In our FAQ section, we have compiled the most common questions about our continuing education programs for you. The questions are organized by topic and are regularly updated. Here, you will find information on general inquiries before the start of your studies as well as for current participants. Additionally, we address questions regarding preparatory courses and entrance tests, the recognition of ECTS credits, and invoices. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us at any time.

The University of Zurich is one of the world's leading research centers, especially in the field of economics. Our continuing education programs also benefit from this proximity to research and to Zurich as a financial center. Current results from ongoing research enter into an ongoing dialogue with questions from the real world, thus ensuring the relevance of the learning content. Our goal is to offer you the greatest possible flexibility through different learning methods without any loss of quality and with outstanding support. We distinguish between three different types of courses: blended learning, distance learning and face-to-face courses. These are supplemented by a supporting methodology, game-based learning.

The admission requirements for our programs include a completed university degree (university or university of applied sciences) and several years of professional experience. In individual cases, a sur-dossier admission is also possible. In addition, basic knowledge of mathematics, statistics and accounting is required, although preparatory courses are also offered for this. If you are unsure whether you meet these requirements, please feel free to send us your resume for consideration. There are no admission requirements for individual courses.

The required German language skills depend on the respective study program or the individual courses. The required language skills are listed on the respective program page.

To register for a program or course, please go to the menu item Course registration on our website and complete the registration form. Your registration will be reviewed by our team and you will receive a final registration confirmation with all further information within a few days. You do not need to take any further action until you receive this confirmation. Please note that we can only accept course registrations via this form.

Booked courses can be cancelled free of charge or postponed to a later date up to the registration deadline of the respective course. The date of the registration deadline is published on the relevant course page under Dates. Cancellations must be made in writing via e-mail.

The start date of the continuing education program depends on the program you have chosen. Our DAS and MAS programs can be started at any time. For the CAS programs, we suggest a suitable start date. This is chosen so that the sequence of courses makes sense, as certain courses build on each other. If you have missed the start of the program but would still like to begin your continuing education, you can clarify with our team whether this makes sense in your specific case. An overview of the programs as well as the start dates can be found on our website under the menu item Programs.

Yes. The ECTS points earned are valid for 6 years. Within this time period, participants can decide for themselves in how many semesters they would like to complete the chosen continuing education program.

Whether a program can be completed fully remotely depends on the courses included in the program of study. Our courses are offered either fully online, hybrid, or on-site only. You can find out which format a course is held on the corresponding course page. The MAS degree programs cannot be completed entirely remotely.

Only participants who are enrolled in an MAS program will be enrolled. Participants from other programs (DAS, CAS, individual courses) are not enrolled.

The degrees are recognized throughout Switzerland and in German-speaking countries.

Sur-dossier admission refers to the admission of interested parties to a continuing education program who do not have the formal admission requirements, but who are nevertheless qualified for the continuing education program. These are usually people with several years of professional experience without a university degree. Whether a sur dossier admission is possible or not is reviewed by the program director and the study committee. Contact us by email for an admissions review with your resume.

Yes. Our degree programs are designed as part-time programs, and a workload of 80% to 100% is generally possible alongside your continuing education. Depending on your time resources, you can complete the courses over a shorter or longer period to suit your particular personal circumstances.

No. The University of Zurich does not provide financial support for continuing education programs.

The University of Zurich is not responsible for visa matters and does not issue visas. If you register for a course and have paid the course fees, we can issue a confirmation for this upon request. You can use this confirmation to apply for a visa.

The academic achievements are assessed according to the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). ECTS credits are awarded for successfully completed courses. They are awarded in whole numbers. One ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of 30 hours.

Yes. If you have already completed a CAS or DAS with us, you can have these ECTS points credited to the MAS. However, please note that ECTS points can only be credited once, i.e. for the issuance of the MAS diploma, the diplomas already received must be returned to us. The same applies to the crediting of a CAS to a DAS.

You can contact us by e-mail or phone if you require support putting together a study schedule.

You will receive your login details when registering for the first course. A step-by-step guide for logging in and accessing the course elements on OLAT can be found in the following document (pages 1-7): Getting Started.

Depending on your login variant (VHO or SWITCH edu-ID) you have to proceed as follows:

• VHO login: Please log in at finance@execed.uzh.ch.
• SWITCH edu-ID: Please select Forgotten password; on the following website and follow the steps given: Link-Edu-ID.

First of all, please make sure that you are dialing the correct institution. This is either VHO - Virtual Home Organization or SWITCH edu-ID but not University of Zurich. If your initial registration took place before July 2023, you will probably have to select VHO - Virtual Home Organization. If you registered for the first time after July 2023, the institution to be selected is SWITCH edu-ID. Also, make sure that you use the correct login data. You will receive your username as well as your initial password shortly after your very first registration at Finance Weiterbildung, together with the registration confirmation. If you have changed your password in the meantime, please use it. If you still cannot log in to OLAT you can reset your password. Depending on your login variant (VHO or SWITCH edu-ID) you should proceed as follows:

• VHO login: Please log in at finance@execed.uzh.ch.
• SWITCH edu-ID: Please select Forgotten password on the following website and follow the steps given: Link-Edu-ID

The University of Zurich VPN is only available to enrolled MAS students. In order to use the UZH VPN, it must be properly installed in advance. For this purpose, the Central IT has provided instructions for installation. Please follow the link and go to the section «Using VPN on unmanaged or private devices (BYOD)» to find the appropriate instructions:Link VPN Installation Instructions

Use your primary email address and Active Directory password to log in to the VPN portal. You received this information from the Administration Office of the University of Zurich after your enrollment. If you do not remember your password, you can find more information here: Link Password Management

The installation or switch to the new Ivanti VPN access described above is also necessary if you have already installed the old UZH VPN system with the SharedSecret Key, as the latter will be discontinued at the end of February 2024.

