FAQ – Managing Your Study Path

This FAQ is intended primarily for students who are already enrolled in one of our study programs. It covers questions about planning your studies, completing additional requirements, modules and assessments, changing study programs, recognition of external courses, and special situations.

If you are considering applying for one of our Master’s programs or have questions about how additional requirements are determined during admission, please see the FAQ – Master’s Admission and Additional Requirements. For general information about our study programs, please see the FAQ – Study Program Basics.

Can I complete the minor before the major?

Yes. You can fulfill the requirements of your major and minor in any order. However, some modules require prior completion of other modules. Deviating substantially from the recommended curriculum may therefore extend the duration of your studies.

What can I do if courses in my major and minor overlap?

First identify which modules are compulsory, as these should normally have priority. Then check whether any modules are prerequisites for later modules and plan accordingly.

Also consider the size and structure of your study programs. A smaller minor can often be completed more flexibly, while postponing a compulsory module in your major may affect several later semesters.

Can one module count for two study programs?

No. The same ECTS credits cannot be credited twice toward your degree. If the same module is required in both study programs, you will normally need to substitute it in one of them with another eligible module.

This can be particularly relevant when combining CL with Informatics. If you are unsure how an overlapping module should be handled, please consult the study advisory services of both programs.

Can I take Master’s modules before completing my Bachelor’s degree?

Yes. If you have already completed at least 120 ECTS credits of your Bachelor’s degree, you may take up to 30 ECTS credits of Master’s modules at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences in advance.

You can book these modules yourself during the regular module booking period. To check whether a particular Master’s module can be taken in advance, look it up in the UZH course catalogue and check the information under "Requirements". Unless the module explicitly states that it is open only to Master’s students and cannot be booked by Bachelor’s students as a pre-Master’s module, it can be taken in advance.

Please note that the booking system may initially allow you to book a Master’s module that is not eligible. Such bookings are cancelled after the booking deadline.

For further information, please see the Faculty information on modules.

Where can I find advice if I am unsure how to plan my studies?

If you are unsure about your study plan, module selection, additional requirements, or program combination, please see our study hints. If your situation is not covered there or in this FAQ, you can contact the CL study advisor.

The appendix to your admission decision specifies the additional requirements that apply to you. Please keep this document and consult it when planning your studies.

When should I complete my additional requirements?

We recommend completing additional requirements from our Bachelor’s program early in your Master’s studies, ideally within the first year. However, you may take Master’s modules from the beginning of your studies if you have the necessary background knowledge.

Please note that additional requirements imposed by another faculty or study program may be subject to different rules or deadlines. Consult the information provided by the responsible study program if you have additional requirements outside CL.

Which modules should I take to fulfill my CL additional requirements?

CL additional requirements are generally not tied to specific modules. You can therefore choose suitable Bachelor-level modules from the BSc program in Computational Linguistics and Language Technology to fulfill the number of ECTS credits specified in the appendix to your admission decision.

We recommend choosing modules that complement your previous academic background. If you have little experience with programming or machine learning, prioritize modules that develop these competencies. If your previous degree is mainly in Informatics or Computer Science, we recommend taking Core Modules of Computational Linguistics and Language Technology to become familiar with the concepts, methods, and research questions of the field.

Informatics modules that are listed as components of the CL Bachelor’s program in the relevant semester can also be used to fulfill CL additional requirements.

How do I assign Bachelor’s modules to my additional requirements?

In the Study Progress & Graduation app, Bachelor-level modules completed as additional requirements must be assigned to the corresponding category for additional requirements.

Depending on when your admission was processed, your CL additional requirements may be displayed either under a study-program-specific category (for example, Aufl. / Bed.: Minor 30: Computational Linguistics and Language Technology) or under the generic category Für Auflagen.

If you see only the generic category Für Auflagen, please note that the system does not necessarily check whether a module is eligible for your CL additional requirements. Being able to assign a module to this category therefore does not in itself mean that the module counts. Make sure that the modules you assign are eligible Bachelor-level modules for the CL program.

If a module is eligible for more than one part of your studies, it may appear under “Academic Achievements Listed Multiple Times”. You can select where the module should count. ECTS credits can only be credited once.

Bachelor’s modules that can be credited at both Bachelor’s and Master’s level (vertically cross-listed modules) may under certain circumstances be assigned automatically to your Master’s program. If you need such a module to count towards your additional requirements instead, please request an adjustment using the online form for adjustments to additional requirements.

What learning formats are used in the CL study programs?

Our Learning Formats page explains the main types of modules and assessments used in our study programs.

Can I cancel a module booking after the official deadline?

Cancellation after the official deadline is only possible in justified cases, such as prolonged illness, and normally requires formal documentation. You must submit your request through the UZH Self Service Portal.

You should also inform the responsible lecturer or module supervisor immediately. Requests must normally be submitted no later than five working days after the date of the assessment.

What do I need to do for my Bachelor’s or Master’s thesis?

Our Bachelor’s Thesis and Master’s Thesis pages explain the requirements and procedures for completing a thesis, including finding a topic and supervisor, registration, deadlines, submission, and assessment.

You can also consult our Open BA/MA Thesis Topics if you are looking for a possible thesis topic.

Can I change my Bachelor’s or Master’s study program?

You can request a change of study program in the Student Service Portal. Please consult the Faculty information on changes to your study programs for details.

ECTS credits from your previous study program can only be assigned to the new study program if the modules are components of that program. You can check this in the UZH course catalogue. Under "Component" for each module, you will find the study programs to which the module belongs.

Can I book CL modules before changing my study program?

Yes. As soon as you are enrolled at UZH, you can generally book modules without being enrolled in the corresponding major or minor study program. In the module booking tool, select "all ECTS degree programmes and minor subjects" or the corresponding option before starting your search.

If you later change your major or minor, completed modules can be assigned to the new study program if they are components of that program and can be used according to its study regulations.

Which courses transfer when changing from the Linguistics Monomaster to the CL MSc?

Modules that are listed in the course catalogue as components of the MSc program in Computational Linguistics and Language Technology can be used for the CL MSc.

Bachelor-level modules that are components of the BSc program in Computational Linguistics and Language Technology can be used to fulfill CL additional requirements. A module may have counted at Master’s level in the Linguistics Monomaster but be used as a Bachelor-level module when fulfilling additional requirements for the CL MSc.

Modules that are components of the Linguistics Monomaster but not of a CL Bachelor’s or Master’s program cannot normally be transferred to the CL MSc. If such a module provides competencies equivalent to relevant CL Bachelor-level coursework, it may have been taken into account when your additional requirements were determined during the admission or program-change procedure.

Can ETH Zurich courses count towards my CL & LT study program?

Yes. Suitable ETH Zurich courses may be recognized for your CL & LT study program if their content and academic level are appropriate. Recognition is not automatic: before taking an ETH course that you would like to count towards your CL & LT study program, please email study@cl.uzh.ch with a link to the course description. We will let you know whether the course can be recognized and, if applicable, to which module group it can be assigned.

After successfully completing an approved course, send your ETH Zurich transcript to study@cl.uzh.ch so that the recognition process can be initiated.

Please note that Faculty regulations on the recognition of academic achievement limit the proportion of external coursework that can be used for a degree. For Major study programs, at least half of the required ECTS credits must be completed at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. This does not mean that you are automatically entitled to transfer the remaining credits from ETH Zurich or another university. External coursework can only be recognized if it is suitable for the CL & LT study program.

Can I study CL after being excluded from Computer Science?

Yes. Informatics modules that are components of the CL study program form part of your studies at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and can still count toward your CL degree.