To complete your Bachelor’s studies (180 ECTS), as well as your Masters’s studies (120 ECTS), you have to register for your graduation at the faculty of Arts and Social sciences. It is required that you have achieved the required amount of ECTS for each study program at the appropriate level by the end of the finishing semester. Starting 1 November 2022 you can track and review your progress at any time in the «Study Progress & Graduation» app. If you have fulfilled your program requirements, you can register for graduation via this app.

Study guide (available in German only) Chapter 6

Further information about completing your Master's studies

What is the composition of the grade in the Master's diploma?

The degree is assessed with a weighted overall grade. The graded modules flow into the respective study program with the weight of their ECTS. The study programs flow into the weighted overall grade with the weight of the given study program size. Both the study program grades, and the weighted overall grade are calculated with unrounded initial values.

Framework ordinance governing study in the Bachelor's and Master's degree programs offered by the University of Zurich's Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (available in German only) §51

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Credits/Imputations

Is it possible to book lectures for the module group 'Research areas in Communication Science'?

No seminars are offered in this module group. Only lectures can be credited in this group.

Course catalogue

Can I have modules from my earlier studies credited?

Modules can only be credited if they have not been credited to another degree before. If a module is already listed in a certificate, it can no longer be credited for another degree.

In some cases, modules can be recognized. The respective ECTS, however, will have to be compensated (cf. question compensation.

Recognition of academic achievements (available in German only)

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Compensation of core modules

Can I compensate modules I already completed in my earlier studies?

Externally completed courses, as well as proven language skills, can be compensated if these competencies are taught as core modules in your study program at the UZH. The core module will be recognized as completed with 0 ECTS. The core module is then considered as fulfilled. The ECTS of the core modules must be earned with other modules.

Study regulations §37

Recognition of academic achievements (available in German only)

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Master thesis

What is the scope of the Master thesis and what should be taken into account when booking the thesis module?

All MA major students as well as mono master students of the internet & society program will have to write a master thesis with a scope of 30 ECTS. For more information regarding the length of the paper and other formal guidelines, please ask your supervisor.
The colloquium for Master theses offers a platform to develop and present a personal research concept as well as to critically discuss the concepts of others. Students who write a thesis in one of the four Master programs at the IKMZ are obliged to visit the master’s colloquium of the supervising professor.
Towards the end of each semester obligatory pre-discussions are hold in the divisions.

Study regulations §30-33

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Deadlines

I missed a deadline. Can I still book a module?

The deadlines are binding!
After these dates, bookings or cancellations are generally no longer possible.

For questions concerning bookings and cancellations please contact: modulbuchung@phil.uzh.ch

Booking and Cancellation Deadlines

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Admission

What requirements do I have to fulfill in order to enter one of the specialised Master programs?

The requirements differ slightly in the different programs. On the IKMZ website you can find the amount of ECTS that are required in the different subjects. For all specialized master’s programs the overall Bachelor grade (or equivalent) has to be 5.0 or better.

Major Political Communication & News

Major Strategic Communication & Management

Internet & Society

Is it possible to enter a Master's program with a Bachelor from a University of Applied Sciences?

If you have completed a Bachelor’s study program at a Swiss university of applied sciences you can apply for a Master’s program at the UZH. However, you must reckon with additional requirements if you do not have the technical knowledge and therefore do not fulfil the technical requirement profile.
For admission to a consecutive or specialized Master’s degree program you must have earned your Bachelor’s degree with an overall grade of at least 5 (unrounded) in accordance with the Swiss grading system.

Admission to a Master’s Program with a Degree from a University of Applied Sciences or Teacher Education
Regulation on the admission to studies at the university Zurich §30

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Module bookings

I am soon starting my Master program at the IKMZ. What should I book in my first year?

In all of our Master study programs, you should book the core module “Multivariate Statistics” and “Science Theory and Research Logics” during the first two semesters. If you have been admitted to a Master study program with conditions, we recommend that you fulfill these conditions early on in your studies.

Sample curriculums:
MA Internet & Society (available in German only)
MA Strategic Communication & Management (available in German only)
MA Political Communication & News (available in German only)
MA Communication Science and Media Research Major (available in German only)
MA Communication Science and Media Research Minor (available in German only)

What is a core module?

Core modules are offered regularly (each semester or each spring or autumn semester) and are obligatory for all students of the given study program. A failed core module can be repeated once. No substitution is possible. A module failed twice will lead to a definite rejection from the program.

Module definitions

Study guide (available in German only) Chapter 3.3

What to do if having problems with bookings or cancellations of modules?

With problems concerning bookings or cancellations of modules, the student services of the faculty of arts and social sciences can help.

modulbuchung@phil.uzh.ch

How do I know what module group a given module belongs to?

There is two ways to determine into which module group a module belongs:

All core elective and core modules, as well as many of the elective modules, can be found in the module catalogue of the study program. In this document, the module group is mentioned for every module. You can find the module catalogue in the legal bases of the faculty of arts and social sciences.
In the digital course catalogue of the UZH, all modules can be arranged according to their module groups. To do so, start with your study program then go to the modules. With the small arrow in the top center right of the program name, you can display the modules by module group.

Legal bases Master (available in German only)

Course catalogue

How do I find a module in the course catalogue?

