Self-Assessment: Is the “Certified Marketing Manager CHE” program right for me?

What is a typical workday like for a Marketing Manager (CHE) with an Advanced Federal Diploma of Higher Education (Achtung: Engl. gleich wie eidg. Dipl. HFP)

As a marketing manager, you possess broad, practice-oriented professional and leadership skills. You take on a wide range of marketing responsibilities at both large companies and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and work in both operational and strategic marketing management.

Based on market analyses, you identify target audiences, develop marketing strategies, and create marketing concepts. You plan and coordinate marketing initiatives, monitor budgets, and use key performance indicators to evaluate the success and profitability of your projects. In doing so, you’ll work closely with specialists in communications, PR, sales, and other areas of the company. Depending on your role, you’ll also take on leadership responsibilities and coordinate cross-functional processes.

Note: Duties and areas of responsibility may vary depending on the position, company size, and industry.

Target Audience and Skills: Who is the CHE program for Marketing Manager CHE suitable for?

The marketing program at a College of Higher Education leading to a degree as a Marketing Manager CHE is suitable for

• Ambitious professionals in marketing or sales who would like to take on broad technical and managerial responsibilities
• Business Administrators (with a Federal VET Diploma), Retail Specialists (with a Federal VET Diploma), or Mediamaticians (with a Federal VET Diploma) who wish to work as generalists in marketing, drawing on their comprehensive expertise
• Professionals with some work experience in marketing and/or sales who would like to enhance their career prospects with an Advanced Federal Diploma of Higher Education (Achtung: Engl. gleich wie eidg. Dipl. HFP)
• Individuals with a high school diploma or a Specialized School diploma who have professional experience in marketing and/or sales and who, in addition to gaining in-depth expertise in marketing, would also like to acquire practical skills in the areas of management, leadership, and business administration

Marketing managers with a CHE should possess the following personal qualities and skills:

• Sense of responsibility
• Networked thinking and action
• Negotiating skills
• Independent and reliable way of working
• analytical and conceptual skills
• Communication skills
• Good foreign language skills
• Imagination and Creativity
• Ability to work in a team
• Planning skills
• Leadership and organizational talent
• Customer and service orientation

Admission Requirements for the CHE Computer Science Program:

Each College of Higher Education determines its own admission procedures for the marketing program. These procedures are outlined in the college’s academic regulations, in accordance with the relevant legal framework. As a result, there may be differences among the various Colleges of Higher Education (CHE).*

To begin a marketing program at a College of Higher Education leading to a degree as a Marketing Manager CHE, you generally need to meet the following admission requirements.

• Completion of a three-year vocational education and training program leading to a Federal Diploma of Vocational Education and Training (EFZ) as a Business Clerk (EFZ), Retail Specialist (EFZ), or Mediamatician (EFZ).

Or

• Completion of a three-year vocational education and training program (Federal VET Diploma) in another field and at least two years of relevant professional experience in marketing and/or sales (with a work schedule of at least 80%).

Or

• A high school diploma or equivalent from a Specialized School, and at least two years of professional experience in marketing or a sales-related field (with a work schedule of at least 80%).

Further conditions:

• For a part-time CHE marketing program, a minimum of a 70% position in a marketing- or sales-related field is required.
• At least 50% of professional experience must be in a marketing- or sales-related field, provided that, prior to beginning the CHE program, the applicant had at least two years of professional experience in a marketing- or sales-related field working at an 80% workload.
• For a full-time CHE degree program in computer science, internships of at least 720 learning hours (with a relevant Federal VET Diploma) or at least 1,800 learning hours (without a relevant Federal VET Diploma)
• In addition, marketing professionals with a Federal Diploma of Higher Education and sales professionals with a Federal Diploma of Higher Education benefit from a shorter program duration (shortened by up to 1 year).

Note: In some cases, it is possible to have previously completed coursework credited toward your degree. Please contact the provider of your choice directly for more information.

* College of Higher Education (CHE) courses are based on framework curricula that have been jointly developed by education providers and industry associations and approved by the State Secretariat for Education, Research, and Innovation (SERI). If the College of Higher Education adheres to existing framework curricula in the detailed design of its courses, its CHE courses are federally recognized and lead to a protected title.

Subject matter and content of continuing education, further training

The curriculum for the CHE Marketing program for Marketing Managers CHE is generally based on the “Marketing Management” framework curriculum. The responsible body consists of the following: Swiss Marketing (representing the business community) and hfmk.ch (representing educational providers). It is responsible for developing the framework curriculum and periodically reviewing it to ensure it remains up-to-date and of high quality.

