FAQ's

What do Bachelor (BA) and Master (MA) mean?

Studying at a Swiss university is divided into two phases:

1) The first phase is the Bachelor's degree (BA), which lasts three years and teaches the fundamentals of social sciences. The Bachelor's degree is completed with a Bachelor's thesis.

2) The Bachelor's degree is followed by the Master's degree (MA), which usually lasts three or four semesters and provides a more in-depth scientific understanding of theoretical and methodological knowledge. The Master's degree is completed with a Master's thesis. The Master's degree is roughly equivalent to the former licentiate degree.

What do major and minor mean?

As a rule, one subject is studied as a major (main subject) and one or more as a minor (secondary subject) (unless the major is organised as a single subject). The major is the subject that has the greater scope and in which the Bachelor's and Master's theses are written. The minor replaces the term secondary subject and is of lesser scope than the major.

What are ECTS credits?

A certain number of ECTS credits are awarded for each course, which students accumulate during their studies in order to complete their degree. ECTS credits are therefore the unit of measurement for academic achievement. The number of ECTS credits awarded for each course is noted in the course catalogue (KSL).

The number of ECTS credits depends on the amount of work students must complete in order to receive a certificate of achievement. The amount of work includes the time spent attending the various courses, as well as the time spent preparing for and writing papers and other written assignments or preparing for oral examinations. One ECTS credit corresponds to 25-30 hours of work. An average of 30 ECTS credits per semester is assumed, which (full-time) students should complete based on a normal weekly working time.

The number of ECTS credits awarded varies depending on the type of course. These are calculated on the basis of the previously used semester hours per week (SWS) as follows:

First-year Bachelor's programme:

• Introductory subjects (mathematics and statistics): 1 SWS = 1 ECTS credit
• All other subjects: 1 SWS = 1.5 ECTS credits

Main Bachelor's programme and Master's programme:

• Lectures: 1 SWS = 1.5 ECTS credits
• Proseminars: 1 SWS = 2 ECTS credits
• Exercises: 1 SWS = 1.5 ECTS credits
• Colloquia and research internships: 1 SWS = 2 ECTS credits
• Seminars: 1 SWS = 2 to 3 ECTS credits (depending on workload)
• Literature studies: 1 SWS = 1 to 2 ECTS credits (depending on workload)
• Special studies: 1 SWS = 1 to 4 ECTS credits (depending on workload)
• Bachelor's thesis: 1 SWS = 10 ECTS credits
• Master's thesis: 1 SWS = 30 ECTS credits

Registration for participation in courses

Information on the registration procedure for all courses organised by the Department of Social Sciences can be found in the University of Bern's core teaching system (www.ksl.unibe.ch).

Registration for lectures and (pro)seminars at the Department of Social Sciences is usually done via ILIAS.  Joining the respective ILIAS folder is considered registration for an event. Please note that in most cases this does not constitute registration for performance assessment.

The registration windows open as follows:

• for the autumn semester on 15 August at 8 p.m.
• for the spring semester on 15 January at 8 p.m.

It is advisable to register for (pro)seminars as soon as possible, as places are sometimes in high demand.

No registration is required for any of the introductory lectures.

Registration for examinations

Registration for examinations takes place online via the University of Bern's core teaching system (www.ksl.unibe.ch) and is required for all courses (lectures and (pro) seminars). Before the registration deadlines, social science courses can only be added to the planning view in KSL.

The registration deadlines for performance assessments in social sciences are:

• In the autumn semester: 15 November to 31 December
• In the spring semester: 1 April to 15 May

Information on the registration deadlines for performance assessments for individual courses can be found in the electronic course catalogue (www.ksl.unibe.ch).

As a general rule, you must have been enrolled in the semester (autumn or spring) in which you attended the course in order to be able to take an exam in September, for example (even if you have since left the university).

Compiling your timetable: What should I do if courses overlap? 

When planning your timetable, the following rule applies: your major subject always takes priority. In other words, we recommend that you prioritise attending all compulsory courses in your major, as these courses teach important basic knowledge that will be beneficial in your further studies.

For the minor subject of social sciences (with or without SP), it is also recommended that you complete the three compulsory introductory courses first.

