Historical Studies Module Master (Lectures plus Reading List)

The historical studies module consists of several lectures and the Reading List examination (self-study). The mandatory lectures must be completed before enrolment in the corresponding reading list exam. Registration is therefore only possible in the semester after attending the last lecture of a module. In the Bachelor Minor 30 ECTS students complete only one reading list.

At the end of the semester, lecturers must certify your attendance at lectures using the forms below. The form acts as part of the registration process.

Please submit both forms necessary for registration at the same time!

Master Major

2 Lectures in FS (Fachschwerpunkt - Special Focus) 1, 1 Lecture in FS 2 and 1 reading list Major/Mono (1000 pages) in FS 1

Master Minor (for students with a BA degree 60 ECTS)

2 lectures in FS, 1 reading list Minor (600 pages) in FS

Master Mono

2 lectures and 1 reading list Major/Mono (1000 pages) per special focus (FS1 & FS2)

Registration for FS 2024 will take place up until 11 March 2024 and must arrive exclusively in written form and be received by post at the following address.

Please write the address carefully!

Universität Bern
Historisches Institut
Institutssekretariat (z.H. Andrea Häfeli, B004)
Länggassstr. 49
3012 Bern

Students must register using the below form Anmeldung Modul Geschichtswissenschaft Master and the corresponding form confirming lecture attendance (see above).
Please send BOTH original forms (not a copy) necessary for the registration together!


Registrations will only be accepted in paper and only via the institute secretariat, which records it in KSL. The latter is considered as confirmation of the registration. No postal confirmation of the registration will be sent. The maximum number of registrations per lecturer is 30 students. If more registrations than this number are received, the registrations will be returned via post.

Examination procedure

Examinations take place in the last two weeks of the Winter semester (the next will be 21 - 31 May 2024). Individual examination dates will be published on the notice board of the institute, approximately three weeks before the examination session. Students will be asked to communicate the dates of any exams in other subjects or courses with their registration or directly to andrea.haefeli@unibe.ch to avoid overlaps.

The examinations are based on the Reading List of the respective lecturer (see the german version of this page). Oral examinations last 15 minutes, written examinations 45 minutes. If the examination is held in a form other than announced, the candidates concerned will be informed by e-mail.

Cancellation / non-appearance

You can de-register from your exam up until the 2 April 2024 by sending an e-mail to andrea.haefeli@unibe.ch without giving a reason. In which event, the registration forms will be returned to you by post.

After 2 April 2024, you can only cancel your registration if you enclose a written certificate. Possible reasons for being excused an exam (but not limited to): Illness, maternity, death of a close family member, force majeure (in particular breakdown of means of transport), military service etc. The compatibility of the examinations with any obligations a student might hold to a possible employer must be clarified before the registration for the examination; corresponding incompatibilities do not count as an excuse. Cancellation must be sent in written form to the Secretary of the Institute (Andrea Häfeli), together with a corresponding certificate (original).

Students who do not appear for an examination will automatically be given a grade of 1.0. The examination is considered failed and can only be repeated once.

Repeating your examination

If you have failed an exam, you will be automatically registered to take the exam again the following semester.

Anyone who has previously cancelled an examination with one of the excuses mentioned above can arrange for an extraordinary examination diretly with the lecturer in question. In this case, the lecturers are responsible for organising the examination. The same rules apply to a deregistration from this date as under cancellation / non-appearance.

If you fail the Reading List examination twice, your study of history cannot be continued.

Spring Semester 2024

The individual lists can be found on the German version of this page.