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Institute for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language Evolution MSc in Evolutionary Language Science

Required Documents and Competences

Required documents and competences for academic assessment

Please submit the following documentation via the study program's online application portal by 16 March 2026 at the latest:

  1. A Certificate of your Bachelor’s Degree. Important: Please, see point 4 below. 
    If a Certificate of your Bachelor’s Degree is not yet available, we will examine only your transcript of records at this stage of your application.
  2. Documented competences acquired within modules amounting to at least 30 ECTS credits in one or more of the relevant areas of Evolutionary Language Science (linguistics, philosophy, biology, anthropology, neuroscience, psychology, medicine, computer science, mathematics).
    Important: Please, see point 4 below and provide a bullet list of acquired knowledge and competences within each relevant module using the format shown in the template below. 
  3. Transcript of records.
  4. A very good degree in the Bachelor's degree program or good grades in the relevant documented coursework referred to in point (2) above is required. In the Swiss grading system, on a scale from 1 to 6, good is 5.0 and very good is 5.5. Equivalent marks in programs outside of Switzerland are required. Here is a website that may help you find equivalents.

Additional requirements

  • A letter of motivation (max one page) that shows how you are a good fit for this MSc program, including information on your academic interests, existing background, where possible also referencing any extracurricular activities and work experience which connect to the thematic orientation of the MSc program, and other relevant information.
  • Strong academic-level English skills in listening, reading, speaking, and writing are required. If pre-selected after the oral interview, a language certificate must be sent to the Student Services Unit. Important! For information on relevant deadlines and exemptions, see here.
  • At the request of the Study Program Admission Committee:
    • Further proof of qualifications relevant to the program, e.g., course work or abstract of BA thesis translated into English. If available at the time of submitting your application, please upload it along with the other required documents via the online application portal. 
    • Letter of recommendation. Please provide the full name and contact details of one or two referees via the study program's online application portal before submitting your application. Kindly inform them that they may be contacted by the Admission Committee.

Please note:

  • If you are transferring from another Master’s program or already hold a Master’s degree, please upload the relevant diploma and transcript to the application portal (under "Other relevant certificates").
  • For applicants who did not complete their Bachelor’s degree in Switzerland:
    Please provide the following information under “Explanation of the University Grading System” in the online application portal, using the table below as a template.

Brief description of the grading system of your home university (e.g. minimum and maximum grades for individual examinations and for the Bachelor's or previous Master's degree).

  

A conversion of the final grade of your Bachelor's degree and, if applicable, your Master's degree to the Swiss grading system.

Original grade: [here]

 

Converted to Swiss University grading system: [here]

Information on the workload corresponding to one credit in your transcript (e.g. ECTS or equivalent)

 1 credit = Workload of _____ hours

Template for reporting documented competences

Subject: General linguistics 

Final grade (host university)

A 

For students who are not in a Swiss University:  

Final grade translated into the Swiss grading system

6 

ECTS credits 

6 

Assessment format

Written exam (open questions) 
To which participating disciplines of the MSc in Evolutionary Language Science do these competences belong? 

Linguistics 

General description of the module 

This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the scientific study of human language, exploring its fundamental properties, structure, and variation. Students will examine the main levels of linguistic analysis — including phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics — and learn how to apply linguistic concepts and analytical tools to real language data. The course also introduces linguistic typology, language change, and basic methods of linguistic inquiry, enabling students to understand and analyse language phenomena across diverse languages and contexts 

Main textbook or bibliographic references 
  • Yule, G. (2017). The Study of Language (7th ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781107152991 
  • Bloomfield, L. (1933). Language. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 

 

Required documents required for administrative assessment

Important! Only conditionally accepted students from the academic assessment phase will be invited to submit their documents during the administrative admissions phase in March or April 2025.

Please refer to the section "Documents to Submit, Master's Study Program" on this UZH webpage. 

For detailed information on this phase of the admission process, please consult this UZH webpage.

To the application portal for the administrative assessment

Questions?

Please contact Dr. Piera Filippi via els-coordinator@isle.uzh.ch .

Scientific Coordinator of the Master's Program