If an overlap with the major subject cannot be avoided, elective courses can also be given priority over compulsory courses, as the order in which the courses are completed is ultimately irrelevant for the completion of the major or minor.

Requests / Change of subject

Requests for extension of the study period and recognition of external credits must be addressed to the Examination Board of the WISO Dean's Office (Examination Board).

Questions regarding credits in the major can be addressed directly to the Department of Social Sciences.

Changes of major and minor subjects can be specified in Selfservice when renewing enrolment. Students will receive a link for enrolment renewal between semesters, during the break from classes. Further information can be found on the Enrolment Services website.

Duration of study, study periods

The standard period of study for full-time students is 6 semesters.

The individual stages of study must be completed within the following time limits:

• Introductory studies: after 5 semesters
• Entire Bachelor's programme: after 10 semesters
• Master's programme: after 8 semesters

If these time limits are not met, major students will be excluded from further study at the WISO Faculty.

A justified request for an extension of the study period can be submitted to the examination board of the WISO Faculty (examination board).

If 1-2 ECTS credits are still missing to complete the programme, a literature or special study can be completed instead of a course (students should contact a lecturer independently for this).

Extension of study period for major students (BA and MA)

All regular students enrolled at the University of Bern at Bachelor's and Master's level are entitled to submit an application for an extension of their study period.

The major subject is decisive. No additional application needs to be submitted for the minor subject. A reasoned request for an extension of the study period can be submitted to the Examination Board of the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences. Approval for an extension of the permissible duration of study will be granted for a maximum of two semesters. After that, a new application for an extension may have to be submitted.

If you have any questions about extending your study period, please contact the WISO Dean's Office.

Possible reasons for extending your study period:

• Paid work (extending your study period by 25% or more)
• Illness, accident 
• Childcare and pregnancy
• Study-related internships outside the study plans and study abroad programmes that are not creditable
• Language stays
• Military service, civil service, civil defence (study period extension from 4 weeks)
• Disability (depending on the degree of impairment)

Legal basis:

http://www.unibe.ch/studium/organisatorisches/studienzeitverlaengerung/rechtliche_grundlagen/index_ger.html

Approval procedure for extending the duration of your studies

If you wish to submit an application, you are required to consult with the academic advisor at least once to discuss any foreseeable extensions to your studies. In any case, the application must be accompanied by a realistic study plan for completing your degree, agreed upon with the relevant academic advisor.

Application for a predictable extension:

You can submit your application to the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences at bachelor's level from the 10th semester onwards and at master's level (90/120 ECTS) from the 6th/7th semester onwards.

Request for an extension due to unexpected circumstances:

Applications for an extension of study time can be submitted to the relevant faculty dean's office up to three months after the official end of the corresponding Bachelor's or Master's programme (see information in the relevant study plan).

• Form for requesting an extension of study time
• Please submit the request together with the required supporting documents, depending on the reason, and the signed letter with your study plan to the examination board of the WISO Faculty for review. Submit your request as soon as possible and not just at the end of your studies. If the conditions for an extension of study time are met, you will save yourself (and us) the stress of an extension request in the final phase of your studies.

Who will the request be sent to?

Please send your requests in a formal letter to the Examination Board of the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences:

Universität Bern
Prüfungskommission der WISO-Fakultät
Schanzeneckstrasse 1
Postfach
3001 Bern

How and from whom will you receive a reply?

Once your application has been processed, you will receive a prompt reply from the examination board of the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences.

Tuition fees, tuition fee increase

The tuition fee is 750 Swiss francs per semester.

• Students who study for more than twelve semesters without obtaining a degree pay 1,500 Swiss francs in the first semester of exceeding this limit. The fee doubles for each additional semester.
• In cases of hardship, the university management may waive the tuition fee in whole or in part.
• The number of semesters starts again at 1 when you transfer from a Bachelor's to a Master's programme. This means that the regulation does not apply to you in this case.

Tuition fees for students with more than 12 semesters

Specialisations

No official specialisation can be chosen in the Bachelor's Major in Social Sciences (120 or 150 ECTS). Although the individual timetable can be designed to focus on a particular subject area, the Bachelor's degree will still be completed without an official specialisation.

