About the Zurich University of Applied Sciences

At the ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences,  we have set ourselves an ambitious goal. By focusing on application at a consistently high level, we aim to achieve excellence in all aspects of our mandate: teaching, research and development, continuing education, consulting and services.

Like the other universities in the Canton of Zurich, we stand on  firm scientific foundations; unlike them, we are essentially guided by professional practice. Both our lecturers and our students have extensive experience of the professional world; they never lose touch with it, however intensive our programmes may be. By continuously applying science to concrete situations, we ensure that our students are able to use what they learn even before they leave university, while their lecturers’ professional expertise guarantees that theory and practice are carefully interlinked. This provides our graduates with an outstanding preparation for their careers, making them extremely attractive to future employers.

The ZHAW is founded on tradition, experience and success. It was inaugurated in September 2007 and represents the merger of four previously independent institutions: the Zurich University of Applied Sciences Winterthur, the University of Applied Sciences Wädenswil and the School of Social Work and the School of Applied Psychology in Zurich. The ZHAW now comprises eight Schools, covering architecture and civil engineering, natural sciences and technology, language and communication, psychology, health and social work, and business and management. This range of specialised fields allows the multidisciplinary ZHAW to foster interdisciplinary synergies that generate a wealth of positive impulses for both teaching and research.