Uni ABC

Did you know that Alumni UniBE is not just something for former students? With your registration, you can become part of the Alumni UniBE network free of charge and benefit from numerous advantages, such as free events, discounts and an active network.

The University of Bern is spread out through the attractive Länggasse district and is closely connected with the Swiss capital Bern. Find out more about culture in Bern and its surroundings. 

The University of Bern is a city university and consists of numerous sites. Most of them are in the beautiful Länggasse district or on the premises of Bern University Hospital. 

The University of Bern is actively committed to supporting top-class sportspeople by giving them the opportunity to optimally combine a course of study with a sporting career. This is possible with a more flexible plan of studies which can be realized in coordination with the relevant faculties.

The object of the Counseling Service of the Universities of Bern is to provide students and employees of the University of Bern, the Bern University of Applied Sciences, and the Bern University of Teacher Education with advice on topics concerning their studies and career choice. Counseling can be helpful if you are not satisfied with your choice of subject, have questions on how to learn and work, or you find yourself in a crisis situation. The Counseling Service offers workshops and events on the topics mentioned as well as on issues such as strengthening your well-being. 

The CTS is the administrative system for teaching at the University of Bern. It is used to manage grades, student progress, degrees and certificates. It shows all the courses together with the most important details, for example on time and venue. Students and employees of the University of Bern manage study profiles and academic attainments in the CTS. It you have any technical problems, you can contact Support using your matriculation number. 

The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) is the European system for evaluating academic achievements gained or to be gained. The ECTS measures the workload involved in all learning activities necessary for attaining a degree. These include lectures, seminars, reading mandatory literature and preparing for and sitting examinations. One ECTS credit is equal to between 25 and 30 hours. A year of full-time studies at university level is generally worth 60 ECTS credits, and defined as equal to 1,500 – 1,800 hours of study work. Regular full-time students are recommended to work for a maximum of 30 ECTS credits per semester.

Eduroam is the wireless network of the University of Bern and other universities and institutions of higher education both in Switzerland and abroad. Members of the University of Bern can log into the network via their campus account and access internal University resources, electronic publications and applications. 

The University is committed to promoting equal opportunities and the equality of all genders, strives to remove barriers to access, and promotes the compatibility of studies and care. The University of Bern is committed to equal access and participation for students with disabilities and chronic diseases. This includes eliminating disadvantages as well as barriers to studies.

At the University of Bern, there are various student cafeterias, bistros and restaurants that are open and accessible to everyone. The various menus are evaluated according to their nutritional balance and effect on the climate.

• The student cafeteria and the bistro on Gesellschaftsstrasse offer two menu lines every day, each featuring a vegetarian option. They also sell homemade, fresh pizza.
• Café Max offers coffee, tea, drinks and snacks. 
• Bistro Mitti sells baked goods and sandwiches using a self-checkout system from 9 a.m. onwards. Vegetarian bowls as well as bowls with meat are served between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. 
• The UniS Bistro serves à la carte meals and there are four different menus with a vegetarian option on offer at the Bar Lounge. 
• The student cafeteria in the Unitobler offers two menu lines a day with a vegetarian option. 
• The vonRoll student cafeteria has three menu variants and a large salad buffet.
• Il Caffé serves coffee, tea, drinks and snacks.
• The entire range of drinks and snacks in Il Caffé Due is vegan. 
• The Sport Bistro offers two menu lines a day with a vegetarian option.
• In collaboration with vegan bakery “Bakery”, the Woker student cafeteria offers a complete vegan menu consisting of hot dogs, pasta and sweets. 

ILIAS is the teaching and learning platform of the University of Bern in which you will find teaching material and online tools to accompany and support events and courses of study. The platform offers numerous tools which facilitate collaboration, for example it can be used to set up working groups, online questionnaires and even live votes in presentations. 

Did you know that the University Library Bern (UB) operates a total of 19 Faculty Libraries[A1] ? These include the Münstergasse library, the academic field and faculty libraries as well as the institute libraries of the University of Bern. All the libraries offer study places, which you can use to prepare for your examinations. As well as books and journals, subject databases, e-journals and e-books, the University Library offers courses on professional research, writing and citing as well as support and infrastructure when it comes to writing academic publications.

Your campus account makes it possible for you to acquire Microsoft Office 365 free of charge and download all the programs you require. 

Twice a year, in spring and in the fall, Project Neptun gives students the opportunity to purchase discounted laptops, tablets and accessories of different manufacturers. At the Demo Days, you can get plenty of advice and try the devices out.

The academic year is divided into the fall and spring semester. The fall semester runs from August 1 to January 31 and the spring semester from February 1 to July 31. 

The Student Body of the University of Bern (SUB) has drawn up budget proposals on how studies can be financed. Having a part-time job can be of help, not only financially but also as students gain work experience through them. For more information, take a look at the job vacancies in the Uni ABC. 

In the event of financial difficulties, there are different points of contact that can help with cantonal scholarships and support from specific foundations and funding programs. The Social Fund Foundation of the University of Bern supports registered students in acute financial emergencies. Furthermore, the SUB has also set up a social fund which provides financial support in cases of urgent need for SUB members, intermediate staff at the University of Bern as well as exchange students.

The SUB is the official association of the Student Body of the University of Bern and has been in existence since 1925. The SUB offers various services and counseling to support students during their course of studies. At the same time, the SUB is committed to the interests of students at all levels, from the institutes to the canton. The SUB has a good network at both national and European level. You automatically become a member of the SUB when you register at the University of Bern and can become involved in the various committees.

There are lots of different teaching formats involved in a course of study. These are presented below: 

• In a lecture course, a lecturer presents a specific topic to a large audience.
• A seminar is an interactive form of teaching in which small groups have a discussion and intensify their knowledge.
• Students pursuing a bachelor's degree program are likely to encounter introductory seminars on a regular basis. The introductory seminars take a closer look at fundamental topics which are essential for the entire course of study, for example how to go about academic writing.
• The tutorial is by students for students! Older students help younger students understand the subject matter. Questions are clarified and problems and exercises solved.
• In a lecture series, a number of lecturers hold lectures one after the other on an overarching theme.

Did you know that the University of Bern has its own Uni App? You can use the Uni App to look at your timetable, check the current student cafeteria menu, book Unisport courses and lots more. You can find the app in the App or Play Store under “UniBE Mobile”.

The UNICARD is an electronic ID in credit-card format and is issued by the University of Bern. It serves students as a student identity card and staff as a personal identity card. It can also be used as a form of payment in the student cafeterias, as a library pass as well as a membership card for Unisport.

The UNICARD can either be charged using cash or a card on one of the charging stations on the campus, or cashless via Twint, a credit card or e-banking.

Would you like to try out a new sport? Unisport offers more than 100 sports and exercise programs free of charge for students and staff at the University and at Bern University of Teacher Education. The UNICARD acts as the Unisport ID. The ZSSw gym and the vonRoll gym also have an additional fitness room with strength training and cardio exercise equipment.

Are you unsure about the difference between a faculty and an institute?

A university consists of departments, faculties and institutes. A faculty is an organizational unit at a university which deals with a specific field of study. A department is a smaller organizational unit within a faculty. It may focus on a specific subject area or specific field of research. Institutes are specific units within faculties which focus on more specialized academic fields. This is where research is carried out, courses offered and in-depth specialist knowledge shared. The University of Bern has more than 160 institutes, which are based at the 9 faculties. 

The University of Bern has its own job portal via which you can look for positions according to activity, function and institution. For students, the University also offers assistant positions at the relevant institutes. In terms of time, an assistant position can easily be combined with a course of studies and gives students the possibility to gather first work experience.