Subject Areas

With a mono degree program (bachelor's worth 180 ECTS credits, master's worth 90 or 120 ECTS credits), you are registered for a single subject. Courses relating to other branches of study are listed in the plan of studies (curriculum).

With major/minor degree programs, the studies consist of one major and one or more minors. With some degree programs, you can choose between two different ECTS allocations for the major.

The major is the main subject as far as your studies are concerned. With certain degree programs, you can choose how many ECTS credits you want to attain when studying the subject (120 or 150). You need to combine the major with one or more minors in order to reach the minimum of 180 ECTS credits for a bachelor's degree program.

Minors are the subsidiary subjects within your studies. They can be studied to the value of 60, 30 or 15 ECTS credits. The plans of studies for the major selected will contain precise information about what you can actually combine.

Extracurricular minor with bachelor's (> 180 ECTS) or master's degree program (> 90 or 120 ECTS)

Apart from the Faculty of Medicine, additional minors can be studied with all degree programs. Additional attainments will be listed separately on the diploma supplement by the faculties.

Current students can enter the request for an additional minor as part of the online renewal of semester registration via the self-service facility.

Minor at another Swiss university

To register for a minor at another Swiss university, you have to be registered for a major (main subject) at the University of Bern. After written confirmation from the relevant faculty at the University of Bern and clarification of the registration arrangements at the student administration office of the university at which you want to study the minor, enter "minor at the University of XY" on the registration form (new students) or on the re-registration form (existing students).

With some degree programs, you may or may have to focus on a specific area.

These are courses where anything offered across the university as a whole can be studied. They are marked accordingly in the electronic course catalog. You can study required elective courses to the value of 15 credits during a bachelor's degree program, providing the plan of studies allows this. The plan of studies for the major selected will contain information about this.

Additional attainments are when you acquire further "optional" ECTS credits in addition to the minimum number of ECTS credits stipulated in the study program. These are also listed in your academic attainments report.