Bachelor s degree in Facility Management Study programme 6 semesters to a Bachelor s degree page 4 What our students say Andrea and Mario pages 5 and 10 Specialisations Hospitality Management, Real Estate Management page 7 Prospects Facility Management is steadily gaining in importance page 8 Zurich Universities of Applied Sciences and Arts
Study programme in A multidisciplinary study programme covering topics ranging, from architecture to social and economic science.
Facility Management Management of buildings and services Facility Managers and their teams deal with the planning, implementation and management of measures to support the core business of an organisation. Facility Management (FM) is concerned with the provision of premises and infrastructure, and offers services for organisations and people. Relationships between the following are also taken into account: FM providers and organisations ( business-to-business) and FM providers and end-users ( business-to-consumer) Facility management is steadily gaining in importance, both nationally and internationally. For example, a football stadium needs just as many building-related and personal services as an office building or an airport. This all adds up to excellent career opportunities for graduates of the ZHAW Bachelor s programme in Facility Management. Study programme The study programme has two main specialisations: the professional development of personal services to create optimal conditions for living, work and vacations (Hospitality Management), the long-term optimal use of properties over their entire life cycle (Real Estate Management). You acquire the skills and competencies needed for each of these specialisations in the multidisciplinary study programme, which includes economic and social sciences, architecture, engineering and domestic science as well as communication and IT. With your choice of specialisation Hospitality Management or Real Estate Management you align your studies specifically to your future career. Structure The study programme, which includes both compulsory and elective modules, is designed to be taken full-time and lasts six semesters. This allows you to adapt parts of the programme to suit your previous knowledge, interests and career goals. The study programme can also be completed on a part-time basis. Furthermore, the modular structure allows you to spend a semester studying abroad and take part in student exchanges with other universities. Basic and subject-related studies The basic knowledge and skills required for Facility Management are taught in the first three semesters. In addition to various practical tasks, a group project assignment with written work is carried out in the third semester. This enables current practical issues to be linked to the knowledge and skills acquired in the study programme. Internship semester In line with the specialisation chosen, a halfyear management or project internship is undertaken in the fourth semester, in which the theoretical knowledge and skills learned are applied in practice, and valuable learning experiences are gained. The university monitors and supervises the internship. Specialisation studies In the 5 th and 6 th semesters you choose between one of the two specialisations offered (Hospitality Management or Real Estate Management). In the sixth semester the Bachelor s thesis is written. Graduates are awarded the protected and internationally recognized title Bachelor of Science ZFH in Facility Management. The study programme comprises 180 credits.* One credit corresponds to approximately 25 30 working hours. *ECTS refers to the European Credit Transfer System, the standardised European system for evaluating academic achievement developed as part of the Bologna reform process. Detailed information on the study programme is available at www.ifm.zhaw.ch/bachelor. Facility Management ZHAW LSFM 3
Overview 1 st and 2 nd semesters Basic studies 3 rd and 4 th semesters Subject-specific studies 5 th and 6 th semesters Specialised studies Subject-specific courses FM understanding and sustainability Ergonomics and safety at work Materials and interior design Basics of sustainable buildings Cleaning technology Food service processes Cleaning services management Basics of building management Space management and office design Internship Choice of modules available in Hospitality Management (HM) or Real Estate Management (IM): HM: Strategic and operational purchasing HM: Event management HM: Company and interior design HM: Logistics and hygiene management HM: Food service management HM: Lodging operations HM: Textile management IM: Corporate real estate management IM: Company and interior design IM: CAFM applications IM: Operation and maintenance IM: Building maintenance IM: Case study FM operations IM: Facilities development Business and social science subjects Fundamentals of business administration Fundamentals of financial accounting and advanced financial accounting Management accounting Economics Basics of psychology Communication psychology On-the-job comms and presentation skills Culture, society, language and Culture Days Financial planning FM marketing Business process management Leadership skills Business organisation and employment law HR management Conflict management and teamwork Finance 1 and 2 Risk and safety management Supply chain management Services marketing Work design/environmental awareness skills development Organisational psychology Quality management systems HM: Hospitality marketing HM: Leadership practice Methodological skills Informatics Personal learning and work methodology Teaching and communication skills Scientific methods and writing Scientific methods of data collection Applied statistics Semester paper Project management Computer science for FM Project work Internship IM: Case study FM operations Developing a business plan Strategies and case study Bachelor s thesis Scientific basics and languages Mathematics Chemistry Physics Microbiology / FM hygiene basics English 1 2 English 3 English 4 4 Facility Management ZHAW LSFM
Facility Management student In the Scouts my position of cantonal director gives me the chance to take on responsibility and manage a variety of projects. Working in different teams is fun and offers plenty of variety. It also needs creativity and, as in Facility Management, the focus is on shaping a sustainable Andrea future.
Specialisations In the specialisations you expand your knowledge and put it into practice.
