Faculty of Engineering and Architecture
Faculty of Engineering and Architecture
Pérolles 80
Fribourg 1700
CH
N 46° 47' 35.9'', E 46° 47' 35.9''
http://www.heia-fr.ch/
Dean of the Department of Architecture
Master: French / German / English
With more than 110 years of experience, the School of Engineering and Architecture’s task is to train engineers and architects. It currently hosts approximately 1000 students distributed among eight professional college degree programs. It offers the following degrees:
- Bachelor of Arts in architecture
- Master of Arts in Architecture
- Bachelor of Science in civil engineering, chemistry, computer science, telecommunications, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering
- Technical college degree in construction management issued by the Technical School of Construction, affi liated with the School of Engineering and Architecture of Fribourg
- MSE: Master of Science in Engineering
- MSLS: Master of Science in Life Sciences
- MIT: Master of Science in Environmental Engineering
The School of Engineering and Architecture of Fribourg offers a practice-based education and the opportunity to take bilingual classes (French/German).
Numerous possibilities for continuing education, adapted to the demands of the market, are also offered. For further information see: www.heia-fr.ch/formation-continue
The School of Engineering and Architecture of Fribourg promotes the mobility of its students and teachers as well as the development of international relations, especially with educational institutions and businesses from the European Union and beyond (France, Germany, Italy, Canada, China…).
The city of Fribourg is located in the Center-West of Switzerland within the canton of the same name. Fribourg is a dynamic cultural hub thanks to its position on the border of two linguistic regions (French and German), and yet, with 38'000 inhabitants, it retains the charm of a town on a human scale.
300 students (250 Bachelor, 50 Master, 0 PhD), 10% of foreign students.
100 staff members (5 full-time and approx. 95 visiting lecturers and critics).
Workshops
Lectures
Study Trips
Cafeteria
24/7 access
Stationery and supply store
CNC
Scale model workshop
Woodworking workshop
Laser-cutting machine
Automatic paper cutter
3D printer1:1 prototyping hall for spatial design
Virtual Reality room
Plotter printers
Master, Architecture, 2 Years, Master of Arts in Architecture, French / German / English, 120,
The Faculty of Architecture offers both undergraduate and graduate studies in the form of a 3-year Bachelor’s degree and a 2-year Master’s program.
Consisting of 180 ECTS credits, the Bachelor’s degree imparts the skills and knowledge essential to the practice of architecture. Successful graduates are awarded a Bachelor of Arts HES-SO degree in architecture, which entitles them to practice independently in Switzerland. Students have the option of earning a French-German bilingual diploma if they complete one-third of the study program in German. Since language skills are highly valued by companies, the bilingual option greatly increases opportunities for professional development.
Consisting of 120 ECTS credits, the Master’s degree imparts specific skills and knowledge. Successful graduates are awarded a Master of Arts HES-SO degree in architecture, which entitles them to practice internationally. The Joint Master of architecture (JMA) gathers 3 Swiss schools of architecture (HEIA – Fribourg, HEPIA – Geneva and BFH – Bern) in a common study frame and encourages student’s mobility.
Courses are grouped in semester modules. To earn the degree of Bachelor of Arts HES-S0 in architecture, every module must be successfully completed. Part-time studies are possible starting in the second year. In these cases an individualized study plan is determined in consultation with the Faculty Dean.
The first year of the Bachelor program is devoted to the essential skills, tools and methods of the profession. The didactical objective is to introduce students to architectural projects, the main building systems, and materials. Further attention is given to mastering conventional software and IT tools, including BIM, and to an introduction to the theory and history of architecture.
The second-year curriculum focuses on enhancing technical and building knowledge, developing visual communication skills, and learning about environmental issues and sustainability. By working with habitats in different landscapes and urban contexts, the second-year architecture project integrates cultural, technical and building aspects in an interdisciplinary approach. The cross-curricular approach is further cemented through activities in collaboration with civil engineering students.
In the third year, students learn to apply building, technical and cultural knowledge efficiently within the framework of an architecture project, and to carry out multifunctional, complex projects. The final semester of the program is devoted to the Bachelor project.
The Joint master program (JMA) is organized in two parts and managed through a process of individual mentoring.
The first part consists of project workshop modules organized by every campus for its own students. The teaching program is future-oriented and structured around an architecture project. Workshops consist of exploratory case studies in which complex situations are examined. Students from all three campuses meet regularly in joint workshops.
The second part consists of one-week joint seminars held once per semester in each of the three campuses. In these seminars, students are confronted with the ways in which architecture as a discipline relates to an increasingly multicultural and transdisciplinary world. Visiting specialists from different fields offer their perspective on common themes. This kind of teaching immerses students in transdisciplinary situations linked to current research. Students are encouraged to broaden their cultural awareness and to develop an architectural identity.
The Joint Master of Architecture can be undertaken either full-time or part-time following a personalized study plan. Consisting of 120 ECTS credits and organized on a semester basis, the program is modular and entirely vertical, which means that students can start and finish the program in the winter semester or in the summer semester as best suits their needs. The full-time study plan consists of 3 semesters followed by a final semester devoted to the Master’s thesis, which is an autonomously developed personal project.