The aim of the catalogue of branches is to classify the educational paths and fields of activities of Swiss universities and institutes of technology (Swiss universities, federal institutes of technology and other university institutes) in a uniform system. This catalogue makes it possible to compile national statistics on universities and institutes of technology and to compare various institutions or fields of study. The SHIS database is also used to calculate the compensation paid between the cantons (IUA) and the federal grants awarded to higher education institutions (HEdA). For international comparability, the catalogue’s fields of study are assigned to the fields of education of the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED13, established by UNESCO).
Developed at the start of the 1970s, the SHIS catalogue of branches in universities and institutes of technology was revised in 1997.
