The educational system used in Switzerland can be called, without exaggeration, unique. Here for foreign students education is available not only in English, but also in Italian, German or French, each of which is public. Switzerland - a multicultural country whose inhabitants speak the listed languages, and behind the different cantons of the country fixed one. This peculiarity of the structure of education also influences the process of preparation for entering universities in Switzerland.
Universities in Switzerland: preparation for admission, curricula
In Switzerland today there are several dozens of educational institutions of higher education. Each of them has its own conditions for admission of students, directly related to the location of the institution, its ranking and prestige. Swiss institutions of secondary and higher education have the status of international, therefore they admit to the ranks of students of local residents and foreign students.
When choosing a specialization and a university in Switzerland, students from other countries should take into account that higher schools use not only the national curriculum, but also the courses of other countries. For the pre-university education the following courses are offered in the country:
- Anglo-American (A-level or High School Diploma)
- French Baccalaureate. In the second part of the course, young people aged 16-18 are teached for admission to universities, where the education is in French (Switzerland, France, Belgium)
- German Abitur. The educational course here is divided into specializations - technical, humanitarian or socio-scientific
- Italian Maturita. Students also choose one of the 4 specializations for which they receive education with further admission to universities in Italy or Switzerland
- International International Baccalaureate. The IB course takes 2 years, and the received certificate is quoted around the world - it means that a student can enter a higher school anywhere in the world.
To enroll in the above-mentioned educational programs, foreign students can after the 9th, 10th or 11th grades of secondary school in their home country. Programs of pre-university preparation are offered also by universities of Switzerland. The educational course at the higher school lasts one year. Successful passage of the program enables the applicant to enter the college or university without additional entrance tests.
Foreign students in Switzerland can prepare not only for enrolling in a university for the first higher education, but also for studying in a master's program. To enroll at this stage, candidates need to have a first higher education and have a good command of one foreign language.
Determine the most suitable university student will help answer the question of what specialization he wants to get a higher education abroad. In Switzerland, different universities are responsible for different directions: to study the economy, students choose the educational institutions of St. Gallen, and the lawyer is best teached in the higher schools of Lausanne or Neuchatel. The study of exact sciences is best spent at the University of Zurich, and on humanitarian directions, such as philology, it is ideal to go to Geneva.
One of the leading educational areas for Switzerland is tourism and hospitality. It was this country that at one time became the ancestor of educational programs in these areas, and today it is a recognized world leader. On the territory of Switzerland, the best specialists of the tourist and hotel sphere are brought up.
Studies in Swiss universities - documents, enrollment, tuition fees
As in other European countries, admission to an institution of higher education in Switzerland will require foreign students to prepare at least a year before the start of education. During this time, the candidate needs to tighten the language skills for the international test and successfully pass it plus to collect the necessary package of documents for the application.
List of documents required for applying to Swiss universities and colleges:
- Certificate of secondary education with a high average ball
- The certificate of passing the Swiss single exam for all foreign students - this testing takes place every year in autumn in Friborg. At the exam 5 subjects are surrendered: 3 compulsory (mathematics, history, foreign language), and the rest by choice (second language, geography, biology, physics, etc.)
- A certificate confirming the high level of knowledge of one of the state languages (depending on the chosen educational course): DALF or DELF (French), DSH or exam of the Goethe Institute (German), CELI (Italian), TOEFL or IELTS (English).
Testing passes is carried out by preliminary recording for 1.5-2 months, after a similar period of time, the results will be known - after they are received, the entrant can continue to collect the missing documents.
In some parts of Switzerland, foreign students may be asked to meet additional conditions other than those mentioned above. For example, for enrolling in the universities of the German-speaking part of the country, foreign applicants must graduate from the national university at least 2 courses.
For applicants, who find it difficult to pass a general exam at the University of Friborg at once, preparatory courses are provided. They are aimed at improving the language and academic knowledge of applicants. The educational programs begin to recruit students 2-3 months before the test is taken and start in June.
You have already read the list of documents required for an international student to enter the bachelor's program. Now SMAPSE experts will consider, what papers are required for registration of the application for education in a magistracy of Switzerland:
- bachelor's degree
- Application for education (completed online or manually)
- an extract with the student's marks for the previous 2-3 years
- Certificate confirming confident knowledge of a foreign language in the chosen program
- recommendations of teachers from the previous place of study (2-3 responses)
- motivation letter.
Now let's talk about the financial costs that higher education in Switzerland will require from foreign students. Educational services in this country are presented on the same terms for all: regardless of whether a local student or a foreign student, education in Swiss colleges and universities is possible only on a fee basis. This condition is the same for private and public institutions of higher education.
On average, for study in a Swiss university during the year will require from 3,000 â‚£ to 5,000 â‚£. A little more expensive education is on the territory of the Italian part of the country - 5,000 â‚£ - 8,000 â‚£. There are several additional items of financial costs: accommodation, meals, movement around the city and pocket expenses for excursions and entertainment. These tariffs do not include the cost of processing visas and other documents, as well as the purchase of round-trip air tickets.
In general, getting an education in Switzerland - the highest or the average - is one of the most accessible among the countries of Europe. The multilingualism inherent in the local structure will give the students additional benefits, plus excellent learning conditions and wonderful memories!
