University of Bern

University of Bern

Universität Bern
Latin: Universitas Bernensis
Type	Public (cantonal)
Established	1834
Budget	CHF 832 million (third-party funds: CHF 258 million)
Rector	Christian Leumann
Administrative staff	4,108 (professors: 494)
Students	17,430 (female enrolment: 56%; international enrolment: 13%) (all figures as of 31 December 2015)
Address	Universität Bern, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland, Bern, Switzerland
Website	http://www.unibe.ch/eng/

The University of Bern (German: Universität Bern, French: Université de Berne, Latin: Universitas Bernensis) is a university in the Swiss capital of Bern and was founded in 1834. It is regulated and financed by the Canton of Bern. It is a comprehensive university offering a broad choice of courses and programs in eight faculties and some 150 institutes. With around 17,428 students, the University of Bern is the third biggest University in Switzerland.

The University of Bern operates at three levels: university, faculties and institutes. Other organizational units include interfaculty and general university units. The university's highest governing body is the Senate, which is responsible for issuing statutes, rules and regulations. Directly answerable to the Senate is the University Board of Directors, the governing body for university management and coordination. The Board comprises the Rector, the Vice-Rectors and the Administrative Director. The structures and functions of the University Board of Directors and the other organizational units are regulated by the Universities Act. The University of Bern offers about 39 bachelor and 72 master programs, with enrolments of 7,869 and 4,425, respectively. The university also has 2,648 doctoral students. Around 1,575 bachelor, 1,566 master's degree students and 534 PhD students graduate each year. For some time now, the university has had more female than male students; at the end of 2014, women accounted for 56% of students.

Unlike other universities, the University of Bern does not have a single large campus on the edge of the city, but has consistently pursued the principle of a university in the city. Most institutes and clinics are still in the Länggasse, the traditional university district adjoining the city centre, and within walking distance of one another. The University has won many awards for its intelligent, ecological and sustainable use of old buildings. For instance, the Faculty of Theology and various institutes in the Faculty of Humanities are now housed in an old chocolate factory (the Unitobler), and in 2005 the former women's hospital was refurbished to serve as a university centre for institutes in the Faculty of Law and Department of Economics (the UniS). The vonRoll site, another former factory building, is in the process of being refurbished to house the Faculty of Human Sciences and the Department of Social Sciences.