Curriculum, Target Group & Application Process

In the Minor/LAO Innovation & Entrepreneurship students will:

• Analyze innovations and their mechanisms, and critically evaluate them across different contexts and disciplines.
• Develop and implement ideas or inventions into practice within organizational, non-profit and start-up contexts.
• Assess and strategically leverage innovation ecosystems to create impact.
• Apply teamwork, communication, and leadership skills to develop and realize ideas in interdisciplinary teams.
• Integrate and refine evidence-based strategies and methods to design sustainable and scalable solutions in real-world challenges. 

This Minor is for you if you want to develop an interdisciplinary and adaptive understanding of innovation and learn how to turn insights from your own field into impact‑oriented, responsible solutions.

If you are motivated to explore, experiment, and create meaningful impact, and you see yourself taking on responsibility in the innovation economy, stepping into a leadership role in the corporate world, contributing to the public or non-profit sector, or founding your own start-up, this program gives you the mindset, skills, and academically grounded understanding to develop and implement new ideas and turn your vision into impact.

UZH students from any faculty with a BA degree as well as Swiss Mobility students. 

Information for Swiss Mobility

Information for UZH students changing degree

Application deadlines in Fall and Spring Semester (First time admission at UZH)

This Minor (as LAO Innovation & Entrepreneurship) can be combined with the Master of Law 120 program. 

If you are an advanced Bachelor student and interested in taking our Minor in your Master studies, please contact us directly: minor@innovation.uzh.ch

Yes, you can enroll every semester. Please note that the module "Foundations of Innovation" is the entry module and needs to be your first module in the minor. It is offered every autumn semester. 

The program can be combined with any UZH Master’s program, as it is offered through the School for Transdisciplinary Studies. However, compatibility depends on your individual study plan and your Master Major Program. We recommend checking with your home Master’s program or feel free to contact us directly.

We ensure interdisciplinarity by bringing together students from diverse academic backgrounds and creating learning settings where they collaborate on shared challenges. Throughout the program, you work with faculty from different disciplines across UZH and engage with practice partners who bring real‑world perspectives into the classroom. This mix of viewpoints, methods, and experiences enables you to gather a deep understanding about innovation and entrepreneurship and empowers you to develop innovative and impact‑oriented solutions.

Yes, you can. The program is open to all UZH students. It is offered through the School for Transdisciplinary Studies, which means students from any discipline can participate.

We recommend checking whether it fits with your individual study plan. Feel free to contact us for further questions.

Innovation happens across disciplines. Students therefore complement the core modules with crosslisted courses from different faculties. These modules allow participants to deepen specific competences according their Master’s profile or broaden their perspective on innovation-related topics. This way, the students can create their own personalized learning pathway within the minor. 

Students choose courses according to their interests and academic background. More information

The goal of the program is to enable you with fostering the skills, methods and mindset needed to build a venture if you choose to. Throughout the program, you also gain access to a supportive network that can be valuable should you later decide to launch your own project.

One ECTS equals 25-30 working hours for a student (including self-study). The lectures will take place on Friday afternoons during the semester and for some modules we have blocked lectures before the semester starts. Please note that "Foundations of Innovation" starts already on the 1st of September 2026. 

UZH students who are not enrolled in our Minor can book its core modules. Please note that for these modules, there is a limited number of places, and priority will be given to students that are already enrolled in our Minor in Fall Semester 2026 as well as students that will enrol in Spring Semester 2027 (a letter of interest will be requested in due time). Furthermore, our core modules might have pre-requisites.

You can book the core modules taking place in Spring 2027 only upon passing the modules “Foundations of Innovation” and “XP Lab Innovation”, taking place every Fall Semester. We therefore encourage students to attend our Fall Semester modules starting in their first semester at Master’s level.