Welcome to Freiburg / Fribourg | Rechtswissenschaftliche Fakultät

Welcome to the Faculty of Law in Freiburg / Fribourg

The Law Faculty of the University of Fribourg is an institution with a long tradition of excellence: for over 250 years we have been training and educating the elite of the legal profession in Switzerland. A law degree from Fribourg is a springboard to a successful career. The Fribourg Law Faculty remains today a breeding ground for leadership personalities in the worlds of law, business and politics.

The Bachelor of Law programme is offered entirely in French and German. Students can therefore choose to study in one language or bilingually. In the Bachelor of Law programme no courses are taught in English.

The Master of Law programme is also offered in French and German. In addition, several courses are taught in English, including the Introduction to Swiss Law course, which is especially designed for exchange students

Academic information for exchange students

Application for courses
Students are required to register for all the courses they wish to attend.

Bachelor of Law courses: Registration via MyUnifr

Master of Law semester courses: Registration via MyUnifr

Master of Law block courses: The number of places is limited and registration is compulsory during a given period. Exchange students apply via a form, which is sent per e-mail in due time.

Papers, seminars and other special courses: Application and deadlines according to the information communicated in the course description.

Further Information in French

Further Information in German

Instructions for the course registration
Exam sessions

There are two exam sessions each year, one after the autumn semester (Session 1/20.. in January/February), one after the spring semester (Session 2/20..in June/July).

All Bachelor courses are offered on a one-year basis. Exchange students staying in Fribourg for one year take their Bachelor exams during Session 2/20... In case of failure, students may retake the Bachelor exam(s) in September (Session 3/20..) provided that they fulfil the requirements. Exchange students staying only for the autumn or the spring semester can follow Bachelor courses during one semester and take their exams on the content of one semester (with few exceptions) during Session 1/20.. or Session 2/20... They should be aware that – for them only – examinations in full-year courses will be based on the content covered during the semester they were in attendance, and that, if successful, they will be granted half of the allotted ECTS credits. (This does not apply to Swiss mobility.) For certain courses, this will not be possible, however, and examinations will cover material from the entire full-year course. Should they fail one or more exams, students are permitted to repeat them during the next session.

At Master’s level, block course exams take place at the end of each course. Failed exams cannot be repeated. Semester course exams take place in Session 1/20.. and Session 2/20…. A failed exam may be repeated once only. A failed exam in Session 1/20.. can be repeated in Session 2/20… A failed exam in session 2/20.. may be repeated in Session 1/20.. of the next year.

At the end of each exam session all grades are recorded. The transcript of records is sent per e-mail to the coordinator at the home university, with copy to the student. Students may consult their results on MyUnifr. Exchange students must take their exams during the regular exam sessions.

Further information in French

Further information in German

Exams at the Faculty of Law:

General Information (Registration, Sessions, Dates, Results)

Proceedings, Auxiliary Materials and Rules
Academic Requirements

Exchange students should plan their course of studies with their coordinators, based on the requirements of their home universities. This should be done before their arrival in Fribourg. Exchange students should have sufficient proficiency in spoken and written French, German, and/or English to attend and understand lectures without particular difficulty – at least a B1 level as defined in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. For Master courses a B2 level is recommended.
Introduction to Swiss Law

Especially designed for exchange students, this course provides an introduction to key aspects of Swiss law (including the role of Public International Law and European Law in Switzerland). It is taught every autumn semester.
Language courses
At the Language Centre:

Intensive Language Courses prior to the start of the Semester: French, Geman, English

Language Courses during the semester: French, German, English, Italian

further offers

At the Faculty of Law: Introduction Course to legal language

Introduction à la langue juridique française A (niveau objectif B2) et B (niveau objectif C1/C2)

Einführung in die deutsche juristische Fachsprache A (Zielniveau B2) und B (Zielniveau C1/C2)

Mobility counselling

The Faculty of Law welcomes exchange students and offers tailored advice based on many years of experience through its Erasmus and International Relations Office. If you have any questions regarding your study period (course programme, learning agreement, exams, etc.) at the Faculty of Law of the University of Fribourg, do not hesitate to contact the mobility advisor and administrative coordinator: