Admission, Registration, Preparation

What requirements do you need to study at the FHNW School of Computer Science? Where do you register? How can you prepare for your studies?

Admission requirements

Entry with Swiss Diplomas

With the following qualifications, you can begin your studies without an entrance examination:

Federally recognized vocational baccalaureate and completion of a related vocational appren-ticeship (EFZ)
Specialized IT secondary school (commercial vocational baccalaureate followed by an intern-ship in the IT sector)
Cantonal or federal (gymnasium) matura and a one-year internship in the field of your chosen program, or a training contract with a company for studying in the PiBS model
Diploma from a recognized higher technical college
Diploma from a recognized higher professional examination in the technical field
Specialized middle school certificate and an internship in the field of your chosen program

The FHNW School of Computer Science will assess on a case-by-case basis whether you need to acquire additional mathematics competencies beforehand.

Transfer from Other Universities

Incomplete ETH or university of applied sciences studies: in individual meetings with the pro-gram directors, you will discuss credit transfers for completed coursework and determine the required practical professional experience.

Entry with Entrance Examination

People who do not have a vocational baccalaureate but have completed at least a three-year vocational apprenticeship are eligible for the entrance examination. If your profession does not correspond to the industry of your chosen program, you must additionally demonstrate at least one year of practical experience in the industry of your chosen program. You can only begin your studies at the age of 25. If you wish to begin your studies earlier, then pursuing the BM II (vocational baccalaureate while working) would be appropriate.

Entry with Foreign Diplomas

Educational Certificates from Germany

Admission without examination for Abitur graduates (general higher education entrance qualifi-cation) with a one-year internship in a field related to the chosen program (6 weeks credited for graduates of technical high schools). For those with a grade point average above 2.5, we rec-ommend attending the Mathematics bridging course.
Admission without examination for Fachhochschulreife graduates with a grade point average of 2.5 or better and completion of a vocational apprenticeship related to the field of study, or with one year of work experience in a field related to the chosen program. For those with a grade point average above 2.5, we require an entrance examination in Mathematics and Physics and recommend the corresponding bridge or preparation courses.
If you have obtained other educational certificates abroad, you must submit additional docu-ments with your application materials (e.g., curriculum vitae) and provide proof of sufficient German language skills: C1 certificate from the Goethe Institute or C1 University from telc. The application materials will be individually reviewed by the Admission Office and the program direc-tors

Enrollment

Preparation for Your Studies

Are you interested in studying at the School of Computer Science but don't have any programming experience yet? Or perhaps you feel uncertain about your mathematics skills? We're here to support you!

Programming

If you don't have any programming experience, we recommend preparing for your studies at the School of Computer Science. You can either attend the Programming Bridging Course or prepare through self-study.

Programming Bridging Course
This course provides an introduction to procedural and object-oriented programming. You'll deepen your understanding of the concepts through programming exercises. You'll work with the programming languages "Processing" and "Java" or "Python." The course comprises 32 contact hours. The courses are organized by zB. Center for Education – Business School KV Aargau East (zB. Brugg), with instructors from the School of Computer Science FHNW. Classes take place on the FHNW Campus in Brugg-Windisch. You can find more information at the Zentrum Bildung zB.

Self-Guided Preparation

Computer Science courses

The online course with documents from the FHNW and meet-ups at the FHNW

Informations about the online course and meet-ups

Platforms that are useful for preparation:

Introduction to Programming with Java

Data Science & AI and AI & HPC

Introduction to Programming with Python

futurecoder

Introduction to Programming with R

Codeacademy Course “Learn R”

Mathematics

If you meet the admission requirements for the program but have a non-technical high school diploma, we recommend attending the Mathematics Bridge Course. If you have completed your vocational baccalaureate in a technical field but your mathematics skills are somewhat rusty, attending a refresher course would be beneficial for you.

Mathematics Bridge Course
This course covers the content of the specialized mathematics subject from the technical vocational baccalaureate (including elementary geometry). The course comprises 100 lessons of instruction and approximately 80-120 hours of homework. The courses are organized through the zB. Center for Education – Business School KV Aargau East (zB. Brugg). The courses are taught by instructors from the Institute of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at the University of Applied Sciences for Technology FHNW. Classes take place at the FHNW Campus Brugg-Windisch. If you begin your studies at the University of Applied Sciences for Computer Science in the same year as the course, 50% of the course costs will be credited toward your tuition fees. You can find more information at the Zentrum Bildung zB.

Mathematics Refresher Course
This course covers the mathematics content of the technical vocational baccalaureate. The course comprises 48 lessons of instruction and approximately 30-50 hours of homework. The course is taught by instructors from the Institute of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at the University of Applied Sciences for Technology FHNW. Classes take place at the FHNW Cam-pus Brugg-Windisch.

Dates: See registration for Mathematics Refresher Course
Location: FHNW Campus Brugg-Windisch
Cost: CHF 700.-

Participants who begin their studies at the University of Applied Sciences for Computer Science in the same year as the course will have 50% of the course costs credited toward their tuition fees.
Registration