Universities in Switzerland – Top Education That Pays Off
There are two Federal Institutes of Technology and ten traditional Universities in Switzerland that provide for a higher education. Offered are studies from humanities and social sciences to natural sciences, engineering, law, economy and medicine. Switzerland has also eight Universities of applied sciences, fourteen of teacher education and further University-level institutions supported by the Swiss Confederation. The students have a choice of over one hundred field directions with far more than five hundred study subjects. The study structure is built up 3-part to acquire a Bachelor, Master or a PhD (doctorate) degree at all Universities in Switzerland. Language Ability When studying in Switzerland, it is necessary that you have a good knowledge of the language of instruction in German, French or Italian. The language used depends where the University is located. However, all Universities in Switzerland provide language tests before they decide who is accepted. Today, there are much more study courses offered in English, particularly for Master level studies. Entrance examination to Universities in Switzerland You must possess a state-recognised maturity certificate from Switzerland. Citizens from abroad should have a foreign certificate recognised as equivalent by the University interested. For example, an international Baccalaureate or Grade 12 for North Americans or Canadians is accepted. If you hold a certificate only partly recognised for admission, you need to take and pass an entrance examination. You can take the examination at the University of Fribourg held twice a year in June and August. There is a possibility to follow a preparation course for this exam also done in Fribourg. Health insurance It is obligatory for foreign students who intend to stay longer than three months in Switzerland to have health care. Exempted are those that have equivalent medical insurance from their home country. How to proceed if you want to study in Switzerland It is easy to register at any of the Universities in Switzerland. Just contact the University of your choice for an application. You also need the original of a certificate copy of the secondary school leaving certificate and a photo. You will then receive a confirmation of acceptance by the Swiss University you applied. After that, please contact the Swiss embassy or consulate of your country for information on entry formalities for Switzerland. Of course, you need prove that you have sufficient financial recourses to support yourself during your studies. After your arrival in Switzerland, you have to apply also to the police department within seven days to obtain a residence permit. As a foreign student, you can even work up to 15 hours a week for as long as the duration of your studies. The Universities in Switzerland offer studies in the following departments… • Theology, religious sciences The Universities located in the German part of Switzerland are... • The University of Basel
The Universities located in the French part of Switzerland are… • The University of Fribourg / Freiburg The only University located in the Italian part of Switzerland is… • The Università - The Università della Svizzera Italiana The Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology in Zurich and in Lausanne are an educational and research institution of the Swiss Confederation. Together with four research institutions, they form the alliance ETH that is controlled and financed by the Swiss government. The engineer’s- and natural sciences, civil engineering and architecture as well as kinesiology, sport- and military sciences form the basis for this two training facilities. They are… The fees to study at most Universities in Switzerland and Institutes of technology are actually quite cheap. However, the living costs are a bit higher than in other European cities. Therefore, the costs for foreign nationals considering to study here are looking at around CHF 28,000 – 40,000 a year. Traditional Universities in Switzerland Basel University Founded in 1460, the University of Basel is the oldest of all the Universities in Switzerland and located in the heart of the historic town. It is comparatively small by European standards. It boasts a top-ten place among the German-speaking Universities and a rank among the world’s one hundred best Universities. The semester fees are a modest 700 CHF. The macro focuses in studies and research are… • The life sciences at the Bio centre at the world famous research centre and ETH institute of system biology. • And the cultural sciences in the philosophical-historical faculty in the four departments of antiquity sciences, orientalism, social sciences, historical sciences as well as linguistics and literature. For full details about Basel University, click here. The University of Bern The University of Bern is one of the largest Universities in Switzerland. It is located in Bern, the capital of Switzerland. Click here to read more about the University of Bern. The University of Fribourg The University of Fribourg/Freiburg belongs to the medium size colleges of Switzerland. In Fribourg, you can study in German or French at the following five faculties… • The theological faculty The students can choose in which language they want to hear the lectures. Those that want to study in both languages can attain a Bachelor or a Master with the note "bilingual" corresponding to conditions of the regulation. This is something unique in Western Europe and a big advantage. The focus is in the study and research of Jurisprudence (Master of Law) and in media- and communication sciences. As the only University in Switzerland, it offers degrees at the Bachelor/Master level in educational pedagogic. In Fribourg, you can only study medicine for two years. Afterwards, you are open to continue your studies at one of the other Universities in Switzerland. Semester fees are quite low and only CHF 755. The University of Geneva An International scientific committee selected the renowned University of Geneva as one of the top business schools in the world. Click here to read more about the University of Geneva. The University of Lausanne The University of Lausanne lies in immediate surroundings to the confederate technical college on Lake Geneva. With about 11,000 students, it is middle size for a Swiss University. The University counts seven faculties and offers Bachelor studies in the French language. However, there are different Master courses, especially the ones for economic sciences offered in English. The well developed economic and law sciences are therefore the focus. Unique are the studies in forensic sciences and criminology. The University offers in collaboration with the University of Geneva, a Master degree in law, crime and security of new Internet technologies. Since a short time, you