Study in Switzerland

Study in Switzerland

ABOUT SWITZERLAND 

Switzerland or the Swiss Confederation happens to be a landlocked country in a region that covers western, central and southern Europe. It shares its borders with Italy in the south, France in the west, Germany in the north and Austria and Lichtenstein in the east. It shares a moderate temperature with neither excessive heat nor excessive cold with minimum humidity. While the beautiful cities of Zurich and Geneva stand as the country’s main urban attractions, students have often found themselves enjoying the comfort of Bern, Basel and Lausanne. Its historic commitment to neutrality made it one of the wealthiest nations and a popular tax haven. It shares very high rankings in economic competitiveness and human development, which has also led it to become one of wealthiest countries that continues to attract skilled workers. It contributes majorly to the international community by hosting major multilateral organisations in the city of Geneva such as the WTO, WHO, ILO, FIFA,and the United Nations. 


HIGHER EDUCATION STRUCTURE 

With the onset of the Bologna process, the Swiss Higher Education structure is now a culmination of three different cycles.They are:

The Bachelor’s or the first cycle: For students graduating fresh out of school, Switzerland provides a variety of programs through a bachelor’s degree which include applied sciences, arts, architecture, business management, IT, engineering, hospitality, humanities, journalism, law, medicine, natural sciences and social sciences. The degree might take upto 3 – 4 years to complete depending on the course. 

Requirement to study Bachelor’s in Switzerland: 

  • Successful completion of class 12 with 60% and above
  • IELTS academic score of 6.5 and above or a TOEFL iBT score of 80 and above

Master’s or the second cycle: After the successful completion of their bachelor’s degree, students may choose a variety of master’s courses that Switzerland provides based on their subject of interest and career ahead. These include, agriculture and forestry, applied sciences, arts, architecture, business management, IT, education, engineering, hospitality, humanities, journalism, law, medicine, natural sciences and social sciences. While the degree may take upto 2 years to complete depending on the course, students are often taught through seminars, exercises, practical workshops, field trips and research. These help them to not only prepare for a professional career but also an academic career if they choose to. 

Requirement to study Master’s in Switzerland: 

  • Successful completion of class 12 with 60% and above
  • Successful completion of bachelor’s with 60% and above
  • IELTS academic score of 6.5 and above or a TOEFL iBT score of 80 and above 

Doctoral degree or the third cycle: After the successful completion of their master’s, international students in Switzerland can also apply for a doctoral degree which all public and private universities offer in the country. Students are expected to conduct independent research under an academic supervision which is later subject to approval by a panel of experts appointed by the university. While the degree may take upto 2-5 years depending on the course to complete, students are also given financial grants that will help them sustain themselves in the country. 

Requirement to study PhD in Switzerland: 

  • Successful completion of class 12 with 60% and above
  • Successful completion of bachelor’s with 60% and above
  • Successful completion of master’s with 60% and above
  • Independent research idea 
  • IELTS academic score of 6.5 and above or a TOEFL iBT score of 80 and above  


Cost of studying in Switzerland 

While the tuition fee for public universities may range between EUR 400 – 3700 (around INR 33000 – 3100000) per year, average tuition fee for private universities is EUR 43000 (around INR 39600000) per year. The average cost of living in a Swiss city for students usually range between EUR 1300 – 1700 (around INR 109000 – 145000) per month. Geneva and Zurich may go upto EUR 2500 (around INR 210000) per month for students to incur. 


WORK OPPORTUNITIES

International students are allowed to take up part time work opportunities 15 hours a week. However, for non EU/EFTA students, they can only do this after 6 months of their stay. In addition, Students may find employment opportunities mainly in the service sector which include, restaurants, cafes, hotels and even offices. However, it is advisable to be acquainted with German, French and Italian to be able to work effectively with the people there.

After successful completion of their graduation, students are allowed to stay in the country for another 6 months in order to find employment opportunities that suit them the best..Big companies like Credit Suisse, Novartis, UBS, Roche, Google and Nestle often hire young graduates to their workforce. However, students can only apply for a residence permit after they have been able to secure a full time employment opportunity.  


VISA REQUIREMENT 

To obtain a student visa for Switzerland, students are required to submit:

  • A valid passport that does not expire within 3 months beyond the planned stay
  • A letter of acceptance from the university 
  • Proof of payment to the university 
  • Proof of financial capability to sustain stay in the country 
  • Proof of health insurance 


SCHOLARSHIPS

While Universities have their own set of scholarships, the government provides financial assistance through very different ways for students to study in the country. Most notably, the Swiss Excellence Scholarships for Foreign students have been availed by many international students to finance their education in the country.