FAQ for Current Students
For Incoming Students
Step 1: You will be assigned a main tutor.
After the first day of the semester welcome event, you will be asked to rank your preference for a tutor (1, 2 & 3), and students will be allocated a suitable tutor based on your area of focus. The Study Administration Office will then register her/him as your tutor, which will be visible in your account in myStudies.
Step 2: Select your courses and submit a Learning Agreement (LAG).
After the assignment of a tutor, students have to fill in the Learning Agreement (LAG) in myStudies.
The following course categories are considered the MAIN courses per the MIBS Study Regulations.
Step 1: Fundamental Courses (Credit Point Total Varies)
Please select your specific fundamental course/courses as outlined in your Admission's letter. Tutors do not decide on fundamental courses.
Step 2: Select your Core Courses (Credit Point total minimum is 31 ECTS and 43 ECTS offered)
Tutors will assign students course replacements of a maximum of 2 core courses with other appropriate courses (ie. specialised), only in cases where a core course has already been completed in a former ETH Bachelor's degree programme.
Step 3: Select your Specialised Courses (Credit Point Total Varies)
Select courses to make up your individual study programme of specialised courses. Tutor approval is required to take courses outside the list of Specialised Courses published in the course catalogue.
Fall Term (Semester 1)
Step 1: Print
Print your Learning Agreement (LAG).
Step 2: Review with Tutor
Set up an appointment to discuss your course selection with your Tutor.
Step 3: Submit in myStudies
Upon Tutor approval and/or revision, please complete and submit your Learning Agreement in myStudies. Your Tutor will then electronically receive your request and will check and approve/reject the Learning Agreement (in eDoz, under "Learning Agreement"). Submission Deadline: The Learning Agreement has to be submitted and approved before the end of the first semester in mid-February.
Spring Term (Semester 2)
The Study Administration Office will check and approve/reject your Learning Agreement in week 12 or 13.
For any subsequent deviation of the MAIN courses listed in your LAG, your Learning Agreement must be updated, resubmitted to and approved by your tutor, as well as as reviewed and reapproved by the Study Administration Office. For additional questions, please consult context-sensitive help in myStudies (top right, "Help")
myStudies
myStudies is the administrative tool you will use extensively during your studies to register for coursework, etc. For all questions regarding myStudies, you can contact the online support contact on the myStudies page by clicking on the 'help' link on the top right-hand corner of the myStudies login webpage. Additional answers to Frequently Asked Questions can be found in the myStudies webpage here. The general help link for myStudies can be found here.
I've been waitlisted for a course. What should I do? The MIBS Program is set up around the concept of options, which means that in every course category - FUNDAMENTAL, CORE, SPECIALISED and SCIENCE IN PERSPECTIVE (SiP) - far more options are available than are required for your degree. Additionally a number of the CORE options have been coordinated to fit into both the 1st AND 3rd semester, in case class limits are met and you are not able to register and/or are waitlisted. This system will be explained in detail to you at the programme welcome event.
Study Associations / Academic Support Services
Around 19,200 students and 10,800 employees work in the ETH centre and ETH Hönggerberg. The university counts 25 different degree programmes, organised in different departments. All 16 departments are organised in 17 student associations. These associations represent the students at department level. This includes the representation during the study and department conferences, grading conference and selection process of professors and more.
In addition, the student associations organise a variety of services for your study. For this reason, many student associations have collections of sample exams, organise factory tours or cultural activities. All student organisations work at their own account. Some of them carry out their own sponsoring and are very successful. The student organisations are financially independent from VSETH. They give an account in front of the students of the department at their own general assembly. More information and department representatives' contact information can be found here.
Student Advisory Services / Coaching is available for students who need additional support acclimating to the ETH education system. To make an appointment and more information can be found here.
Psychological Support services can be found here.
For Currently Enrolled Students
Where can I find deadlines for semester enrollment and exam registration?
Where can I find performance assessment information?
Do I have to finish my degree in four semesters?
No. Depending on your focus and project work, students typically complete the program in five semesters. This often includes separating the the project based courses into different semesters and/or doing an internship. It is advisable to speak to the Program Coordinator and your main tutor about your degree completion strategy.
I would to take a course that is not listed in the MIBS course catalogue. Is this possible? YES. It possible to select courses not listed in the MIBS course catalogue and count these credits toward the SPECIALISED category. However courses must be reviewed and approved by your tutor, prior to taking the course, to evaluate whether the course is appropriate for credit toward the MIBS degree.
How do I do this? If your MIBS tutor has approved the course is appropriate, he or she should contact the D-ARCH Study Administration via email .
I've been waitlisted for a course. What should I do? The MIBS Program is set up around the concept of options, which means that in every course category - FUNDAMENTAL, CORE, SPECIALISED and SCIENCE IN PERSPECTIVE (SiP) - far more options are available than are required for your degree. Additionally a number of the CORE options have been coordinated to fit into both the first AND the third semester, in case class limits are met and you are not able to register and/or are waitlisted. This system will be explained in detail to you at the programme's welcome event.