can also study for a Master course for environment sciences. Something new is the post-certificate study in health economy and management. It is in conjunction together with the faculties of medicine and biology as well as economics. The University of Lucerne With around 2,000 students (trend rising), the University of Lucerne belongs to the small Universities in Switzerland. Still she enjoys International respect in some areas like the Jewish-Christian institute of research. All study courses at the University of Lucerne are two-stage. After six semesters, the students conclude with the Bachelor. After another three to four semesters, they attain the Master. The University offers studies in the following three faculties, which are… • The theology faculty The studies are in the following fields: history, Judaism, philosophy, political sciences, theology, sociology, cultural sciences, communication sciences, cultural and social anthropology. The University of Lucerne has only 10% of foreign students. However, most would prefer to study in Zurich or Bern since they offer more possibilities. The University of Neuchatel One of the smaller Universities in Switzerland is the University of Neuchatel. Its location is on the shores of Lake Neuchatel. The beautiful town with its University built in 1838 provides a personal atmosphere. When you step into the campus, you will notice right away that anonymity here does not exist. The students know each other and the personal contact to the professors guarantees a relationship remembered long afterwards. Despite its small size, the college of Neuchatel connects well with other Universities in Switzerland and abroad. The focus is especially on the study and research of micro technology, ethnology and antiquity sciences. Neuchatel is indeed the city of micro technology and one of the centres of the watch industry. French is the language for all courses, although some subjects are also in English. The University of St. Gallen Economy and jurisprudence are the specialization at this University. She counts as a leader and has a very good name for its practical and broadly diversified education. For this reason, an International scientific committee selected the University of St. Gallen like Geneva as one of the top business schools in the world. The University has around thirty institutes and research locations. In the first academic year, the students graduate in St. Gallen in an assessment step. After passing the entrance year, they can choose between economy, jurisprudence or political sciences at the Bachelor step. The Bachelor studies last two years and serves for the qualification for one of the Master programs. A Master degree can conclude after one to two years depending on the program. The students have a choice to study in ten different Master programs. This is possible in the four fields of business management, economy, jurisprudence or political sciences. This University has many courses in English. Thanks to International connections, they can also offer numerous exchange programs. Since 1990, the University of St. Gallen is a member of the CEM (Community of European Management Schools). Through this program, she works together with partner Universities in Europe, North America, Canada, Australia and Asia. Numerous possibilities are open to the students when involved professionally during their studies. The university disposes even a program, which supports enterprise foundations. During a 3-day fair, around 200 companies present and carry out job interviews with interesting students. The result – more than one quarter of Swiss bankers graduated at the University of St. Gallen. Many foreign nationals end up working for International or Swiss companies after their study years. To study in St. Gallen, you have to pay around CHF 1,070 per semester. Università della Svizzera Italiana The Università della Svizzera Italiana is not just one of youngest but one of the smallest Universities in Switzerland. Founded in 1996, the University has only about 2,200 students. Despite its small size, more than 53% of the students are from more than 35 nations. Italian and English are the official instruction languages. In October, the University offers a free intensive Italian course for foreign speaking students. The Università della Svizzera Italiana offers four faculties, which are… • The architecture academy The Bachelor courses are in Italian with the exception of the faculty for informatics sciences. Master courses are partly in Italian as well as English. The University offers also courses in economy sciences with special emphasis on marketing. The city of Lugano is the third biggest financial centre in Switzerland. In addition, there are courses, which are unique in Switzerland like for example institutional-, communication-, corporate-, financial-, public-, education communication, media management, international tourism, marketing and technology-enhanced communication for cultural heritage. The costs to study at the Università della Svizzera Italiana are the highest of all Universities in Switzerland. However, the fees of 4000 CHF for foreign nationals per semester, which is actually quite expensive in compare to other Universities. University of Zurich The University of Zurich is the largest of all Swiss Universities. It is located in Zurich, rated as the city for the best quality of life over the last few years. Click here to read more about the University of Zurich. Federal Institutes of Technology in Zurich and Lausanne The federal institutes of technology in Zurich and Lausanne are educational- and research institutions of the Swiss confederation. The focus of the study courses are especially for… • Engineering and form the basis of the training facilities at the institutes of technology. Both institutes provide a strong emphasis on the technical professions. Many Swiss students study in the evenings at either in Zurich or Lausanne after their regular work. Most have a four-year technical apprenticeship with practical experience behind them before they enter an institute. The language of instruction is in French and English at the institute in Lausanne and German and English in Zurich. About 12,700 students study in Zurich and about half of that in Lausanne. According to the 2008 Academic Ranking of World Universities, the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich ranks on place 24. This is actually a better ranking than all the other Universities in Switzerland. More than 25% are female students and more than one third are foreign nationals. The costs to study for Swiss and for foreign nationals are around 650 CHF per semester. Return from Universities in Switzerland to High End Travel Switzerland Home Page Still did not find what you were looking for? Use this search feature to find it.
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