Master’s degree
Joint Master of Architecture (JMA) BFH/HES-SO - Fribourg site
School of Engineering and Architecture of Fribourg (HEIA-FR) · Filière Architecture, HEIA-FR · Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
- Official award
- Master of Arts BFH/HES-SO en Architecture (Master of Arts in Architecture BFH / HES-SO)MA
- Pathway
- ProfessionalStated for Switzerland
- Format
- On campus2 ans (plein temps, Travail de Master inclus)
- Tuition
- CHF 950per semester, current (as printed 2026-10-19)
About this program
The joint master's in architecture run since 2005 by BFH and HES-SO with teaching sites in Biel, Fribourg and Geneva; the same programme is recorded for each partner school's site.
- Subject
- Architecture
- Department
- Filière Architecture, HEIA-FR
- Awarding body
- Not stated on the pages we checked
Qualification and professional pathway
Pathway is classified only from a statement on an official page. A degree title such as B.Arch, BA, BSc, M.Arch or MSc does not decide it, and no degree by itself grants permission to practise as an architect.
- Degree level
- Master’s degreeA postgraduate degree. Entry requirements differ widely: some accept graduates of any subject, others require a prior architecture degree.
- Pathway
- Professional pathwayThe program itself is a professionally accredited or validated degree in the stated jurisdiction, as shown by the source quoted on the page. Further steps are normally still required before registration.
- Why we classify it this way
- The partner school states the master's title gives direct access to Swiss register A of architects and that the programme is accredited by the Confederation.“donne directement accès au Registre suisse A des architectes”Source
- Previous architecture degree required
- Yes
- Applicants without an architecture degree
- Not published
| Route | Duration | Credits | Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prior architecture degree (advanced standing) | 2 ans (plein temps, Travail de Master inclus) | 120 | Bachelor HES suisse en architecture ou titre équivalentSource |
| Prior architecture degree (advanced standing) | 2 ans (plein temps, Travail de Master inclus) | 120 | Bachelor universitaire ou EPF suisse en architecture (ou titre équivalent) plus un stage professionnel de 12 moisSource |
Accreditation, validation and recognition
Recorded for this program and campus, with the authority’s role. Institutional recognition, degree-awarding authority, program accreditation, professional validation and eligibility toward registration are different things; none of them is full professional registration.
Stated by the schoolSwiss Confederation (accreditation as stated by the school)Program accreditationOther statusCH
Scope: Joint Master of Architecture BFH/HES-SO as described by HEPIA; accreditation decision itself not checked in the Accreditation Council register.
Stated by the schoolREG Foundation (Stiftung REG), register A of architectsEligibility toward registrationOther statusCH
Scope: Statement by the Joint Master of Architecture partner school (HEPIA) that the BFH/HES-SO master's title gives direct access to Swiss register A; not confirmed on the REG register itself.
Further requirements: REG states that registration normally also depends on professional experience; see country profile.
Verified in official recordswissuniversities (list of Swiss higher education institutions accredited under the Higher Education Act, HEdA)Institutional recognitionFull statusCH
Scope: Institution-wide listing of HEIA-FR (within HES-SO) as an accredited Swiss university of applied sciences; not a programme accreditation.
Study structure
- Delivery
- On campusTaught at the listed campus.
- Study mode
- Full-time, Part-time
- Duration
- 2 ans (plein temps, Travail de Master inclus)
- Credits
- 120 ECTSCredit systems differ between countries and institutions.
- Intakes
- Semestre d’automne (semaine 38), Semestre de printemps (semaine 8)
- Campus
- HEIA-FR (Fribourg)
Teaching language
- Taught in
- French, German, English
- English
- Not taught in EnglishAn English-language website does not mean a program is taught in English.
- Differences by campus or pathway
- Trilingual joint programme; C1 required in the language of the main site and B1 in a second language.
- Published language requirements
- C1 in the language of the main site and chosen modules; B1 in at least a second of the three languages.
Admissions
- Portfolio
- Not published
- Interview
- Not published
- Previous qualification
- Swiss HES bachelor in architecture or equivalent; Swiss university/EPF bachelor plus 12-month professional internship.
Fees and costs
Original currency is authoritative. Each price keeps its basis (per year, per credit, whole program), academic year and student category, and is never converted. Annual tuition and whole-program tuition are different figures.
| Item | Amount | Applies to | Dated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semester cost for Swiss students (tuition CHF 700 + study contribution CHF 250)Tuition | CHF 950per semester, current (as printed 2026-10-19) | étudiant·es suisses | 19 October 2026Source |
| Semester cost for foreign students (tuition CHF 1050 + study contribution CHF 250)Tuition | CHF 1,300per semester, current (as printed 2026-10-19) | étudiant·es étrangers | 19 October 2026Source |
No total is shown: the sources do not state a whole-program figure and the published duration and fee basis do not support a calculation.
Studio fees, materials, model-making, printing, software, equipment, field trips and residencies are not listed by the institution on the pages we checked; architecture students often meet such costs.
Sources and verification
Not published on the program’s source pages: portfolio requirement.
Sources and how this was checked
Last checked 19 October 2026. Each fact carries a verbatim quote that is re-checked against the live page. Research methodology.
Sources (checked 19 October 2026)