HES-SO - Architecture - Haute école

The programme at a glance

Degree awarded
Master of Arts in Architecture HES-SO / BFH
Admission requirements
- A Swiss University of Applied Sciences Bachelor's degree in Architecture or an equivalent title.
- A Swiss University or Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Bachelor's degree in Architecture or a Swiss or foreign title deemed equivalent and have completed a 12-month professional internship.
Application
Applications are closed. Applications for the Spring semester 2025 will open in October 2024. For any question: admissions.master(at)hes-so.ch
Location
HEPIA - Haute école du paysage, d'ingénierie et d'architecture de Genève , Haute école d'ingénierie et d'architecture Fribourg - HEIA-FR and BFH
Start
Fall semester (16 weeks): week 38
Spring semester (17 weeks): week 8
Type
Studies can be taken on a full-time or part-time basis and can begin in either the autumn or spring semester
Duration
2 years’ equivalent full-time study (including Master’s thesis)
ECTS credits
120
Language
French, German and English
Level C1 required for the language of the main training site and for the selected modules. Level B1 required for at least a second of the three languages.
Fees
CHF 500 per semester (tuition fees)
CHF 250 per semester (study expenses)
CHF 150 (registration fee)

Bank details

FAQ

About HES-SO Master

Master Thesis

Architecture (JMA)

Course
Admission requirements
Modules
Show more

Career prospects

Partners

Course

Teaching is provided by the architecture departments of three partner institutions: the Haute école d'ingénierie et d'architecture Fribourg - HEIA-FR , the HEPIA - Haute école du paysage, d'ingénierie et d'architecture de Genève and the Architecture, Timber and Civil Engineering Department of the Berner Fachhoschule (BFH) .

The course is accredited by the Swiss Confederation and recognised as equivalent to other Swiss and European university courses. The Master awarded after four semesters of study, provides direct access to the Swiss A Register of Architects.

Teaching on the JMA programme is characterised by its cross-disciplinary, multilingual and intercultural approach, and aims to strengthen students’ autonomy and their personal critical and ethical positioning. It focuses on the ability to define complex architectural problems and offer tailor-made solutions, through a plausible and well-argued architectural plan.

The JMA has a network structure and flexible study plan, and maintains close links with Swiss and international academic environments, applied research and the world of professional practice.

Students admitted to the JMA are registered at the BFH or the HES-SO. They may enrol in any of the modules offered by the JMA sites within the framework of the course, regardless of their university of registration. They thus have a wide and complementary choice of courses that allows them to shape their curriculum according to their personal interests and the skills they wish to develop, in compliance with the study plan. Some common modules, organised by each of the partner sites in turn, will bring together all the students of the first three semesters in the same teaching location.

The partner sites have specific competency profiles and offer courses in the following thematic areas:

Admission requirements

See the admission requirements

Modules

Presentation of modules

Career prospects

The programme is internationally recognised. Holders of a UAS Master’s can practise:

As independent architects
In architects' practices at a managerial level
In institutions and administrations involved in the built environment
In companies
In service companies

They will have a high level of professional independence. They will manage and undertake a variety of tasks, from the design of all or part of a project and the start of the building process, through to completion of the structure, as well as promotion and sales of products or services.

The in-depth education provided by the course takes individuals down a range of different pathways. Graduates will be equipped to deal autonomously and responsibly with complex problems, and will be capable of leading teams and undertaking design and management roles.