Nevertheless, the Colleges of Higher Education have a certain degree of flexibility in designing their programs for future CHE marketing managers. Which topics are ultimately covered and how they are structured can therefore vary from one College of Higher Education to another. For example, the Colleges of Higher Education may also offer specialized tracks.*

As a rule, the following topics are covered:

• Marketing
• Communication
• CRM
• Sale
• Human Resources, Organization, and Leadership
• Law
• Compliance
• Economics
• Business Models and Development
• Finance and accounting
• Project and process management
• Innovation management
• Quality, Environment, and Safety
• Supply Chain Management
• Language Proficiency, English
• Data Collection and Data Analysis

*Such an in-depth course may be offered for a total of 300 learning hours. It may be conducted either in the form of in-person classes and/or other forms of teaching and learning. The protected title “Certified Marketing Manager CHE” remains unchanged.

Costs and financing of continuing education, further training

Costs vary depending on the provider, location, and program format. In general, you should expect the following costs for the 6-semester Marketing CHE program:

• Tuition fees: Tuition fees vary depending on the school and the canton where you reside. Students residing in the canton where they are studying* can expect to pay between CHF 12,600 and CHF 25,200. The costs for exams and the thesis are generally included in the program fees.
• Additional costs: Some providers charge additional fees for the registration fee and student ID, preparatory courses (optional), teaching materials, specialized software, licenses, learning workshops, internships, training materials, exams/theses, and retakes. Check directly with the CHE of your choice for information on these additional costs.
• Earning Additional Degrees: For additional certifications, such as an internationally recognized English certificate or the VSK Advanced Business Diploma, you should expect to incur additional costs for preparation and external testing.

* Courses at Colleges of Higher Education (CHE) are financially supported by the cantons. Students from outside the canton pay higher tuition fees. The following conditions apply in order to receive cantonal funding:

• at least two years of residence in the canton
• The course is listed on the EDK (Swiss Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education) list of eligible courses (you will find the link to the list in the reply texts).

Duration of study, number of lessons and learning effort

• Duration of study: The program at a College of Higher Education (CHE) leading to a diploma as a Certified Marketing Manager CHE is structured in modules and lasts 6 semesters.
• Number of class periods: The program comprises 3,600 learning hours for students with a relevant Federal VET Diploma. For programs without a relevant Federal VET Diploma, the number of learning hours generally increases to 5,400; please contact the school of your choice for more information. The professional experience (practical experience in a relevant profession) during the part-time CHE program counts toward the training period up to a maximum of 720 hours (with a relevant Federal VET Diploma) or up to a maximum of 1,800 hours (without a relevant Federal VET Diploma). Learning hours also include contact instruction (with qualified supervision, e.g., traditional in-person classes), guided self-study (e.g., exercises, learning workshops), independent self-study (e.g., preparation and follow-up work), performance assessments of the areas of practice, team-based project work, and the thesis. The distribution of these learning hours over time is defined in the framework curriculum.
• Training Models: The program is offered only on a part-time basis. Classes are held, for example, on two evenings a week, on one full weekday, or on Saturdays. This may vary from one CHE to another.
• Teaching format: Many schools offer a combination of in-person and online classes (online, hybrid, and blended learning).
• Learning effort:You should allow sufficient time to prepare for and follow up on the lessons and for self-study - how much depends on your prior knowledge, working style, learning speed and chosen training model. We recommend that you allow at least 4-6 hours per week for the part-time model.

Tip: Some schools offer introductory or trial lessons. This lets you get a feel for the classes and the learning environment and find out if the school is a good fit for you. Take advantage of this opportunity and contact the school of your choice directly.

Degree, diploma and title

The program to become a Certified Marketing Manager (CHE) concludes with a final qualification exam consisting of the following three parts:

1. The results of the previous semester examinations
2. Project work conducted in teams or groups as part of the CHE program; it is typically completed during the last two years of study (100 learning hours)
3. The thesis is practice-oriented; it gives candidates the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and ability to think holistically. The thesis is written individually on a topic relevant to business administration (approximately 200 study hours). It is written at the end of the program (though it may also be integrated into the 5th or 6th semester). Here, too, the timeframe is determined by the respective CHE in its academic regulations. The thesis is also presented to a group of specialists (a panel of experts) and subsequently defended in a discussion.

The details of implementation are governed by the respective CHE in its academic regulations.

Diploma and title

Graduates of the program receive a CHE diploma and are entitled to use the federally recognized and protected professional title “Dipl. Marketing Manager CHE.”

In French: “marketing manager with an ES degree / marketing manager with an ES degree”

In Italian: “marketing manager diplomata SSS / marketing manager diplomato SSS”

In English (translation, i.e., a recommendation, but not an officially recognized title): “Advanced Federal Diploma of Higher Education in Marketing Management”