Universities
Switzerland has two types of universities: universities and universities of applied sciences. Teaching at universities of applied sciences is more practice-oriented, while teaching at universities is more theory-oriented. The two types of school are of equal status and are designed according to the European Bologna system. They culminate in a bachelor’s or master’s degree that is recognised throughout Europe. Students who wish to gain admission with a foreign baccalaureate should contact the university directly.
Universities in Valais
The Valais campus of the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland (HES-SO) in Sierre and Sion offers nine courses of study and consists of five schools: the School of Engineering, the School of Management and Tourism, the School of Social Work, the School of Health Sciences and the édhéa school of art and design. Founded in 1998, the Swiss Distance University of Applied Sciences (Fernfachhochschule Schweiz – FFHS) is a federally recognised university of applied sciences offering part-time bachelor’s and master’s programmes as well as further education in the fields of economics, information technology, engineering, law, and health. The Valais Teacher Training College (Pädagogische Hochschule Wallis – PHVS), located in Brig-Glis and St-Maurice, trains the teachers of tomorrow. The HEMU University of Music also has a location in Sion.
Distance learning and study programmes
University education in Valais is available from the UniDistance Suisse. The University of Geneva offers an interdisciplinary master’s degree in Children’s Rights at the Kurt-Bösch Foundation in Bramois (Sion), while the University of Lausanne offers a master’s degree in Tourism Studies. The French-speaking Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), which is active in the scientific fields of energy, health and the environment, is represented at a site in Sion.