To symbolise the various BMS orientations, this photo shows different people in different professions, including a chef, a doctor and a mechanic.

Which of the BMS specializations should I choose?

Anyone who wishes to attend vocational baccalaureate school (BMS) during or after their apprenticeship faces the question of which of the five BMS specializations they must or should choose when registering for the BMS exam.

In the following article, we explain what the BMS is, what BMS specializations exist, which BMS specialization one must or should choose, and at which vocational baccalaureate schools in the cantons of Zurich and Aargau the respective BMS specialization is offered for the desired educational path (BM 1 or BM 2).

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Table of contents

What is a vocational baccalaureate school (BMS)?
There are five different BMS specializations
Which BMS specialization should I choose?
- Vocational baccalaureate during vocational training (BM 1)
- Vocational baccalaureate after completion of vocational training (BM 2)
Which BMS offers which BMS specialization?

What is a vocational baccalaureate school (BMS)?

The vocational baccalaureate school (BMS), formerly also called vocational secondary school, is one of several types of secondary schools in Switzerland, including in the canton of Zurich and the canton of Aargau.

You can attend BMS during your apprenticeship (‘BM 1’) or after your apprenticeship (‘BM 2’). In the canton of Zurich, there is a third option, ‘BM1 flex’, where you start the BMS during your apprenticeship but only complete the BMS qualification after your apprenticeship. However, the ‘BM1 flex’ model is only offered for the following apprenticeships: laboratory technician EFZ, care specialist EFZ, healthcare specialist EFZ, food technologist EFZ and optician EFZ.

Those who successfully complete the BMS receive a vocational baccalaureate, which enables them to study at a university of applied sciences (FH), although there may be additional admission requirements depending on the chosen FH course, such as professional experience and/or aptitude tests.

The vocational baccalaureate also opens the door to a university of teacher education (PH), but applicants must pass an admission procedure.

To attend a higher technical college (HF), you must have completed training in a related field and, in most cases, professional experience is also required.

Finally, with the vocational baccalaureate, you can also transfer to a university or the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, provided you have passed the so-called Passerelle supplementary examination.

However, in order to be admitted to a vocational baccalaureate school, you must first pass the BMS entrance examination.

Read our article ‘Tips for the BMS entrance exam 2026 (Vocational Maturity School Zurich) and FAQs’.

BMS preparation is important for passing the BMS examination

There are five different BMS specializations

The BMS specializations (BMS fields of study) are divided into five different types, each consisting of several sub-types:

Technology, Architecture and Life Sciences
Nature, Landscape and Food
Economy and Services
Design and Art
Health and Social Services

Technology, Architecture and Life Sciences

The BMS specialisation in ‘Technology, Architecture and Life Sciences’ complements basic vocational training in technical and manual professions.

The following core subjects are taught in this specialisation at BMS schools in the cantons of Zurich and Aargau:

Mathematics
Physics
Chemistry (and additionally biology for the ‘Life Sciences’ specialisation)

Nature, Landscape and Food

The BMS specialisation in ‘Nature, Landscape and Food’ complements basic vocational training in professions related to nature, landscape and food, such as foresters, gardeners and farmers.

The following core subjects are taught in this specialisation at the BMS in the cantons of Zurich and Aargau:

Biology
Physics
Chemistry

Economy and Services

The BMS specialisation in ‘Economics and Services’ complements basic vocational training in professions within this sector, such as in a retail business or a hotel.

The following core subjects are taught in this specialisation at BMS in the cantons of Zurich and Aargau:

Finance and Accounting
Economics and Law
Foreign languages (for the ‘Economics’ type in the canton of Aargau)

Design and Art

The BMS specialisation in ‘Design and Art’ complements basic vocational training in artistic and technical-craft professions.

The following core subjects are taught in this specialisation at BMS in the cantons of Zurich and Aargau:

Design, art, culture
Information and communication

Health and Social Services

The BMS specialisation in ‘Health and Social Services’ complements basic vocational training in professions in the health and social services sector and in personal care.

The following core subjects are taught in this specialisation at BMS in the canton of Zurich:

Philosophy
Psychology
Sociology
Natural sciences (for the ‘Health’ type)
Economics and law (for the ‘Social’ type)

The following core subjects are taught in this specialisation at the BMS in the canton of Aargau:

Social sciences
Natural sciences

Which BMS specialization should I choose?