The modules of our MA programs are listed under Master of Arts in Social Sciences (Bologna 2020) – 120 (Major) or 60 (Minor) Communication Science and Media research. With the search function modules, courses and lecturers can be found directly.

Course catalogue

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Exams

How many times am I allowed to fail an exam? Core modules can be repeated once. If you fail a core module twice, this leads to a subject ban. Other modules can be substituted. The type of repetition is listed in the module catalogue. Framework Regulation on the Bachelor and Master programmes at the Faculty of Philosophy of the University Zurich (RVO PhF) (available in German only)Repetition of modules, §28, §29 Do I have to register separately for the examination? The booking or registration of the module is at the same time also the booking or registration of the examination. Framework Regulation on the Bachelor and Master programmes at the Faculty of Philosophy of the University Zurich (RVO PhF) (available in German only) §20
How can I register for a retake in a compulsory module? If you have not passed the exam of a compulsory module on the first date or were unable to take it, you will receive a request in the module booking tool to register for the retake. You can then register yourself within a defined period. Study guide (available in German only) Chapter 3.5

What do I have to do if I failed an exam? For core modules there is a repetition examination offered in the same semester. If you did not pass the exam on the first date or were unable to take it, you will receive a request in the module booking tool to register for the retake. You can register within an indicated time period. If you do not want to take the repeat exam, you can book the module again in a subsequent semester. For elective modules no possibilities for repetition are offered. In that case you need to book another module in a following semester. Take the opportunity to inspect the examination! Study guide (available in German only)Chapter 3.4 and 3.5 Study regulations §23 Framework Regulation on the Bachelor and Master programmes at the Faculty of Philosophy of the University Zurich (RVO PhF) (available in German only) §28, §29 Study guide (available in German only) Chapter 7.4	top

Transitional rules

Who do the transitional rules concern and where can I find them? The transitional rules apply to all students who: a) began their studies before the fall semester 2019 (August 1, 2019) in one of the old programs and b) resume or continue their studies in the major study program of communication science and media research up to and including 2023. If conditions a. and b. are not met, the appendix to the study regulations valid at the time of the change will be applied. Transitional Rules MA 90 (available in German only) Transitional Rules MA 30 (available in German only)
If a module from an old study program does not have the same amount of ECTS as rge equivalent module in the new program, how many ECTS are credited to me? The amount of ECTS of the module you passed will be credited. If, for example, you have successfully completed an old core lecture to the extent of 4 ECTS, 4 ECTS will be credited to the corresponding module group. Transitional Rules MA 90 (available in German only) Transitional Rules MA 30 (available in German only)
How do I know what achievements I will be credited after changing into a new study program and what modules I still have to book? With the requirements lists from the different modulegroups and the equivalence tables in the transitional rules. The tranisitional rules contain how many ECTS are required for a modulegroups and what core modules are required. The new document called “Studienstand”can be found on your student portal where it can also be ordered online. There is an option to order a simulation before chaning into another study program. The “Studienstand” shows which ECTS are credited to which modulegroup. Studienstand Transitional Rules MA 90 (available in German only) Transitional Rules MA 30 (available in German only)
If a module of a new study program gives more ECTS than the old equivalent, do I have to gain extra ECTS in order to pass the module? No, you completed the module group if you successfully completed all the modules from the equivalent table, even if you reached less ECTS than you would with the new modules. In total you do obviously need 120 resp. 60 ECTS in order to complete your studies. If you, however, met all the requirements of the modulegroups, you can then choose any modules to reach the full amount of ECTS. Transitional rules BA 120 (available in German only) Transitional rules BA 60 (available in German only)	top

Overlaps

I just started my studies and realized that some of the modules from my major and minor overlap. What should I do?

This is a problem many students have to deal with. Considering the large number of subjects and possible combinations it is unfortunately not possible to prevent this. First make sure whether you can complete one of the modules later in your studies without prolonging them. If this is not possible, you can think about starting your minor only in your second study year. Do not forget, however, to make sure your minor can be completed in only two semesters if you do not want to prolong your studies.

Study guide (available in German only) Chapter 2.5

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Pre-Masters modules as part of your BA program

Is it possible to book Master's modules while still being enrolled in a Bachelor's program?

If your summary of credits shows that you have earned at least 120 ECTS credits in a Bachelor's degree program at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (PhF), in the following semester you may complete pre-Master's modules from the PhF worth a maximum of 30 ECTS credits (overall & including all semesters). You can book these modules yourself via the module booking tool.

Study guide (available in German only) Chapter 3.8

Which Master's modules can I book as pre-Master's modules in my Bachelor?

In the course catalogue it is mentioned whether a module is suitable as a pre-Master's module. For our programs these are the core modules 'multivariate statistics' and 'Science Theory and Research Logics' as well as the elective lectures from the module group 'Research Areas in Communication Science'.

Modulkataloge der verschiedenen Masterstudiengänge
Legal bases Master

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Contacts

Who can I contact if my question was not answered here?

General questions about the studies at the faculty of arts and social sciences: studium@phil.uzh.ch

Module bookings: modulbuchung@phil.uzh.ch

Information about graduating: abschluss@phil.uzh.ch

specific questions about IKMZ study programs: programmkoordination@ikmz.uzh.ch

Student Services