Frequently Asked Questions

This section contains the frequently asked questions relating to your studies. If you are sure you cannot find your answers here or in the download section, please check below who to contact:

Language Requirements

Yes, but not all focus areas are taught entirely in English.

Focus areas taught in English: 

• English Linguistics
• Digital Linguistics
• Phonetics
• Psycholinguistics
• Descriptive Linguistics
• (Linguistics without specialisation > depends on the courses chosen)

Focus areas taught in German or German/English or mixed:

• Language - Interaction - Society is offered by the German Department and will be taught mostly in German. There are some courses that you will have to take at the English Department. (Please contact the study advisor Lorena Schneider (linguistics-ma@linguistik.uzh.ch) if you think that the courses at the English Department might be a challenge for you.)
• Indo-European Studies is also taught mostly in German.
• In the Romance Linguistics track, it is possible that a language course is taught in the language that is studied, e.g. "Langue française (C2)" is taught in French.
• The Slavic Linguistics track is mostly taught in German or in the target language. However, it is possible that some modules can be taught in English if the instructors are informed as soon as the courses are published in the course catalogue.

It depends. Applicants whose first language is not the main language of instruction for the Master's program must provide proof of sufficient language proficiency. However, this requirement does not apply if you hold a Bachelor's degree (or an equivalent qualification) from a university in a region where the official language matches the language of instruction.

If you have a Swiss Matura certificate or a Bachelor's degree, you are automatically exempt from submitting proof of language proficiency.

For more details, please consult the University of Zurich’s information on language requirements.

Most courses in the program (including the compulsory methodology modules) are taught in English. Courses listed as “German, English” in the course catalogue may be held in either language. Language courses such as “Catalan Language” are taught in the respective target language.

You can check the specific language of instruction by clicking on the course itself on the module page, i.e. where you can see the time slot, room, and instructor. If it still shows “German, English” and you need clarification, please contact the course instructor directly.

Exceptions: The focus areas Language - Interaction - Society and Indo-European Studies are predominantly (or entirely) taught in German.

Prerequisites

Yes. The admission requirements include 21 ECTS credits in courses with linguistic content as well as a C1 level of English proficiency, including academic writing skills. This means that even with a completely unrelated Bachelor's degree, you can still be admitted to the Master's program in Linguistics. If you do not yet have the required 21 ECTS in linguistics, you will be assigned additional requirements corresponding to the number of missing credits. These can be obtained by taking Bachelor's-level linguistics modules alongside your Master's studies.

For further details, please see the section Prerequisites 

We place great value on the self-responsibility of our students. If, during your studies, you notice gaps in your linguistic knowledge, we expect you to take the initiative to close them — for example, by consulting textbooks, working through tutorials, or attending suitable courses.

Yes. They have the same entry requirements as other university graduates: they must have 21 ECTS credits in linguistics, or they may be admitted with additional requirements corresponding to the number of missing credits. For more details, see the section Prerequisites.

For graduates of universities of applied sciences in particular, there is an additional requirement: they must have an average grade of at least 5. For more information, see here.

It is important to note that courses focusing on language skills (pronunciation, listening, writing, etc.) or translation are not considered linguistic content. To get an idea of what is considered linguistic content, have a look at BA programs with the module group "Linguistics" (for example BA in English Literature and Linguistics). 

If you are not sure, you can always contact the program coordinator 

Transfer of Credits / Recognition of Academic Achievement

The skills acquired in the module "Language Data Processing" can be recognised as acquired if you have completed the modules ECL I and PCL I. Because the credits have already been used for the CL Bachelor, transfer of credits is thus not possible.

However, you no longer have to complete the compulsory module "Language Data Processing", but you have to acquire the 15 ECTS credits that this module is worth elsewhere.

No. Only courses at the appropriate level may be counted toward your degree, i.e., MA courses can only be credited to an MA degree, and PhD courses only to a PhD degree.

Yes, UZH students may take courses at ETH if they are related to their study program. To do so, they have to register as a "special student" (Fachstudierende) and take the same steps one would take for a semester abroad. This means that they must contact the program coordinator and sign a learning agreement for the course. After successful completion of the course, the student can contact the program coordinator again with the necessary proof of successful completion and the request for accreditation will be forwarded to the responsible office.