Can I change a D-GESS Course to another type?
Yes. D-GESS courses from the recommended list can be changed to the Specialised Course category without tutor pre-approval. All other D-GESS courses that you would like to change the category to Specialised Course must be reviewed and approved by your tutor (prior to taking the course). D-GESS courses cannot be changed to any other categories.
I failed a Core Course. What should I do?
If you fail a course once, it is recommended to repeat it. If you failed a course twice, it is removed from your transcript. Under current regulations (2018) as in the previous regulations (2014) students are still required to pass 31 Core credits to graduate. However, students are no longer required to attempt ALL the Core Courses offered. This applies to ALL current degree-seeking students.
How do we apply for a project via myStudies?
First, you should have had contact with the supervisor. If they agree to accept you as their student, you should then register via myStudies and select that supervisor. It is advisable to discuss the selection with your main tutor beforehand, if the supervisor you have selected is not a tutor within the MIBS Program.
Is there a deadline for submitting a semester project?
The semester project is a graded semester performance, which means that grades must be given by the end of the semester.
There have been some technical delays, etc. in developing my semester project. Can the deadline be extended?
In general, it is by the last day of the semester. However, individual arrangement is possible. Your project supervisor must request for an extension, which must be approved by the MIBS Director of Studies. In all cases the exact extension needs to be 1) discussed, defined and approved first by your MIBS tutor and 2) the request must be sent in a timely manner to the D-ARCH Study Administration for processing. Please allow at least 72 hours or three working days for a response.
Does the semester project have to be an individual or is it possible to work in groups?
It is possible to work in a groups. However, the separate scope of each student’s project must be clearly defined. This is has to be approved by your respective tutor and the MIBS Director of Studies.
Is it mandatory to deliver the semester project before application to do the Master's thesis?
Yes.
Are there specific periods within which it must begin?
No, once the supervisor of the Master's thesis has agreed to the content, the start date, and the relevant specific details, you can start the Master's thesis right away. However, please note that the ETH has specific limits on the duration in which the Master's thesis needs to be completed.
Is it possible to request an extension to my Master's thesis submission date?
Yes. However please note that the MIBS regulation Article 35.5 states: The maximum permitted period for completing the Master’s thesis is 28 weeks. The Director of Studies may extend this on request if cogent grounds are provided. (The 28 weeks comprise 26 weeks of work and 2 weeks of compensation for holidays, sick days and other brief absences.) This means that an extension of the Master's thesis deadline can only be granted and approved by the MIBS Director of Studies, if there are urgent, unforeseen reasons, i.e. documented sickness, severe personal issues, etc., or for example having no access to experiments, labs or critical data, and/or missing supervision due to technical reasons or lockdown as was the case during COVID). In all cases, the exact extension needs to be 1) discussed, defined and approved first by your supervising MIBS tutor and 2) the request must be sent in a timely manner to the D-ARCH Study Administration for processing. Please allow at least 72 hours or three working days for a response.
I would like to do my Master's thesis at another university. How should I do this? From the program’s perspective, it is recommended that you utilise the resources and the expertise available at the ETH to do your thesis work. However, if you still would like to pursue a Master's thesis topic outside of the ETH, start planning early in your studies. Second, review the MIBS regulations that are available in German and English in the document download section of the MIBS website (Articles 34-35), and THEN, set up an appointment to speak with your main tutor.
- You must provide a research plan, supervising contacts and dates of your planned thesis to your main MIBS tutor, who must approve of your plan to carry out your thesis with the external partner, assess whether it’s scope is appropriate for the MIBS Program and agree to be administratively responsible for your grade. If he or she does not agree, it will not be possible to pursue this Master's thesis externally.
- If the thesis does not fall within the expertise of the student's main tutor, it is the responsibility of the student to organise an appropriate ETH professor who can evaluate the thesis work per ETH standards. Specifically, according to ETH rules, "An ETH professor must assess and grade the thesis according to the guidelines of ETH Zurich; in this he/she may refer to any assessment provided by the host institution." Please note, it is at the discretion of the ETH professor, whether he or she, has the expertise and resources to accept the student's proposal. For more information, please read the FAQs provided by the ETH student exchange office.
- Please be aware for all students planning to conduct their thesis work outside of Switzerland (including FCL in Singapore), it is your responsibility to organise your stay at the hosting university with your contacts on location. This includes any formalities, such as any kind of housing, registration as a visitor on location, visa/permits, insurances etc. You will need to follow the host institution’s instructions in this respect.
- If you are away for longer than six months, please be sure to clarify what the consequences may be with respect to your residence permit here in Switzerland, since typically residence permits expire if residents leave the country for more than six months. Get in touch with the migration office in Zurich directly for information. This is something that many students often overlook. Do also make sure to check what the financial situation would be at your host institution, such as, "Are there any fees or such to be paid locally. How high would they be? Etc".
- Finally you will still need to enroll at the ETH and register your Master's thesis in myStudies, while you are abroad so that grading is possible at the end of your project. This also means that tuition fees, etc. from both institutions will most likely apply. Additionally, if your thesis dates span more than 1 ETH semester (i.e. May-October), the second semester should be registered as a leave of absence.
