Practical training
Vocational and continuing education provide practical knowledge that can be used in everyday life. Diplomas, whether they are federal certificates (BF), federal diplomas (DF) or CAS/MAS/DAS, are focused on transmitting concrete knowledge .
Even if the subjects taught may be similar, professional greece email list and continuing training is aimed at different profiles and professional projects.
Progressive training
Here again, there are similarities between vocational and continuing education in Switzerland. Both programs offer progressive training. Thus, you can obtain:
- For continuing education : a CAS can be supplemented by a DAS or a MAS. Please note that the MAS is not a “Master’s degree,” as it is known at other universities.
- For vocational training : a federal certificate followed by a federal diploma. The latter is based on the skills acquired within the framework of the federal certificate, to which managerial skills will be added.
The goal is to increase your skills and community webs provides infrastructure specialize in your field to advance within an organization.
The major differences between professional and continuing education
Academic training vs. vocational training
The content of the courses varies depending on the type of training:
- Vocational training, through certificates and diplomas, is more operationally focused . It has a strong practical orientation since it is a specialization in a given profession. You will thus be able to deepen your knowledge of a specific profession.
- On the other hand, continuing education, through CAS/DAS/MAS, addresses operations and strategy . In other words, these diplomas will allow you to improve your skills in an existing position and acquire additional skills. In your daily professional life, you will be able to make better decisions.
As you can see, the prospects and opportunities are completely different! Despite this, the prerequisites for accessing these two types of training remain demanding. If you’d like to learn more about the criteria to consider when making the right choice, check out our dedicated article .
The origin of the participants
Here again, admission requirements differ depending on the type of training.
Historically, students who have completed an apprenticeship and obtained their CFC (Federal Certificate of Capacity) will move on to vocational training: federal certificates and diplomas.
Conversely, academics will tend to join continuing education and commit to a CAS. In all cases, continuing education programs are aimed at participants who already have several years of experience in the professional world.
The good news? In Switzerland, there are many possible pathways between courses . Before making your choice, and depending on your goals, don’t hesitate to contact the relevant institutions for information.
Recognition of the diploma in Switzerland VS internationally
Finally, diplomas do not have the same recognition and value across the world.
- Federal certificates or diplomas fall under the heading of higher professional education: they are managed by the Confederation and are only recognized in Switzerland.
- The CAS, MAS and DAS are continuing education qualifications: they are recognized by all university schools operating under the Bologna system . This European standard awards ECTS credits to each exam. For example, to obtain a CAS, you must complete a minimum of 10 ECTS credits (1 ECTS credit = 30 hours of work). The advantage? These ECTS credits allow you to move from one school to another, and to accumulate training credits!
HEC Executive Education offers a variety of continuing job data education programs, leading to a CAS, MAS, and/or DAS diploma. Our training focuses on leadership, management, data science, accounting and finance, and marketing.
