FAQ - Managing Your Study Path

Taking premaster modules at the end of CL BA study program

How do I know which CL MA courses are suited as premaster modules while I am finishing my BA CL program?

The module catalog (MK) specifies for each module under "Vorziehbarkeit" whether this module can be booked and passed while finishing your BA CL program.

MA Program Application or Change

What are the prerequisites for applying to an MA program in Computational Linguistics?

If you have a BA in Computational Linguistics with at least 60 ECTS points, you can apply to our MA programs (Computational Linguistics & Language Technology, 30 and 90 ECTS) without any additional requirements.

If you do not have a BA in Computational Linguistics with at least 60 ECTS points, you may be required to complete up to 60 ECTS from our BA program. These requirements will be determined on a case-by-case basis during the application process. If you already took BA CL courses at UZH, the corresponding ECTS points can be used for fulfilling these requirements.

Additional requirements from our BA for a MA study

Is there a maximum number of ECTS that can be required as additional requirements?

Yes, the maximum is 60 ECTS combined for your major and minor programs. If the total additional requirements exceed 60 ECTS, your application will be rejected. To avoid this, select your MA study programs carefully to minimize additional requirements. If your major or minor is related to Informatics, we pool your requirements for CL and Informatics. For example, if Informatics asks you to fulfil 45 ECTS additional requirements but CL originally asked for 60 ECTS requirements, you will only have 15 ECTS requirements from CL as long as you do not change your Informatics program. If you change your Informatics program to one without requirements, the original CL requirements of 60 ECTS points might be requested from you.

When should I complete the BA requirements?

Ideally, the additional requirements from our BA program should be completed within the first year of your master's studies. However, you may enroll in MA courses from the start of your studies, provided you have the necessary background knowledge.

Be aware that some programs from the Faculty of Economics define specific deadlines for fulfilling their requirements; missing such deadlines can result in your permanent ban from the program!

Are the requirements module-specific?

Currently, the additional requirements are not tied to specific CL modules, allowing students to choose freely which courses to take in order to fulfill them. However, we strongly recommend that you first complete all mandatory CL courses, followed by the core CL modules. If you already have the competencies of a CL module, feel free to attend courses that teach you something new. Informatics modules that are cross-listed for our program in a given semester also count for CL additional requirements. The study app allows you to assign CL BA courses as additional requirements. Vertical modules (counting towards BA or MA CL programs) can only be assigned by studium@phil.uzh.ch.

What courses from a former study can be used to fulfill the BA requirements?

Upon MA application, the study advisor looks through all completed courses from your BA study program and decides which courses count towards the general requirements of 60 ECTS. ECTS of approved courses are subtracted. In general, only courses from computer science, mathematics, or computational linguistics are candidates, but not purely linguistics courses.

Change of BA/MA study programs

Can I change my study program and transfer my ECTS points?

Changing your study program can be done at any point in time by submitting a request in the Student Service Portal. Please read the help pages for the Student Portal. ECTS points from completed courses of the old study program can only be transferred to a new study program if they have been cross-listed. Check the UZH Course Catalogue; under the tab "Component" of each module you find a list of all study programs that a course can be booked for.

Booking CL courses before changing the study program

I am for the time being registered for another study program. Can I still book modules in Computational Linguistics/Language Technology? Will my points be retained?

As soon as someone is enrolled in a study program, he or she can book modules without being enrolled in the corresponding minor subject. In the module booking tool, you simply have to select "all ECTS degree programmes and minor subjects" (or similar) before you can start the search. If you change your minor subject, your ECTS credits will be retained.

Changing from Monomaster Linguistics to MA in CL

Which completed courses from the Monomaster Linguistics can be transferred to a CL MA?

All courses that are listed in the Course Catalogue as part of the MA "Computational Linguistics and Language Technology" are transferred.

BA courses listed as components of the "BA Computational Linguistics and Language Technology" program count for the additional requirements (up to 60 ECTS from our BA). These CL BA courses might be MA courses of the Monomaster, but will be used as BA courses in case of a program change.

Courses that are MA courses of the Monomaster Linguistics but neither BA nor MA courses of CL cannot be transferred (e.g. Quantitative Methods). Note that some of these courses are similar in content to CL BA courses. Given this, a further reduction of BA ECTS requirements is possible. However, we cannot tell in advance what the reduction will be.

Completion of major and minor subjects

Can I complete the minor program before completing the major?

You can fulfil the requirements of your programs in any order. But certain modules require the completion of other modules. Not following the recommended curriculum for your study programs typically extends the length of your studies.

Cancellation of a module after the deadline

Can I cancel a course module after the official deadline has passed?

Cancellation is only possible in cases of significant issues, such as a prolonged illness, and requires formal documentation. Students have to request a cancellation via the self service desk.

Overlapping Courses

What can be done if courses of major and minor subjects overlap?
First determine which are the compulsory courses in the subjects concerned; these have priority when booking. Then identify which of the courses in the subjects concerned must be completed in a certain order. The more other courses depend on a given course, the more priority must be given to this course.
Also consider the scope of the subjects concerned. Since it is usually possible, for example, to place the 30 points of a minor subject in one to two years, the subject with the higher number of points always has priority when taking the course in case of doubt.

Double module credit

Module X is a compulsory module in my subject Y. But X is also a compulsory module in "Computational Linguistics and Language Technology". Can I have module X credited twice?

ECTS points can only be credited once. If  module X is a compulsory module in both programs, you will need to substitute it in the program with the fewer credit points by taking another module that you have not yet completed within that program. This is particularly relevant if you are also taking modules as part of a minor in Informatics. To ensure you meet all requirements, consult the student advisors for both programs.

Study CL despite the ban from computer science

Is it still possible to study computational linguistics at UZH despite being excluded from studying computer science at the University of Zurich?

Yes. The informatics modules are part of your CL study program. The modules still count towards your study program at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

Booking and crediting of ETH Zurich courses

Can ETH courses be credited for my UZH study in Computational Linguistics and Language Technology?

Yes, provided the courses are NLP courses. Please send an email to study@cl.uzh.ch with the links to the course pages that you would like to count for your CL degree. A formal agreement regarding module groups assignment will be set up and on successful completetion, send your transcripts from ETH to study@cl.uzh.ch for the recognition process to be initiated.

How many ETH courses can I take?

For BA or MA major studies at most 18 ECTS points. For a BA minor at most 12 ECTS points; for a MA minor at most 6 ECTS points.