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Admissions to our Bachelor’s programmes

General entry routes

To be accepted for a Bachelor’s course at the HES-SO, all applicants must hold a recognised school-leaving diploma or higher education degree (secondaire II/tertiaire) with at least one year of professional experience.

Additional conditions and/or qualifications, which vary according to the fields and the courses, are specified in the admission regulations below.

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Subject to certain conditions, the following qualifications give access, in principle, to all the HES-SO courses:

  • Swiss vocational training diploma (maturité professionnelle) with a Swiss federal diploma (CFC) corresponding to the desired training course, otherwise, one year of work experience in a profession related to the field of study is required.
  • Swiss specialised school-leaving diploma (maturité spécialisée) with a specialisation in the field corresponding to the desired training course, otherwise, one year of work experience in a profession related to the field of study is required.
  • Swiss high-school diploma (maturité gymnasiale) or federal diploma with one year of work experience in a profession related to the field of study. Work experience can be gained at school in the form of a gateway. The possibilities are listed in the brochure “Bachelor studies at HES-SO.Access to the HES-SO for holders of a Swiss high-school diploma (maturité gymnasiale)” (in French only).
  • Diploma of Higher Education in the field of training concerned, otherwise, one year of work experience in a profession related to the field of study is required
  • Swiss federal certificate in the field of training concerned with, in principle, an examination on the level of general knowledge
  • Swiss federal diploma in the field of training concerned, otherwise, one year of work experience in a profession related to the field of study is required
  • Bachelor’s degree awarded by one of the recognised Swiss higher education institutions: universities, EPF/ETH, universities of applied sciences (HES) and universities of teacher education (HEP) with one year of work experience in a profession related to the field of study
  • Certificate from a general-knowledge school, supplemented by a Swiss federal diploma (CFC) is considered equivalent to a Swiss vocational training diploma (maturité professionnelle).

For people with a foreign diploma, the basic condition governing any admission to HES studies at Bachelor level is to hold a diploma equivalent to a Swiss school-leaving diploma (maturité) and to be able to justify having professional experience of at least one year in the field relating to the chosen course or to have validated a preparatory year.

For secondary general education qualifications, equivalent to a Swiss high-school diploma (maturité gymnasiale), applicants should refer for information to the decision of the HES⁠-⁠SO Rectorate (in French only).

For French baccalaureates, applicants should refer to the conditions set out in the decision of the HES⁠-⁠SO Rectorate (in French only).

 

Applicants without a recognised school-leaving diploma or holding a diploma that does not comply with recognised qualifications can be admitted to the HES-SO on the basis of an application-based procedure (ASD).

This procedure is aimed at people who, by exercising a professional activity, can prove that they have the knowledge and skills necessary to enter the HES-SO, in compensation for a school-leaving diploma.
The following registration conditions apply:

  • Be at least 25 years old by the deadline for the admission procedure;
  • Have a link with Switzerland (nationality, residence or gainful activity), certain exceptions may apply;
  • Fulfil the necessary conditions specific to each area regarding the ASD procedure.

The general terms and conditions applicable to admission to a HES-SO Bachelor’s course are set out in the HES⁠-⁠SO Bachelors admission regulations (in French only).
The basic training regulations (in French only) set out the framework provisions relating to studies leading to Bachelor’s degrees.

The admission procedures specific to each field/course are specified in the specific admission regulations.

Frequently Asked Questions

For any information in connection with the admission conditions, you can contact the school where you wish to take your Bachelor’s course.

 

You can consult the admission service of the school in which you wish to take your Bachelor’s degree.

 The application must be made within the deadlines indicated in the brochure below.

 

Yes, at least one year of work experience is required to be eligible for admission without an exam to a HES Bachelor’s course.

This applies to people holding a Swiss high-school diploma (maturité gymnasiale) or a Swiss vocational training diploma (maturité professionnelle) related to basic vocational training in a profession unrelated to the field of study or a Swiss specialised school-leaving diploma (maturité spécialisée) outside the field of study, as well as graduates from other training courses, within the meaning of Article 4 of the DEFR Admission Ordinance (in French only).

Work experience allows students to prove sufficient theoretical and practical professional knowledge in a profession related to the field of study, in order to successfully follow a Bachelor’s course corresponding to the HES profile oriented towards application and practice.

In addition, work experience can be gained at school in the form of a gateway. These possibilities are listed in the brochure “Bachelor studies at HES-SO. Access to the HES-SO for holders of a Swiss high-school diploma (maturité gymnasiale)” (in French only).

 

Yes, if you have a Swiss high-school diploma (maturité gymnasiale) and cannot prove that you have at least one year of work experience.

Work experience can be achieved in a company as an internship, in the context of a job or at school in the form of a gateway. These possibilities are listed in the brochure “Bachelor studies at HES-SO. Access to the HES-SO for holders of a Swiss high-school diploma (maturité gymnasiale)” (in French only).

 

Yes, at least one year of work experience is required to be eligible for admission without an exam to a HES Bachelor’s course.

