English language courses - Bachelor in Economics

Pathway for students in the Italian-language programme

For a complete view of the content on your phone, please switch to landscape mode. To proceed with the registration, open the accordion corresponding to the semester of interest, Autumn or Spring, further down the main page.

D = daytime E = evening.

Apart from pre-semester intensives, all courses are 56 hours.
To find out about each course click the links in the table. The links to register are at the bottom of the page.

The pathway above prepares you primarily to score the best grades possible on the courses taught in English during the second half of your Bachelor programme. Moving along the Business English pathway, you will improve and consolidate your business English (a strong addition to your CV), while English for Economists (a 6 ECTS course availeble in both semesters 4 and 6) focusses on the academic and specialist language you will need while studying and working in all fields covered by the degree programme. Note that to enter this academic course, you will need a B2 certificate or two Business English certificates level 2 or above.

However, you may also have other objectives, including taking full advantage of USI’s wide range of international connections. If you are planning on applying for Erasmus, Swiss Mobility, or other exchange or internship programmes, you will need a public language qualification. While you should check requirements for individual opportunities, we recommend  Cambridge General English examinations (e.g. FCE or CAE) or IELTS.

LLM offers a highly successful intensive preparation course for the IELTS exam during the February inter-semester break, see ‘Preparing for IELTS’.

USI also offers a full-scale Cambridge-style examination in General English at B2+ level in January, June and August of each year. The certificate obtained on passing is recognised by USI departments that require an English qualification, and by some of USI’s exchange partner universities. Some employers also recognise USI’s internal language certificates.

English Language course timetables are published online at the following link: English language courses - timetables

Workload

At level B, semester-long sector-specific courses of 56 hours each are offered. In order to progress to the next level, completion of at least two courses per level is required. By way of example, to attain level B2 it is necessary to attend the courses Business English 2.1 and Business English 2.2, for a total of 112 hours of in-person instruction, in addition to at least an equal number of hours of independent study. Only upon completion of this pathway is it possible to access the courses at the next level, namely Business English 3.1 or General English B2+.1. The overall duration of each level corresponds to approximately one academic year. Attendance is compulsory in order to ensure adequate development of language skills.

Individual consultations on your English objectives
LLM members are available to discuss your objectives and give advice on the best learning pathway to follow. Economics students should contact Louise Bostock in the first instance ([email protected]).

The language requirement for the English "core" stream is the mother tongue, certified by a qualification, or one of the following B2 level certificates:

As an alternative to the public certificate, it is possible to take an internal entrance exam at B2 level organised by the USI Laboratory of Modern Languages at the end of September. 

Pathway for students studying in the English-language programme

For a complete view of the content on your phone, please switch to landscape mode. To proceed with the registration, open the accordion corresponding to the semester of interest, Autumn or Spring, further down the main page.

D = daytime E = evening.

Apart from pre-semester intensives, all courses are 56 hours.
To find out about each course click the links in the table. The links to register are at the bottom of the page.

For students wishing to follow the English-language Bachelor, but who do not have a B2 certificate, USI offers a 60-hour intensive course (‘B2 Bootcamp’) in the two weeks immediately prior to the start of the Autumn Semester. In September there is a Cambridge-style internal entrance exam. Students do not need to have attended the intensive course in order to register for the exam.

Once accepted, the pathway for students in the English-language Bachelor aims to consolidate and improve your abilities and confidence with the language with a view to winning an English-language internship or working in an English-language environment on graduation. You are offered the option to study Business English or general English at the various levels above B2. In semester 5 there is an advanced academic course (6 ECTS) focussing on the high-level academic skills in English necessary for e.g. producing a thesis or moving on to a Master in English.

If you have intermediate objectives (e.g. Erasmus, Swiss Mobility, exchange and internship programmes) see the information above about examinations and qualifications.

English Language course timetables are published online at the following link: English language courses - timetables

Individual consultations on your English objectives
LLM members are available to discuss your objectives and give advice on the best learning pathway to follow. Economics students should contact Louise Bostock in the first instance ([email protected]).

List of optional courses offered during the Autumn Semester – SA

Click on the course to see the descriptive. For a complete view of the content on your phone, please switch to landscape mode.

* Priority for enrolment in the Bootcamp is given to 1st year BECO students intending to join the English track. Students wishing to enter the English track who do not yet hold a B2-level English certification will be offered a Cambridge-style placement examination in September of their first year, in line with the programme’s language entry requirements. Priority is also given to BECO students who need to fulfil the programme’s English language requirements.

** For 1st year BCOM students, enrolment for English language courses is mandatory and is completed through the online registration form below. Students should enroll in the level they consider most appropriate (self-assessment grid). During the first week of the semester, a placement test will take place in class to assess the actual level of English proficiency. If necessary, instructors will adjust the level accordingly.
For 2nd and 3rd year BCOM students enrolment for English language courses is mandatory and is completed through the online registration form below. For more information it is possible to contact Dr. Christopher Dawson, coordinator of the English language courses.

*** For 1st year BECO students, enrolment for English language courses is mandatory and is completed through the online registration form below. Students should enroll in the level they consider most appropriate (self-assessment grid). During the first week of the semester, a placement test will take place in class to assess the actual level of English proficiency. If necessary, instructors will adjust the level accordingly.
For 2nd and 3rd year BECO students enrolment for English language courses is mandatory and is completed through the online registration form below. For more information it is possible to contact Louise Bostock, English language lecturer.

ONLINE REGISTRATION:

Limited places available, please enrol only if seriously interested.

Select the type of course to complete the enrolment, click on the links below:

Pre-semester intensive English language course Autumn Semester - online enrolment

Semester-time English language courses Autumn Semester – online enrolment

Priority will be given to students on study programmes that require the attainment of B2 or B2+ level (Bachelor's degree from the Faculty of Economics and Bachelor's degree from the Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society).

Withdrawal

For a good course planning, it is very important to have precise data on the number of participants. In the event of an unexpected withdrawal, it is the candidate's responsibility to inform the administration before the start of the course by writing to [email protected]

List of optional courses offered during the Spring Semester – SP

Click on the course to see the descriptive. For a complete view of the content on your phone, please switch to landscape mode.

*For BCOM students, the courses continue during the Spring Semester. Enrolment for English language courses is mandatory and is completed through the online registration form below. For other information, please contact Dr. Christopher Dawson, coordinator of the English language courses.

** For BECO students, the courses continue during the Spring Semester. Enrolment for English language courses is mandatory and is completed through the online registration form below. For other information, please contact Louise Bostock, English language lecturer.

ONLINE ENROLMENT:

Limited places available, please enrol only if seriously interested. All USI members registration is via the online registration form below:

Pre-semestral intensive English language course – Spring Semester – online enrolment

Semester-time English language courses Spring Semester – online enrolment

Withdrawal

For a good course planning, it is very important to have precise data on the number of participants. In the event of an unexpected withdrawal, it is the candidate's responsibility to inform the administration before the start of the course by writing to [email protected]

For admission to the English-taught Bachelor’s programme, applicants are required to provide a recognised English language certificate at B2 level or higher, issued no more than three years prior.
If you do not possess a recognised B2 English language certificate, you may take the internal English Language Admission Test (level B2). Registration for the language test is compulsory. Please note that this test does not issue any certificate; it is used exclusively to verify eligibility for switching from the Italian-taught BECO programme to the English-taught core stream.

Schedule: The admission test is offered annually at the beginning of the academic year. The next session will be held on September 2026.