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Study in Switzerland
A small country located at the heart of the Alps in Western Europe, Switzerland is popular with students and graduates wanting to study abroad. Bordered by France, Germany and Italy, it gives you ample opportunity to visit other culturally diverse countries.
While known for academic excellence, Switzerland is also a great place to study if you want to pick up a second language, thanks to the multilingual Swiss population. Depending on where you study you could get to grips with German, French, Italian or Romansh. Each linguistic area has its own institutions, traditions and cultures, so do your research before you go.
In your study-free hours you’ll be able to explore what is widely thought of as one of the most beautiful countries in the world. The Alps dominate 60% of the country, but the striking scenery isn’t all that’s on offer. You’ll be able to enjoy arts and music festivals in Swiss meadows and visits to theatres and museums in metropolitan cities. In the winter months you’ll have the opportunity to participate in sports such as skiing, ice-hockey and skating.
You’ll also be able to sample famous Swiss cuisine such as coffee, chocolate and cheese.
Swiss Universities
Switzerland has three types of university:
- Universities (UNIs) – of which there are 12. Offering degree programmes at a high scientific and theory-based level, you can study humanities, science and some engineering courses.
- Universities of Applied Sciences and the Arts (UASAs) – provide scientific and professional education. These eight institutions run courses in landscape architecture, health sciences, music, art, theatre, film and design.
- Universities of Teacher Education (UTEs) – offer practice-oriented training such as pre-primary, primary, secondary and special needs education. There are 20 UTEs in Switzerland
Due to the requirements of the Bologna Process, higher education institutions in Switzerland follow the cycle of:
- Bachelors degrees
- Masters degrees
- Doctoral (PhD) degrees.
The Swiss academic year is split into two semesters – autumn and spring. The autumn semester usually runs from September to December, and the spring semester from February to May.
Three Swiss universities feature in the top 100 of the QS World University Rankings 2020, including:
- ETH Zurich – Swiss Federal Institute ofTechnology (6th)
- EPFL – ÉcolePolytechniqueFédérale de Lausanne (18th)
- University of Zurich (76th)
