FAQs

Semester projects are not subject to deadlines. You can register or submit the semester project at any time as long as you stick to your study deadline. Please plan your time schedule with your supervisor.

Please note: on MSc level you need to have the CP's of your Semester Project decreed in order to be able to start your Master's Thesis.

The regulations do not prohibit it. However, technically it is not possible to take the same course twice with the same LE-number and receive credits for it. Doing a project with a different LE number is possible.

Yes, semester projects at an external research institution, UZH or EPFL are possible with internal initial supervision and count as internal work.

Since mid-December 2023, you can submit your degree application digitally via myStudies. Simply follow the steps indicated. A signature is no longer required. Click here for more information.

You do not have to submit the form in person.

You will receive your graduation documents within 1-2 weeks after they have been issued. The date of issue depends on when you hand in your degree request. They are sent by registered mail. For more information about the delivery of your final documents please check this link.

No, however, you can order a certified copy of the certificate from the ETH Registrar's Office.
You can find more information here: student certifications

Leaving ETH Zurich your IT services have different expiry dates. For more information please check here.

We recommend you to check the website of the Admissions Office if you have any questions about the application process.

Please note that neither the D-PHYS Study Administration or the D-PHYS Secretariat are involved in the admission procedure of Bachelor students.

No, the predominant teaching language during the Bachelor's degree studies is German (especially within the first 2 years of the programme). ETH language requirements must be fulfilled before the start of the programme, otherwise it cannot be started.

Only students in the BSc regulations 2016 can have a maximum of one core subject from the Bachelor's regulations recognised for the Master's degree.
If you would like to have a core course from the Bachelor's degree credited for the Master's degree, you must then take one additional Master core course in the same category (theoretical or experimental) in the consecutive Master's degree.
 

You can transfer courses which you do not want to count towards your Bachelor Diploma in myStudies as follows: performance overview > assign category > further performance assessments, then chose "no category".

Your overall GPA is calculated from the weighted grades of all courses counted in the academic record (see D-PHYS Studienreglement 2021). For the D-PHYS Studienreglement 2016 courses from the basic year as well as GESS Science in Perspective courses are not included into the overall GPA.    

Yes. Semester projects at UZH are possible but you need an authorized internal supervisor of D-PHYS.

The Study Administration is not involved in the selection procedure. Please note: The ETH Zurich Admissions Office cannot give you any information about your chances of being accepted before your complete application file has been submitted and evaluated, because all components of your application are important and will be taken into account.

We recommend to carefully read the profile of requirements and to compare it with the courses you have taken or planning to take. If you have any questions about application process, please check the website of the ETH Zurich Admissions Office.

The role of the Master programme at ETH Zurich is distinctly different from what it is in other countries, for example in the US, where it is part of the "graduate school" programme on the way to the Doctoral degree. Entering the Master programme of the Department of Physics at ETH Zurich is not part of the Doctoral studies, but leads to the Master degree. For a subsequent Doctoral programme a new admission will be required and will involve contacting a potential advisor within the Department of Physics.

Students can start their MasterTheses as soon as they have successfully finished their Bachelor studies, and they have fulfilled all the requirements for the admission to the master studies in physics, and they have obtained the 8 ECTS credits for their semester project (Semesterarbeit) including the oral presentation. Students can take the oral exams after finishing the Master's Thesis.

No, the Master's Thesis is a full-time project and constitues a maximum of 6 months (189 days). In exceptional cases, e.g. in the event of reduced resilience due to health restrictions, or if you have care obligations, you can submit an application for extension of the deadline to the D-PHYS Study Administation Office by . Please do not forget to put your supervisor in CC.

Please submit your Master's Thesis to your supervisor until 23:59h at the latest (on the day of your deadline). The Study Administration Office does not need a copy.

There are no set rules regarding the layout, format or scope of the Master's theses. Please agree on the expected format with your supervisor.

Yes. If you have started the Master's Thesis in a previous semester and registered it in myStudies, but will finish it in the following semester, you have to enroll for the next semester. You may choose the option of enrolling in a leave of absense semester.

Please contact the Registrar's Office for more information.

Semester projects are preferably carried out at D-PHYS, but may also be done in a different department, at another university, or research institution (for example CERN or PSI), as well as with industry.

If you plan to do your semester project outside of ETH Zurich, an authorised D-PHYS lecturer or associated member, has to act as official supervisor. When registering your project in myStudies you chose him or her as main supervisor and also fill in all contact information of your external supervisor.

For external projects, we strongly recommend that all parties agree on a written outline of the project. You find more information about semester projects in the Download Study Guide (PDF, 1.9 MB), page 14-15.

Yes, but you need a primary supervisor from ETH, please check our website for authorized supervisors.

An external Master's thesis with an internal first supervisor is possible without restriction. You find an overview of authorised supervisors Download here (PDF, 85 KB)

Supervision can also be provided by an associated member of D-PHYS. When registering your project in myStudies, you chose him or her as main supervisor and also fill in all contact information of your external supervisor.

For external master's theses, we strongly recommend that all parties agree on a written outline of the project. Please also check the Download Study Guide (PDF, 1.9 MB), page 16.

The regulations do not prohibit it, but technically it is not possible to take the same course twice with the same unit number and receive credit points for it. However, it is possible to take another semester project with a different unit number.

Please note that the Experimental Semester Project in Physics" and the "Semester Project in Theoretical Physics” have been merged and follow now the same course unit "402-0218-MS Research Project”.

If you wish to do a second research project, you have to follow certain administrative steps, which can be found on our website proseminars and semester projects. 

No, only summer schools listed in the ETH course catalogue may be credited.

Yes. "Downgrading" a core course and having it count as an elective is allowed.

Your overall GPA is calculated with the weighted (CP) grades of all graded performance assessments. GESS Science in Perspective courses are not included.