Delete search term

Header

Main navigation

School of Applied Linguistics

BA in Language and Integration – German as a Foreign/Second Language

Language is key to participating in professional and social life. This degree programme provides you with the skills needed to perform effective and meaningful work with people from a wide range of cultures, allowing you to combine language and social engagement, shape the field of migration and integration in a professional and sustainable manner and teach German, an internationally important language, both at home and abroad.

Between migration and society, teaching and learning, language structures and language use: as a specialist in providing language support to adults, you will work with ambitious goals, in-depth knowledge and practical experience in an intercultural environment.

In the BA in Language and Integration, you acquire the linguistic and didactic knowledge necessary to assist non-native-speaking adults at home or abroad in developing their German skills and integrating at a professional and societal level.

Career

Whether teaching German, promoting communicative skills, developing teaching materials or heading up integration projects, the BA in Language and Integration opens up a plethora of career opportunities both at home and abroad, including at language schools, specialist agencies for migrants, government authorities, organisations and companies. With your in-depth specialist and practical knowledge, you will find yourself at the heart of social diversity and promote intercultural understanding on an equal footing.

What our graduates say

Programme

In the BA in Language and Integration, you gain the skills to support adults in acquiring a new language and to both plan and shape projects in the field of integration. You acquire basic knowledge in the areas of language, didactics and project management as well as in connection with social and cultural issues in the area of migration/integration.

Study part-time

Would you like to combine your studies, career and family life? You can study the BA in Language and Integration flexibly by choosing to complete your studies via the fast track (three years), a medium-pace track (four years) or a slow track (five years). All variants can be completed on a part-time basis.

Specialisations

By choosing your specialisation, you expand your theoretical knowledge and deepen your specific practical professional skills on the basis of current scenarios from the professional world.

Language Consulting and Coaching

You familiarise yourself with various education and learning systems at home and abroad while also acquiring basic skills in the areas of coaching and intercultural communication. As a language coach, you support people on their learning journey and advise educational institutions on the topic of language support.

Language Education Management

You deepen your project management skills, learn the basics of education marketing and gain in-depth knowledge of the educational landscape and language support services in German-speaking Switzerland. You also address the economic factors of migration and integration.

Networking with practitioners

In many of our modules, you complete practical assignments at one of our partner organisations, allowing you to already lay the foundations for your own professional network during the study programme.

Insights into the degree programme

At a glance

Before the study

During the study

  • Programme start: autumn
  • Location: Winterthur
  • Number of credits: 180 ECTS credits
  • Duration: 6 to 10 semesters (depending on the study model)
  • Legal basis: academic regulations and annex

After the study

Admission

Admission requirements

To be admitted for enrolment in this programme, you will need to meet the following requirements:

  1. Present either a Swiss higher secondary education certificate (Matura) – which may be either a Swiss general baccalaureate (in German, “gymnasiale Maturität”), a Swiss specialist baccalaureate (in German, “Fachmaturität”), a Swiss vocational baccalaureate (in German, “Berufsmaturität”) – or a Swiss or foreign equivalent qualification
  2. A successful result in our aptitude test

You are not required to demonstrate practical professional experience (e.g. a year of work experience) in order to be admitted to the BA in Language and Integration.

Personal qualities / aptitude test

In addition to the formal admission requirements, an interest in language(s) and issues such as migration, mobility and internationalisation as well as a desire to work together with people in an intercultural environment are key to achieving success both during the study programme and later in the professional world. Before each course of study, we therefore carry out an aptitude assessment, which forms the basis for your definitive admission to the programme.

Dates and deadlines

The final date for applications is 30 April. Aptitude tests are held between mid-January and the beginning of June. The degree programme begins in calendar week 38.

Regular degree programme at the ZHAW with a foreign university entrance qualification

If you have gained a foreign qualification either abroad or in Switzerland which allows you access to higher education (e.g. Abitur or International Baccalaureate), please submit the documents requested by the academic office responsible for the degree programme you have chosen so that your qualification can be checked for equivalency. This equivalency recognition process follows the Guidelines on Equivalency Recognition for Bachelor’s Degree Programmes and takes place after your application has been submitted. If you have any questions, please contact the academic office. There are no quotas on students from other countries.