The venue is course specific and also depends on whether a course is held physically only, hybrid or online. On-site-only courses or courses with the option of on-site participation are usually held at the Zentrum für Weiterbildung in Zurich or in the lecture halls of the University of Zurich. Details about the venue will be announced approximately two weeks before the course starts in the course information document. Further information regarding the locations and directions can be found in the following document (page 8): Getting Started

Hybrid setting means that participation in the course is possible both physically in a seminar room and online via a streaming platform. If a course is offered in this setting, participants can decide for themselves in which format they would like to participate in the course. The instructions for the hybrid setting with Zoom can be found in the following document (pages 8-9): Getting Started

Access to the University of Zurich’s databases and libraries is only granted to those participants who are enrolled at the University of Zurich. These are graduates of the MAS study programs.

Only MAS students are required to complete an MAS thesis. Contact us if you would like to start it. We will then give you access to the corresponding OLAT course where all important information is stored. (Note, only MAS students will be given access to the OLAT thesis course.) In addition, there will be an information session on the final thesis in the MAS final seminar, where questions and ambiguities will be addressed.

Only those participants who are enrolled at the University of Zurich receive a legitimation card (Legi). These are graduates of the MAS study programs.

In principle, attendance is compulsory for all courses with compulsory attendance (on-site or online). Short absences due to work commitments are possible, but must be communicated in advance and approved by the course management. Unreported, longer absences during the course days can lead to failing the course.

You can find a detailed answer to this question in the following document (pages 1-2): Final Assessment Regulations

You can find a detailed answer to this question in the following document (page 2): Final Assessment Regulations

Depending on the study program or individual course you have chosen, you will either have to take all, only certain or no placement tests. Whether and which placement tests are relevant for you will be communicated to you via e-mail as part of the registration confirmation. Completion of the placement tests mentioned in the registration confirmation is mandatory.

The placement test only serves to determine your current position and to identify missing basic knowledge and is not a prerequisite for admission. In case of a failed test, you can still attend your chosen course of study or individual course. However, we recommend that you either fill in any gaps in your knowledge in advance yourself or take the preparatory courses (eTutorials) that we offer.

There is no fixed deadline for completing the placement test. However, you should have completed the tests at least one day before the first course.

It makes sense to book the eTutorials or preparatory courses if you are still lacking basic knowledge in the areas of mathematics, statistics and/or accounting (an indication of insufficient basic knowledge can be a failed placement test), or if you would like to refresh this knowledge.

The eTutorials are included when booking MAS overall packages. For the other degree programs and courses, the eTutorials can be booked separately. The price for a single preparatory course is CHF 400.

No. ECTS credits earned in a regular Bachelor's or Master's degree program cannot be credited to continuing education degree programs. Conversely, ECTS credits earned from continuing education courses cannot be credited to bachelor's or master's degree programs either.

Whether and to what extent externally earned ECTS credits can be credited to a degree from the University of Zurich depends on the respective university institution and the continuing education program completed. Unfortunately, ECTS credits from universities of applied sciences or other institutions cannot be credited. The course director and the study committee will review and decide whether credits can be awarded. Please contact us in this regard in writing via e-mail.

Yes, it is possible to split the costs between several parties. It is best to inform us already in the registration form in the remarks about the desired division of the amount as well as the corresponding invoice addresses.

Yes, MAS participants who have booked the entire package can pay in installments, whereby the number and amount of the individual installments can be arranged individually. The total amount must be paid by the end of the study period. For all other programs, the individual courses will be invoiced separately. However, other payment methods can be arranged upon request.

As a rule, participants receive an individual invoice for each course booked approximately two weeks before the start of the respective event. This applies in particular to individual courses, CAS and DAS courses, and MAS courses with a modular structure. If an MAS package is booked and payment in installments is agreed as standard, the corresponding installment invoice will be issued approximately two weeks before the start of the semester (February/September).

Yes. If you would like to pay the total costs right at the beginning of your continuing education, we can issue you a collective invoice for all the courses you have chosen. A refund is not possible in this case.

No. Payment by credit card is not possible.

No. Payment of the invoice can only be made in Swiss francs.

A Master of Advanced Studies (MAS) is a continuing education program or postgraduate degree with a minimum of 60 ECTS credits. An MAS is not to be confused with the Master's degree (MA or MSc), which follows a Bachelor's degree and comprises up to 120 ECTS credits. An MSc or MA serves to deepen basic knowledge and is primarily aimed at graduates of a bachelor's degree program in the respective subject area. The MAS, on the other hand, aims to deepen existing competencies or to open up a new professional field and is aimed at university graduates who already have several years of professional experience. In addition, the MAS is designed as a part-time program, while the MSc and MA programs are designed as full-time programs.

The Master of Science (MSc) and the Master of Arts (MA) fall under the category of education; and are thus financially supported by the state. Students only pay a semester fee. The situation is different for continuing education programs such as the Master of Advanced Studies (MAS). These are not subsidized, which is why the participants must bear the costs themselves in full.