1. Bern University of Applied Sciences
  2. School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences HAFL
  3. Continuing education
  4. Project Management
See table of contents See table of contents

Project Management

Do you manage projects with virtuosity and do you master the necessary methods? In the CAS Project Management you will learn how to use modern tools sensibly and purposefully.

Project management is required in many professions today. This work-study programme provides you with powerful tools that you can use day after day. If you want to actively further your education in project management, then this CAS is just right for you:

  • You will be fit for the challenges of the 21st century.
  • You are interested in the basics of traditional, agile and hybrid project management.
  • You are interested in implementation and practical application in a real-life context.
  • You aspire to a leadership position and develop your professional, methodological, social and personal competence.
  • You maintain a committed exchange with people from different industries.

Factsheet

  • Degree/Certificate Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS)
  • Duration 20 study days
  • Schedule Tuesday evening, Friday and Saturday (fortnightly)
  • 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)

To register, please visit the German website. 

Content + structure

Portrait

Designing, organising, leading, controlling and evaluating. CAS Project Management meets the needs of modern businesses. Project work is a critical success factor in most companies. With this work-study course in project management, you be able to form your team into a unit, achieve goals on time and react adequately to changes in the project environment, thus increasing you and your company’s professional edge. After completing this course you will be in a position to embed essential project management basics in your organisation. 

Course objectives

If you want to manage complex projects successfully, this course will equip you will all the necessary skills. 

Professional competence

You will be able to

  • independently grasp problems and systematically identify and specify requirements. 

  • go through the phases of a problem-solving process in a structured and conscious manner, use appropriate methods and work out an adequate solution given your requirements and resources. 
  • understand the basics of project management structures and processes, you know the key factors for successful project management 
  • apply your knowledge methodically and situationally. 
  • take on leadership tasks and encourage a positive team atmosphere. 
  • carry out several simpler projects in parallel in the role of programme project manager. 
  • understand the organisational framework for a project-oriented organisation and advise the management about key developments in various projects. 

Methodological Competence 

You will be

  • familiar with elementary methods of project management and solution development and are able to apply these in a situation-specific, targeted and technically correct manner. 

  • able to relate what they have learned to their own working environment and draw conclusions for their own future practice or that of your employer. familiar with the concepts and methods of internationally accepted standards and are able to apply them in a situation-specific manner. 

  • able to design a project controlling system that takes into account stakeholders. 

Social Competence 

You will be able to

  • coordinate a creative group process and bring it to a successful conclusion. 

  • take on co-responsibility, discuss matters in the group and deal constructively. 

  • achieve common goals and recognise the value of a collective learning process. 

  • be fair to the other members of the group and give constructive feedback. 

  • You can master difficult situations in a team and formulate insights into communication and group dynamics. 

Self-competence 

You will

  • develop confidence in your ability to understand a situation in its complexity, to develop adequate alternative solutions and to assess their usefulness from a holistic perspective. 

  • be able to play a constructive and goal-oriented role in a creative process. 

  • represent your own points of view and analyse them in dialogue. 

  • develop your own methodology for dealing with personal resources and master the successful application to your own life style. 

The CAS Project Management is structured as follows: 

  • e-Learning: levelling of initial competences within the framework of a time and place-independent self-learning unit before the start of teaching in the classroom

  • Action Learning: in groups of 4, a practical problem from one's own everyday business life is solved, applying the methods learnt.

  • Case study: in groups of 2, a current situation from the project's everyday life is observed and reflected on using the theoretical content from the class.

  • Problem solving: problem solving process depending on problem types and complexity, system analysis, problem analysis, requirements analysis, creativity technique, solution development, validation and test

  • Leadership and team development: basics of leading projects and leading without authority, actively managing the project environment, social structures, teams, roles, group dynamics, conflict management and motivation, information and communication planning.

  • Classic project management: project management processes, procedure models, order clarification, project structuring and organisation, resource management, process and schedule planning, risk management and profitability, quality management, contract and procurement management, project monitoring and controlling, reporting, project completion, success control, maturity models 

  • Agile project management: areas of application (in contrast to classic PM), basic agile management values, change from leadership functions to roles, from manager to facilitator, uncertainty, methods and planning tools, steering projects with task boards and standups, compatibility of classic and agile methods, self-management and self-organisation 

  • Simulation: this is a practical exercise in the use of selected procedures and instruments. It deals with complex decision-making situations under uncertainty and raises your awareness of the effects of your decisions 

  • eCollaboration: Modern digital tools for collaboration (teams, SharePoint, OneNote, Skype) are not just explained, but are applied in practice through practical projects. 

