Recognition of Academic Achievement

Coursework done at other universities can be counted towards studies at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences subject to the Guidelines on the Recognition of Coursework.

• If you are commencing studies at UZH, please submit all coursework from any prior studies that you did not complete for assessment.
• If you are doing coursework as part of a mobility scheme, you must come to a recognition arrangement with the relevant study program or programs before commencing your mobility stay.
• Your contacts in both cases are the academic or mobility advisors for the various study programs.

These guidelines govern recognition of prior or external academic achievement for Bachelor's and Master’s degree programs at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences in accordance with § 43 ff. of the framework rules governing study in the Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programs offered by the University of Zurich’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (of 27 August 2018), § 11 of the ordinance on the cross-university Master’s degree program in Film Studies at the University of Zurich Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (dated 25 May 2009) as well as the Program Regulation for the Study Programs at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (general and special sections). The decision on recognition is made by the Vice Dean of Studies.

Coursework can be recognized provided that

• You did it at a full university (please contact academic or mobility advisory services if you want to have academic achievement from a university of applied sciences recognized)
• It has not already been counted toward a degree (see section on Compensation for Compulsory Modules)
• It is appropriate to the academic level,
• It can be transferred to the study programs.

The following will not be recognized:

• Coursework that cannot be counted toward the degree (see section on Credit for Compulsory Modules);
• German courses, since a knowledge of German is a basic admission requirement for the University of Zurich (with the exception of the “Wissenschaftlich Schreiben: Schreibwerkstatt; C1–C2” course on scholarly writing).
• Coursework of continuing education degree programs, e.g. Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS), Diploma of Advanced Studies (DAS), Master of Advanced Studies (MAS)

The following is required for recognition:

• A completed and signed recognition arrangement (available from your academic or mobility advisor);
• An official transcript of records showing the coursework to be recognized (including grades);
• Any further information on the grading scale from official offices authorized to provide information (International Relations Office, Dean’s Office, or other);
• If applicable, documentation on the workload involved in earning credits (if not expressed in ECTS credits);
• Any notarized translations necessary, in the Latin alphabet.

Transfer and Conversion of Grade and Credits

• The grading scale (and if applicable the grades) for the coursework to be recognized will be adopted.
• Throughout the faculty, grades are converted on a uniform basis using a modified Bavarian formula. We have provided you with a grade calculator based on this formula.
• Credits not specified in ECTS credits will be converted to ECTS credits according to the workload involved. Alongside the recognition agreement, please enclose documentation specifying the workload to be used as the basis of conversion.

Please note

• Recognition noted in the transcript of records cannot subsequently be changed.
• For the Bachelor’s and Master’s level, half of all the academic achievement required for the major/single-major program of study (in ECTS credits) must have been earned at the UZH Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

Notification of Academic Achievement

Recognized academic achievement is communicated via the transcript of records. Appeals are subject to the procedures and deadlines specified in the transcript of records. Academic achievement submitted by calendar week 5 or 35 will be notified in the transcript of records for the Fall or Spring Semester respectively. Academic achievement submitted after these dates will be notified in the transcript of records for the following semester.

Recognition Arrangement

External or previous academic achievement is basically recognized via the recognition arrangement. If the academic achievement relates to two different study programs, a separate agreement must be made for each study program. Your contacts for this are the academic or mobility advisors for the various study programs. You will receive the original, with your academic or mobility advisor retaining a copy. Please arrange for your academic achievement to be recognized as soon as possible in the event of the following:

• In the case of mobility stays, the recognition arrangement ensures that the academic achievement to be recognized is set down before you commence your stay. Any necessary changes can be made by mutual consent and set down in the agreement.
• If you change university, academic achievement to be recognized for study programs at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences is set down in the recognition agreement.

Credit for Compulsory Modules

Basically academic achievements will only be recognized if they have not already been counted toward a degree. An exception under the terms of § 37 of the Program Regulations of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences is coursework completed at another institution, and proven language skills if these skills are taught in a compulsory module in your study program. In this case, the compulsory module will be recognized as passed with 0 (zero) ECTS credits, thus meeting the requirement. The ECTS credits for the compulsory module must be earned via other coursework. The module group in which this must be done is stipulated in the plan of study in the program regulations. For matters related to credits, please also contact the academic or mobility advisors for the various study programs.

Language Courses Offered by the Language Center of the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich

UZH and ETHZ language courses will be recognized without you having to take further action.

Academic Achievement at ETH Zurich

In principle academic achievement at ETH Zurich is not recognized automatically. If you want to do coursework at ETH Zurich and have it recognized, you follow the same procedure as for mobility studies. To do this you must contact your academic or mobility advisor at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences before you book the ETHZ module to clarify with them whether the module can be recognized. This decision will be set down in a recognition agreement. After completing the module, you submit a printout of the myStudies overview to your academic or mobility advisor. 

For questions related to recognition, and in particular the conversion of grades and ECTS credits, please contact Student Services.

The Global Student Experience (GSE) department supports you in planning and implementing your stay abroad and provides information on the various exchange opportunities.