Target group and skills: Who is a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science at a university of applied sciences suitable for? What qualities and skills are required?

The Bachelor's degree programs in Computer Science (FH) are aimed at people with a high affinity for computer science who want to be at the forefront of shaping our digital future.

If you are fascinated by mobile apps, databases, networks, etc. and would like to spend a large part of your working time between programming codes and network protocols, algorithms and operating systems, you have the right qualifications. If you also have the ability to think logically and abstractly, an understanding of mathematics, a love of innovation and creativity, you are well suited to IT studies, training and further education.

Requirements for admission to a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science at a university of applied sciences:

Who can study IT is decided independently by the respective universities of applied sciences*.

For admission to the Bachelor's degree program in Computer Science, you must generally meet one of the following requirements:

• Apprenticeship qualification with EFZ in an IT-related technical or craft/technical profession** with a technical or commercial vocational baccalaureate
• Apprenticeship qualification in another technical or craft/industrial/technical profession*** with technical or commercial vocational baccalaureate and preliminary course in programming
• Apprenticeship certificate with EFZ and degree from a higher technical college HF Technik or Wirtschaft
• High school diploma or specialized baccalaureate and at least one year of professional experience/internship in the field of IT
• High school diploma and internship contract with an IT company (this applies to an internship-integrated Bachelor's degree program)

In addition:

• For part-time courses, a minimum of 50% employment in the field of computer science is required.
• In addition: Depending on previous education and experience, it is sometimes possible to have credits recognized. Here too, the decision lies with the universities of applied sciences.

Note:Some universities of applied sciences offer voluntary preliminary courses (e.g. mathematics, programming, physics, languages) to prepare you ideally for your studies.

*As already mentioned, the respective universities of applied sciences decide on admission to studies. They can largely design their courses themselves. Institutional accreditation in accordance with the Higher Education Funding and Coordination Act (HFKG) (Chapter 5.) of the federal government is a prerequisite for the designation right "university of applied sciences" or "university" and "university of teacher education", the granting of federal contributions and program accreditation.

**Examples of computer science-related professions: Automation technician, electronics technician, computer scientist, mediamatician

***Examples of other skilled trades and technical professions: Automotive mechatronics technician, chemical and pharmaceutical technologist, printing technologist, building technology planner, design engineer, laboratory technician, mediamatician, polygraphic technician, telematics technician, textile technologist

Subject matter and content of the course

In principle, the respective university of applied sciences is free to decide on the structure of a computer science course, training and further education.

There may therefore be differences with regard to the learning content and the defined thematic emphasis/focus.

The degree course in Computer Science consists of basic modules (so-called compulsory modules), specialization subjects, compulsory elective modules and elective modules. The latter allow you to tailor your profile and specialization to your interests.

Typical basic subjects are, for example:

• Programming and software development
• Databases
• Communication technology
• Operating systems
• Algorithms and data structures
• ICT security and data mining
• Mathematics, statistics and probability theory
• Electrical and digital technology

Examples of areas of specialization:

• Cloud computing
• Communication Networks and Services
• Data Science
• DotNet technology and frameworks
• Enterprise Computing
• Information security
• Internet of Things (IoT)
• Artificial intelligence (AI)
• Microcomputer
• Mobile applications
• Visual Computing

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 6-8 semester FH IT degree course:

• Course feesCourse fees: between CHF 700 and CHF 1000 per semester for Swiss residents. Students from abroad must expect higher course fees.
• Application/registration feebetween CHF 200.- and 300.-
• Examination fees (per semester)are normally included in the course fees
• Additional costsSome providers charge extra costs for teaching materials, training documents, copies/printouts, student ID/campus card, locker keys, etc.

Duration of study, number of lessons, training model and learning effort

• Duration of studies and training modelThe Bachelor's degree in Computer Science at university level has a modular structure and lasts 6 to 8 semesters. It is offered in different time models:
  • Full-time: 6 semesters, attendance classes usually Monday-Friday
  • Part-time: 8-9 semesters, various time models in the evenings and during the day
  • Part-time: at least 8 semesters, various time models, in the evenings and during the day
  • Practice-integrated: 8 semesters, the practical part is 40%, the remaining time corresponds to the curriculum of the part-time class
  • Distance learning: 9 semesters (20% attendance, 4 evenings or 2 Saturdays per month)
• Number of lessonsStudy achievements are expressed in so-called ECTS points (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System Points), a kind of tool for the standardized study structure of Bachelor's and Master's degree courses at universities. As a rule, 180 ECTS points are required for a Bachelor's degree, which corresponds to 4,500-5,400 hours of work. (One ECTS point corresponds to a student workload of 25 to 30 working hours). This includes all study units such as lectures, tutorials, exercises, coursework, semester examinations, etc.
• Teaching formatTeaching is mainly carried out in lectures, group lessons and exercises/projects. In addition to traditional classroom teaching, many universities of applied sciences now also offer online courses and forms of learning.
• Learning effort: You should allow sufficient time for preparation and follow-up of the lessons as well as for self-study - how much depends on your previous knowledge, working style, learning speed and chosen training model.

Degree, diploma and title

Performance assessments and qualifications take place throughout the course of computer science studies, training and further education. These can be semester or module examinations, project or seminar work, presentations, discussions and case studies. From the first semester onwards, students work in teams on specific tasks from the business world.

Final qualification:

At the end of the IT degree course, students complete a project - usually a computer science project lasting several months - in a specific subject area. The Bachelor's thesis gives students the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge, skills and creative, interdisciplinary, networked and practical thinking.

The respective universities of applied sciences are also responsible for the implementation of this part of the qualification procedure.

At some schools, for example, the Bachelor's thesis is planned to be written after the subject lessons in the last semester, while at others it is possible to write it during the subject lessons. There are universities of applied sciences where the written Bachelor's thesis must also be presented orally.

Diploma and title

Successful graduates of the Bachelor's degree program receive a Bachelor's degree from a federally accredited university of applied sciences and may use the following recognized and protected title: Bachelor of Science FH in Computer Science