Campus - 21.05.2025 - 09:50

HSG launches Switzerland's first university certificate programme in real estate

With a 16 percent share of gross domestic product, the real estate industry is an important part of the Swiss economy. Now, HSG is the first Swiss university to launch a master's certificate in real estate. In the Real Estate Certificate programme, students will work closely with developers, banks and real estate appraisers.

‘Real estate is of central importance economically, socially and ecologically,’ says Roland Füss, HSG Professor of Real Estate Finance. The real estate industry contributes 16 percent to Swiss GDP and provides around 600,000 jobs. At the same time, Swiss real estate is responsible for almost a third of Switzerland's CO2 emissions. ‘Anyone working in the real estate sector therefore has the opportunity to make an impact in these areas,’ says Füss. He has launched the Real Estate Certificate (REC) for the autumn semester of 2025.

This is one of nine additional qualifications offered by HSG to students. In these teaching programmes, students can specialise in areas such as sustainability, communication, data analysis or FinTech. HSG is thus the first Swiss university to launch a course in real estate. All HSG Master's students can apply for the REC.

Collaboration with real estate companies for case studies

Füss and his team have developed six new university courses for the REC. They have recruited experts from the real estate industry as lecturers, including executives from Fahrländer Partner Raumentwicklung and Wüest Partner, both leading companies in the field of real estate data and analysis in Switzerland. ‘The REC has a very practical focus,’ says Füss. He plans to collaborate with Swiss and St. Gallen real estate companies on practical projects. These will enable students to develop solutions to real-world problems.

‘The certificate also opens up new career prospects for students,’ says Füss. The real estate industry is interdisciplinary in nature – it requires experts in fields such as finance, banking, law, management and consulting. ‘This is another reason why the REC is open to HSG Master's students from all disciplines,’ says Füss.

HSG students who are interested in real estate also have the opportunity to develop solutions to important issues affecting society as a whole. ‘In Switzerland, for example, we are discussing housing shortages, rising rents and prices, densification and urban planning – all topics in which the real estate industry plays a decisive role alongside politics,’ says Füss.

HSG students can apply for the REC here until 30 June. The certificate comprises 24 ECTS credits, of which 8 must be earned in two compulsory courses and 16 in elective courses.