Frequently asked questions

You are a student at the Faculty of Science and Medicine and have questions about your studies? Below you will find useful information.

General information, rules concerning studies

• What rules and requirements apply to my studies?

  The official documents that govern your studies are:

  • The regulations of the Faculty of Science and Medicine.
  • The curricula, which describe the list of courses and requirements for your programme.

   

  In addition, the following two forms must be signed at the beginning of your studies:

  • You agree to respect the rules of scientific integrity. You must sign and return the scientific integrity form. Students from other faculties who take exams at the Faculty of Science and Medicine must also sign the declaration of scientific integrity. Without this, it is not possible to see your results You agree to respect the rules of scientific integrity.
  • You must also sign the Form on pregnancy safety.
• I am a student from another Faculty; do I have to sign the Declaration on Scientific Integrity?

  Yes, all students taking exams in the Faculty of Science and Medicine must sign the Declaration on Scientific Integrity. Otherwise, you will be unable to consult your exam results.

• To whom can I address my questions?

  For questions about your choice of study fields (major and minor) and for questions about mobility, contact the study advisors.

  For administrative questions about courses and examinations, contact the reference persons in the field in question.

  Always write from your UniFR e-mail address and indicate your student number, your study program and the code of the course in question.

   

• I have already studied or obtained ECTS-credits elsewhere, how can I get them recognised?

  The Students' requests commission is responsible for the recognition of previous studies and applications for exemptions from curricula.

• How can I request an exception to a regulation or curriculum?

  The Students' requests commission deals with your requests for exemptions.

• Can I follow several majors at the same time?

  You can, for example, pursue two Bachelor's degrees at the same time, but you must have prior authorisation from the faculty or faculties in question. If you wish to enrol in several study programmes at the same time, please read the guideline here.
  You must submit this form to our faculty and to the potential other faculty. If the application is accepted, you will have to pay a double semester fee.

• If I change my teaching subject in my BSc_SI, does the deadline for passing the first year change?

  The ECTS credits of the validation package of the first year must be acquired by the end of the fourth semester after the start of the studies in the Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education I (BSc_SI) study programme. This deadline for passing the first year is not extended if the student changes their teaching subject.

Courses and exams

• I missed the registration deadline for courses, what can I do?

  You have the possibility to register late (deadlines). In addition, you can generally follow the courses without registering. Only registration for the exams is mandatory.

  However, registration for exercises, practical work, seminars and excursions is mandatory. This registration guarantees you a spot and allows you to prove that you have attended them.

• I missed the exam registration, what can I do?

  Once the registration deadline has passed, there are no late registrations. You will have to take the exam in another session.

• I failed an exam, what happens now?
  Bachelor or Master of Science

  An assessment which is not passed or with a grade below 4 may be repeated once (Regulations for the Bachelor and Master of Science degrees, Art 21).

  • For UEs evaluated by a grade
       If on the first attempt the score is < 4, you can register for a new attempt.
       If you make a second attempt, the better of the two grades will count.
       An insufficient grade can be compensated within the validation package (weighted average).
  • For UEs evaluated by pass/fail (practical work,...)
       If you fail on the first attempt, you can repeat the teaching unit or the assessment (depending on the assessment format).
       If you fail a second time on a "pass/fail" UE, the failure results in a definitive failure in the study programme.

  If a teaching unit has been assessed, it is taken into account in the validation procedure of the package. It cannot be removed or replaced (Regulation, Art 25).

   

  Bachelor and Master of Medicine

  For the BMed, all the exams for the teaching units in the same validation package must be taken in one and the same session. If the average of the validation package is < 4, the assessment of the whole package may be repeated twice. (Regulation for the Bachelor of Medicine degree, Art 17) 

  For MMed, packages are evaluated by summative assessments. Evaluations take place once a year and can be repeated twice. (Regulation for the Master of Medicine degree, Art 14) 

• I can't see my exam results on MyUniFR; what's going on?

  To access your results, you must have signed and submitted the Declaration on Scientific Integrity. More information on how to download and submit it here. Your results will be accessible a few days after you submit the declaration.

• I would like to consult my exam. What should I do?

  You can find information about exam consultation on the page on Registration to courses and exams.

• Is it possible to change a course I chose and remove the corresponding grade from my validation package?

  Once a result has been attributed to a teaching unit, and if it is not mandatory in another validation package, that teaching unit and its result cannot be removed or moved.

Minors and optional studies

• When do I have to register for a minor?

  The procedure and deadlines for enrolment in the minors are described here. The deadlines depend on your major.

  If you wish to change to a different minor, information can also be found here.

  There are no minors included for Master's programmes. If you want to add an additional programme to the Master, you must register it as an "optional study".

