Program Structure

The Master's program in Business Administration extends over four semesters and comprises a total of 120 ECTS credits. The standard curriculum provides for full-time students to acquire 30 ECTS credits per semester. You design the sequence of modules and your focus in the elective mandatory section individually.

1st - 3rd Semester: Module Phase Major & Minor

• Completion of the three mandatory modules (18 ECTS)
• Enrollment in elective mandatory modules from the six subject areas BWL 1 - BWL 6 (42 ECTS)
• Completion of the Minor program (30 ECTS)
• At least 9 ECTS credits from seminars

4th Semester: Master's Thesis

• Writing the Master's thesis (30 ECTS)
• Optional: Completion of remaining course modules

The time schedule can be designed flexibly. It is recommended to complete the mandatory modules early.

Mandatory Modules (18 ECTS Credits)

All students complete three mandatory modules that lay the methodological foundations for further study:

• Applied Empirical Methods for Business Administration (6 ECTS)
• Managerial Economics (6 ECTS)
• Scientific Consulting Project (6 ECTS)

Elective Mandatory Section (42 ECTS Credits)

In the elective mandatory section, you select a total of 42 ECTS credits from the six subject areas of Business Administration according to your individual interests and career goals:

• BWL 1: Accounting, Auditing and Governance
• BWL 2: Corporate Finance and Banking
• BWL 3: Personnel and Leadership 
• BWL 4: Marketing, Digital Transformation and Entrepreneurship
• BWL 5: Strategy, Organization and Innovation
• BWL 6: Business Analytics and Operations

The Minor program complements your profile through specialization in a subject area.

The Department of Business Administration offers the following minors:

Personnel and Leadership

Marketing, Digital Transformation and Entrepreneurship

Strategy, Organization, and Innovation

Business Analytics and Operations

Accounting & Corporate Finance (together with Finance Department)

All available minors of the Faculty of Business, Economics and Informatics as well as the option to choose minors from other faculties can be found in the program overview.

The Master's thesis is written in a business administration subject area and enables you to engage in depth with a research question. The processing period is six months. Detailed information can be found under the section Master's Thesis.

Seminars (at least 9 ECTS Credits)

At least 9 ECTS credits must be acquired from seminars in the elective mandatory or elective section. The seminar must be creditable in an elective mandatory section or in the elective section according to the information in the course catalog. The seminar can be used for both the Major and the Minor program.

Tutorships (maximum 9 ECTS Credits)

By conducting tutorships, a maximum of 9 ECTS credits can be acquired. These can be:

• Credited in the same elective mandatory section as the module for which the tutorship was conducted
• Credited in the elective section

The same tutorship can only be credited once toward the degree completion.

Module Offerings and Planning

The specific course offerings are published each semester in the electronic course catalog of UZH. There you will find:

• Module descriptions with learning objectives
• Information on dates and examination formats
• Credit options in the various subject areas