Fachhochschule Graubünden

About Fachhochschule Graubünden

FHGR is a cantonal university of applied sciences with a profile built around teaching, applied research, continuing education, and collaboration with professional practice. Its public-law status and cantonal sponsorship distinguish it from a private training provider, while Swiss institutional accreditation confirms that it operates at higher-education level. The university traces its origins to the Abendtechnikum Chur, founded in 1963 to educate technical professionals in the region. Technical and business schools later developed and merged, and the institution adopted the Fachhochschule Graubünden name in 2019 before becoming an independent university of applied sciences in 2020. The university is closely connected to Graubünden but draws students beyond the canton and maintains relationships with businesses, public bodies, research institutions, and international partner universities. Its applied-sciences model is especially relevant to students seeking curricula tied to professional fields, project work, and practical problems rather than a primarily theoretical university experience. Most activity is based across several buildings in Chur, with an additional listed location in Zurich and some collaborative teaching arrangements. Prospective students should verify the teaching location for their particular programme because not every course is necessarily delivered at the same site. FHGR remained operational and was advertising remaining places for the 2026 intake as of August 2026. Its institutional reaccreditation, granted without conditions in June 2025, runs through 19 June 2032.

Admission is programme-specific. For bachelor’s study, FHGR generally requires a recognized Swiss vocational, specialized, or academic baccalaureate, or a comparable foreign university-entrance qualification. Its application guidance also requests evidence of at least one year of professional experience for bachelor’s applicants. The required field and form of that experience can vary by programme; applicants whose prior education already includes relevant vocational preparation should still check the individual course rules. Admission to a consecutive master’s programme requires an applicable bachelor’s degree. Some programmes impose subject, grade, professional-experience, portfolio, interview, motivation-statement, or language requirements. The application system may request identification, prior qualifications, experience records, a curriculum vitae, a statement of purpose, a bachelor’s certificate, and language evidence, depending on the programme. Applicants with foreign qualifications should ask the relevant admissions team to assess recognition. Tourism is the institution’s English-taught degree field at bachelor’s and master’s level; other degree programmes are taught in German, with exact language evidence set by the programme. Non-EU/EFTA students generally need a Swiss national D visa and should allow sufficient processing time. FHGR was still advertising final 2026 places in August 2026, but deadlines differ materially by course. Applicants should therefore rely on the selected programme page rather than a single university-wide deadline; late applications may be considered only where places remain.

FHGR awards bachelor’s and consecutive master’s degrees. Its bachelor’s programmes comprise 180 ECTS credits and are generally designed for completion in three years full-time or four years part-time. The published portfolio covers architecture and civil engineering; media, technology, and IT; business and services; and healthcare. Current examples include Architecture, Civil Engineering, Business Administration, Computational and Data Science, Digital Business Management, Digital Supply Chain Management, Information Science, MedTech, Mobile Robotics, Multimedia Production, Sport Management, Tourism, and technology-focused engineering options. At master’s level, the university publishes practice-oriented options in areas including engineering, data visualization, new business, sustainable business development, tourism and change, user experience design, and digital communication and creative media production. Some programmes involve external university partnerships or teaching at multiple locations, so applicants should consult the individual programme page for the awarding arrangement, location, schedule, and precise curriculum. Consecutive master’s study normally builds on a relevant bachelor’s qualification, and FHGR states that its master’s programmes comprise 90 ECTS credits. Language is a decisive academic consideration. For degree-seeking students, FHGR states that Tourism is taught in English at both bachelor’s and master’s level, while its other degree programmes are taught in German. Individual courses may use additional languages, and programme-specific proficiency standards apply. The institution also offers continuing-education courses, but those should not be confused with its bachelor’s and consecutive master’s degrees.

Key Highlights

• Independent, canton-sponsored public university of applied sciences since 2020
• Institutionally reaccredited without conditions through 19 June 2032
• Institutional roots extend to the Abendtechnikum Chur founded in 1963
• Main study locations are in Chur, with an additional listed FHGR location in Zurich

Student Life & Environment

Student life is distributed across FHGR’s study buildings and the wider city of Chur rather than organized around a residential campus. The university provides learning and gathering spaces, a canteen, a library, student associations, a choir, and university sport. Student-led groups cover interests such as charitable activity, sustainability, sporting events, and social events. The sports programme includes team sports, fitness, endurance, flexibility, and outdoor-oriented activities suited to the surrounding alpine region. FHGR does not operate its own student accommodation. Students commonly use shared apartments, independent residences, hotel apartments, or private rentals. The university maintains a housing portal and assists with some residence arrangements, but availability can be limited, particularly in residences used by international students. Its current housing guidance estimates a shared-room rent of approximately CHF 500–750 per month, while other arrangements vary substantially in price and included meals. Student Services offers confidential support with learning strategies, time management, balancing study with work or family, career planning, mentoring, funding questions, disadvantage-related accommodations, and crisis situations. Career support includes application-document review, interview preparation, workshops, employer contact, and access to a university job board listing internships and employment opportunities.

Location & Surroundings

FHGR’s principal location is Chur, the capital of the canton of Graubünden in eastern Switzerland. The university currently lists several buildings around the city, including sites on Pulvermühlestrasse, Ringstrasse, Comercialstrasse, and Sommeraustrasse. Applicants should check their programme’s address and timetable rather than assuming all teaching occurs in one building. FHGR also lists a location on Limmatstrasse in Zurich, while certain collaborative programmes may use other Swiss teaching locations. Chur is a compact regional centre with rail and bus connections to Zurich, St. Gallen, and the main valleys of Graubünden. Its setting gives students direct access to the Alps and to recreation areas such as Brambrüesch. Destinations including Arosa, Davos Klosters, Lenzerheide, Flims Laax Falera, and St. Moritz are reachable within the wider region, although journey times differ. The city setting supports commuting, private housing, and part-time work, but it does not offer a conventional self-contained residential campus. Students planning a move should compare housing location with their assigned FHGR building and budget for local transport where necessary.

Costs & Career Outcomes

FHGR’s published study-cost page lists tuition of CHF 960 per semester for students from Switzerland or Liechtenstein and CHF 1,550 per semester for international students, plus a one-time CHF 300 enrolment fee. The registration fee is credited against first-semester tuition but is not refunded if the student does not begin. Teaching materials, specialist software, excursions, travel, accommodation, and meals can create additional costs. These were the current figures displayed during research in August 2026; students should confirm the invoice applicable to their programme and status. For international students, FHGR recommends planning approximately CHF 2,000 per month for living costs, depending on lifestyle. Its housing page places a typical shared-apartment room at about CHF 500–750 monthly, while residence and private options can fall outside that range. Health and accident insurance is compulsory for Swiss residents, although qualifying foreign coverage may permit an exemption. The university’s career approach reflects its applied-sciences remit. Curricula are intended to prepare graduates for professional roles, and Student Services supports career planning, CV and interview preparation, mentoring, and contact with employers. Students and graduates can use FHGR’s job board for internships and vacancies in Chur and elsewhere in Switzerland. International students face legal limits on employment: FHGR states a maximum of 15 hours weekly during teaching periods, with additional restrictions for non-EU/EFTA students, including a six-month waiting period and work-permit requirements.