Bachelor’s in Business Administration

Introductory year

The introductory year is attended during the first two semesters of the Bachelor’s program. All the courses are laid out in a timetable and provide initial foundational knowledge.

Main study program

The second part of the Bachelor’s program, the main study program, covers two full years. The compulsory courses guarantee a sound basic education in the field of Business Administration. In addition, you can complete an array of elective courses in the field of Business Administration and, based on your personal interests, you can complete up to three different minor degree programs selected from the wide range of programs offered at the University of Bern. The Bachelor’s program is completed by writing the Bachelor’s thesis.

The 180 ECTS credits required for the Bachelor’s program include the following components: 

• Major - 120/150 ECTS credits
• 1-3 Minor/s - 15/30/60 ECTS credits
• Optional ‘required elective courses’ - 15 ECTS credits

These components can be combined in different ways (refer to combination possibilities).

Graduating from the degree: the title ‘B Sc BA Universität Bern’

The Bachelor’s program is deemed to have been completed when all the academic attainments of your major, minor and, if necessary, required elective courses, have been completed (180 ECTS credits in total). Students who have completed their Bachelor’s degree program are granted the title ‘Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, University of Bern’ (B Sc BA) by the Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences.

The Bachelor’s program in Business Administration includes a major worth either 150 or 120 ECTS credits and one or several minors worth 30 or 60 ECTS credits.

Students can select all the minor degree programs offered at the University of Bern, with the exception of the minor degree programs in Business Administration and Business Information Systems.

It is possible to jointly complete a minor in Business Administration and a minor in Business Information Systems. However, individual academic attainments cannot be credited twice.

Minor programs on offer
Which minor you can combine.

Required elective courses

For the minor ‘required elective courses’, students can study any courses offered across the entire university. The only rule is that the courses must not be part of any of their chosen major and minor study programs. This means that students cannot complete any courses offered at the institutes at which they are already completing their major and minor study programs.

This regulation only applies to students with a major in business administration. If you are taking a major other than Business Administration, please consult the student advisory service for your major.

Required elective courses are marked accordingly in the electronic course catalog (CTS) ). To find them, please visit KSL, click on ‘advanced search’, select the faculty, institute and semester in question and check ‘crediting as optional course’.

Assessments

• The grading scale ranges from 1 to 6, with 6 being the best grade
• Any achievements with a grade of 4 or higher are credited (cf.  Art. 44 des WISO-Reglements), in both the major study program and the minor study program
• In the introductory year, students majoring in the subject can compensate for up to two inadequate examination grades if the weighted average of all the individual grades is at least 4.25. The ECTS credits of all the individual introductory courses are taken into account in the weighted average (cf. Art. 15 RSL WISO). If the student sits the examination several times, the grade they achieve in their last attempt will count towards their average grade.
• In the main study program, each compulsory course must be completed with a minimum grade of 4 (i.e. there is no opportunity to compensate for it). Inadequate academic achievements can be retaken twice (3 exam attempts in total). Each compulsory course within the minor program must also be passed with a minimum grade of 4 (i.e. there is no opportunity to compensate for it). In this case, inadequate examination attempts can be retaken three times.

De-/registration for examinations 

Registration and deregistration are carried out via KSL, which is also where examination results are released.

Important note

If you are not studying under the 2006 regulations, other guidelines apply for the accreditation of study achievements.
Information about this is available in the regulations and study plans in question.

Special knowledge

None

 
For further questions regarding the application and admission process, please contact the Admissions Office.

Consecutive Master's degree program

With a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration with 150 or 120 ECTS credits or a Bachelor's minor in Business Administration with 60 ECTS credits, direct entry into the Master's degree program Master of Science in Business Administration at the University of Bern is possible. This study programme allows for in-depth engagement with business administration issues, providing sound theoretical and practical knowledge.

With a Master's degree in Business Administration, you are optimally prepared for a successful career in practice or for entry into a doctorate. Many employers prefer applicants with a Master's degree, which significantly increases your career opportunities.

The Master's degree program is a mono program comprising 90 ECTS credits and is designed for a standard duration of study of three semesters. Optionally, one of the following specializations can be chosen:

• Corporate Finance
• Financial Management
• Accounting, Control, and Finance
• Management
• Marketing
• Business Information Systems
• Business Analytics

Entry into professional life

A Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from a Swiss university opens up diverse career prospects – in the private sector, the public sector, and in international organizations.

Whether Marketing, Human Resources and Organization, Accounting & Finance, Controlling, Business Information Systems, IT, Analytics, or Management – your expertise is in demand everywhere.

You can launch your career in consulting, industry and logistics, auditing, banking, with NGOs, in public administration, or with your own start-up.

Prospects after completing a Master's degree

After completing a Master's degree, further educational paths are open to you, such as pursuing a doctorate or obtaining an Executive MBA.