University of Bern Admission 2027: Deadlines, Fees, Requirements

Admission at a glance

The University of Bern admits international bachelor's applicants who hold a qualification granting access to higher education from an academic programme that ran at least three years, alongside the standard requirement that German is the main teaching language, so a non-native German speaker must show C1-level proficiency or pass a German test the university runs itself, unless their prior studies were fully in German. Master's applicants similarly need an international university degree from at least a three-year academic programme; executive master's degrees, certificates and diplomas are not accepted as the qualifying prior degree. Language requirements again depend on the specific programme, since some run entirely in German, some require very good English instead, and many are offered fully in English. Applicants use Bern's online application system and submit paper copies of the documents needed to assess admission, following a checklist Bern publishes for each degree level.

For an English-taught programme, the requirement documented on Bern's own Department of English admissions page is IELTS 7.0 or TOEFL iBT 100, with the test result no more than six months old at the time of application; an applicant who completed their prior education in a language community where English is the main language can apply for an exemption with supporting transcripts. The regular application deadline for the autumn semester is 30 April, with late applications accepted until 31 August for most programmes. Since the autumn semester of 2026, Bern has sharply raised its fee for non-Swiss students who were not resident in Switzerland or Liechtenstein when they obtained their bachelor's entrance qualification: the additional fee on top of the CHF 850 base tuition rose from CHF 200 to CHF 1,700 a semester, taking the total for a new international student to CHF 2,550 a semester, though students already enrolled before autumn 2026 keep paying the previous, lower additional fee until they finish that degree level.

Requirements

Bachelor

• An international qualification granting access to higher education, from an academic programme lasting at least three years, recognised by the University of Bern.
• C1-level German proficiency (or a German test the university itself runs), unless prior studies were conducted fully in German.
• Application through Bern's online system with the paper documents its checklist requires, by the published deadline.

Master

• An international university degree from an academic programme lasting at least three years, recognised by the University of Bern; executive master's degrees, certificates and diplomas are not accepted as the qualifying degree.
• Language proficiency matching the specific programme: German (commonly C1) for German-taught programmes, or English for English-taught and some mixed programmes. Where documented, the requirement is IELTS 7.0 or TOEFL iBT 100 (test no more than 6 months old), waived for applicants whose prior education was in a language community where English is the main language.
• Application online with required paper documents by the published deadline; specific master's programmes publish their own checklist.

Full requirements and documents