FAQ

A. Application process

B. Studying at BeNeFri

C. After graduation

A. Questions concerning the application process

A1. Do I have to know or learn French or German to attend the Master’s program?

The teaching language of the Joint Master’s program is English, occasionally French or German. Students who only know English can follow the program without problems. If you are admitted to the master program under the constraint to pass a complement to the master (complete some courses at the Bachelor’s level), you have to follow courses that are taught in French or German.

A2. Do you need any language certificates?

No, you do not need to have any language certificates and we do not require any language tests. It is the responsibility of the student to decide if their knowledge of English is sufficient. However, we highly recommend at least a B2 English level (CEFR) and language related problems will not be considered as a valid reason to request extensions for work or as an explanation for failing a teaching unit or exam.

A3. Which Bachelor/Master’s degrees from which universities will be accepted?

The Joint Master’s program is open to all students holding:

  • (1) a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from a Swiss university
  • (2) an equivalent title from a foreign university
  • (3) a Bachelor’s degree in computer science from a University of Applied Sciences (with, in principle, a grade average of at least 5.0 in their Bachelor studies)
  • (4) a different type of university degree (in particular a bachelor degree with a minor in computer science)

In cases (2) to (4), the applications are considered on a case by case basis, and the branch committee may require the applicant to earn additional ECTS credits (a maximum of 60) from courses at the Bachelor’s level. If you are not in case (1), your application should contain together with the requested documents by the registration offices the following documents:

  • a copy of your Diploma (if not yet received, the title of your degree that you will receive)
  • a description (or the URL) of your program
  • a transcript of records
  • detailed descriptions (or the URL) of all courses
  • your curriculum vitae
  • a short motivation letter (maximum 1 page)

A4. What about tuition fees (for foreign students)?

Please have a look at the following websites:

A5. What are the living costs?

The living costs per year are at least 20’000.- CHF. For more details, please have a look at the following websites:

A6. How can I get financial support, e.g. scholarships?

To get financial support, please have a look at the following websites:

A7. Is the application deadline a hard deadline?

If the application deadline has expired, there is the possibility to submit a late application. However, late applications are treated differently:

  • In Bern, you can submit your application without any additional requirements until August 31st but they recommend to do it as soon as possible.
  • In Neuchâtel, you can submit your application as soon as possible (under the constraint that the competent authority can evaluate it during summer).
  • In Fribourg, a late application until August 31st is only possible under certain constraints. For more details, please have a look at https://www.unifr.ch/studies/en/admission/.

A8. What should I do if I do not yet hold an official confirmation of my degree that allows me for the master studies at the deadline for late applications?

Immediately contact the registration office of your home university.

A9. Where can I find information about accommodation in Bern, Neuchâtel and Fribourg?

Please have a look at the following websites:

A10. Where can I find information about health insurance?

B. Questions concerning studying at BeNeFri

B1. Do you offer summer courses?

No, there are no summer courses, only during the autumn and spring semesters courses are offered.

B2. Are there any language courses?

Yes, there are language courses at your home university which you can follow. Please have a look at the following websites:

B3. Is there a refund for train tickets?

Travel expenses are reimbursed by the student’s home university. For more details, see http://mcs.unibnf.ch/program/travel.

B4. Where can I find information about courses of the complement to the master (courses at the Bachelor’s level)?

B5. Is there a possibility to attend teaching units of the Joint Master program when I am matriculated in a different program at a BeNeFri university?

Hosted JMCS students (students who are not matriculated in the Joint Master program in Computer Science) must additionally complete a Request for Academia Access form at the beginning of the semester. You will then be informed by email how to proceed with the course registration.

B6. As a hosted JMCS student, which rules do I have to follow?

The “Teaching Unit Rules” and the “Exam Rules” apply to all students who follow a teaching unit organized by the “Joint Master of Science in Computer Science”. This means

  • completing the Request for Academia Access form,
  • registrating for teaching units (courses and seminars) (http://mcs.unibnf.ch/admin),
  • registrating for exams (http://mcs.unibnf.ch/admin)

have to be done according to the rules and deadlines of the Joint Master, independent of your (major) studies.

B7. Can I, as a student from a Swiss university other than BeNeFri, follow teaching units of the Joint Master program?

Students comming from one of the 12 Swiss universities should contact the corresponding service responsible for this program in your home university. Students are exempt from paying the university taxes but do not receive a grant.

B8. How should I proceed if I have questions concerning a result of an evaluation?

If you have questions concerning a result of an evaluation, you can follow the steps described here.

B9. What happens if I fail the repetition exam?

If you fail the repetition exam (at the summer dates) this course cannot be taken for the rest of your studies and no credits will be granted for this course. You will have to choose another course. However, failing an exam does not mean that you will fail the program. There is no correlation between failing the program and the number of failed exams.

B10. Is there a possibility to study part-time?

We do not differentiate between full or part-time studies. However, when you do not study full time, the study duration changes. By default, the maximum study duration is limited to 6 semesters. If this would not be enough, you can submit a request for an extension of your study duration to the Branch Committee for Computer Science. The request needs to be justified by attaching, for example, a confirmation of employment status given by the employer. If the request is accepted the duration of the program is extended accordingly.

B11. Can I work to finance my studies?

Yes, this is possible. Please have a look at jobs or at the following websites:

B12. Can I interrupt my studies for a given time period (e.g., one semester or one year)?

Yes, this is possible. Please have a look at the following websites:

B13. How can I send large files?

You can use SWITCHfilesender (https://filesender.switch.ch) which is a secure means of sending large files, similar to Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Dropbox, etc. Note that with SWITCHfilesender, only the sender has to be a SWITCH member (the login is performed through SWITCHaai with your account and password of your affiliated university), the receiver obtains a link by email automatically sent by SWITCHfilesender.

C. Questions concerning the time after graduation

C1. Is there an alumni organization of the computer science institutes?

Yes, there is the Joint Alumni Association in Computer Science: https://www.jointalumni.ch

C2. Is there a teacher education for Academic Upper Secondary Schools after the Master’s studies?

Yes, there are two different training courses at the University of Fribourg depending on the language (see summary).

C3. Can I continue on to do a PhD with the Master’s degree?

Yes, there is the possibility to continue on to do a PhD after your master studies. Please consult the websites of the different research groups.