Universität Fribourg Université de Fribourg Suisse | Universität Freiburg Schweiz Course offerings

Business Informatics

Abstract

Business Informatics is an interdisciplinary field located between business administration/management and computer science. In addition it provides specific methods, for example for aligning business strategies with technical information processing. Graduates in business informatics dispose of profound knowledge of technical methods such as programming, software engineering, databases, the design of software architectures and systems and machine learning as well as sound skills in business administration, mathematics and statistics. Furthermore, they are proficient in conceptual modeling, the analysis and simulation of business processes and their implementation in software systems. A main task of business informatics professionals is the digitalisation of organisations, i.e. the alignment of business requirements and technical solutions for generating added value for customers, enterprises, employees, and the public administration.

Show the study programme profile

Profile of the study programme

In the Business Informatics bachelor programme, the foundation is laid for a university education in computer science systems with a focus on information management. Business Informatics deals with the use of informatics – so-called information and communication technologies – in companies in the private and public sectors. One of the recurring, varied and exciting tasks of Business Informatics is to consider how existing processes or procedures can be improved or how new processes can be made possible with the help of innovative IT solutions and to substantially contribute to the design and implementation of such. Even the layman can sense how fundamental such tasks are by considering services in the Internet, such as tracking mail, ticket orders and other products that are offered by auctions and exchange markets.

As a rule, the design and realisation of IT solutions is often done in team projects with specialists from different departments, such as marketing, sales, production and logistics. In such teams business informatics specialists not only have a central mediating role, but also a leadership role. So they must have a solid education in informatics as well as in-depth knowledge of business administration and economics and – finally – language and social skills.

Fribourg profile
Correspondingly, on the one hand the bachelor programme in Business Informatics at the University of Fribourg provides a challenging basic education in computer science, which, in addition to the typical subjects such as information systems, project management, security, etc., also includes programming and quantitative methods. On the other, a substantial part of the course of studies comprises the study of business administration and economics, especially during the first and second academic years. During studies, great emphasis is placed on practical relevance, both when teaching and in independent work. Therefore the bachelor's thesis typically deals with a concrete problem posed in cooperation with a company. The study programme is also multilingual, with some of the lectures held in German and others in French with additional material in English. Experience shows that students not only master but also enrich the valuable language skills referred to, not least thanks to the good support and the multilingualism practiced during training exercises and examinations.

Learning outcomes and career openings
The University of Fribourg bachelor's degree in Business Informatics provides a solid foundation for a professional career. It makes it possible to enter directly into professional life or to tackle a master programme in Business Informatics, in order to open up an even wider range of career prospects. The majority of bachelor graduates pursue their master programme at the University of Fribourg and profit, among other things, from the wide range of courses in the Swiss Joint Master in Computer Science of the Universities of Bern, Neuchâtel and Fribourg (see study programme «Computer Science»), an attractive master programme in Computer Science made possible by the cooperation between the three Swiss universities. They gain access to the other universities, even if they are enrolled in Fribourg.

The need for well qualified specialists in business informatics is and remains high: increasingly, a lack of such professionals is expected. As a business informatics specialist, graduates help design the future – in industry, trade, administration, the service sector and research. All in all, they have the best prerequisites for a successful start in a professional career.

Video presentation of the bachelor and master programmes «Business Informatics»:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jhK0Xx4T5g (French)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9s4TI-WPOA (German)

Studies organisation

Structure of studies

180 ECTS credits, 6 semesters

Curriculum

https://studies.unifr.ch/go/i (French)
http://studies.unifr.ch/go/i5uLu (German)

Admission

The following Swiss school-leaving certificates grant admission to bachelor programmes at the University of Fribourg:

  • Swiss academic Maturity Certificate
  • Federal vocational or specialised Baccalaureate + supplementary examination of the Swiss Maturity Commission (passerelle)
  • Bachelor Degree from a Swiss university, from an accredited Swiss university of applied sciences (HES/FH) or from a Swiss university of teacher education (HEP/PH)

A complete list of all further recognised Swiss school-leaving certificates is to be found on the webpages of swissuniversities (in French and German only): https://studies.unifr.ch/go/fr-admission-swisscertificates; https://studies.unifr.ch/go/de-admission-swisscertificates
Foreign upper secondary school-leaving certificates are recognised only if they correspond substantially to the Swiss Maturity Certificate. They must qualify as general education. Foreign school-leaving certificates are considered to be general education if, among other things, the last three years of schooling include at least six general education subjects, independent from each other, in accordance with the following list:

  1. First language
  2. Second language
  3. Mathematics
  4. Natural sciences (biology or chemistry or physics)
  5. Humanities and social sciences (geography or history or economics/law)
  6. Elective (computer sciences or philosophy or an additional language or an additional subject from category 4 or 5)

The general admission requirements to the bachelor programmes at the University of Fribourg for holders of foreign school-leaving certificates as well as the admission requirements for individual countries are to be found on the webpages of swissuniversities: https://studies.unifr.ch/go/en-admission-countries
In addition, foreign candidates must present proof of sufficient language skills in French or German.
All guidelines are available at (only in French and German): https://studies.unifr.ch/go/adm-guidelines

The assessment of foreign school-leaving certificates is based on the «Recommendations for the Assessment of Foreign Upper Secondary School-Leaving Certificates» adopted by the Chamber of universities of swissuniversities on 11.11.2021 (https://studies.unifr.ch/go/swissuniversities21fr; https://studies.unifr.ch/go/swissuniversities21de). The admission requirements are valid for the respective academic year. The Rectorat of the University of Fribourg reserves the right to change these requirements at any time.

Alternatives

Also offered as a minor study programme (60/30 ECTS credits).