¹ Study programmes at professional education institutions provide students with competences that enable them to independently carry out challenging technical and/or managerial tasks in their field.

² Study programmes place emphasis on practical training and encourage in particular the development of methodological and integrated thinking, analytical skills in relation to task formulation and the ability to apply acquired competences in real working situations.

³ Study programmes broaden and deepen general education competences.

¹ Study programmes relate to core syllabuses within the meaning of Section 3.

² Generally speaking, they build from the competences acquired by holders of a Federal VET Diploma.

¹ Study programmes may be attended on a full-time basis or on a part-time basis in parallel with one’s professional activity.

² The following minimum number of learning hours shall apply to the following study programmes within the meaning of Article 42 paragraph 1 VPETO (learning hours):

a.

for study programmes building on competences acquired by holders of a Federal VET Diploma in the same field of study: 3600 learning hours; of which at least 2880 learning hours outside of practical training modules;

b.

for study programmes building on competences acquired by holders of a different upper-secondary level qualification: 5400 learning hours; of which at least 3600 learning hours learning hours outside of practical training modules.

³ Practical training modules comprise traineeships or professional activity carried out in parallel to one’s studies. The latter is only valid if the professional activity in question relates to the field of study and the minimum workweek corresponds to at least 50 per cent of a standard full-time workweek.

Languages of instruction are a national language of Switzerland and English.

¹ The final qualification procedure is comprised of at least the following:

a.

a final essay or project relating to professional practice; and

b.

oral or written examinations.

² Additional requirements relating to the final qualification procedure are established in core syllabuses.

³ The final qualification procedure will be carried out by examiners with professional experience in the given field. Examiners may be appointed by professional organisations.

The professional qualification shall mention the study programme and the corresponding title [Name of profession] followed by the suffix «PEI» as shown in Annex 1.

¹ CET courses place emphasis on practical training. They enable participants to deepen existing knowledge in a specialised field, to acquire new knowledge to be applied in a new field of activity or to learn how to use new technologies and methods.

² The minimum requirement for admission to a CET course is a tertiary-level qualification.

³ CET courses last at least 900 learning hours.

⁴ They may be based on core syllabuses.

⁵ The qualification shall mention the title of the CET course and the corresponding title of the qualification followed by the abbreviation «CET PEI».

⁶ The CET courses based on a core syllabus are listed together with the corresponding protected titles in Annex 2.

¹ Professional organisations work with education and training providers to develop and issue core syllabuses. Together, they act as sponsors.

² The State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) approves core syllabuses.³

³ Once approved, the core syllabuses are listed together with the date of approval in Annexes 1 and 2.

⁴ SERI shall update the Annexes with each subsequent decision to approve core syllabuses.

Approval of core syllabus shall be revoked if sponsors fail to apply to SERI for renewal of approval within a period of seven years.

¹ Core syllabuses establish:

a.

the title of the study programme or CET course as well as the title of the protected qualification and English equivalent;

b.

the professional profile and competences to be acquired;

c.

the types of courses, together with learning hours and distribution of study time;

d.

coordination of classroom instruction and practical training modules;

e.

the content and requirements of the qualification procedure;

f.

the competences to be acquired from the practical training modules;

g.

the general education competences to be acquired, specifically in the areas of society, environment and economics.

² Core syllabuses establish the admission requirements for study programmes:

a.

what upper-secondary level vocational or general education qualifications serve as prerequisites;

b.

whether in addition to an upper-secondary level vocational or general education qualification, work experience or an aptitude test are required.

³ Core syllabuses may include criteria for the recognition of non-formal and informal learning.

⁴ Core syllabuses shall take into account internationally recognised standards of what constitutes professional activity.

SERI shall approve a core syllabus if the following requirements are met:

a.

The guidelines of the corresponding Ordinance are adhered to.

b.

There is a demonstrated need.

c.

There are no education policy conflicts.

d.

The core syllabus is supported throughout Switzerland.

e.

The content of the core syllabus takes into account the competences needed for the given professional activity.

f.

The intended title of the qualification is clear, not misleading and cannot be confused with the title of any other qualification.

g.

The sponsors have consulted the cantons and other relevant parties and have included the results of consultations in the application.

¹ The heads of study programmes and CET courses must have the required technical and managerial competences.

² Facilities, teaching materials and aids must match the requirements for high-quality instruction both in terms of technical content and training pedagogy.

¹ Teaching staff possess:

a.

a higher education qualification, a professional qualification or equivalent qualification in the field of expertise that they will teach; and

b.

training in vocational pedagogy and didactics:

1.

1800 learning hours for full-time teaching,

2.

300 learning hours for part-time teaching.

² If no qualification under paragraph 1 letter a exists for a specific field, then the education and training provider may hire teaching staff who possess corresponding knowledge and experience.

³ Part-time teaching is understood within the meaning of Article 47 paragraphs 1 and 2 VPETO.

