Switzerland Student Visa

• World-class universities and colleges: Switzerland's 12 universities comprise 10 cantonal universities and 2 Federal Institutes of Technology. In addition, there are various Universities of Applied Sciences. In business and management studies, University of St. Gallen, (HSG) and International Institute for Management Development (IMD) are the leaders. Switzerland has the second highest rate of foreign students in tertiary education, after Australia.
• Lower tuition costs: The cost of a Swiss education is significantly lower than many of the country’s European counterparts. Due to low tuition fees and university-sponsored scholarships, Switzerland becomes an irresistible destination.
• Work while you study: International students can work up to 15 hours a week during the semester and they can work full-time during holidays, but only after they have been living in Switzerland for at least six months. The hiring company/employer gets the work permit for the student.
• The country offers world renowned Swiss MBA and Hospitality programs: It is home to some of the best business minds particularly in the fields of hospitality, banking, pharmaceuticals and chemicals, making it a premiere place to learn and work.
• Many working opportunities: Many multinational corporations are headquartered in Switzerland which provides with better working opportunities. 15 Fortunes 500 Companies call Switzerland home.
• Swizz work permit

• Major Intakes: January, April, July, October
• Fall Intake
• Spring Intake

• Undergraduate Level
  • Tourism
  • Business Administration
  • Tourism Marketing
  • Management
  • Banking
  • Communication Design
  • Human Resources
  • Accounting
  • Sports Management
  • Media Science
  • Systems Engineering
  • Civil Engineering
• Postgraduate level
  • Hospitality Management
  • Tourism
  • Business Administration
  • Entrepreneurship Management
  • Information Science
  • Engineering

• IELTS overall 6 bands needed

Students need to pass one or more test before they get selected by universities and colleges for admission. Students need to appear for test like GRE, GMAT, SAT to get into any desired university or college. Other test i.e. Language Test that are considered are TOEFL and IELTS.

Within 14 days of entering Switzerland, EU/EFTA citizens must register with the local authority at the place of residence and apply for a residence permit.

• Passport (valid three months beyond the planned stay)
• Four passport-size photographs
• Letter of acceptance issued by a Swiss university
• Proof of payment of the registration and tuition fees –original and copy
• Proof of address at place of residence
• Proof of sufficient financial means for coverage of living costs in Switzerland for the duration of schooling (provide evidence of having 21,000 CHF or 19,200 EUR at the beginning of each year of your studies)
• Letter of institution in case all expenses for the study will be covered by scholarship or loan

In Switzerland, most children go to public schools. Private schools usually are expensive and people tend to think that students of private schools probably didn’t make it at the public school. Public schools include Kindergarten, Volksschule (“elementary school”), Gymnasium (“secondary school”) and Universität (“universities”). Most municipalities provide kindergarten, primary and secondary schools. Most cantons provide at least one secondary school. There are eleven universities in Switzerland, nine are run by cantons, and two are run by the confederation. After elementary school, kids may either choose to go to secondary school or to start an apprenticeship. In the latter case, after finishing the apprenticeship, it is still possible to start an academic career at either a secondary school or a so called Fachhochschule(FH) (“technical college”).

• School: In Switzerland, every child must attend at least the elementary school. Our country provides various schools at different levels. Because the cantons are responsible for the educational system, the names, the subjects, the starting age of the students and the duration vary significantly between the cantons. The rest of this document therefore focuses on how it works in the canton Zürich.
• Volksschule “Elementary school”: The Volksschule (“elementary school”) is mandatory for all Swiss children. They must either attend the public school or must go to a private school. Elementary school starts at the age of seven and lasts at least eight, but usually nine years.
• Berufslehre “Apprenticeship”: In Switzerland, most kids start a Berufslehre (“apprenticeship”) after elementary school. Depending on the profession, an apprenticeship takes two to four years. Apprentice will get trained at a company or organization, but also attend school for one or two days a week. Some companies also provide additional classes on their own. After apprenticeship and depending on their education, young people can either start a job or join other schools for further education.
• Universität “University”: There are eleven Universitäten (“universities”) in Switzerland, nine of them are run by a canton, two are run by the confederation. In general, the universities run by the cantons provide non- technical subjects, whereas the universities run by the confederation provide technical subjects. The later are therefore called “Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology”.
  To be able to attend a university, a student must have finished a Gymnasium and own a graduation diploma. The study at a university usually lasts four and a half years.
  One of the technical universities run by the confederation is located in the German speaking part of Switzerland, the other in the French speaking part.
  The two Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology are currently adapting their education process to the so called “Bologna declaration”, an attempt of the European universities to align their educational program to make it not only easier, but also possible for a student to change from one university in one country to another university in another country during his or her study.
  The education is now broken up into two parts similar to the education in the USA:
  • • Bachelor study (three to Four years)
    • Masters study (one and a half or two years)

   

  After a successful completion of the master’s study, one can start working on a thesis in order to get a doctor title. This takes usually three to four years
  Fachhochschulen “Technical College”: After an apprenticeship, a young person can still start an academic career. Depending on the profession, she or he may attend a Fachhochschule (“technical college”). A technical college provides a similar education as the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology but not to the same extend. While an engineer ETH (graduate of one of the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology) has a stronger theoretical background, an engineer FH (graduate of one of the technical colleges) usually has more practical experience because she or he had finished an apprenticeship which lasted four years. The study lasts three and a half years.

• Education curriculum:There are many different opportunities for a child to get an education. The curriculum below shows some of the most common pathways through the educational system. Of course, there are many other ways to get an education and there are other schools and possibilities especially in the area of continuing education.