Candidates for the MSc Climate Sciences program are kindly asked to read up about the requirements and follow the registration / appliation steps carefully.
See also the information in our FAQ section.
Requirements
According to Art. 12 of the Studies Program 2018, applicants are required to have sufficient knowledge (Bachelor major, or Bachelor minor of at least 60 ECTS) in one of the disciplines that contribute substantially to the interdisciplinary MSc program in Climate Sciences (disciplines according to the institutes listed in Annex 1 to the Studies Program 2018). As a rule, the grade point average GPA (credit weighted) must be at least equivalent to “good”.
In addition, admission to the MSc Climate Sciences may require knowledge and expertise that was not acquired as part of the applicant's bachelor degree. Depending on the evaluation and the envisaged specialization of the candidate, acceptance may therefore be conditional to the successful completion of extracurricular courses (so called additional attainments) prior to or within the first year of the master studies. These additional attainments can consist of up to 60 ECTS, which corresponds to a workload of one year (two semesters) of full-time studies.
Applications can be submitted as soon as the transcript of record of the bachelor studies encompasses 150 ECTS (typically after 5 semesters). The bachelor's degree must not be older than 10 years. See also the Factsheet MSc Climate Sciences below.
Registration and Application
All candidates have to be registered with the Admissions Office of the University of Bern. Registration is provided online; registration and application fees apply.
Candidates prepare an application dossier, including a motivation letter, a CV and further documents depending on whether their Bachelor diploma is or will be issued by the University of Bern, a Swiss or an international University. Detailed information on how to proceed with the registration and application is found in the Factsheet MSc Climate Sciences below. Please follow the instructions carefully.
Assessment and Acceptance
Acceptance to the Graduate School of Climate Sciences is conditional on a positive evaluation of your application dossier and an interview.
As a rule, the average grade (weighted according to ECTS credits) should be “good”. In general, the grades considered are worth 150 ECTS credits or more.
The interview is held in person (or by video call) according to the admission guidelines (see below) and takes place as soon as the application documents have been received. Depending on your scientific background, additional course requirements can be imposed up to a maximum of 60 ECTS credits.
You will be informed about the final assessment by the Admissions Office of the University of Bern; successful candidates will receive a Letter of Acceptance to the Graduate School of Climate Sciences.
For all questions and advice regarding admission, please contact the studies coordinator: Peter Stucki, Tel. +41 31 684 31 46, studies@oeschger.unibe.ch