⁴ Anyone who teaches for an average of four hours per week shall not be subject to the provisions laid down in paragraph 1 letter b.

⁵ SERI shall issue core syllabuses for the training of teaching staff. This shall be done in keeping with Articles 48 and 49 paragraph 1 VPETO.

¹ Using the provisions contained in this Ordinance and the corresponding core syllabus as a frame of reference, education and training providers shall establish a training plan, decide on the final qualification procedure in detail and issue a studies regulation.

² The studies regulation shall cover in particular admission procedures, the structure of the study programme, advancement to subsequent levels of training and legal recourse.

¹ In study programmes that include traineeships, education and training providers shall be responsible for selecting the host companies where these traineeships are to take place.

² Traineeships shall be guided by professionals and supervised by education and training providers.

³ Education and training providers shall use suitable means to ensure that traineeships or relevant work experience enable acquisition of the competences listed in the core syllabus.

¹ Education and training providers wishing to seek recognition of a study programme, must submit an application that provides the following information:

a.

the underlying core syllabus;

b.

funding;

c.

the structure and forms of teaching;

d.

the education and training institution as well as teaching materials and aids;

e.

the qualifications of teaching staff and managers responsible for the education and training institution;

f.

the training plan, final qualification procedure in detail and the studies regulation;

g.

quality control and improvement system;

h.

the structure of qualifications.

² The application must be sent to the competent cantonal authorities. They shall issue a recommendation, which shall be forwarded to SERI together with the application.

¹ Education and training providers wishing to seek recognition of a CET course that relates to a core syllabus, must submit an application under Article 16.

² If the CET course does not relate to a core syllabus, then the education and training provider shall submit an application that includes the information stated in Article 16 paragraph 1 letters b–h. In addition, the following must be demonstrated:

a.

there is a demonstrated need;

b.

there are no education policy conflicts;

c.

the content of the training plan takes into account the competences needed for the given professional activity;

d.

the intended title of the qualification is clear, not misleading and cannot be confused with the title of any other qualification;

e.

the education and training provider shall offer the recognised CET course at the planned location.

³ The application must be sent to the competent cantonal authorities. They shall issue a recommendation, which shall be forwarded to SERI together with the application.

SERI shall verify whether the application includes the required documents and attestations within the meaning of Article 16 or 17 and shall decide whether a recognition procedure shall be initiated.

¹ The recognition procedure generally consists of verification by two independent experts of execution of the complete study programme or CET course.

² The experts shall provide SERI with a report on whether the conditions laid down in the present Ordinance and corresponding core syllabus have been met.⁴

³ SERI may simplify the recognition procedure described in paragraphs 1 and 2.

¹ SERI shall decide whether to grant or deny recognition.⁵

² If recognition is granted, then the education and training provider shall be entitled to issue federally recognised qualifications as a professional education institution.

¹ If the provisions of this Ordinance or the conditions laid down in the core syllabus are not met by recognised study programmes or CET courses, then SERI shall notify the education and training provider and indicate a deadline for corrective action.

² If this deadline expires without corrective action or if the observed non-compliance persists, then SERI shall revoke recognition. Before such punitive action is taken, SERI shall first consult the competent cantonal authority.⁶

¹ If changes are made to the core syllabus, then SERI shall check recognition of the corresponding recognised study programmes and CET courses.

² Recognition of CET courses that do not relate to a core syllabus shall be limited to a period of seven years.

The EAER Ordinance of 11 March 2005⁷ on the Minimum Requirements for the Recognition of Study Programmes and Continuing Education and Training at Professional Education Institutions shall be repealed.

¹ Study programmes and CET courses of professional education institutions that were recognised prior to entry into force of the EAER Ordinance of 11 March 2005⁸ on the Minimum Requirements for the Recognition of Study Programmes and Continuing Education and Training at Professional Education Institutions (MiR-PEI 2005) shall retain recognition for no longer than two years after entry into force of the present Ordinance.

² Core syllabuses approved by SERI under MiR-PEI 2005 shall remain approved for no longer than five years after entry into force of the presence Ordinance.

³ CET courses that do not relate to a core syllabus and that were recognised under MiR-PEI 2005 shall retain recognition for no longer than seven years after entry into force of the present Ordinance.

⁴ Teaching staff that have already, taught a study programme at a professional education institution for at least five years prior to 1 April 2005, or who have provided professional education for the same duration, are deemed to have satisfied the requirements laid down in Article 13.

⁵ Holders of qualifications awarded under EAER Ordinance of 11 March 2005 on the Minimum Requirements for the Recognition of Study Programmes and Continuing Education and Training at Professional Education Institutions (MiR-PEI 2005) that were recognised under previous federal or intercantonal legislation, shall be entitled to to use the corresponding new titles of the qualification as long as this is provided for in the corresponding core syllabuses.

This Ordinance comes into force on 1 November 2017.