University of Zurich Admission 2027 for International Students

Admission at a glance

The University of Zurich (UZH) is Switzerland's largest university by enrolment and admits at bachelor's, master's and doctoral level across a broad range of faculties. Bachelor's teaching is mostly in German, and a foreign applicant must show language proficiency at CEFR C1 in the language of their chosen programme before their studies begin, alongside academic entry requirements comparable to those for Swiss applicants. UZH runs one general online application system, covering bachelor's, master's, teaching diploma and doctoral studies, with a shared fee schedule and deadline structure rather than separate portals by level.

Master's programmes vary in teaching language: some run entirely in German, some mix German and English, and some are taught predominantly in English, so a prospective applicant must check each programme individually. An applicant to an English-taught programme needs IELTS Academic 7.0 overall with at least 6.5 in Speaking and Writing, or TOEFL iBT 100 with at least 25 in Speaking and 26 in Writing (TOEFL's scoring scale changes on 21 January 2026, after which UZH's published minimum becomes 5 on the new 1-to-30 scale). Specialised master's and doctoral programmes commonly require pre-registration with the relevant institute or graduate school ahead of the general application. Deadlines run on a fixed calendar tied to whether a visa is needed: for the autumn semester, the general window is 1 January to 30 April, but an applicant who will need a Swiss entry visa must apply by 28 February so that UZH can issue an admission decision at least three months before the planned entry date, which UZH states is needed for the national visa to be issued in time.

Requirements

Bachelor

• A secondary school certificate recognised as granting Swiss university entry, or the required university entrance examination or preparatory route where it does not.
• CEFR C1 proficiency in the language of instruction (mostly German), demonstrated by a language certificate before studies begin.
• Application through UZH's general online application system within the published window.

Master

• A bachelor's degree UZH recognises as equivalent, meeting the specific programme's grade and subject prerequisites; specialised programmes may require separate pre-registration with the responsible institute or graduate school.
• For an English-taught programme: IELTS Academic 7.0 (minimum 6.5 in Speaking and Writing) or TOEFL iBT 100 (minimum 25 Speaking, 26 Writing), not older than two years; online IELTS and TOEFL Home Edition results are not accepted. Cambridge C1 Advanced (grade B) or C2 Proficiency also accepted.
• For a German-taught programme: CEFR C1 German.
• Applicants needing a Swiss entry visa must apply by 28 February for the autumn semester (30 April for those who do not).

Full requirements and documents