USI Bachelor's at a glance
USI Bachelors's degrees are 3-year (6 semesters) full-time study programs that comply with the principles set out by the Bologna Declaration. The first year of the curricula consists of foundation courses, providing students with solid bases that are then applied through exercises, seminars, ateliers and workshops. During the second and third years, students are given the possibility to choose a more specific field of study, which is defined through several elective courses. The USI Bachelor's diploma enables students to continue at the graduate level (Master's degree).
Our programmes
Università della Svizzera italiana (USI) offers 9 Bachelor's programmes:
- Architecture
- Italian Language, Literature and Culture
- Communication
- Economics
- Informatics
- Data Science (from the A.Y. 2024/25)
- Medicine
- Theology (at the Faculty of Theology, affiliated to USI)
- Philosophy (at the Faculty of Theology, affiliated to USI)
The Bachelor of Medicine is organised at the University of Basel, a partner institution of the USI Faculty of Biomedical Sciences.
The Bachelor in Architecture is organised at the Academy of Architecture on the Mendrisio campus. All other Bachelor programs are offered on the Lugano campus. USI Bachelor curricula provide levels of specialisation and, at the same time, a multidisciplinary approach, combining quality education with a friendly and welcoming atmosphere, offering many opportunities for informal dialogue between faculty and students.
The Bachelor of Theology and the Bachelor in Philosophy are organised by the Faculty of Theology, affiliated to USI.
Credits
All courses are awarded ECTS points. The European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) guarantees that credits are compatible and transferable within all European universities. A full-time academic year consists of 60 ECTS (30 credits each semester). Full Bachelor studies correspond to 180 ECTS. The second level of university studies (graduate or Master's degree), which completes the "3 + 2" system (Bologna system), consists of three or four semesters, equivalent to 90 or 120 ECTS.
Educational model
International faculty teach students with an interdisciplinary, engaging and interactive approach. The USI educational model is enhanced by a system that closely accompanies students in their learning path, with small classes enabling group exercises and direct dialogue with professors.
Teaching language
The official teaching language of the Bachelors in Architecture, Economics, Communication and Italian Language, Literature and Culture is Italian. Interested students can attend intensive Italian courses before the autumn semester and extensive courses throughout the academic year.
The Bachelor of Science in Informatics and the Bachelor in Data Science are taught entirely in English.
Starting from A.Y. 2024/25, the Bachelor in Economics will also offer an English-language track (in parallel with the Italian-language track).
The Bachelor of Medicine is taught in German at the University of Basel, a partner institution of the USI Faculty of Biomedical Sciences.