Frequently asked questions

Enrolments for the bachelor program (Minor and Major) at the IKG is handled by the Admissions Office. Further information can be found on the homepage of the University of Bern.

To enrol for a master’s program at the IKG, you must have successfully completed a bachelor degree in Art History (Minor or Major). If you did not complete your Bachelor in Art History at the University of Bern, you must submit an application for admission to the master’s program to the Dean's Office of the Faculty of Humanities.

• Please read carefully all the information on the homepage of the IKG. Here you will find numerous useful tips.
• Please subscribe to the IKG mailing list as soon as possible. Enter your campus account email address. The mailing list is used to send information on IKG events (including changes or postponements), external events such as symposia or panel discussions, as well as possible job advertisements.
• Print out the study plan and find out which and how many courses you have to attend for your studies.
• If you have any questions that are not answered on the homepage, contact the Study Coordination Office.

Students matriculated as of HS10 as well as transferred students:

Students matriculated as of HS10 as well as transferred students:

Students matriculated as of HS10 as well as transferred students:

Registration for all courses at the University of Bern is done online via KSL (Core Teaching System). You will receive access to the relevant course on ILIAS 24 hours after registration on KSL. ILIAS is the online platform through which course instructors communicate relevant information to students, including the uploading of texts and other teaching materials. You must also register for undergraduate (PS) and graduate (HS) seminars on ILIAS. Most courses have a limited number of places. Therefore, please register only for events that you actually attend or cancel your registration within the set deadline in order to enable other students to register.

No, modules can be taken with courses from different semesters. The only exception is attending lectures and tutorials (VL + GK) in the core modules. These must always be attended in the same semester. However, the associated undergraduate seminar (PS) can be taken in another semester.

Knowledge of Latin is recommended, however classes cannot be counted towards your studies within the Institute of Art History. This includes the elective course module (Wahlbereich). Any language courses that are taken and passed at the University of Bern will appear on the Diploma Supplement under the heading “Additional Optional Attainments”.

Yes, the BMZ lecture series is equivalent to the Pre-Modern Art History (ÄK) lecture series. A corresponding examination must be taken for crediting in the elective area. The BMZ lecture cannot be chosen as a subject for the bachelor examination (basic knowledge of art history).

Seminar papers/literature reports must be submitted before the beginning of the following semester (usually end of January or end of July). Extension requests must be justified in writing.

Please note the respective course announcements. In principle, courses offered by the Monomaster Curatorial Studies program cannot be credited to other study programs. Exceptions are not possible; not even for the bachelor and master electives or the Art History electives.

Yes, lectures as well as undergraduate or graduate courses can usually be attended by students from other institutes within the University of Bern; however, this does not apply to all of the courses that are specifically offered to Monomaster students (Curatorial Studies / Cultural Heritage / Textile Arts). If you would like to have a lecture credited as an elective, you must have it graded (examination). This applies to all students at the University of Bern. Information concerning the examination will be announced in the lecture.

Yes, but only through the Swiss Mobility Program. Further information can be found on the website. Forms (applications for admission) from other universities will not be accepted.

Further information can be obtained from the International Office of the University of Bern.

For all courses or events attended during a mobility or Erasmus stay while enrolled at the University of Bern, a Learning Agreement must be signed in advance. This agreement is subject to the Institute's regulations. Courses and activities that are recorded on the Learning Agreement are checked and credited by the Institute. You must have your attendance confirmed in writing by the lecturer. The confirmation must contain the following information:

• Title of the event
• Number of semester hours per week
• Number of ECTS points earned and
• a grade.

The grading of the event is a mandatory prerequisite for recognition at the IKG. Once this confirmation has been submitted to an assistant at the IKG, the grade can be credited.

If you have completed an internship of several weeks at an art institution, you can apply to the IKG for credit. A maximum of half of the ECTS points required for excursion days can be replaced by internships. One week of internship (100%) corresponds to one ECTS point. Please enclose with your application a written confirmation from the art institution, stating a grade, as well as a short report of up to 2 pages describing your activities and findings. Please send the documents to Dr. Andrew Sears, the Scientific Assistant in Pre-Modern Art History.

My studies are delayed, because

• I am employed
• I am planning a stay abroad to acquire a foreign language, my knowledge of which will be tested in my bachelor exam.
• I would like to complete a study-related internship
• I have to complete my military/civil service
• I am pregnant
• I have children to look after
• I am sick
• I have a sick relative to care for
• I have other important reasons.

If, for one of the reasons mentioned, you are unable to meet the requirements for your studies in the semesters specified, you will automatically be granted an extension of 2 semesters. If this is still not sufficient for you, please submit a written request for extension to the Dean's Office of the Faculty of Humanities in the 8th semester of the bachelor's program or in the 6th semester of the master's program.

Knowledge of two foreign languages must be proven at bachelor level. A Matura certificate (B1-B2 level) or a certificate from a private language school will be accepted. By way of example, we recommend two semesters of study in a given language at university or an intensive course of several weeks. In both cases, the decisive factor is the ability to understand a foreign-language scientific text, which may be tested when registering for the bachelor/master examination. Various language courses are also offered by the Institute for Linguistics at the University of Bern.

At master level, major students must have three foreign languages, while students of minor subjects and HKB students have to provide proof of two foreign languages. A Matura certificate (B1-B2 level) or a certificate from a private language school will be accepted. By way of example, we recommend two semesters of study in a given language at university or an intensive course of several weeks. In both cases, the decisive factor is the ability to understand a foreign-language scientific text, which may be tested when registering for the bachelor/master examination. Various language courses are also offered by the Institute for Linguistics at the University of Bern.

No. According to a decision made by the Vice Rector for Teaching (Nov. 2007), language courses cannot be credited to bachelor's or master's degree programs, not even as an elective. However, successful completion of the courses is recorded as an (extracurricular) activity in the Diploma Supplement.

By written request from the Dean's Office of the Faculty of Humanities.

Please consult the homepage of the Dean's Office of the Faculty of Humanities.

Your studies do not automatically rollover to the master’s program after the bachelor examination. You must have your bachelor’s diploma issued at the Dean's Office (see also the Dean's Office page) and then matriculate for the master's program (Admission’s Office). It is possible to begin taking some master’s level courses such as lectures, graduate seminars or excursions in your final (6th) semester. However, taking these courses does not mean you have automatically registered for the master’s program.

Please refer to the information on the homepage of the Dean's Office of the Faculty of Humanities.

All courses offered by the IKG as electives can be credited, regardless of which Chair they are offered by or the form in which they are offered, provided that they are graded. Undergraduate seminars (PS) as well as the courses of the specialized Monomaster study programs are not available to students on a master's program, unless otherwise stated in the announcement. If you are enrolled in a Monomaster program, the additional courses you attend in this respective program can be credited in the elective module. Tutorials cannot be credited as electives.

Please note that you may not miss more than 20% of the sessions offered for a course in any semester.