When registering for the central entrance examination at the vocational baccalaureate school (BMS), one must choose a specific BMS specialization.

Choosing the right BMS specialization is particularly important later on, especially if you want to study at a university of applied sciences (FH) after completing your BMS. As a rule, immediately after completing vocational baccalaureate, you can only enrol in a university of applied sciences programme that is related to your vocational training and the specialization of your vocational baccalaureate.

However, as the admission requirements for FH degree programmes are not standardised and can vary depending on the field of study and university, we can only provide a rough guide here. If you would like binding information, you must enquire directly with the relevant university of applied sciences to find out what the admission requirements are for your desired FH degree programme.

If there is freedom of choice in terms of BMS specialisations, however, you should not be guided solely by the path you have taken so far via the EFZ apprenticeship in order to be admitted to the university of applied sciences as soon as possible after completing your vocational baccalaureate. You should also be guided by your strengths and interests in order to find the BMS specialisation that suits you best.

Vocational baccalaureate during vocational training (BM 1)

Anyone who wishes to complete their vocational baccalaureate during their apprenticeship (BM 1) must choose the BMS specialisation that corresponds to their basic vocational training, i.e. their EFZ apprenticeship. An EBA apprenticeship is not sufficient for attending BMS.

Since there are EFZ apprenticeships that are compatible with several BMS specialisations, in such cases you should choose the BMS specialisation that corresponds to the field of any desired FH degree programme after BMS.

Vocational baccalaureate after completion of vocational training (BM 2)

Those who attend BMS after completing their vocational training are generally free to choose their BMS specialisation. This means that after completing their basic vocational training, they can reorient themselves by choosing a BMS specialisation that is not related to the field of their learned profession.

However, it is important to note that in order to be admitted to a university of applied sciences programme that corresponds to the BMS specialisation but not to the EFZ apprenticeship, you must provide evidence of work experience in the field of the desired university of applied sciences study programme.

The different BMS specialisations and associated EFZ apprenticeships lead to the following subject areas at the university of applied sciences (FH):

BMS specialisation	EFZ apprenticeship	FH department
Technology, Architecture and Life Sciences	Electronics technicians, computer scientists, polymechanics, draftsmen, etc.	Architecture, Construction and Planning, Chemistry, Life Sciences, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, Data Sciences, Energy and Environmental Engineering, etc.
Nature, Landscape and Food	Forester, gardener, farmer, food technologist, animal caretaker, etc.	Agronomy, Agriculture and Forestry, Food Technology, Life Sciences Technologies, Environmental Technology Engineering, Biotechnology, etc.
Economy and Services	Type of economy: Digital Developer Business, Merchant, etc. Type of services: Retail specialist, hotel specialist, etc.	Business administration, communication, business informatics, business law, applied languages, etc.
Design and Art	Florist, graphic designer, 3D poly designer, polygrapher, draftsman, etc.	Visual communication, product and industrial design, interior design, etc.
Health and Social Services	Pharmacy specialist, care specialist, health specialist, medical practice assistant	Nursing, midwife, physiotherapy, social work, occupational therapy, etc.

Source: Education Directorate of the Canton of Zurich, Secondary and Vocational Education Office - Vocational Baccalaureate BM 1 and BM 2

And by the way: for the Passerelle supplementary examination, which you have to take to study at a university or Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), it doesn't matter which BMS specialisation you have chosen.

Which BMS offers which BMS specialization?

The different BMS specialisations are not offered at all vocational baccalaureate schools. Furthermore, not all BMS schools offer a BMS specialisation for all educational pathways, i.e. BM 1 and BM 2.

The location of the vocational baccalaureate school can therefore also be a decisive factor in choosing a BMS specialisation. If the school offering the desired BMS specialisation is very far away and therefore involves a long journey to school, this can have a negative effect on motivation in the long term. Nevertheless, it is important to weigh up the options carefully: a long journey to school is still better than a vocational specialisation that is not at all suitable for you.

We have compiled the BMS specialisations offered by the respective vocational baccalaureate schools in the following two tables, with the first table showing the BMS in the canton of Zurich and the second table showing the BMS in the canton of Aargau.

