Application Steps

• We will only accept online applications.
• The full application has to be in English.
• The application will only be processed if the application fee of CHF 200.- is paid (credit card payment).
• The application fee will not be refunded.
• We will not have any correspondence about the receipt of the application fee with any candidate, except we have received the application, but no payment. In that case we will contact you about the irregularity. As long as you are not contacted, we have received the amount due.
• We will neither add documents sent to us after you have submitted your online application, nor replace documents of your online application - even within the deadline. So send your application only when it is fully complete.The only exceptions are the recommendation letters, which will be sent to us directly by your referees.
• The certificates and the letters of recommendation can be in English, German or French. If the certificates are in another language, please include an official translation and explain the grading system.
• GMAT and GRE are optional. In case you want to add GMAT or GRE results please upload them in the voluntary documents. We do not have a GMAT/GRE code for the program.
• Please only upload abstracts/summaries of papers in the voluntary documents, no full papers. In your abstract you can indicate a link to the whole paper.
• Please make sure that the security level of ALL PDFs ALLOW CONSOLIDATION, have NO password security or are NOT a certified document. Otherwise your application documents cannot be consolidated into 1 file and these secured documents cannot be taken into account!! Put special attention in this regard to your diplomas, official transcripts or GMAT/GRE-test reports.

Two letters of recommendation (or recommendation form) are required. They should

• be written by lecturers, former employers or current employers. Not accepted are recommendation letters written by fellow students, friends, family members etc.!
• be signed and written using preferably an official letterhead showing the affiliation of the writer (or recommendation form)
• address the following points: the overall appreciation of the candidate, motivation, maturity and judgement, analytical ability, initiative and creativity, ability for research, oral and writing skills.

In case your referee does not upload the recommendation letter or recommendation form (PDF, 408 KB) within 2 weeks, he/she will get a reminder. At the same time you will get an email informing you that your referee has received a reminder. Please then contact your referee to check. The deadline for the recommendation letters is 31 January 2023.

Please understand that we cannot inform you about the arrival of the recommendation letters.

Please note that only complete applications will be considered and you have to enter your data and upload the documents into the application program at once. You will not be able to look at the status or add documents later, once you have submitted your data.

All documents and information listed below are mandatory and need to be uploaded via application program in a pdf format. 

Please make sure that all pdf documents allow consolidation (no password security, no certified document!). Be especially cautious with diploma, official transcripts, GRE/GMAT, which are often certified or ask for a password.

All your documents will be consolidated into one file after the deadline for the evaluation of your application by the Steering Committee in February.

Please upload:

• A letter of motivation named "SurnameGivenname_LetterMotiv.pdf". Content: like for a job application letter ie why you want to do this master (interests, career path), why you qualify for it (strengths), maximum 1 page (font size 11).

• A curriculum vitae named "SurnameGivenname_CV.pdf". Please only use our standardized curriculum vitae form (DOCX, 22 KB), fill it out and save it as a pdf. Ideally 2 and max 3 pages, font size 11!

• A summary of courses named "SurnameGivenname_SummaryCourses.pdf". Please only use our standardized summary of courses form (DOCX, 30 KB), fill it out and save it as a pdf.

• Copies of your academic degree(s). If you expect to receive your Bachelor degree only after the deadline, but before 30 September 2023, please state this explicitly in your application.
  • "SurnameGivenname_Bachelor.pdf" (for your Bachelor degree); or
  • "SurnameGivenname_Master.pdf" (for your Master degree); or
  • "SurnameGivenname_PhD.pdf" (for your PhD degree).

• Copies of your official grades on Bachelor and/or Master level. If you expect to receive your Bachelor degree only after the deadline, but before 30 September 2023, a copy of your up-to-now-grades.
  • "SurnameGivenname_GradesBachelor_temp.pdf" (up-to-now-grades in the Bachelor study) or
  • "SurnameGivenname_GradesBachelor.pdf" (grades in the Bachelor study); or
  • "SurnameGivenname_GradesMaster.pdf" (your grades in the Master study).

• Two recommendation letters in pdf format are mandatory as well. In the application form you will be asked to enter the two contacts of the person who will write the recommendation for you. They will get a link to upload the recommendation letter or form. Please make sure that the email addresses are correct and the recommenders have accepted to do this for you.

• On a voluntary basis, you can submit up to three additional documents to support your application. Examples: GRE or GMAT test (Attention: make sure it is without password security, otherwise it will not be taken into account in your application!!), letters from previous employers, abstracts of papers/theses.

• Please do not send your English certificate here, it will be due only in phase 2 with the UZH Admission office (at the earliest in April).

Should you have any problems uploading a pdf document please try the following:

• Try to update your browser or use a different browser
• If only a specific pdf cannot be uploaded, we recommend compressing the pdf file (without having to change its size) with a program like pdf24.

Online Application - offline!

The application period for the program starting in September 2023 is closed! The deadline was 15 January 2023. No applications will be accepted after this deadline.

The application program is structured in 4 parts:

• Personal data 
• Upload of documents
• Check of the completed application, followed by submission of your application data to UZH
• Payment by credit card or TWINT. Please have your credit card ready. (Mastercard, Visa or Postfinance)

If you do not have a credit card or a PostFinance card: instead of a normal credit card you can use a prepaid card to pay the application fee online and submit your application. Youth banking packages and student bank accounts usually offer the possibility of getting a prepaid card. These cards are either free or very cheap.

For any further information related to the application process, Step 1 to Step 3 (phase 1), please contact msfinance[at]bf.uzh.ch.

Online Application (offline!)

Only for candidates accepted in phase 1.

The Admissions Office of the University of Zurich will contact you, after you have been accepted provisionally by the Steering Committee, and inform you via e-mail about how to apply for admission. The English certificate will be asked for in this phase.

For any information related to the application process Step 5 (phase 2), please contactt.uzh.ch/admission.