In the minor programmes in Social Sciences (60 ECTS and 30 ECTS, not in the minor in Social Sciences (15 ECTS)), one subject area can be chosen as a specialisation:

• Specialisation in Political Science, or
• Specialisation in Sociology, or
• Specialisation in Communication and Media Studies

Mobility: Registration procedure

• For general information on exchange opportunities at the Department of Social Sciences, please click here.
• The registration deadline for exchanges within Europe is 1 March for the following autumn and spring semesters.
• The registration deadline for exchanges worldwide is 15 January for the following autumn and/or spring semesters. For the spring semester of the following academic year, applications can be submitted until 15 June.
• Mobility within Switzerland: The SOWI Department is NOT part of the BeNeFri agreement. However, courses taken at other Swiss universities can still be credited. To do so, a learning agreement must be agreed in advance with the director of studies (Thess Schönholzer).
  • Students from other universities can attend courses at UniBE (without reimbursement of expenses): Register at: https://www.unibe.ch/studium/mobilitaet/incoming/aus_der_schweiz/minor_mobilitaet/index_ger.html (without registration at UniBE, no performance assessments can be issued).
  • The registration deadline at UniBE is
    • For the spring semester: 31 January at the latest
    • For the autumn semester: 31 August at the latest

Introductory studies

Who is responsible for administering performance assessments in introductory studies?

The administration of performance assessments for introductory studies is carried out by the WISO Dean's Office (WISO Introductory Studies). The Department of Social Sciences is only responsible for the freely selectable proseminars, the exercise ‘Introduction to Political Science’, the exercise ‘Introduction to Sociology’ and the exercise ‘Introduction to Communication and Media Studies’.

Repeating/crediting insufficient performance in the introductory programme

Insufficient performance in the introductory programme can be repeated once.

A maximum of two insufficiently graded performances in the introductory programme can be credited if the ECTS-weighted grade point average of all performances in the introductory programme is at least 4.25.

How do I put together my timetable for the introductory studies?

A basic timetable can be found on the WISO Dean's Office website: Basic timetable. However, this timetable only lists the compulsory courses and must be supplemented with the elective courses. An example can be found on the fact sheet for the Social Sciences programme under Study Structure.

It is recommended that you distribute the courses (and thus the workload) evenly across both semesters (approx. 30 ECTS per semester).

Compulsory courses: Which courses in the introductory social sciences programme are compulsory?

According to Appendix 1 of the ‘Bachelor of Social Sciences’ curriculum with amendments from 2013, the following courses (44 ECTS in total) are compulsory:

• Lecture ‘Introduction to Political Science I’
• Lecture ‘Introduction to Sociology’
• Lecture ‘Introduction to Communication and Media Studies’
• Exercise: SOWI working techniques
• Lecture: Introduction to Empirical Social Research
• Lectures: Statistics I and Statistics II
• Lectures ‘Mathematics I’ and ‘Mathematics II’
• Lecture ‘Introduction to Economics’
• Lecture ‘Introduction to Microeconomics’
• Lecture ‘Introduction to Macroeconomics’

The remaining 16 ECTS are earned through compulsory electives and/or proseminars.

Elective courses and proseminars

According to Appendix 1 of the ‘Bachelor of Social Sciences’ study plan with amendments from 2013, at least one proseminar (4 ECTS) must be selected from the courses offered by the Department of Social Sciences. Since the autumn semester of 2013, it has also been possible to attend two proseminars.

The remaining ECTS (12 ECTS for one proseminar, 8 ECTS for two proseminars) must be earned through courses offered in the WISO introductory programme.

1) Proseminar
A maximum of two proseminars from the courses offered by the Department of Social Sciences will be credited in the introductory programme.
- The proseminars offered can be found in the course catalogue (www.ksl.unibe.ch) or on the department's timetable.
Some proseminars have participation requirements, which are noted in the course catalogue (e.g. ‘completed introductory studies’). Only proseminars for which there are no participation requirements or for which the participation requirements have been met may be attended.

2) 12 ECTS or 8 ECTS from the WISO introductory programme
- The courses offered can be found here. Details of the courses can be found in the core teaching system (www.ksl.unibe.ch).

