In your studies, you bring together research-based knowledge with practical skills. You develop projects and carry them out in teams with the support of coaches. This allows you to strengthen your ability to act in an innovative, reflective and effective manner in the professional field of language and integration.

In projects related to foreign language acquisition, you combine social action with a targeted use of digital technologies. You recognise the human value in a professional world in which artificial intelligence and digital teaching resources such as language apps are gaining in importance.

The core modules, which form the common basis for all three BA programmes at our School, are where you acquire the foundations of applied linguistics for language professions. This prepares you well for a world in which language and communication professions are rapidly changing.

You focus on your field of activity by choosing one of the two profile specialisations: language education management or language consulting/coaching. This is where you expand your theoretical knowledge and deepen your specific, professional skills based on current scenarios from professional life.

At the end of your studies, you explore a topic from your profile specialisation in more depth in your Bachelor's thesis. Parallel to this, you demonstrate your practical skills as a specialist in German as a foreign/second language for adults through an internship in your final semester. 

With your knowledge and skills, and thanks to the network that you build up through numerous work placements, you are prepared for the professional world. In addition, you are qualified to pursue an MA in Applied Linguistics, where you can further hone your professional profile.

Good to know

Why should I pursue a university degree in the field of language and integration?
The BA in Language and Integration is the first hands-on university degree that qualifies you to pursue activities in the professional field of language and integration in a knowledge-based and practically focused way. The specialised knowledge, grounded in practice, that you acquire in your studies enables you to act in an informed and reflective manner in your career, deal with changes in your work context and develop solutions for real-life challenges.

What do I need to pursue a BA in Language and Integration?
You enjoy working with people and are interested in languages as well as communicative processes, particularly in a multilingual and intercultural context. You recognise the importance of language as a key element for societal participation and are committed to empowering people in this respect.

What can I do with a BA in Language and Integration?
The Bachelor’s degree qualifies you for admission to subsequent degree programmes and educational opportunities in Switzerland and abroad, including the MA in Applied Linguistics at the ZHAW, the MA in German Language Didactics at the PHZH, the MA in German as a Foreign Language/German as a Second Language and the MA in Multilingual Studies at the University of Fribourg, and teaching certificates in general education for vocational schools. The admission conditions and requirements may differ from one programme to the next.

Does a BA in Language and Integration qualify me for a Master’s degree at the ZHAW School of Applied Linguistics?
If you complete the BA in Language and Integration, then you are entitled to admission to the language and mobility specialisation in the MA in Applied Linguistics.