Thinking About Studying English?
Anglophone literature, media, and culture are key influences across the globe, and English remains the dominant language of international exchange. Studying programs in English Literature and Linguistics provides students with the tools to engage with these cultural formations in a meaningful and informed way.
You can find some highlights from the English Department on our Instagram account@uzh.es.
What is English Literature and Linguistics at Bachelor Level?
The UZH Bachelor programs in English Literature and Linguistics will appeal to students wishing to explore the variety and complexity of anglophone literary and cultural formations and the English language. They are programs for you if you are interested in the following:
- Language & Literature: students of English should be interested in how language works - as a means of everyday communication, as a medium of artistic expression, and as a tool for understanding human ideals, experience, fears, and behavior.
- Media, History & Politics: engaging with different types of media - from medieval manuscripts to digital technologies - students must be willing to investigate how language and culture relate to issues such as social class, gender, religion, or racism.
- Reading & Writing: prospective students should certainly like reading, but they should also enjoy working on their writing skills, be curious about the history of English across the globe, and appreciate spirited debates with their peers.
- Researching & Presenting: students of English will become experts at presenting the outcomes of such debates, as well as the results of their own critical reflections and empirical research, in a sophisticated yet accessible manner - be it in writing, orally, or in less traditional formats.
English Literature and Linguistics can be taken as a Major Program (120 ECTS) or a Minor Program (60 ECTS).
What is English Literature/English Linguistics at Master Level?
With four chairs (i.e. professors) in English Literature and four chairs in English Linguistics (incl. Switzerland's only full professorship in English Historical Linguistics), the UZH English Department offers the broadest range of courses among Swiss universities. The UZH Master program in English Literature and/or Linguistics is designed to offer a great deal of flexibility to advanced students wishing to pursue courses in one or both areas
In English Literature, students will develop their ability to describe aesthetic phenomena with great precision and increasing nuance, contextualizing works of literature in the broader cultural field and situating their own interpretations within specific critical debates.
In English Linguistics, students will learn how to reflect critically on their own choice of method and theory, and continue to hone their skills in preparing, analyzing, and interpreting increasingly complex sets of linguistic data.
In addition, the UZH Master program in English Literature and/or Linguistics includes advanced writing and media studies modules. By the end of their studies, students will thus have acquired all the necessary skills to conduct independent scholarly work.
The study program English Literature/Linguistics can be taken as a Major Program (90 ECTS) or a Minor Program (30 ECTS).
Why Choose the University of Zurich?
The University of Zurich is one of world's leading universities, and it regularly features in the top 100 of global university rankings.
In addition, the University of Zurich is Switzerland's largest university, which means that no other Swiss university can offer a comparably wide range of study programs and courses. You can find more information on studying at the University of Zurich on theStudies Website.
Zurich, finally, is Switzerland's economic center. The city boasts a high standard of living and a very vibrant cultural scene.
The UZH English Department is beautifully situated in a historic nineteenth-century villa (PLH: Plattenstrasse 47) and another building (PET, Pestalozzistrasse 50) just across a lovely, quiet courtyard which is only about 5-10 minutes walking distance from the UZH main building.
With four chairs (i.e. professors) in English Literature and four chairs in English Linguistics (incl. Switzerland's only full professorship in English Historical Linguistics), the UZH English Department offers the broadest range of courses of any Swiss university.
In addition, the Fachverein Anglistik FAVA and the English Department's drama group, the Blueprint Masquerades, are just two examples of the active student life that characterizes our department.
What Are the Job Prospects?
The study programs in English Literature and Linguistics prepare students for later employment in a range of areas. You can find more information on the Career Prospects subpage.
What Are the Prerequisites and How Do I Apply? (Bachelor)
Prerequisites:
- Students with Swiss qualifications (i.e. a Matura) fulfill the prerequisites for all Bachelor programs at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, including the Bachelor program in English Literature and Linguistics (Major or Minor).
- Students with non-Swiss qualifications can find further information on the UZH Application and Admission page. Note: German C1 is always required, irrespective of the choice of Major and Minor.
How to Apply
The application process is outlined on the UZH Application and Admission page.
The English Department is not involved in the admission process for Bachelor students. Queries should be directed:
- for candidates with Swiss qualifications: to the Student Administration Office;
- for candidates with non-Swiss qualifications: to the Admissions Office.
What Are the Prerequisites and How do I Apply? (Master)
Prerequisites:
- Students holding Bachelor degree in the Major program English Literature and Linguistics (Major or Minor) from the University of Zurich are admitted without additional requirements.
- Candidates holding a Bachelor degree in English Literature and/or Linguistics (or a degree in General Linguistics, or in Comparative Literature) from an accredited research university recognized by UZH, will usually be admitted to the UZH Master programs in English Literature/Linguistics, either with or without additional requirements.
- Candidates holding a Bachelor degree in a field other than those listed above may be admitted to the UZH Master programs in English Literature/Linguistics, either with or without additional requirements.
The requirements for Master programs in English Literature/Linguistics correspond to the content of the BA Minor, which is summarised here. The legally binding information can be found in the study regulations annexes (ASTO), which can be found on the website of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.
Questions regarding the subject-specific requirements should be directed to the study advisor at englishstudies@es.uzh.ch.
How to Apply
The application process is outlined on the UZH Application and Admission page.
Queries regarding the application process should be directed to the Admissions Office.
Information Events
The University of Zurich regularly organises information events for prospective students.
Bachelor
The Bachelor Info Days in 2025 take plance on September 3 and 4. They are predominantely aimed at students in their final year of school (Maturand:innen).
We will be present at the in the Lichthof to answer all your questions. Professors will give lectures in Literature and Linguistics so you can see what it is like to study English at university.
You can find more information on the Bachelor Info Days on the offical platform of the event: https://uzhstudy.ch/de/studieninformationstage-2025/.
Master
The Master Days take place in March. More information will follow closer to the event.