More than 60 ECTS in the introductory year

The introductory year is officially completed with exactly 60 ECTS credits and counted towards the major. If more than 60 ECTS credits have been earned (due to proseminars and compulsory elective courses), these cannot be credited to the main programme of study, but will appear on the study sheet.

When planning your studies, please note that 60 or 90 ECTS credits must have been earned in the KSL modules of the main programme of study.

Transitional provisions Working techniques and exercises Introductory year

The following provisions apply to students who began their studies before HS23:

• Students who have completed all exercises and working techniques should leave these certificates in the designated place on their study sheet (it is not possible to transfer working techniques from the main study period to the introductory study period).
• Students who have completed all exercises but have not yet completed the working techniques must attend the working techniques in the introductory year and have them credited in the main study period.
• Students who have not yet completed the exercises but have already completed the working techniques
  • can still complete the exercises until the end of SS23 (once all exercises have been completed, the working techniques will be credited in the main study period)
  • if the exercises are not fully completed by the end of FS23, the working techniques will be credited in the introductory year (the exercises not completed by then will no longer be credited)
• Students who have not yet completed the exercises and have not yet completed the working techniques must attend the working techniques in the introductory year and have them credited in the introductory year (the exercises are not applicable).

Main studies

Repeating insufficient performance assessments

Insufficient performance assessments in compulsory courses can be repeated twice, while insufficient performance assessments in compulsory elective courses can be repeated once.

Unsatisfactory performance in the main study period cannot be credited towards the degree, but will appear on the study record in KSL.

Exams for unsatisfactory elective courses do not necessarily have to be repeated. Another elective course can be taken instead. Only satisfactory performance will be credited towards the degree.

Satisfactory performance cannot be repeated.

Compulsory courses

The compulsory courses in the main study period are identical for both Bachelor's programmes in Social Sciences (150 ECTS and 120 ECTS):

• Lecture and tutorial ‘Introduction to Social Science Statistics’
• Lecture ‘Qualitative Methods in Social Sciences’
• Research internship
• Social Science lecture series

Elective courses

The structure of the main study period differs between the Bachelor's Major in Social Sciences à 150 ECTS and à 120 ECTS in terms of elective courses (Bachelor's Major main study period).

The following requirements apply to the compulsory elective courses for the Bachelor's Major in Social Sciences (120 ECTS):

• Students must attend at least two seminars and two lectures of their choice from the range of courses offered by the Department of Social Sciences at Bachelor's level.
• The remaining courses can be chosen freely from the range of courses offered by the Department of Social Sciences at Bachelor's level.
• Towards the end of the programme, students write a Bachelor's thesis.

The following requirements apply to the elective courses for the Bachelor's major in Social Sciences (150 ECTS):

• Students must attend at least three seminars and three lectures from the range of courses offered by the Department of Social Sciences at Bachelor's level.
• Attendance at a further elective methods course worth at least 3 ECTS is compulsory. Students are requested to obtain information about credit transfer from the programme director (Thess Schönholzer) in advance. Methodology courses outside the Department of Social Sciences may also be attended.
• The remaining credits may be earned freely from the courses offered by the Department of Social Sciences.
• Towards the end of the programme, a Bachelor's thesis must be written.

Research internship and working techniques

The research internship must be completed at one of the three institutes: Political Science, Sociology or Media and Communication Studies. The research internships last two semesters and are supplemented by working techniques. The institutes differ in the way they organise their courses:

Minor subjects: What needs to be considered when choosing minor programmes?

a. Possible combinations of minor programmes

The institutions offering the minor courses are responsible for their administration. The ‘Bachelor of Social Sciences’ curriculum dated 1 September contains a number of guidelines regarding the choice of minor courses for major students (see Art. 7 and Art. 18 of the curriculum):

In principle, any minor course offered at the University of Bern can be taken, with the exception of the minor in Social Sciences.

• The following minor combinations are possible in the 150 ECTS major:

1) 1 minor worth 30 ECTS
2) 2 minors worth 15 ECTS each
3) 1 minor worth 15 ECTS and free credits worth 15 ECTS

• The following minor combinations are possible in the 120 ECTS major:

        1) 1 minor worth 60 ECTS credits
        2) 2 minors worth 30 ECTS credits each
        3) 1 minor worth 30 ECTS credits and 2 minors worth 15 ECTS credits each
        4) 1 minor worth 30 ECTS credits, 1 minor worth 15 ECTS credits and free credits worth 15 ECTS credits

b. What are free credits?

