Navigation auf uzh.ch
Navigation auf uzh.ch
You will find all UZH degree programs and courses in the online course catalogue. The individual courses are listed by faculty and subject. The catalogue also contains the addresses of all institutes und departments, administrative offices and service centers as well as those of the teaching staff.
On the faculty homepages you will find links to the websites of all UZH institutes and departments. Most of them provide comments, introductory literature and information about deadlines for their courses.
To find specific modules – for example, courses held in English – we recommend using the search mask. You can also find a guide on how to use the course catalogue here (PDF, 313 KB).
Course search mask (category "courses")
Courses in English
The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences offers incoming students the opportunity to book selected modules in English from other disciplines, in addition to modules in their own discipline, during their time at UZH. Additionally, each semester, modules are offered that are designed specifically for incoming students. The courses for the spring semester 2024 can be found here (PDF, 424 KB).
Academic Advice in Choosing your Courses
Please contact the departmental coordinator in your field of study to get assistance in preparing a study plan and completing your learning agreement.
If you want to attend courses at ETH Zurich, you can book at most two courses and no more than one third of your overall ECTS points. Please be aware that the exams at ETH Zurich take place later than at UZH, namely in August (spring semester) and February (fall semester), which might cause problems for students who cannot stay in Zurich that long. Please keep in mind that you will be registered at ETH as an UZH student and, therefore, not have the same privileges as an ETH exchange student. Also, as ETH is a different university, we cannot offer any administrative support.
ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System) is a system that regulates the accumulation and transfer of credits earned for coursework. This system encourages transparency within the European higher education area and fosters student mobility within Europe.
At UZH, 1 ECTS credit point represents a workload of 30 hours. Credits are only awarded if you pass an examination or have other work officially recognized. The grading scale ranges from 1 to 6, where 6 represents the highest grade and 4 the pass mark.
Modules may consist of a combination of courses, such as a lecture and a discussion group. The required workload is made up of the time spent in class as well as time spent in self-study (reading, preparing for an exam, writing a paper). The UZH faculties are free to design their modules within the university’s guidelines. This means the individual faculties decide on how many ECTS credits are awarded for a given module.
The academic year at UZH begins on 1 August and ends on 31 July. It is divided into a fall and a spring semester. The lecture term lasts from mid-September to the end of December in the fall semester (calendar weeks 38 to 51), and from mid-February to the end of May in the spring (calendar weeks 8 to 22).
Semester Dates and Lecture Terms (Academic Calendar)
Examinations
Examination dates differ according to faculty. Examinations usually take place within the last weeks of the lecture period or during the following month. You can find the examination dates for all courses on the respective faculty websites or ask the contact person at the relevant department.
Internet and Computer Access
All UZH students have an electronic user account with an e-mail address and access to the university's electronic services and module booking. Exchange students receive their access data from us a few weeks before the beginning of their studies at UZH.
UZH has many work stations with internet access.
work stations (website in German only)
Libraries
Together, the many libraries that belong to or are linked with UZH have almost 6 million books as well as a large number of journals and electronic databases. All libraries offer excellent facilities, including work spaces, computer access, reading rooms, and copy machines. In addition, UZH students can borrow books from more than sixty libraries from throughout Switzerland by interlibrary loan.
Catering
Your student ID entitles you to reduced prices on meals at the various cafeterias and canteens of UZH and ETH:
Campuses and Maps
UZH has four Campuses: City, Irchel, Oerlikon, and Schlieren. All rooms in the University's buildings are designated according to building, level, and room number (e.g. KOL E 17 = Kollegiengebäude (main building), level E, room 17). The interactive map will help you find your way
Students can download their transcript in the UZH student portal/launchpad. The transcript lists the grades for all the courses you booked at UZH, including those you did not pass.
The transcript is available for download at the beginning of March (for the previous fall semester) or at the beginning of October (for the previous spring semester). Further information here.
You can also order a printed version of the transcript for a fee via Student Services. This document will be sent to the address you have inputted in the UZH database. Please make sure to check the address and change it if necessary.
Summary of Credits
As soon as your grades have been recorded in the system, you can also view these on your Student Portal.
Questions regarding your transcript?
With questions regarding the transcript of records, please refer to the dean's office of your faculty, or to your SEMP departmental coordinators.
Transfer of Credits
Your home university is responsible for the recognition of the credits you earned at UZH.
UZH students can benefit from the courses offered by the Language Center of UZH and ETH Zurich. Beside semester-courses in thirteen different languages, students also have the option of enrolling in intensive German courses outside of the regular semester: Courses
Self-Access Center
At the Self-Access Center you will find plenty of material for independent language learning. Among other things, there is a variety of learning aid media for German as a foreign language. We recommend to take a look at the resource pool of the Self-Access Center before you come to Switzerland.
Tandem
The Language Center also arranges tandem learning partnerships, where two people with different native languages work together to improve their foreign language skills.
The student organization Erasmus Student Network (ESN) offers a buddy system for exchange students. You must submit a request for a buddy at least three weeks before your planned date of arrival via the ESN Zurich website.
Please note that this option is only open to exchange students.
The student associations at UZH represent the interests of students in the various fields of study. Their websites provide general information as well as useful tips for your studies.
The "Fachverein Oekonomie" has a buddy system for exchange students at the Faculty of Economics, Business Administration and Information Technology.
Buddy system for students in Economics, Business Administration and IT
There are several events taking place regularly at UZH, which are interesting for newcomers. VAUZ co-organizes a monthly get-to-know pub for PhDs and postdocs of UZH and ETH. It is a great opportunity for informal socializing. The Graduate Campus holds regular events such as Grüezi@UZH or the Postdoc Meet Up! These are also great networking and socializing opportunities.
With your UZH password letter you can set up your UZH account. If you are experiencing technical difficulties please contact support@zi.uzh.ch