Adults learn differently. That is why the continuing education at the BFH Business school is committed to modern adult education. Our mission with «brain, heart and hand» is an important principle in the design of our offers. Questions in the lessons are based on the participants' professional and practical life experiences. Contact study and self-study phases are combined in a meaningful way, analogue learning environments are combined with digital tools. Microsoft Teams is available as a supplementary tool: you have access to documents, messages and information as well as a chat function within the class.

Short presentations, discussions, teaching talks, case studies, group activities and many practical exercises are close to your professional environment - ready for direct application.

We complement these forms of teaching with other innovative forms of teaching and learning:

  • eLearning: interactive learning units with exercises and self-tests.
  • Business simulation: different groups are responsible for managing a project simulated on the computer and compete with each other by comparing the project results.
  • Action learning: working on a problem from practical everyday life over half the semester
  • Case study: observation of a current situation from everyday project life and discussion in relation to content from class.

Class attendance

Regular attendance in class as well as the passing of the proof of competence are prerequisites for the successful completion of the degree programme. If you are absent for more than 2 days, you will have to make up for this (after consultation with the head of the degree programme).

Assessment in this CAS

  • eLearning: students collect learning points when working through the eLearning units and the corresponding exercises. 

  • Action Learning: Students solve a practical problem from everyday business life in groups of four and apply the methods they have learned. Each group is accompanied and evaluated by a coach. 

  • Case study: you observe and reflect in pairs on a current situation from everyday project life and make references to the content of the lessons. The work is supervised and evaluated by a coach. 

We offer short, free learning events for all students of our CAS programmes. With these offers we would like to support you in completing your CAS successfully.

Effective learning in continuing education at universities of applied sciences

You will learn about transfer-oriented learning models and techniques. You reflect on your own learning biography and are encouraged to try out new learning behaviour.

Workshop Transfer Report 

You will be supported in writing your report and benefit from active peer counselling. You will present your unfinished report and receive feedback from the audience as well as from an expert.

Methodology Transfer Report 

You will get to know and understand the exact tasks of a transfer report. We teach you the quality criteria to write a good report.

We highly recommend participation for your first CAS. You will receive further information and schedule before the start of the study.

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. 

Dr. Andreas Fischer
Entrepreneur and digital expert, lecturer Bern University of Applied Science / ETH Zürich

Gaby Frischknecht
Agile leader / release train engineer

Frank Helbling
Trainer, consultant and coach in project and project portfolio management

Prof. Dr. Andreas Ninck
Head of degree programme and lecturer, Bern University of Applied Science

Emmanuel Oeuvray
Release train engineer, servant leader & agile coach

Requirements + admission

Are you involved in projects? Are you a manager who wants to acquire the basics for a smooth project flow? With CAS Project Management, you will impress your company - regardless of the industry - with knowledge that can be implemented immediately. 

Typical participants are:

  • Aspiring project managers who want to acquire sound knowledge in the areas of traditional, agile and hybrid project management
  • People with project experience who are looking for a methodological foundation
  • Practitioners who want to prepare themselves for the challenges of a rapidly changing economy and society
  • Organisational developers who are responsible for the development of professional project management
  • People with leadership responsibility who need an understanding of the modern basics of project management

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.

Knowledge & Skills

It is advantageous for the learning process if practical project experience is already available, so that connections between theory and practice can be established.

Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) of the Bern University of Applied Sciences in "Project Management" (12 ECTS credits) 

This CAS can be counted towards:

Organisation + Registration

The programme lasts 20 study days. Classes are held fortnightly on Tuesday evening and Saturday (full day) and on three to four Fridays (full day). The maximum number of participants is 24.

To register, 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. 

The registration deadline for the programme is 6 weeks before the start of the course. Since the course is always well attended, early registration is recommended. If places are available, later registration is also possible. 

CHF 8,500 
 
All compulsory literature, course materials and assessments are included in the price.

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, 81 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