• Free credits are credits from courses that are not part of the major or minor and are marked as such in the course catalogue (www.ksl.unibe.ch) (‘credited as elective or free credits’).
• Social sciences major students cannot therefore count courses as free credits that are either offered by the Department of Social Sciences or are part of a minor programme they are enrolled in.
• The easiest way to find free courses in KSL is to use the ‘Advanced Search’ function, selecting the desired subject, institute or faculty and ticking the box ‘Credited as elective or free course’.

c. Study cycles

• The Department of Social Sciences recommends that students only begin their minor studies in the third semester, after completing their introductory studies.
• Note: Some minor programmes have study cycles. This means that certain compulsory courses are not offered annually or require proof of participation in other courses as a condition of enrolment. It is recommended that you check with the providers of the minor programmes in advance to find out about any study cycles.

Writing the bachelor's thesis

The bachelor's thesis is usually written in the final semester of the bachelor's programme. It is advisable to start thinking about the topic of your bachelor's thesis as early as possible. It can be helpful to browse through bachelor's theses written by previous students to get ideas. A selection of bachelor's theses is available in the open access section (A1300, A1400, A1500) of the vonRoll University Library.

The bachelor's thesis can be written at all institutes of the Department of Social Sciences, although the modalities vary depending on the institute:

IPW: The thesis is written as part of a bachelor's seminar (or proseminar) (in addition to the compulsory courses). At the end, a bachelor's thesis is written instead of the (pro)seminar paper (Bachelor's theses IPW).

SOZ: The thesis is written independently of a course in consultation with a lecturer (Bachelor's theses Sociology).

IKMB: The thesis is written in connection with attendance at the departmental research colloquium (IKMB Bachelor's thesis).

In KSL, the planning of the final thesis can be included in the planning view (KSL: 396398). However, it is not necessary (or possible) to actually register on KSL.

Completion of studies

The Bachelor's degree in Social Sciences is completed when

1. the introductory studies have been successfully completed,
2. the compulsory, compulsory elective and freely selectable courses of the main study period have been completed,
3. the minor(s) or, if applicable, the free elective courses have been completed in full,
4. and the Bachelor's thesis has been accepted and graded at least as satisfactory.

The final grade corresponds to the ECTS-weighted average of all grades from courses credited to the major and the minor(s)/elective courses. Registration for graduation takes place via the WISO Dean's Office. Further information on the registration procedure can be found on the WISO website (Graduation).

Specialisations

No official specialisation can be chosen in the Bachelor's Major in Social Sciences (120 or 150 ECTS). Although the individual timetable can be designed to focus on a particular subject area, the Bachelor's degree will still be completed without an official specialisation.

In the minor programmes in Social Sciences (60 ECTS and 30 ECTS, not in the minor in Social Sciences (15 ECTS)), one subject area can be chosen as a specialisation:

• Specialisation in Political Science, or
• Specialisation in Sociology, or
• Specialisation in Communication and Media Studies

Compulsory courses: Which courses are compulsory for minor students?

For all minor programmes in social sciences (60, 30 and 15 ECTS), the following courses are compulsory in accordance with Appendix 4 of the ‘Bachelor of Social Sciences’ curriculum dated 1 September 2009, with amendments made in 2013:

• Lecture ‘Introduction to Political Science I’
• Lecture ‘Introduction to Sociology’
• Lecture ‘Introduction to Communication and Media Studies’

The three compulsory lectures only take place in the autumn semester. It is recommended that you attend the courses in the first minor semester if possible.

For those who start their SOWI minor in the spring semester, the following applies:  It is possible to attend advanced SOWI courses despite missing compulsory courses. However, it should be noted that attending such courses involves additional effort, as the knowledge from the basic lectures is still lacking.

Further information can be found at: Minor in Social Sciences

Elective courses: Which courses are compulsory for minor students?

In the SOWI minor (15 ECTS), there are no compulsory elective courses, only the three compulsory introductory lectures in political science, sociology, and communication and media studies.

