Target group and skills: Who is the HF Process Technician HF degree program suitable for?

The "Process Technician HF" courses are aimed at professionals who are just as interested in business management issues as they are in operational procedures and processes.

Process technicians HF should have the following personal qualities and skills:

• Interest in economic and technical contexts
• Logical-abstract thinking
• Enjoy numbers and calculations
• Analytical skills
• Quick comprehension
• Good knowledge of English
• Systematic way of working
• Ability to concentrate
• Enjoy solving problems
• Communicative skills
• Sense of responsibility
• Organizational talent

Requirements for admission to the Business Processes HF:

The higher technical colleges (HF) decide independently who is admitted to the HF Process Technician course (formerly HF Business Process Technician) and the admission procedure. For this reason, there may be differences between the providers. The admission procedure is set out and regulated in the study regulations of the respective HF. It must be based on the relevant legal principles*.

The following requirements generally apply for admission to a "Business Processes HF" degree program:

• Apprenticeship certificate (EFZ) as:
  • Plant operator
  • Automation technician
  • Electrician
  • Logistician
  • Polymechanic etc.

Or

• Apprenticeship qualification with EFZ in another profession and corresponding professional experience

Or

• High school diploma and relevant professional experience

Or

• Equivalent qualification as listed above and relevant professional experience

Further conditions:

• During the part-time process technician HF training: at least 50% employment in the relevant field.
• Depending on the school: entrance examination or aptitude test and/or attendance of a preliminary course, for example in mathematics.

Note: In some cases, it is possible to have educational achievements already completed credited. The school of your choice will provide detailed information.

* 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.

Subject matter and content of the training

The learning content taught in the HF process technician training program (formerly HF corporate processes technician) is generally based on the "Process technology" framework curriculum. The framework curriculum is backed by a sponsoring body, which is responsible for creating the framework curriculum and for periodically checking that it is up to date and of high quality.

Nevertheless, the universities of applied sciences have a certain amount of leeway when designing their process technician training courses. Which course content is ultimately covered and how it is structured or deepened can therefore vary from college to college. For example, the universities of applied sciences can also offer specializations (e.g. logistics).

The following learning content is taught:

• Design and responsibility of corporate and management processes
• Effective and situation-adapted communication
• Reflection and advancement of personal development
• Targeted use of development methods for problem solving and innovation development
• Planning, management, execution and evaluation of projects in the field of process management
• Development and introduction of business processes
• Collaboration in demanding processes
• Optimization of processes
• Use of innovative information technologies
• Optimization of internal and external supply chains
• Acting in the spirit of sustainability

Costs and financing of further training

The costs depend on the provider, the training location and the training model and can therefore vary. In general, the following costs must be expected for the 4-6 semester HF course to become an HF process technician (formerly HF business process technician):

• Tuition feesThe semester fee depends on the school and your canton of residence. On average, you can expect to pay around CHF 13,000 to CHF 22,800 for students residing in the canton of training*. The costs for the examinations and diploma thesis are usually included in the course fees.
• Fees for additional certificatesFor example, in English or project management (IPMA) etc. Whether you can complete additional certificates during your studies varies depending on the provider.
• Other extra costsSome providers charge extra costs for the registration fee and the student ID card, preliminary courses, teaching materials, special software, licenses, internships, training documents, exams/diploma papers and exam retakes. Find out about the additional costs directly from the HF of your choice.

* Courses at universities of applied sciences are financially supported by the cantons. Students from outside the canton pay higher tuition fees. The following requirements 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 teaching hours, teaching times, teaching format and learning effort

• Duration of studyProcess technician HF training can be completed part-time (6-8 semesters) or as a full-time course (4 semesters). In order to attend the part-time course, students must be employed in the relevant field with a workload of at least 50%.
• Number of lessonsThere are different curricula for people with a relevant occupation and those with other occupations, which therefore differ in terms of the total number of hours. With a relevant EFZ, the course comprises at least 3600 learning hours. For courses without a relevant EFZ, the number of learning hours usually increases to 5400 learning hours, please contact the school of your choice. The learning hours are divided into the following study elements: Contact study, guided self-study, individual self-study, practical training/internship, qualification procedure and other learning assessments, diploma thesis.
• Lesson timesThe part-time Business Processes HF course is offered at different times. These can be, for example, two evenings per week, one morning and one afternoon per week, one afternoon/evening per week and individual Saturdays, etc.
• Teaching formatMany schools offer a mix of face-to-face and online courses (online, hybrid teaching, blended learning). Please contact the provider directly to find out which forms they offer.
• Learning effort: You should allow sufficient time to prepare for and follow up 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.

Note: Some schools offer so-called "taster lessons"/"trial 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. Take the opportunity and contact the school of your choice directly.

Degree, diploma and title

The degree course in Process Technology HF (formerly Technician HF Business Processes) generally concludes with a practice-oriented diploma thesis and oral or written examinations. The details of the implementation are regulated by the respective HF in its study regulations. The final qualification procedure is often as follows:

1. The results of the previous semester examinations and/or assessed semester papers
2. Diploma thesis: The diploma 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 process management. It is usually written at the end of the course. Here too, the time frame is determined by the respective HF in its study regulations.
3. The thesis will also be presented to a group of experts (expert panel) and then defended in a discussion.

Diploma and title

Graduates of the course receive an HF diploma and are entitled to use the federally recognized and protected professional title "Dipl. Prozesstechniker HF / dipl. Prozesstechnikerin HF".

• In French: "Technicien diplômé ES en processus / Technicienne diplômée ES en processus"
• In Italian: "Tecnico dipl. SSS di processo / Tecnica dipl. SSS di processo"
• In English: "Advanced Federal Diploma of Higher Education in Process Engineering" (Attention: not a protected title, this is only a recommended translation)