Vocational baccalaureate schools in the canton of Zurich sorted by BMS specialisation
BMS specialisations	Vocational Baccalaureate Schools (BMS)	Educational path
Engineering, Architecture and Life Sciences	Berufsfachschule für Lernende mit Hör- und Kommunikationsbehinderung	BM 1 BM 2 (part-time, 4 semesters)
	Berufsfachschule Uster	BM 1 BM 2 (full-time/part-time, 4 semesters)
	Berufsmaturitätsschule Winterthur	BM 1 BM 2 (Full-time)
	Berufsmaturitätsschule Zürich	BM 1 BM 2 (Full-time)
Nature, Landscape and Food	Berufsfachschule für Lernende mit Hör- und Kommunikationsbehinderung	BM 2 (part-time, 4 semesters)
Nature, Landscape and Food	Berufsmaturitätsschule Strickhof	BM 1 BM 2 (full-time/part-time, 4 semesters)
Economy and Services	Type Economy
	Berufsfachschule für Lernende mit Hör- und Kommunikationsbehinderung	BM 1 BM 2 (part-time, 4 semesters)
	Berufsfachschule Uster	BM 1 BM 2 (full-time/part-time, 4 semesters)
	Berufsschule Bülach	BM 1
	Bildungszentrum Zürichsee	BM 1
	Wirtschaftsschule KV Winterthur	BM 1 BM 2 (full-time/part-time, 3 semesters)
	Wirtschaftsschule KV Zürich	BM 1 BM 2 (full-time/part-time, 4 semesters)
	Sports schools, business type
	United School of Sports	BM 1 (4 years)
	Sport Academy Zürich	BM 1 (4 years)
	Minerva TalentPlus	BM 1 (4 years)
	Type Services
	Berufsfachschule Uster	BM 2 (full-time/part-time, 4 semesters)
	Berufsmaturitätsschule Zürich	BM 1 BM 2 (full-time/part-time, 4 semesters)
	Wirtschaftsschule KV Winterthur	BM 2 (Full-time)
	Wirtschaftsschule KV Zürich	BM 2 (full-time/part-time, 3 semesters)
Design and Art	Berufsmaturitätsschule Zürich	BM 1 BM 2 (full-time/part-time, 4 semesters)
Health and Social Services	Berufsfachschule für Lernende mit Hör- und Kommunikationsbehinderung	BM 1 BM 2 (part-time, 4 semesters)
	Berufsmaturitätsschule Winterthur	BM 1 BM 2 (full-time/part-time, 3 and 4 semesters)
	Berufsmaturitätsschule Zürich	BM 1 BM 2 (full-time/part-time, 4 semesters)

Source: Secondary and Vocational Education Office of the Canton of Zurich

Vocational baccalaureate schools in the canton of Aargau sorted by BMS specialisation
BMS specialisations	Vocational Baccalaureate Schools (BMS)	Educational path
Engineering, Architecture and Life Sciences	Berufsschule Aarau	BM 1 (only four years) BM 2 (Full-time)
	Berufsfachschule BBB Baden	BM 1 (only four years) BM 2 (part-time only, with a distance learning component)
	Berufsschule Zofingen	BM 1 (only four years)
	Berufsschule Lenzburg	BM 1 (three and four years) BM 2 (Full-time, Monday-Thursday)
Nature, Landscape and Food	Berufsschule Aarau	BM 1 (three and four years) BM 2 (Full-time)
Economy and Services	Type Economy
	HKV Aarau	BM 1
	zB. Zentrum Bildung – Wirtschaftsschule \| KV Aargau Ost	BM 1 BM 2 (full-time and part-time)
	Berufsbildungszentrum Freiamt	BM 1
	Berufsbildungszentrum Fricktal	BM 1
	Type Services
	ausserkantonale Schulen (nicht im Kanton Aargau)	BM 1
	HKV Aarau	BM 2 (part-time)
Design and Art	Berufsschule Aarau	BM 1 (three and four years) BM 2 (full-time and part-time)
Health and Social Services	Berufsfachschule Gesundheit und Soziales Brugg	BM 1 (three-year program) BM 2 (full-time and part-time)
Health and Social Services	Berufsschule Aarau	BM 1