What does the everyday working life of electrical engineers with an HF diploma look like?

Electrical engineers HF work in companies in the electrical, electronics or machine industry as well as in service and IT companies. They manage projects for the development of electrotechnical systems and electronic circuits.

They also carry out tests and troubleshooting in systems and perform technical acceptance tests on devices and circuits. As specialists with a broad basic education, they are also equipped for responsible tasks in the test laboratory and test field, in service and sales or in advising and training customers. As a member of lower and middle management, they take on technical management tasks and develop concepts and technical solutions for complex areas.

Important to know: The distribution/weighting of tasks may vary depending on the company and job profile.

Target group and skills: For whom is the electrical engineering degree program for electrical engineers HF suitable?

The HF Electrical Engineering course at a higher technical college to become an HF electrical engineer (formerly HF electrical engineering technician) is suitable for

• Young professionals in electrical engineering / electronics who are preparing for a professional career
• People who want to continue their education in the field of electrical engineering

Electrical engineers HF should have the following personal qualities and skills:

• Technical understanding
• Sense of responsibility
• Communication skills
• Independent and reliable way of working
• analytical and conceptual skills
• Ability to work in a team

Requirements for admission to the HF Electrical Engineering degree program:

The higher technical colleges (HF) decide independently who is admitted to a HF electrical engineering course 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. It must comply with the relevant legal requirements*.

In order to be able to start an HF electrical engineering course to become an HF electrical engineer (formerly HF electrical engineering technician) at a higher technical college (HF), you must generally meet the following admission requirements.

• Completion of relevant basic vocational training with a federal certificate of proficiency (EFZ) **

Or

• Completion of a 3-year basic vocational training course (EFZ) in another field or Matura and relevant professional experience (usually at least 1 year) in the technical field

Further conditions:

• During the part-time HF Electrical Engineering course: at least 50% employment in the technical 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. Please contact the provider of your choice directly.

* 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.

** A list of the relevant EFZs can be found in theFramework curriculumfor electrical engineers HF.

Subject matter and content of the training

The course content taught in a HF Electrical Engineering degree program is generally based on the "Electrical Engineering HF" framework curriculum.

The sponsorship is made up as follows:

• EIT.swiss, Swissmem and Swissmechanic (organization of the world of work, OdA)
• Conference of Higher Technical Colleges KHF-T (representation of education providers)

The sponsoring body is responsible for drawing up 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 in the design of their HF electrical engineering courses. Which course content is ultimately covered and how it is structured or deepened can therefore vary from college to college. The universities of applied sciences can also offer specializations, for example.*

As a rule, the following topics are covered in electrical engineering training, further education and studies:

• Electrical engineering
• Mathematics
• Physics
• Network technology
• Measurement technology
• Drive technology
• Marketing
• Law
• Finance and accounting
• Controlling
• Leadership, Management
• Project management
• Business administration
• Automation
• Personnel management

*Such a specialization may focus on a maximum of 10% of the total learning hours. The protected title "Dipl. Elektrotechniker HF / dipl. Elektrotechnikerin HF" remains unchanged.

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 6-semester HF electrical engineering course:

• Tuition feesThe semester fee depends on the school and your canton of residence. You can expect to pay between CHF 13,800 and CHF 19,800 for students resident in the canton of training*. The costs for the examinations and diploma thesis are usually included in the course fees.
• Additional costsSome providers charge extra costs for the registration fee and the student ID card, preliminary courses, teaching materials, special software, licenses, laboratory exercises, practicals, training documents, examinations/diploma papers and examination 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 conditions 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 lessons and learning effort

• Duration of study:The modular HF electrical engineering degree course to become a qualified HF electrical engineer (formerly HF electrical engineering technician) takes 4 semesters full-time and 6 semesters part-time*
• Number of lessons:With a relevant EFZ, the course comprises 3600 learning hours. For courses without a relevant EFZ, the number of learning hours generally increases to 5400 learning hours, please contact the school of your choice. The professional activity (practical experience in a relevant occupation) during the part-time HF Electrical Engineering course is credited with a maximum of 720 hours (with a relevant EFZ) or a maximum of 1800 hours (without a relevant EFZ) towards the training period. The practical training (internships in a practice-oriented or real field of work accompanied by specialists) in full-time studies amounts to at least 720 hours (with relevant EFZ) or at least 1800 hours (without relevant EFZ). Learning hours also include contact studies (with qualified supervision), guided self-study, individual self-study and qualification procedures (e.g. semester examinations, intermediate examinations, diploma examinations, diploma theses or assessed semester theses). How these learning hours are divided up in terms of time is defined in the framework curriculum.
• Training models:The part-time or full-time HF Electrical Engineering course is offered at different times. There are both daytime and evening options, for example one full day and one evening per week, two weekdays per week or three half-days per week.
• Teaching format:Many schools offer a mix of face-to-face and online courses (online, hybrid teaching, blended learning).
• Learning effort:You should allow sufficient time to prepare for and follow up on 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.

* At some schools, professionals with a technical vocational baccalaureate can benefit from a shortened course of study. Please contact the school of your choice directly.

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 qualification procedure for the HF Electrical Engineering course to become a qualified HF electrical engineer (formerly HF electrical engineering technician) is generally as follows:

1. The results of the previous semester examinations and/or assessed semester papers (so-called experience grades)
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 electrical engineering. It is written at the end of the course (can also be integrated into the 5th or 6th semester). Here too, the time frame is determined by the respective HF in its study regulations.
3. The thesis is also presented to a panel of experts (a group of specialists) 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. Elektrotechnikerin / dipl. Elektrotechniker HF".

In French: "Technicienne diplômée ES en génie électrique / Technicien diplômé ES en génie électrique"

In Italian: "Tecnica dipl. SSS in elettrotechnica / Technico dipl. SSS in elettrotechnica"

In English: "Advanced Federal Diploma of Higher Education in Electrical Engineering" (note: not a protected title, this is merely a recommendation)