Excellent educational facilities for banking, finance, and insurance
Switzerland offers a very wide range of high-caliber educational courses in finance, banking, and insurance studies, with various structures. The overview of educational opportunities given here is classified according to
- Level: Undergraduate/Bachelors, Graduate/Masters, Other Qualifications
- Type of educational establishment: Universities, Universities of Applied Science, Professional Training, Specialist Training and Advanced Education, Other Educational Establishments
Education in Switzerland in Finance, Banking and Insurances.xls
(as of February 2012; no claim to be complete)
Given that Switzerland is a federal state, its educational system is largely organized on a cantonal basis; however, there are various national cooperation networks in the finance, banking, and insurance sectors at commercial apprenticeship level and also in the academic field:
A.) Academic Networks and Cooperation Arrangements
Research and the ensuring that the knowledge gained is integrated into education and financial market practice are key factors in Zurich's success as a financial center.
Various national cooperation networks promote and undertake research. They also offer basic and advanced education in finance and banking to internationally respected standards.
Swiss Finance Institute
As a globally important financial center, it is natural that Switzerland should also be home to some of the world's leading research institutes and educational establishments. The Swiss Finance Institute - a public-private partnership - was only established a few years ago, but it is already well on the way to establishing itself as one of the top three banking and finance institutes in Europe. The Institute offers postgraduate programs and executive education, and it supports several research programs in the finance and banking sector.
NCCR FINRISK
The National Center of Competence in Research (NCCR) and the Financial Valuation and Risk Management (FINRISK) network focus on these research areas: asset pricing and portfolio management, corporate finance, risk management and quantitative methods in finance. FINRISK provides an extensive network linking several Swiss universities, and it has now grown to include 50 Professors of Finance and about 80 postgraduate students.
B.) Universities of Applied Science: Preparing for the Future
Center of Competence for Risk and Insurance in Winterthur
In September 2009, the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) is to open a center of competence for risk and insurance - the first of its type in the country. The City of Winterthur is providing the ZHAW with one-off initial financing of CHF 75,000 for this purpose. This commitment will consolidate Winterthur's position as an insurance location and a leading center of practice-oriented education.
Higher Vocational School Diploma in Insurance (HFV)
Training for the Higher Vocational School Diploma in Insurance (HFV) is a self-contained educational solution. This three-year in-post training course combines extensive insurance expertise with management know-how. The course places major emphasis on practical aspects and is aimed at qualified insurance specialists who are interested in the overall context of service provision in the insurance business and who aim to take on managerial responsibilities.
New Master of Science in Banking and Finance
The Masters courses offered by the universities of applied science include the Master of Science in Banking and Finance. This course has been offered since 2008 in Zug and Winterthur by the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (Zug Institute of Financial Services, IFZ) together with the ZHAW School of Management (Institute for Banking & Finance, IBF). This two-year consecutive Masters course is intended for graduates from Bachelors courses who have specialized in banking and finance.
Higher Specialist Course in Banking and Finance (HFBF)
The higher specialist course in banking and finance (HFBF), sponsored by the Swiss Bankers Association, is a new program in Switzerland. It aims to offer young adults an innovative training course that focuses on the target group and their requirements, in line with high standards of quality that are uniform throughout the country.
C.) Practice-oriented In-post Specialist Training
Ongoing basic and advanced training for specialists ensures that they can meet current market requirements. Switzerland's professional training system, which is unique in the world, is organized and vigorously supported by industry associations and companies.
Basic professional training in banking and finance is organized by the Center for Young Professionals in Banking, CYP and the Professional Training Association for the Swiss Private Insurance Industry (VBV). Our educational offering comprises thorough basic training courses (with 4,000 students in the banking/finance sector and 1,500 from insurance companies) which are unique in the world.