qualities and skills:

• analytical and conceptual skills
• quick comprehension and good communication skills
• networked thinking and acting
• Independent and reliable way of working
• Ability to work in a team
• Flexibility and resilience
• Sense of responsibility
• Leadership and organizational talent
• Communication and negotiation skills
• Customer and service orientation

Prerequisites for admission to business administration Further training in business administration HF at a university of applied sciences

The following admission requirements must generally be met in order to begin a business administration course at a university of applied sciences: (Please note: The respective university of applied sciences decides independently on the admission procedure for business administration studies at a university of applied sciences.* This is set out in its study regulations).

• Completion of a three-year apprenticeship as an EFZ commercial clerk or EFZ retail specialist**

Or

• Completion of three years of basic vocational training (EFZ) in another field and at least two years of professional experience in the commercial/business management field (with at least 80% professional activity)

Or

• Completion of a high school diploma or technical secondary school and at least two years of commercial/business experience (with at least 80% professional experience)

Further conditions:

• At least 70% employment in the commercial/business administration area during the business administration course.

Or

• At least 50% employment in the commercial/business administration sector during the business administration course, if the student has worked in the commercial/business administration sector for at least 80% of the time for two years before starting the course.

Notes:

• Some schools also offer specific preliminary courses, for example in accounting or English. Please contact the provider of your choice directly.
• At some schools, a shortened period of study is possible for technical business graduates with a federal certificate.

* The courses offered by the universities of applied sciences (HF) are based on framework curricula developed jointly by education providers and industry associations and approved by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI). If the PET colleges adhere to existing framework curricula in the detailed design of their courses, their PET courses are federally recognized and lead to a protected title.

** Direct admission is possible with a relevant EFZ. For a list of the relevant EFZs, please contact theSponsorship"RLP Business Administration HF, c/o Kalaidos Education Group Switzerland".

Subject matter and content of the training

In principle, the course content of the HF degree course for HF business economists is based on the "HF business administration" framework curriculum. The sponsors are the "Interessensgemeinschaft Kaufmännische Grundbildung - IGKG Schweiz", "Kaufmännischer Verband Schweiz" and "HFW.ch". They are responsible for the creation of the framework curriculum and its periodic review in terms of topicality and quality.

Nevertheless, the universities of applied sciences have a certain amount of leeway in the design of their study programs for future HF business economists. For example, they can also offer specializations. Which course content is ultimately covered and how it is structured can therefore vary from HF to HF.

As a rule, the following topics are covered in a business administration course at higher technical college level:

• Management / Leadership / Management
• Marketing / Public Relations (PR)
• Communication
• Business Administration (BWL) / Economics (VWL)
• Procurement and logistics (supply chain management)
• Production
• Human Resources / HR
• Finance and accounting, bookkeeping
• Quality, environment, safety
• Computer science
• Project management
• Business processes / organizational design and development
• Law, Taxes
• Statistics

Costs and financing of further training

The costs vary depending on the provider, training location and training model. In general, the following costs must be expected for the 6-semester HF course:

• Tuition fees:between CHF 11,800-18,000 for students resident in the canton where the course is held*. The costs for the examinations and diploma thesis are generally included in the course fees. Members of the Kaufmännischer Verband receive a member discount of 10% on the course costs.You can find more information here.
• Additional costs:Some providers charge extra costs for the enrolment fee and the student ID card, preliminary courses (optional), teaching materials, training documents, examination/diploma thesis and examination retakes. Find out about the additional costs directly from the HF of your choice.
• Acquisition of additional qualificationsFor additional qualifications such as an English certificate from Cambridge, you must expect extra costs for the preparation and external examination.

* Courses at universities of applied sciences are financially supported by the cantons. Students from outside the canton pay higher tuition fees. The following conditions apply in order to receive cantonal funding:

• at least two years of residence in the canton
• The course is listed on the EDK (Swiss Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education) list of eligible courses (you will find the link to the list in the answer texts).

Duration of study, number of lessons and learning effort

• Duration of study:The HF degree course in Business Administration is modular and lasts 6 semesters*.
• Number of lessons:With a relevant EFZ, the course comprises 3600 learning hours. For courses without a relevant EFZ, the number of learning hours is usually increased; please contact the school of your choice. The professional activity during the training (as so-called "accompanying relevant professional activity") is credited with 720 learning hours towards the training period. Learning hours also include contact studies (with qualified supervision), guided self-study, free self-study, performance reviews, examinations after the first year of study, project work in a team and diploma thesis. How these learning hours are divided up in terms of time is defined in the framework curriculum.
• Training models:The course is only offered on a part-time basis. Classes take place two evenings a week, for example, or on a whole weekday or on Saturdays. This can vary from HF to HF.
• Teaching format:Many schools offer a mix of face-to-face and online courses (online, hybrid teaching, blended learning).
• Learning effort:You should allow sufficient time to prepare for and follow up on the lessons and for self-study - how much depends on your prior knowledge, working style, learning speed and chosen training model. We recommend that you allow at least 4-6 hours per week for the part-time model.

* At some schools, for example, technical business graduates with a federal diploma (BP) can benefit from a shortened course of study. Please contact the school of your choice directly.

Note: Some schools offer so-called "taster lessons". This gives you the opportunity to gain an insight into the lessons and the learning atmosphere. Important aspects on the way to a successful graduation. It is best to contact the school of your choice directly for a taster lesson.

Degree, diploma and title

The degree course in Business Administration HF concludes with a diploma examination consisting of three parts:

1. The results of the previous semester examinations
2. Project work during the Business Administration course in a team/group, usually written in the last two years of study
3. and a diploma thesis. The thesis is practice-oriented; candidates have the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge, skills and networked thinking. The thesis is written individually on a topic relevant to business administration. It is written at the end of the course (can also be integrated into the 5th or 6th semester). Here too, the time frame is determined by the respective HF in its study regulations. The thesis is also presented to a group of experts (panel of experts) and then defended in a discussion.

The details of implementation are regulated by the respective HF in its study regulations.

Diploma and title

Graduates of the course receive an HF diploma and are entitled to use the federally recognized and protected professional title "Diplomierte Betriebswirtschafter / dipl. Betriebswirtschafterin HF".

In French: "Économiste d'entreprise diplôme ES / Économiste d'entreprise diplômée ES"

In Italian: "Economista aziendale dipl. SSS"

In English (recommendation, but not a protected title): "Advanced Federal Diploma of Higher Education in Business Administration"