Master's degrees at the University of Lausanne
The Master's cycle (following on from the Bachelor's cycle) allows you to deepen your knowledge, specialise in a particular field and strengthen your interdisciplinary training. The cutting-edge, international environment of the teaching staff will give you access to the latest research findings in renowned faculties.
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The University of Lausanne will be offering 42 Master's degree programmes in September 2024. The vast majority of these Masters programmes can be taken part-time.
List of Masters courses at the University of Lausanne
The University of Lausanne will be offering 42 Master's degree programmes in September 2024, almost all of which can be completed on a part-time basis. In the presentation of each Master's degree, you will find a testimonial and advice from students to help you decide or confirm your choice.
All Master's programmes
- Law
- Law of the Universities of Zurich and Lausanne
- Legal Issues, Crime and Security of Information Technologies
- Public Management & Policy
- Judicial Careers
- Criminology and Security
- Crime Data Analysis and Traceology
- Forensic Science, orientation Chemical Criminalistics
- Forensic Science, orientation Physical Identification
- Forensic Science, orientation Digital Investigation and Identification
Choosing the right Masters
You've (almost) finished your Bachelor's degree, and now you're at a new crossroads: choosing a Master's degree. Faced with the wide range of options on offer (the same course of study as your Bachelor's, interdisciplinary, specialised, at UNIL, elsewhere, etc.), how do you make the right choice?
Here you will find some food for thought, sources of information and questions to ask yourself so that you can make a relevant choice based on your basic training, your personal situation and your career plans.
A Master's degree can address academic and/or professional interests. Whereas a Bachelor's degree provides an overview of the various fields that make up a discipline, the Master's degree allows you to delve deeper into certain themes. If the Bachelor's degree has stimulated your curiosity, if you want to go further into certain subjects, to carry out more personal and more in-depth research, the Master's degree is the place for you to do that.
The Master's degree will also enable you to develop skills that are useful for a number of professional functions and sectors: an analytical and synthesising mind, communication, conducting research, autonomy, critical thinking.... This teaching will strengthen your ability to learn. In the medium and long term, it will be an asset for you to progress in your career and possibly vary your activities.
In Switzerland, it is the Master's degree that is considered the official title of university graduation, so it is compulsory for access to certain professions (doctor, pharmacist, lawyer, FSP psychologist, secondary school teacher, etc.).
Knowing what motivates you will help you make your choice. For example, you could ask yourself the following questions…
- Do you have a professional project or career, over the next 3 or 5 years? And beyond?
- In which Bachelor's programme are you currently? Where? Which discipline(s) are you studying - including minor, à option courses, etc?
- What topics interest you most? What work or seminars are you particularly proud of?
Whether you are embarking on a Master's degree out of intérêt, to dévelve a research subject or with a view to concrétiser a specific professional project, the important thing is to find out which programme will best meet à your expectations. For example, some Masters programmes are professionally oriented, with work placements, courses given by professionals, etc. Others are more focused on the job market. Others are research-oriented, with the emphasis on theory and methodology. Similarly, while many Masters degrees are a continuation of Bachelor's studies in one discipline, there are also interdisciplinary Masters degrees that offer a vision of other fields of study.
Master's degrees in the same field of study are also available.
Once you have identified the programmes that may be of interest to you, find out about the course timetable, professors (and their areas of research), possible partner institutions, external speakers, mobility opportunities, etc. All these factors can have a decisive influence on your choice of Master's programme. Don't hesitate to ask questions directly to the teaching staff, assistants and Masters students, who will be able to give you concrete answers. Don't confine yourself to the Masters courses offered at your own university; take an interest in what other institutions have to offer, visit their Masters Days, check out their websites, etc. Your choice will be clearer if you take all the options into account.
In Switzerland, most Masters degrees are open unconditionally to holders of a Bachelor's degree from a Swiss university in the same field of study. However, there are also specialised Masters courses, which impose other conditions: grades, letters of recommendation, etc. They admit a limited number of students. They admit a limited number of students.
Admission to a Master's degree in a branch of study different from that studied in the Bachelor's degree is possible, on the basis of a portfolio and the condition of being formally eligible for the Master's degree. At UNIL, the Registration and Enrolment Service determines whether the student can formally be admitted to the Master's programme and forwards the file to the Faculty. It is the Faculty that decides whether to admit the student to the chosen Master's degree, whether he or she should take additional courses or whether the courses are incompatible.
Beware, however, that some Masters degrees that are accessible without condition may nonetheless present specificities (for example, the obligation to follow courses for a semester in another language region). In these cases, you will need to think about upgrading your language skills.
Reconciling Master's degree, professional life and/or personal life
Is your financial or family situation, or even plans in other fields (elite sport, etc.) making you hesitate to start a Master's degree?
The organisation of Master's studies is a little different from that of a Bachelor's degree, since there are often fewer courses and more personal work - particularly with the writing of the dissertation. So it's easier to organise your time so that you can have other activities outside your studies. Beware, however, of the internships that are sometimes required, which impose time constraints. And don't underestimate the time and energy needed to complete the dissertation, the importance of which varies from one faculty to another. The dissertation can be the hallmark of your university studies, so it deserves a real investment.
Almost all UNIL Masters courses can be taken part-time. In practical terms, this means studying 50% of the time. The duration of a part-time Master's course is therefore double that of a full-time course. This offer enables students with families, who are professionally active, have health problems or are involved in humanitarian projects, for example, to complete their studies at an appropriate pace. Find out more below.
Finally, you should know that it is possible to obtain grants for the Master's programme in the same way as for the Bachelor's programme. To find out about the grants and subsidies available, please consult the financial and administrative assistance section and contact the grants office in your home canton.
Diversifying your experience
Choosing the right Master's degree is the first step towards getting a real job. But depending on the sector you're aiming for, extra-academic experience can be just as important as your degree! So don't overlook them. Getting involved by taking on responsibilities in a student association or doing voluntary work, working or doing a work placement in a sector that interests you during the holidays, taking language courses, for example, are all excellent ways of diversifying your skills and creating a network for yourself.
Pursuing a Master's degree abroad
In addition to so-called horizontal mobility, as offered by UNIL's exchange programmes for one or two semesters, it is also possible to carry out work placements abroad or to carry out vertical mobility, i.e. to complete the whole of a university programme abroad.
Part-time Masters
Master without Bachelor's degree UNIL
To find out the admission requirements for the Master's programme you are interested in, please visit its webpage. If your Bachelor's degree does not give you direct access to your chosen Master's programme, or if you hold another qualification (HES Bachelor's degree, foreign qualification, etc.), you will need to submit an application form), you will need to submit an application which will be assessed by the Admissions Office (SII) and the Faculty concerned. Upgrades may be required.