in the study programme Hospitality Management Hospitality Management is concerned with the infrastructural and personal services provided in various public and private companies and institutions. The aim is to create and market optimal residential, vacation and work spaces. As a Bachelor of Science in Facility Management with a specialisation in Hospitality Management, you are in a position to take on the planning, organisation and management of services sectors. You are able to manage them sustainably, applying economic, social and environmental principles. The requirements and needs of clients (the company, employees, funding bodies, etc.) and the core business are at the heart of your work. Areas of activity Facility Managers with this specialisation are able to develop, manage and market services relating to accommodation, cleaning, catering, textile care, events, guest services, logistics, and workplace and interior design. Areas of application include: Hospitals, nursing and retirement homes Hotels Health tourism Banks, insurance companies, service companies Consulting and planning companies Facility services and management providers Catering companies Industrial-scale laundries Real Estate Management The provision, management and the administration of spatial and physical infrastructure, whether for a company s own use or for investment purposes, are the main topics of property management. The focus is on optimisation over the entire life cycle of a property. Strategic objectives are pursued together with the optimization of current operations. Areas of activity As a Bachelor of Science in Facility Management with this specialisation, you are in a position to deal with structural, building services, operational, information technology and economic questions and tasks. The study programme also prepares you for demanding activities in property management and real estate management. Most major enterprises in the private and public sectors have an increasing need for professionally trained Facility Managers. Fields of application include: Banks, insurance companies Real estate companies, construction companies Housing associations Shopping centres Airports, stations Industrial companies with commercial premises Facility services and management providers Providers of FM-specific IT tools Planning agencies and consultancies Facility Management ZHAW LSFM 7
Prospects Educational objectives Graduates can holistically and sustainably manage, represent, design and develop facilities and services apply business principles and methods in company management (e.g. project management) manage staff capably support and lead change processes (change management) take on responsibility for quality management incorporate sustainability concerns into all business processes think and act economically Clients and their needs are the main concern of Facility Managers. Follow-up costs, safety and economy are important cornerstones of their thinking. They examine whether internal or external solutions are to be used, and deploy the right specialists in the right place. Thanks to unified professional management of all these supporting processes, decision-making processes are simplified. Career prospects As Facility Management is playing an increasingly important role in all areas of work, graduates are in great demand. More challenging and sophisticated technology applications in buildings, rising energy prices, the need for more sustainability, higher customer expectations of professional services, and requirements of economic performance call for a holistic view of the entire life cycle of a property. At the same time additional benefits can be generated, and the value of a business improved through customer-oriented services. Being in a position to offer all supporting processes as a package represents an outstanding opportunity. This concentration of services and professional management generates striking cost savings and creates the potential for significant quality improvements in FM. The demand for well-trained facility managers is therefore high. Due to the wide scope of the FM study programme, in which various disciplines are uniquely combined, graduates have excellent job prospects. Where in-depth knowledge is required in a new situation, they are able to learn the ropes quickly due to the methods of holistic thinking they have acquired. Graduates of both specialisations are therefore suitable candidates for employment in all areas of FM. Master s degree/ Continuing education After successfully completing your Bachelor s degree at the ZHAW in Wädenswil, you can opt for the internationally aligned, research based and practically oriented Master of Science in Facility Management degree programme. A Master s degree enhances your career chances, particularly in international companies. The Master s degree programme is taught in English. www.ifm.zhaw.ch/master Based on years of experience, the Institute for Facility Management offers a wide range of part-time continuing education programs (MAS, DAS, CAS). The courses are modular, enabling you to put together your own individual educational package in respect of scope and content. www.ifm.zhaw.ch/weiterbildung 8 Facility Management ZHAW LSFM
Facility Management graduates have excellent career opportunities whether in business or in the public sector.
Facility Management student As a defender, my job is to support our attackers as well as deal with the critical situations which occur in front of our own goal. In this interesting all-rounder position, you need to keep an overview and take quick decisions, abilities that are also needed in all the jobs that Facility Managers do. Mario
Important information Conditions for acceptance The study programme is multidisciplinary and students come from a broad variety of educational backgrounds. Candidates with a vocational baccalaureate can begin their studies directly. Candidates with an academic baccalaureate or professional baccalaureate (Fachmaturität) must have 12 months work experience in a relevant field. Recognition of professional experience and/or internships is granted by the programme directors sur dossier and based on an internship report. Candidates with a diploma in a relevant field from an accredited technical college (höhere Fachschule) are accepted without an examination. The programme directors will decide on any further requirements. The programme directors can provide information on other admission opportunities (e.g. foreign diplomas). Support from the ZHAW The university has developed a one-year practical course, Work Experience, in cooperation with companies and supports interested candidates in finding internship positions. During the internship, five days of study take place at the university. International exchange Would you like to do part of your studies abroad? The ZHAW provides this valuable opportunity. An exchange semester, a foreign internship, attendance at a summer school, a field trip or a language course all bring many advantages: you get to know a different culture and language as well as another educational and research system, and gain experience for your professional life. The School of Life Sciences and Facility Management at the ZHAW is currently linked with over 70 partner universities in 15 European countries as part of the Erasmus+ life-long learning programme. Our specialist academic counsellors and the staff of the International Relations Office at the ZHAW (IRO) provide individual consultation without obligation. For more information on international student mobility and reports of students experiences, see International on www.lsfm.zhaw.ch. Dates The study programme begins mid-september. The registration deadline is 30 April. www.ifm.zhaw.ch/bachelor Facility Management ZHAW LSFM 11
Studying in Wädenswil ZHAW Campus Reidbach / Einsiedlerstrasse ZHAW Campus Reidbach / Seestrasse ZHAW Campus Grüental The ZHAW is one of the leading Swiss universities of applied sciences, with around 10,000 students currently enrolled. The School of Life Sciences and Facility Management is located in Wädenswil on the left bank of the Lake of Zurich. Here, teaching and research are carried out in areas relating to the environment, food and nutrition, and health and society. The study and continuing education programmes include five undergraduate degree programmes (Biotechnology, Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, Food Technology, Natural Resource Sciences, Facility Management), two Master s programmes (Life Sciences, Facility Management) and a broad selection of continuing education courses. Around 1,500 students are currently enrolled in Wädenswil. Contact Zurich University of Applied Sciences Life Sciences and Facility Management Grüental PO Box CH-8820 Wädenswil Registrar s office: +41 58 934 59 61 studiensekretariat.lsfm@zhaw.ch Student guidance: studienberater.fm.lsfm@zhaw.ch www.ifm.zhaw.ch/bachelor Visit us Updated March 2014 All rights reserved Design: idfx AG Werbeagentur ASW