1. Bern University of Applied Sciences
  2. School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences HAFL
  3. Continuing education
  4. Public Affairs & Lobbying
See table of contents See table of contents

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

To register, please visit the German website. 

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.

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

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.

  • 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. 

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.

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.

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. 

Organisational aspects of the CAS

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)

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

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

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.

Head of the degree programme

Administration: Haute école de gestion Arc, Neuenburg

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