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Graduate Certificate in Communication Studies

Language

All courses are taught entirely in English at all campuses.

Duration

Depending on the number of credits attempted per quarter, the course selection and the course planning, full-time students may, for example, earn a Master degree in 1 academic year of 9 months, for a total of 3 quarters of 20 credits each; or in 1 academic year of 12 months, for a total of 4 quarters of an average of 15 credits each. Earning credits during the summer quarter will speed up the studies.

Part-time students may, for example, earn a Graduate Certificate in 1 academic year of 9 months, for a total of 3 quarters of 4 credits each, or, in case of a Graduate Certificate in Business Studies, in 3 to 12 months depending on the number of credits attempted per quarter, the course selection and the course planning. Part-time studies are available only for students with a national passport or residence permit.

Schedules

Courses are scheduled from Monday to Friday between 8:30 and 18:30, typically in sessions of 3 hours each. To accommodate part-time students at main campuses, several core courses are scheduled during the evening from 19:00 to 22:00, and several courses are scheduled during the weekend on Saturdays. Several other courses are scheduled in an intensive seminar format with visiting professors at all campuses to accommodate part-time executive students. Fostering inter-campus exchanges and networking, students are recommended to join these courses also at other campuses. Refer to the course planning for further details on the availability of weekday, evening, weekend and seminar courses. Additional courses may be available online; additional academic policies and conditions will apply.

Credits

Courses are assigned a number of credits, indicating the estimated workload. Each credit equals up to 30 learning hours, including contact hours, exam hours, self-study hours and group-study hours. Contact hours vary depending on total student enrollments per course. The workload of a typical full-time graduate student amounts to 20 credits per quarter and to 600 learning hours.

Program European Credits (ECTS) American quarter credits American semester credits
Master 60 60 40
Certificate 12 12 8

Courses

Graduate courses are divided into core courses and specialization courses. Electives can be chosen from any of the scheduled courses offered at the graduate level. Specialization courses are scheduled based on enrollments and may not be available at all campuses. Specialization courses scheduled are available to all students also as electives. Refer to the program schedule for further details. Refer to the course overview for the list of available courses. Students are recommended to complete courses and earn credits at the highest level possible.

Program requirements

Switching to another program once the studies have started is possible as long as the program requirements are met by the end of the studies. Therefore, the decision to switch should be made as early as possible to avoid not meeting the program requirements within the intended program duration.

Courses (GSCCSxxx) 12 credits / 6 courses
Graduate Certificate 12 credits / 6 courses

 

Grading system

Students are assessed on a combination of attendance, participation, individual assignments, group assignments and exams. Assignments may include reading materials, term papers, reports, presentations, and others. The combination of these assessments provides students with an equal opportunity to demonstrate their skills and knowledge. The minimum passing grade is D (60%). In case of an FX grade, students have the option to request a second exam in order to obtain the minimum passing grade of 60%. The Grade Point Average (GPA) is calculated on a 4.0 scale.

Percentage Grade Definition
90 to 99 A Excellent
80 to 89 B Good
70 to 79 C Average
60 to 69 D Poor
50 to 59 FX Unsatisfactory
0 to 49 F Fail
Percentage GPA Academic Honors
90 3.6 Summa Cum Laude
85 3.4 Magna Cum Laude
80 3.2 Cum Laude

Diploma

Upon successful completion of the study program students receive an international private graduate certificate or degree awarded by the college's headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, based on the recommendation of the faculty of the local campuses where credits were earned. Our study programs are based on and are fully compatible with the established European and American educational systems.

Admission

Because of the program's flexible structure and modular design, multiple starting dates are available in October, November, January, February, April, May, July and August. Refer to the academic calendar for the exact starting dates. Graduate programs are offered at all campuses. Refer to the program schedule for an overview of the campuses where certain majors and minors are offered. Refer to the admission section for details on how to apply. When applying, please adhere to the application procedures and guidelines.

Admission requirements

  • proficiency in the English language (refer to the admission section for further details)
  • Bachelor degree (or equivalent)

No distinction is made between academic or professional Bachelor degrees.

Degrees with 180 European credits or 120 American semester credits are considered equivalent.

Students who do not hold a Bachelor degree or equivalent should apply for a Bachelor degree program, or for the Undergraduate Diploma top-up program. Refer to the undergraduate programs section for further details.

 

Program options

Part-time Studies

The Part-time Studies option allows students with flexible working hours to complete courses that fit with their schedule, including evening, weekend, seminar and online courses, and to spread their studies over a longer period of time, earning fewer than 15 credits per quarter. Part-time studies are available only for students with a national passport or residence permit.

e.g. earning half the typical number of credits equals twice the duration of the full-time program

Study Abroad Option

The Study Abroad option allows students to transfer for one or more quarters to another campus without experiencing program interruptions or extensions. Courses and programs remain fully compatible across all campuses, however not all specializations are available at all campuses. Refer to the program schedule for further details.

Private Tutoring and Private Coaching

The Private Tutoring and Private Coaching options allow students to schedule additional one-on-one sessions with professors or study coaches to catch up on missed contact hours or to receive additional academic support. Sessions are charged per hour and take place on-campus at a time that is convenient for both the student and professor or coach.