• When and why can I register "optional studies" in my MyUniFR portal?

  Optional studies are used to add additional study subjects to programmes that are already complete (in addition to the 180 ECTS of the Bachelor's degree or the 90/120 ECTS of the Master's degree). Optional studies are limited to a maximum of 90 ECTS in total.
  The "optional studies" section of MyUniFR must not be used to enrol in a minor that is part of the 180 ECTS of a Bachelor's degree.

• Can I take a minor at another university?

  If the minor you wish to follow is also offered by the University of Fribourg, you cannot follow it at another university.
  If you wish to follow a minor which is not offered by the University of Fribourg, you must obtain prior permission from the Faculty and the other university to ensure that this minor will be recognised.

• How do I obtain enough credits to have a second teachable subject at the secondary level II?

  If you wish to teach at the secondary level II (gymnasium, high school, etc.), you generally have to choose two subjects to study during your Bachelor's and Master's degree. After the Master's degree, you will do the Diploma of Teaching in Maturity School (DEEM). For each of the subjects you wish to teach, you must obtain a minimum of 90 ECTS credits. Here is how to obtain these 90 credits:

  • Bachelor with a major for 120 credits.
    • During the Bachelor, you choose a 60-ECTS minor in a teachable subject. Ensure that you register for the correct minor for the DEEM if several options exist in the subject.
    • During the Master, you follow a major in the same subject as your Bachelor's major. In addition, you enrol in "optional studies" in a minor called "+ 30 ECTS". The curricula for these "+30 minors" can be found here. You can enrol in this +30 minor once you have validated the minor of the Bachelor's degree.

   

  • Bachelor with a major for 150 credits
    
    • During the Bachelor, you choose a 30-ECTS minor in a teachable subject. In order to follow the missing 30 ECTS in the second subject, you must additionally register for a "Complement to the DEEM" under "optional studies". In total, the courses you take must correspond to the 60-ECTS minor for the DEEM.
    • During the Master, you follow a major in the same subject as your Bachelor's major. In addition, you enrol in "optional studies" in a minor called "+ 30 ECTS". The curricula for these "+30 minors" can be found here. You can enrol in this +30 minor once you have validated the minor of the Bachelor's degree and the complement for the DEEM.

Master and Doctorate

• I have almost finished my Bachelor's degree. Can I already start the Master? (Anticipated Master)

  You can apply for an anticipated Master on your MyUniFR account. At the Faculty of Science and Medicine, anticipating the Master allows you to register for Master's courses but does not allow you to take exams (except for the Master in computer science).

• I have finished my Master's degree; how can I register for a doctorate?

  How to apply for a doctorate is described here. The procedure is mainly carried out by your supervisor. Once all the conditions for admission have been met, the person in charge of doctoral studies at the dean's office will register you in the doctoral study programme.

  Do not register for a doctorate in MyUniFR, and if you are already registered at UniFR, do not apply to the admissions service.

• What is the deadline for finishing my Master's thesis?

  The duration of your Master's thesis is determined by your curriculum. You must have submitted the final version of your master thesis before the start of the new semester if you do not want to pay the new semester fee. At the end of your thesis work, you must fill out the form for the submission of the summary of the Master thesis.

Transcripts and Diplomas

• Where can I get proof that I am a student?

  A Registration certificate can be downloaded from the MyUniFR portal.

• I need a certification of study advancement in order to renew my permit or visa

  Send an email to scimed@unifr.ch requesting this certification. Indicate your name and student number, and specify that this is for an application to renew a permit/visa. The dean's office will generate an attestation for you that meets the SPOMI requirements and send it to you by email.

• I have finished my studies, when can I exmatriculate?

  You can exmatriculate as soon as you have registered for your last exam. Exmatriculation is done through the student portal.

• I no longer have access to my MyUniFR account. Where can I obtain a transcript?

  For a proof of exmatriculation, please contact the Admissions and Registration Service.

  For a transcript or an attestation of ECTS credits, contact the attestation office (attestations-scimed@unifr.ch).

• When will I receive my diploma?

  Once you have obtained your Bachelor's or Master's degree, you will be invited to the next graduation ceremony. The dates of the ceremonies and the deadline for payment of your credits are indicated here. If you are unable to attend the ceremony, your diploma will be sent to you by mail after the date of the ceremony.

  While waiting to receive your diploma, the Final Certificate is an official document which will be recognised in most Universities.

  If for any particular reason you need to obtain your diploma before the date of the ceremony (for example, moving to a country where postal delivery would not be secure), please send an email explaining the reasons for your request to attestations-scimed@unifr.ch. This request will then be examined by the Dean.

• Do I have to remain enrolled to receive my diploma?

  No, the graduation ceremony is not linked to enrolment but to successful completion of studies.