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Public Management & Politics

Do political processes influence your leadership in the public sector? This CAS in management strengthens your administrative and political understanding.

Through this highly topical course in management you will increase your practical knowledge of modern administration. 

  • You make management decisions based on a good understanding of the political, administrative and legal context 
  • You take advantage of opportunities arising from political developments 
  • You understand that "Public Management" is a key interface to politics, and a way of doing things differently 
  • You make decisions about IT from an administrative and social perspective 
  • You know the perspectives of different market participants and develop viable solutions 

Factsheet

  • Degree/Certificate Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS)
  • Duration 17 study days
  • Schedule Thursday, Friday, Saturday, every 14 days
  • Application deadline 6 weeks before start, later registration also possible if places are available
  • ECTS credits 12 ECTS-credits
  • Costs CHF 8,500
  • Teaching language German
  • Location Bern, Schwarztorstrasse 48
  • School Business School
  • Next session Please visit the German website for more information

Contact

Downloads (in German)

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

Content + Structure

Portrait

Interdisciplinary and connected. In the CAS in Public Management & Politics you will acquire a clear understanding of institutions, processes and informal aspects of the public sector. You will act in a direct, integrated and effective way. Preparatory tasks, presentations, discussions and group assignments make the lessons varied and tailored to your needs. You will write transfer reports and so ensure your learning success in a practice-oriented manner. 

Course objectives

You want to carry out your diverse and interdependent tasks more successfully. 

  • You know the political mechanisms and framework conditions of the public sector 

  • You independently and directly link your administrative and political knowledge with your current management tasks in the public sector 

  • You implement this knowledge by involving employees and other stakeholders 

Content

This extra-occupational further education programme stands out due to its interdisciplinary orientation. 

  • Government and administrative law 

  • Wicked Problems- Implications for Public Sector  

  • Political and administrative science 

  • Democracy and media 

  • Public Sector Transformation 

  • Algorithms and democracy 

  • Public Corporate Governance 

  • Practical meetings: high-ranking executives talk about the challenges they face every day 

Study trip

"Promenade Politique": making the practice of politics tangible through encounters with key players in Public Affairs on a political walk through Bern.

In order to ensure that you are able to transfer your practical experience, we focus on a multifaceted transfer of specialist knowledge. 

  • Expert lectures, teaching talks and exchange of experience

  • Practice-oriented preliminary tasks

  • Group work

  • Study of best practice examples and case studies

  • Learning platform

  • Learning groups

Assessments include a transfer report, a research report, two peer reviews and tasks in a learning group. 
In the transfer report you record how you apply study content in a specific practical situation. In the research report you summarise the specialist literature which you have independently researched and found to be helpful with regard to a specific problem. In the two peer reviews you will critically evaluate the work of colleagues. You will form learning groups in which you will work in a self-directed manner according to a methodical procedure. The reports are reviewed by experts according to fixed criteria. You will receive individual feedback. 

Workload: approx. 120 hours 

Qualification + title

Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) in Public Management & Politics from Bern University of Applied Sciences (12 ECTS credits) 

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. 

Requirements + admission

Are you a professional or manager and are you at home in the political arena? Do you want to master complex challenges in the public sector? Are you a municipal council member in Canton Bern with several years of professional experience? Do you work in public administration, for a non-profit organisation, or an institution in close contact with the administration?

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.

Professional requirements

You have at least two years of relevant professional experience. If you do not have a university degree, at least four years are required. This course requires a clear practical connection to the public sector.

For all students of our CAS programmes we offer a half-day course Effective Learning. Attendance is recommended and is free of charge for CAS students. At this event, you will learn about the practice-oriented learning style used at universities of applied science.

Organisation + Registration

The programme comprises 17 days of classroom instruction. The teaching days are Thursday, Friday and Saturday every two weeks, with a maximum of 24 participants.

For further information and registration, please visit 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

Thursday, Friday, Saturday, every 2-3 weeks
Course start: 6 May 2021

The registration deadline is 6 weeks before start, later registration also possible if places are still available.

CHF 8,500

All compulsory literature, course materials and assessments are included in the price. Costs for a possible study trip are not included in this amount. 

The continuing education regulations of the Bern University of Applied Sciences and the implementation regulations for the continuing education regulations apply. The right to make changes is reserved. In case of doubt, the wording of the legal provisions and regulations shall prevail.

Continuing Education Regulations of Bern University of Applied Sciences (WBR) (PDF, 133 KB)
Implementation Provisions for the Continuing Education Regulations WBR in the Business School (PDF, 81 KB)
Implementation Provisions for the Continuing Education Regulations (PDF, 77 KB)
Framework Study Regulations at Bern University of Applied Sciences (PDF, 127 KB)
Regulations on Scientific Integrity at Bern University of Applied Sciences (WissIR) (PDF, 140 KB)
Legal foundations

Advice and information events

Study Counselling

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Head of the degree programme

Administration

Information events

In addition to the information events we offer you our personal advice. By telephone or directly online via MS Teams.

Please contact us!

E-mail: weiterbildung.wirtschaft@bfh.ch 
Phone: 031 848 34 02

Location + Facilities

Bern Schwarztorstrasse 48