This applies to people holding a Swiss high-school diploma (maturité gymnasiale) or a Swiss vocational training diploma (maturité professionnelle) related to basic vocational training in a profession unrelated to the field of study or a Swiss specialised school-leaving diploma (maturité spécialisée) outside the field of study.

Work experience can be achieved in a company as an internship or at school in the form of a gateway. These possibilities are listed in the brochure “Bachelor studies at HES-SO. Access to the HES-SO for holders of a Swiss high-school diploma (maturité gymnasiale)” (in French only).

 

Yes, in some cases. A regulation procedure (classification) must be carried out at the start of the admission procedure if you wish to study in one of the following fields:

  • Bachelor of Arts HES-SO in Social work
  • Bachelor of Science HES-SO in Occupational Therapy
  • Bachelor of Science HES-SO in Nutrition and Dietetics
  • Bachelor of Science HES-SO in Osteopathy
  • Bachelor of Science HES-SO in Physiotherapy
  • Bachelor of Science HES-SO in Midwifery

The so-called “regulation” procedure is implemented when the number of applicants exceeds the number of practical training places/internships available within social-health institutions.

Yes, in some cases, admission is subject to an entry exam for the fields of Design and Visual Arts and Music and Performing Arts.

The Complementary Examination of Swiss Universities (ECUS) concerns applicants for a Bachelor’s course and holding a foreign upper secondary school diploma which is not recognised by the HES-SO as being fully equivalent to a Swiss school-leaving diploma (maturité).
This exam is organised jointly by the Swiss universities.

Successful completion of the ECUS is required for admission to the HES-SO.

You can register for the ECUS exam at the university in which you have registered.

Yes, but at least one year of work experience is required.

Work experience can be achieved in a company as an internship or at school in the form of a gateway. These possibilities are listed in the brochure “Bachelor studies at HES-SO. Access to the HES-SO for holders of a Swiss high-school diploma (maturité gymnasiale)” (in French only).

 

Yes, the HES-SO offers the Validation of Prior Experience (VPE) procedure for certain fields and courses.

This procedure makes it possible to validate ECTS credits by taking into account active years (training, professional and extra-professional experience), so reducing the length of the course for adults resuming studies.

Applicants for a VPE procedure must meet certain conditions.

 

Yes, equivalences can be granted according to the courses and fields. You can consult the admission service of the school in which you wish to take your Bachelor’s degree.

Yes, any applicant, having obtained at least 60 credits in a CUSO university within a maximum period of 2 years, is eligible for the HES-SO provided that:

  • they are not in a situation of definitive failure in the relevant university course and
  • access be made within the framework of a comparable branch of study according to the CUSO-HES-SO memorandum of understanding (2007) and its addendum (2012).

 

Yes, equivalences can be granted on admission for candidates resuming studies after an interrupted course at the HES-SO. 

These equivalences cannot exceed 120 ECTS for a Bachelor’s course.

Any return to studies at the HES-SO must involve a complete admission procedure.

ECTS credits do not have an assigned lifespan due to the necessary contextualisation of the credit, which requires an individual approach when resuming studies.

You should contact the admission service of the school where you wish to take your Bachelor’s degree.

If you are excluded from another university in Switzerland or abroad on the definitive failure and/or disciplinary reasons, you may be refused admission. You may be required to wait at least two years before applying for admission to a similar programme. The application provisions of the admission regulations, or the admission services of the universities, specify the procedures in force.

 

The HES-SO is proposing, in collaboration with the UNES (Union des Etudiants de Suisse) and the Technical University of the University of Applied Sciences of Eastern Switzerland (HT FHNW), the INVOST project (Integrationsvorstudium) aimed at promoting the return to studies of refugees and asylum seekers via a gateway promoting the social and academic integration of these people. 

 

Field-specific regulations

The admission requirements for each field of study are set out in the regulations below.

Field of study Regulations Admissions
Design (Interior Architecture, Visual Communication, Conservation and Industrial and Product Design) Field-specific admission regulations Most common entry routes (in French only)
Fine Arts  Field-specific admission regulations Most common entry routes (in French only)
Business, Management and Services Field-specific admission regulations (except hospitality) (in French only)) Most common entry routes (in French only)

Equivalences en cas de retour aux études après un échec définitif (in French only)

Equivalences - changement de filière (BSc DE, IBM et EE) (in French only)

Dispenses et équivalences langues étrangères (BSc EE) (in French only)

Règlement interne EHL (in French only)

Admission to EHL (in French only)
Engineering and Architecture Field-specific admission regulations (in French only) Most common entry routes (in French only)
Music and Performing Arts Field-specific admission regulations (in French only)  
Health Field-specific admission regulations (in French only) Most common entry routes (in French only)

Personal aptitude test (in French only)

Rules governing admission through additional modules (in French only)

Competitive admissions (in French only)

Reconnaissance crédits ECTS passerelle diplôme Physiothérapie à Ostéopathie (in French only)

Social Work

Field-specific admission regulations (in French only) Most common entry routes (in French only)

Competitive admissions (in French only)

High-quality professional experience (in French only)

Application-based admission (in French only)

Credit transfer scheme (in French only)