Swiss Universities - Application & Admission

There is a wide variety of courses taught in Switzerland. Many of Switzerland’s business schools have a strong international outlook and offer more in-depth professional training, e.g. an international Master of Business Administration (MBA). Doctorates are awarded for original research.

Swiss universities are often international in character. The number of university graduates continues to rise each year in Switzerland. Nevertheless, all study programs have remained open to students having a valid maturity certificate or other certificate qualifying for university entrance.

The only exceptions are study programs in medicine and chiropractic. There are entrance examinations to the study programs depending on the number of applicants for admission in any given year. The limited number of openings is the reason why international students, apart from some special cases, are not admitted to these study programs ((human medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine and chiropractic).

Since 2001-2002, the universities in Switzerland have been instituting reforms in degree programs in accordance with the Bologna Declaration. This is a two-cycle (undergraduate/postgraduate) system and qualifications structure:

• Bachelor’s degree – Comprises of 3 years of full-time study
• Master’s degree – Comprises of 1.5-2 years of full-time study beyond the Bachelor’s degree. Access to a Master’s degree program requires the successful completion of the Bachelor’s degree.
• After Master’s – Access to doctoral level studies (dissertation) requires successful completion of a Master’s degree with good grades.
• Master of Advanced Studies – The universities also offer an additional post-graduate degree called Master of Advanced Studies. The MAS does not give access to doctoral level programs.

As the implementation of the Bologna reforms is not yet complete in Switzerland, academic degrees following the older system are still being awarded. In the older system, students are awarded the Licentiate or Diploma after completion of 4-5 years of full-time studies. Completion of a Licentiate/Diploma with good grades gives the holder access to doctoral level studies.