Education

Opportunities for training and further education are as comprehensive and diverse as the FM industry itself:

5.1 Undergraduate degree (Bachelor’s)

In the German-speaking countries, a number of independent/undergraduate Bachelor’s degree courses in FM have now become established. In six, seven or eight semesters, students at traditional universities, universities of applied sciences and dual-study universities earn a Bachelor’s degree (Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Engineering or Bachelor of Arts) worth 180, 210 or 240 ECTS credits. Courses of study at universities of applied sciences generally include an internship.

5.2 Postgraduate degree (Master’s)

In addition to the consecutive Master’s programs described above (enrolment for which generally requires a Bachelor’s degree), there are further Certificate and Master’s programs that are usually completed part-time, such as Master of Advanced Studies (MAS) or (Executive) Master of Business Administration (E)MBA. These further education programs require qualified work experience and often earn a lower number of ECTS credits compared with consecutive programs. They also entail higher fees, as they are not subsidized by the state.

5.3 Continuing education (Master of Advanced Studies)

Nebst den soeben erläuterten konsekutiven Masterstudiengängen (setzen i. d. R. einen Bachelorstudiengang voraus) gibt es weiterbildende Zertifikats- und Masterstudiengänge, die üblicherweise berufsbegleitend absolviert werden, wie z. B. Master of Advanced Studies (MAS) oder (exekutive) Master of Business Administration (E)MBA. Diese Weiterbildungen setzen eine qualifizierte berufspraktische Erfahrung voraus und weisen häufig eine geringere Anzahl ECTS-Punkte gegenüber konsekutiven Studiengängen aus und beinhalten höhere Gebühren, da sie nicht staatlich subventioniert sind.

5.4 Country-specific qualifications

5.4.1 Germany

There are accredited FM study programs at around 20 higher education institutions, which are also certified by gefma according to the professional quality criteria of gefma 610 and/or gefma 616 guidelines. The majority of these are Bachelor’s and Master’s programs as well as individual Certificate study programs.

Non-students in particular are enabled by providers of vocational education and training as well as professional associations in FM to obtain additional qualifications by taking subject-specific examinations. These are independently developed and approved by the providers and the professional associations.

In particular, gefma Fachwirt (Business Administrator) Facility Management and gefma Servicekraft (Service Provider) Facility Management have established themselves as additional qualifications. On the basis of the gefma Guidelines 620 Fachwirt FM (full-time or part-time) and 630 Servicekraft FM, professionally qualified persons can acquire the final certificate. This is currently available from five gefma-certified training providers. Already, more than 4,300 specialist business administrators and service providers have graduated from these quality-certified advanced training courses for property management. Furthermore, gefma is resolutely pursuing the establishment of an independent training profession with interdisciplinary competences for operative services, which is urgently needed in FM.

In addition to the gefma training levels on the part of RealFM, the certified Facility Information Manager – FIM (RealFM e. V.) is now also becoming highly relevant. The blended learning course for training Facility Information Managers (FIMs) comprises a total of four modules and a practical case study. The job description was developed in conjunction with the BIM2FM Guide for the ‘Application of BIM Methodology in the Operation and Use Phase’ in the life cycle of real estate.

5.4.2 Austria

In addition to academic programs such as the FM & Real Estate Management Bachelor’s program atr FH Kufstein, part-time four-semester FM Master’s programs (MBA, MAS) can be completed in Austria, provided the relevant professional experience can be demonstrated. Furthermore, there are numerous degree programs related to FM that offer the possibility of specialization. Examples are Architecture, Civil Engineering and Business Informatics. Operational FM and FS are also increasingly being taught in the secondary sector, such as the higher technical schools. Knowledge about FM and the connections with other trades is likewise taught in the training of apprentices (e.g. in electrical engineering). The Vienna University of Technology imparts basic knowledge about FM and digital transformation with a focus on management of real estate and FM (RE/FM) in its Architecture, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Engineering degree programs. In addition, there is an Executive MBA FM offer with a focus on Workplace Management, ESG and Digital Transformation. The University for Continuing Education in Krems offers a Master of Science Facility and Property Management. Courses are also offered at the Berufsförderungsinstitut (BFI) and Wirtschaftsförderungsinstitut (WIFI).

5.4.3 Switzerland

The tertiary level of advanced vocational education and training includes federal examinations and colleges of higher professional education (Höhere Fachschulen). The federal examinations and the colleges of higher professional education are both aimed at workers who wish to deepen their professional knowledge, take on a management function or become a company director. At the federal level, professional examinations lead to a Swiss federal certificate of proficiency. Higher professional examinations usually build on a professional examination and lead to a federal diploma (e.g. Management in FM and Maintenance HFP). Exam preparation can be completed at Strickhof, IAI Synergis, WBZ, GBSSG, ABZ-Suisse among others. In colleges of higher professional education, the training courses (part-time or full-time) are somewhat broader in scope than the federal examinations. Full-time courses last at least two years, while the duration of part-time courses is usually three years. BFF Kompetenz Bildung Bern is the only college of higher professional education that offers a degree in Facility Management HF. The Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), together with its Institute for Facility Management (IFM), is the only Swiss university to offer tertiary-level training opportunities in a combination of Real Estate and FM with Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees as well as academic continuing education (MAS, DAS, CAS).

5.5 International qualifications

IFMA offers globally recognized certification opportunities for the development and advancement of FM competencies: Essentials of Facility Management, Facility Management Professional (FMP), Sustainability Facility Professional (SFP), Certified Facility Manager (CFM), FM trainings.

5.6 Online courses and further training

Nanodegrees, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCS), general online courses, video lectures, MicroMaster, Professional Certificate – online learning is booming and enjoying ever greater popularity. A host of international course platforms such as Coursera, Udacity, Udemy, Edx, iversity/Springer offer a comprehensive selection of further education options. Frequently, students enroll for individual courses and then switch to a full online degree program. Other reputable providers in the online education sector are FutureLearn, Skillshare, MasterClass, Pluralsight, Harvard Business School, LinkedIn Learning, Lecturio, University of the People, Kajabi, elopage and the Swiss Distance University of Applied Sciences. Some of these organizations focus on monetizing their proprietary expertise by recording, sharing and charging for video courses recorded in house. There are also dedicated search portals for online courses, such as Edukatico and distancelearningportal. Even if only limited FM-relevant content is currently offered there, this is sure to change fundamentally in the near future due to the increasing demand for individualized and modular online knowledge transfer.