For students in the minor programmes SOWI à 60 and 30 ECTS, the following elective courses are compulsory in addition to the compulsory courses: At least one lecture and one proseminar from the range of courses offered by the Department of Social Sciences at Bachelor's level must be successfully completed.

Freely selectable courses: Which courses can minor students take?

In principle, minor students are eligible to take all Bachelor's level courses offered by the Department of Social Sciences. The timetable provides a general overview of the courses on offer. Details can be found in the course catalogue (www.ksl.unibe.ch).

The following points should be considered when selecting courses:

• Some courses offered by the Department of Social Sciences have prerequisites, i.e. certain basic courses must be completed before they can be taken. These prerequisites are listed in the course catalogue (www.ksl.unibe.ch). It is therefore recommended that you first attend the introductory courses (the compulsory courses and the lecture ‘Introduction to Empirical Social Research’).
• Depending on the desired degree/specialisation, two-thirds of the ECTS credits must be earned in one subject area (degrees).
• If you intend to begin a minor in social sciences at the Master's level after completing the Bachelor's minor in social sciences, you should find out about the admission requirements for the Master's programme at an early stage and structure your Bachelor's minor programme accordingly.

Repeating failed assessments

Failed assessments in compulsory courses that cannot be compensated for may be repeated twice (see Articles 40 & 41 RSL WISO).

Admission requirements for the Master's Minor programme

If you intend to begin a Master's Minor in Social Sciences after completing your Bachelor's Minor in Social Sciences, you should find out about the admission requirements for the Master's programme at an early stage and structure your Bachelor's Minor programme accordingly.

The Department of Social Sciences at the University of Bern offers the following Master's minor programmes in social sciences:

• Master's minor in Political Science (30 ECTS)
• Master's minor in Sociology (30 ECTS)

The University of Bern does not currently offer a Master's minor in Communication and Media Studies.

Students who are interested in one of the above Master's minor programmes are requested to contact the relevant institutes themselves to find out about the admission requirements:

• Institute of Political Science

direct: Master's minor in Political Science

• Institute of Sociology

direct: Master's minor in Sociology

Combination of Bachelor's minor programmes in social sciences

Various Bachelor's minor programmes in social sciences can be combined: for example, a minor in social sciences worth 30 ECTS credits with a Bachelor's minor in social sciences worth 15 ECTS credits. (45 ECTS in total)

There must be no double credits: i.e. the two minors must consist of different courses. Compulsory courses are only credited to one minor; the ECTS credits that become available in the second minor must be compensated for by freely selectable courses from the Department of Social Sciences at Bachelor's level.

Specialisations/ Degrees

In the minor programmes in Social Sciences (60 ECTS and 30 ECTS respectively, not in the minor programme in Social Sciences (15 ECTS)), one subject area can be chosen as a specialisation:

• Specialisation in Political Science, or
• Specialisation in Sociology, or
• Specialisation in Communication and Media Studies

Two-thirds of the credits (40 ECTS or 20 ECTS) must be earned in the chosen specialisation. The following methodology courses offered by the Department of Social Sciences can be credited to any of the three subject areas:

• Introduction to Empirical Social Research
• Introduction to Social Science Statistics
• Exercise in working techniques in the social sciences
• A research internship

If no specialisation is chosen in the minor in social sciences, the ECTS credits can be freely distributed among the three institutes in addition to the compulsory courses. It is not necessary to attend the same number of credits per institute.

With the minor in social sciences, four different degrees can be obtained:

1) Degree ‘Minor in Social Sciences’:

  - Students who have completed a minor in social sciences worth 15 ECTS credits.
  - Students who have completed a minor in social sciences worth 60 ECTS credits or 30 ECTS credits without a specialisation.

2) Minor in Social Sciences with a focus on Political Science:

Students who have completed a minor in Social Sciences worth 60 ECTS or 30 ECTS and have completed two-thirds of their coursework in Political Science.

3) Minor in Social Sciences with a focus on Sociology:

Students who have completed a minor in Social Sciences worth 60 ECTS or 30 ECTS and have completed two-thirds of their credits in Sociology.

4) Degree ‘Minor in Social Sciences with a focus on Communication and Media Studies’:

Students who have completed a minor in Social Sciences worth 60 ECTS or 30 ECTS and have completed two-thirds of their credits in Communication and Media Studies.