Please read the information on this page: ETH Special Student Registration

Program Structure and Course Sequence

Yes. It is entirely possible to start the program in the spring semester. Note, however, that the compulsory methodological modules are only taught in the fall semester. Depending on your background, the spring semester could be a good opportunity to complete the additional requirements for the 21 ECTS in linguistics, to take language courses, or modules that have no prerequisites.

The change of focus area is made with a request for a change of degree program. This is done during your semester enrolment in the respective time windows: 

• Change for the fall semester: 15 May - 31 August
• Change for the spring semester: 15 November - 31 January

Detailed information can be found here.

Yes.Our students can participate in exchange programs through the agreements of the other departments involved in this program. 

We generally recommend going abroad in the third semester for full-time students. By then, you will ideally have completed the compulsory methodological modules as well as some seminars at UZH. However, the timing of your exchange is ultimately your decision.

For more information on how to apply for a stay abroad, visit the Going Abroad page by the Global Student Experience. 

Master Thesis

In principle, the Master Theiss module must bed booked in the semester you want to hand it in.

More specifically: The module should be booked ideally when you start it. So if you already start working on your Master thesis in FS21, you should also book it in FS21. The idea is that in the first semester of this 2-semester module you look for a supervisor and do some preliminary work, and you'll still have time to attend some modules, if you wish. In the second semester, we suggest you work almost exclusively on your Master Thesis, but of course the distribution of your workload is entirely up to you. 

The sample curricula are exactly that: Examples of how your four (or more) semesters might be structured. The reason many of them spread the 30 ECTS for the MA thesis across multiple semesters is to illustrate a possible progression. For instance, dedicating the first semester (6 ECTS) to research and planning, and the second semester (24 ECTS) to data collection, analysis, and writing. This distribution simply reflects the typical workload at each stage. Ultimately, you are free to organize and distribute your thesis workload as you see fit.

Yes, you can hand it in after 1 semester already.

Extensions for submitting written assignments are granted only if you can provide proof of valid reasons, such as illness, military or civil service, childbirth, or similar circumstances. If your request is approved, the new submission deadline will be extended by the number of days you were fully unable to work on the assignment (e.g. proven by a doctor's note stating your 100% inability to work). 

If the prevention (e.g. illness, natural disaster, etc.) was longer and 1 month extension is not enough, this can justify a cancellation of the MA thesis module. However, the new MA thesis must the be written on a new topic.

Please discuss your request with your supervisor first and then contact the program coordinator. 

Questions concerning individual focus areas

The Computer Linguistics Major is intended for students who already hold a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Linguistics and have corresponding knowledge in programming and IT. As such, 60 ECTS in CL are required as a prerequisite. The Master’s modules in this track are generally not suitable for students without this prior knowledge.

The Monomaster Linguistics is designed for students with prior knowledge in a language-related field (typically a BA in philology) or with no prior linguistics background. Students without sufficient prior coursework will be required to complete 21 ECTS in linguistics.

For details, see the section Prerequisites.

A Major in English with a specialisation in Linguistics comprises 90 ECTS credits and requires you to choose a minor subject worth 30 ECTS (or two minors of 15 ECTS each). For more information on the English Major, please visit the website of the English Seminar.

The Specialized Monomaster in Linguistics, with a focus on English linguistics, includes methodological training (language data acquisition and processing, programming, quantitative methods) and provides access to a wide range of courses offered by the nine institutes that are part of our program.

English Seminar.

The Monomaster in Linguistics with focus area English linguistics includes methodological training and access to a wide range of other courses offered by the 9 institutes that are part of our program.

LINK: Study Guide Linguistics

Lehrdiplom für Maturitätsschulen

Yes, you can do the Lehrdiplom für Maturitätsschulen (Teaching Diploma for Upper Secondary Education) with a Monomaster in Linguistics, provided that:

• for the first (or only) teaching subject, you take at least 45 ECTS credits in modules in English;
• for the second (or additional) teaching subject, you take at least 30 ECTS in modules in English;
• you fulfill all the other requirements* (e.g. Master Thesis in English or a closely related field).

Please see here for more detailed information on the requirements and the study advisors fo the Lehrdiplom für Maturitätsschulen for each language. 

Note that the study program for the teaching diploma is taught in German.