CAS Public Affairs & Lobbying

Do you want to strengthen your competences in opinion-forming relationship management in a future-oriented way? On this course we will develop your skills in managing opinion-forming relationships that are key to successful lobbying.

As a professional working at the intersection of business, politics and society, you need to represent the interests of your organisation. This CAS will give you the skills to cultivate your relationships and give you a firm grasp of political communication.

Principles and context of public affairs and lobbying
Principles of corporate communications
Instruments and means of lobbying
Bilingual dual title with BFH and HES-SO

Factsheet

Degree/Certificate Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS)
Duration 9 month
Schedule Once a month from Thursday to Saturday
Application deadline 31 July 2022. If places are available, late registration is also possible. Registration for individual modules 20/21 possible.
ECTS credits 12 ECTS credits

Costs Total CHF 8,500.
Single module CHF 2,800.
Teaching language German / French
Location Bern, Fribourg, Neuchâtel
School Business School
Next session Please visit the German website for more information

Contact

Timetable CAS Public Affairs & Lobbying Autumn 2020 (PDF, 131 KB)

For further information and registration, please visit the German website.

To the German website
Information on organisation and registration

Content + structure

Portrait

Unique. Modern. Vividly communicated. We offer this continuing education programme - with the Universities of Applied Sciences in Fribourg and Neuchâtel - bilingually in German and French. You benefit from experienced lecturers who we carefully select in cooperation with the Swiss Society of Public Affairs. With this course you will be fit for the upcoming challenges in your professional environment.

Course objectives

Lead lobbying projects. This programmes aims to:

give you new knowledge and easily implementable methods to represent your organisation’s interest.
strengthen your communication skills, be aware of complex legal issues and carry out lobbying projects successfully.
enable you to actively represent companies as a professional lobbyist or work together with lobbyists in a goal-oriented manner.
impart a sense of the ethical, historical and political aspects of lobbying through personal reflection.

Structure

Content

Develop yourself professionally and personally. This work-study course is geared to your personal needs.

Module 1: Context and principles of public affairs and lobbying

Decision-making process (Switzerland and EU)
Regulation and legal context
The administration as a political actor
Professional ethics

Module 2: Corporate communications and public relations

Principles of corporate communications
Public relations for associations, NGOs and NPOs
Media training: interview, press release

Module 3: Means and instruments of lobbying

Topic management
Structure of an interest group
Networking and negotiation
Cyberlobbying
Case studies and practical insight

Module 4: CAS final paper

Methodology

Our CAS Public Affairs & Lobbying focuses on your individual needs. Our guiding principle is that participants’ personal characteristics and requirements are just as important for modern education as the content itself. That is why we pay attention to creating a harmonious, stimulating learning atmosphere that drives you forward in your professional and personal development. Accordingly, we build up our work-study programme pragmatically to provide you with useful and quickly applicable instruments for your job.

Assement and examinations

Module 1: oral examination
Modules 2-3: are completed in Module 4 with a written practical transfer report and an oral presentation.

Qualification + Title

Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) der Berner Fachhochschule und der Haute Ecole Arc Gestion in «Public Affairs & Lobbying»

Lecturers

Our lecturers are proven experts with extensive practical and theoretical knowledge in their subject areas. They have at least a university degree plus many years of experience in higher education.

Head of the degree programme

Prof. Dr. Thomas Gees
- Dozent
- +41 31 848 44 19
- Show e-mail
- See profile

Prof. Dr. Thomas Gees
- Dozent
- +41 31 848 44 19
- Show e-mail
- See profile

Partner

Requirements + admission

Do you recognise the extensive possibilities of public affairs? Do you want to approach current issues in a reflective and future-oriented manner? Then you will find a structured and empathetic environment that challenges and encourages you. Typical participants are, for example, professionals in public communications, employees in professional and trade associations and public administration, from politics or from business sectors that operate at the interface between business and politics.

Conditions of admission

University degree

You will be admitted to the programme with a degree from a university, university of applied sciences, university of teacher education, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, or an equivalent foreign university and at least two years of professional experience.

Higher vocational training

If you have a qualification from a higher vocational education institution (Diploma Höhere Fachschule HF, Federal Diploma, Federal Certificate of Proficiency) and several years of professional experience, you will also be admitted to the programme. However, you will be required to attend our Introduction to Academic Study before starting the CAS. Completion of this module is a prerequisite for admission to the CAS.

Exceptions

In exceptional circumstances applicants may still be admitted. The head of the degree programme will make a decision based upon your application and extenuating circumstances. Please contact us. If you are admitted, you will in any case attend the course «Introduction to Academic Writing» (in German) before the first CAS.

Language skills

German, French
The programme is bilingual. The course languages German and French depend on the lecturers. Students can express themselves as they wish in German or French; this also applies to the examinations and the final CAS paper.

Organisation + Registration

The duration of the programme is 9 months. The courses take place once a month from Thursday to Saturday. 25 participants maximum.

For further information and registration, please visit the German website.

To the German website

Documents required for registration

You can register online via registration form. For registration we require following documents (in PDF format, max. 1 MB per document):

Diplomas
Curriculum Vitae
Passport-sized photo (in JPG format)

Please upload these documents even if you have already submitted them for another application.

Organisational aspects of the CAS

Course days + timetable

The courses take place once a month from Thursday to Saturday.

Entry for individual modules is possible.

Stundenplan CAS PAL Herbst 2020 (PDF, 131 KB)

Dates + deadlines

The deadline for registration is 31 July 2022, but if places are available, late registration is also possible.

Cost

Total CHF 8,500. Single module CHF 2,800.

Terms and conditions

The regulations of HEG ARC Neuchâtel apply.

Terms and conditions

Advice and information events

Study Counselling

The head of the programme is Dr. Thomas Gees, lecturer in politics and public management at the Bern University of Applied Sciences. He is a historian specialising in Swiss and European politics. His other interests include the development of trade associations and their influence on Swiss foreign and foreign trade policy. He is co-head of the Institute Digital Enabling at the Department of Economics of the BFH.