Bern University of Applied Sciences


The Bern University of Applied Sciences is a public vocational university with a strong national and international profile. It comprises six departments and also incorporates the Higher Technical School of Wood, which is affiliated to the Department of Architecture, Wood and Civil Engineering.

Locations

BFH is currently spread across 26 locations in Bern, Biel, Burgdorf, Magglingen and Zollikofen. In 2012, the parliament of the Canton of Bern decided to bring together the Department of Architecture, Wood and Civil Engineering and the Department of Engineering and Information Technology onto one campus in Biel. The Biel campus is expected to open in Autumn 2021. The consolidation of the Department of Business, Health and Social Work and the Bern University of the Arts onto one campus in Bern is planned for Autumn 2023.

Departments

The Departments of the Bern University of Applied Sciences include:
As well as Bachelor and master's degree programmes, BFH offers continuing education, applied research and development and other services.
The sports, agriculture, forest science, automotive engineering, nutrition and dietetics, literary writing and medical informatics degree programmes are unique in German-speaking Switzerland or throughout the whole of Switzerland.

Growth

The following table shows how student numbers at the Bern University of Applied Sciences have grown since the University was founded in 1997.
Year1Bachelor studiesMaster studiesDiploma programmes2Continuing education3Total
1997800
20004190
200538939404831
200642558685123
20073454622565574952
20083944372204794935
20094835663325935673
2010473488357156337
2011493897505066419
20125127110004976724
20135284109004016775
20145477112105597157
20155528113601516851
20165609125501797043

1 Figures as of 31 December
2 Degree programmes prior to the Bologna Reform
3 Only MAS/EMBA students. From 2014 onwards, non-matriculated MAS/EMBA students are also included in the statistics for BFH's areas of activity.