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Ganzheitliches Verpackungsdenken
Schweizerisches Verpackungsinstitut SVI
Schweizerisches Verpackungsinstitut SVI
A milestone in higher vocational education and training! – The reform of the Swiss Vocational and Professional Education and Training Act has been decided in decisive steps: The title additions “Professional Bachelor” and “Professional Master” will in future become part of higher vocational education and training. This will make tertiary-level qualifications more visible and internationally understandable – an important development in a globalized working world.
What the decision specifically provides for
The Swiss parliament has passed the amendment to the law that introduces title affixes into the Vocational and Professional Education and Training Act. The reform stipulates that title affixes may only be used together with the full protected title in the official languages – for example ” Dipl. Packaging Manager, Professional Master “.
What does this mean for higher vocational education and training qualifications?
The reform will significantly strengthen the positioning of PET in the Swiss education system. The title supplements serve to clearly place them at tertiary level B and support specialists in communicating their qualifications clearly and comprehensibly – both nationally and internationally.
In practice, this means for future graduates:
The title additions do not replace the existing protected titles, but supplement them as an internationally understandable designation level.
The added value for graduates
The new additions do not change the professional skills – they improve the communicability and comparability of the qualification. In an international context, academic titles are immediately understandable, whereas traditional Swiss titles often require explanation abroad.
With the new title additions, the competence is more clearly and directly recognizable for employers, partners and potential clients. This can significantly improve the mobility of specialists, their placement in international teams and their chances of obtaining relevant roles abroad.
Significance for the SVI ACADEMY
The new title supplements will strengthen the positioning of these degrees in the education and employment market. The combination of many years of practical orientation, personal responsibility and recognized titles is internationally understandable and creates additional career options for graduates.
What remains to be done?
It has not yet been finalized when exactly the title supplements can be officially used and how the exact administrative process will be structured. The federal government will publish these details in the coming months. The SVI will pass on this information transparently as soon as it is available.
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What is the difference to universities of applied sciences (FH) or universities
There is equivalence, but not similarity. Higher vocational education and training as well as universities of applied sciences and universities are assigned to the tertiary level. The difference lies in the profile: the Professional Bachelor’s/Master’s degree indicates a strong practical orientation and professional competence. UAS and university degrees are more academically and scientifically oriented.
When will the title be officially added to the diploma / certificate?
The Federal Council will determine when professional certificates and diplomas will be officially issued with the new title supplement. In the reports on the reform, July 1, 2026 is mentioned as a possible target for the formal entry into force. The use of the title will only be legally binding from this official entry into force.
Is the Professional Bachelor’s/Master’s degree an automatic admission to a Master’s program at a university?
No. The title supplement does not automatically open the door to a Master’s degree program at a university. Admission is still on a dossier basis and is at the discretion of the respective university. The new titles do not change the universities’ existing admission rules.
Do previous graduates receive new diplomas or certificates retroactively?
Whether the federal government will retroactively issue new diploma certificates to all graduates from previous years is still open. There are no binding regulations on this yet.
Do I have to exchange my existing diploma / certificate?
No. The existing diplomas / professional certificates remain fully valid. The Professional Bachelor or Professional Master is a title supplement. The Confederation decides whether old diplomas / professional certificates are reprinted.
Does the title add-on cost anything?
The use of the title supplement itself is free of charge. Should the Confederation offer new diploma certificates, administrative fees may be incurred. There are currently no definitive regulations on this.
Is the title also valid abroad?
Yes – that is one of the main aims of the reform. The title supplement Professional Bachelor/Master is internationally understandable and correctly classifies the qualification at level 5 (Bachelor level) of the European Qualifications Framework. The same applies to the Professional Master at Level 6 (Master’s level).