Administratively, you are responsible for communicating the following in a single email clearly to the D-ARCH Study Administration: You must provide email confirmation is the 1) title of the thesis; 2) the project description /scope of what is being done; 3) who is involved from both parties (supervisors at ETH and at the guest institution); and 4) the dates/duration. When sending the email to the Study Administration, cc: your MIBS tutor, and if different, the ETH professor who will be responsible for your grade.
I would like to my Master's thesis with an industry partner. How should I do this? First, start planning early in your studies. Start organising at least one semester before you plan to begin your thesis. Second, review the MIBS regulations that are available in German and English in the document download section of the MIBS website (Articles 34-35), and THEN, set up an appointment to speak with your main tutor. It is recommended that students inquire with their main tutors when their studies commence whether any opportunities exist within ongoing collaborations occurring between the respective main tutor's chair and an industry partner, since conducting a semester and/or Master's thesis project with an industry partner (Articles 34-35), must be co-/supervised by an ETH Professor.
If such opportunities do not exist and you find a suitable project with an industry partner, your main tutor must approve of the research project scope in writing to the D-ARCH Study Administration. If the project does not fall within the expertise of the student's main tutor, it is the responsibility of the student to organise an appropriate ETH professor who can evaluate the thesis work according to ETH standards. Specifically, according to ETH rules, "An ETH professor must assess and grade the thesis according to the guidelines of ETH Zurich; in this he/she may refer to any assessment provided by the host institution." Please note, it is at the discretion of the ETH professor, whether he or she, has the expertise and resources to accept the student's proposal.
Administratively, you are responsible for communicating the following in a single email clearly to the D-ARCH Study Administration: You must provide email confirmation is the 1) title of the thesis; 2) the project description /scope of what is being done; 3) who is involved from both parties (supervisors at ETH and at the guest institution); and 4) the dates/duration. When sending the email to the Study Administration, cc: your MIBS main tutor, and if different, the ETH professor who will be responsible for your grade.
If my thesis project involves collaborating with 'Company X', can I be paid as an intern or employee by 'Company X' during this period? No. Please see the DownloadETH-wide directive on renumeration (PDF, 23 KB).
I would like to request my degree. How can I do this?
You can do this in myStudies. Read more.
Where can I work on the ETH campus?
The university offers students around 1,000 workplaces spread across six different buildings. Opening times for buildings with student workplaces varies. Find the most up-to-date information here.
Where can I work in the HIL building?
The D-ARCH offers its students public computer rooms on the HIL C, D and E floors. All computer rooms have Mac and PC desktop computers (except HIL E 65: PCs only). All computers have latest versions of the most frequently-used programs.
- HIL D 24.1 offers 22 MAC and PC computer workstations. It is located in the room of the former Post Hönggerberg. In addition, you have 4 work tables and a VPP printer at your disposal. This room is always open and can be used around the clock, 365 days a year.
- HIL E 65 offers 16 PC computer workstations, as well as two scanners.
- HIL C 42.3 offers a combined printer and scanner room.
To ensure hygiene, ETH provides free disinfection material for cleaning your keyboard and mouse.
Additionally, you can find group working spaces for use at the Student Project House, as well as at the following locations on the ETH Campus.
MIBS Workstations in HIB Level EO
2.2019
Shared library work stations have been made available for the use of all MIBS students in HIB. The following upgrades have been provided:
- 5 desktop machines have been installed along the railing with upgraded hard drives. Each has the same software package as the HIL E 65 computer room.
- 3 monitors can be connected with a Mini DisplayPort to enlarge the display of your laptop screens.
- 2 monitors can be connected with either an USB-C (only Mac-Users) or a HDMI connection to enlarge the display of your laptop screens.
What is the administrative process?
You have to request a leave on myStudies. This can be done up until the end of the third week of the semester. It is recommended to speak to the Program Coordinator and your tutor about your completion plan for the MIBS Program prior to doing so. Contact the D-ARCH Study Administration via email for futher information.
Where can I find one?
The MIBS website provides leads to internship opportunities. Generally, it is advisable to speak with your network of tutors, the Program Coordinator or your fellow students.
What does the 2018 MIBS Study Regulation change mean?
(UPDATED November 5, 2018)
The study regulations for the MIBS Program have been updated. Article 22 of the 2014 Study Regulations has been modified, and specifically, Article 22.1 has been deleted and backdated.
What this means is that under current regulations (2018) as in the previous regulations (2014) students are still required to pass 31 core credits to graduate. However, students are no longer required to attempt ALL the core courses offered. This applies to ALL current degree seeking students. For all matriculated students the 2014 regulations still apply.
The study regulation documents 2014 and 2018 can be downloaded from the MIBS website here. Note that the current 2018 regulations are titled as 2014, since they have been backdated.
For Graduating Students
The Master's degree graduation ceremony takes place every semester and is always on the last day of the semester. For more information on the next ceremony, visit Master's degree graduation ceremony D-ARCH.