It must be said that the system of admission to universities in Switzerland is very different from the system of admission to universities in Germany and Austria. And first of all, the difference is that in Switzerland, admission to universities and other educational institutions is decentralized. This means that each individual university and higher education institution in Switzerland has its own admission rules and a list of documents that it requires upon admission. Therefore, the list of documents below is approximate and requires clarification at each individual Swiss university or university.
Here is the list of documents that you will need when applying for a bachelor's degree in Switzerland:
- Certificate of complete general secondary education (here you will need to clarify at the university whether the Swiss university of your choice recognizes your certificate as equivalent to a Swiss certificate of a general secondary education. Usually only European certificates are recognized as equivalent to Swiss ones, and certificates from non-EU countries are not recognized or partially recognized. If your certificate is recognized partially, then the university of your choice will appoint you a special entrance exam, which you will need to pass in order for your certificate to be recognized as fully equivalent to the Swiss one. If your certificate of complete general seconadary education is not fully recognized as equivalent to a Swiss passport, then you have the following opportunity. You can complete two courses at a state university at home, in the field you want to study in Switzerland, and only then can you enter a Swiss university. Citizens of some countries may not be required to complete two university courses at home, but to complete a fully completed bachelor's degree in order to enter the 1st year bachelor's degree in Switzerland.).
- Foreign passport (photocopy of pages with marks).
- Results of school final examinations.
- Bachelor's degree with a transcript, if you previously studied at home at the university. As well as decoding the grading system adopted at your university, if this is not indicated in the diploma.
- A completed and printed Swiss university application form for your university.
- 1 photo as for a foreign passport.
- The results of creative entrance exams to a Swiss university (for creative specialties).
- German language certificate TestDaF, Telc C1 Hochschule, Goethe-Zertifikat C1 or German language certificate within the framework of the Swiss ECUS or COPAD exam. These certificates are relevant for those who want to study in the German speaking part of Switzerland. Also, if you are applying to universities in the French or Italian part of Switzerland, then you need to apply for a certificate in French or Italian at level C1. To certify this level of French or Italian language proficiency, you will need to pass a language exam required by the university you wish to attend. Or you can test your level of French or Italian with the Swiss ECUS or COPAD exam.
- Also, many Swiss universities also require a certificate in English at the B2-C1 level, since many subjects at Swiss universities are hold in English due to the large number of visiting professors from other countries and the student must know English well in order to have the opportunity to participate in their lectures and seminars.
- Autobiography.
- Letters of recommendation from professors at your university at home (if required by your Swiss university).
- Motivation letter (if required by your Swiss university).
- Certificate of internship (if the university requires it).
- Swiss ECUS and COPAD test scores (if requested by the Swiss university where you want to apply).
- Health certificate if you want to study sports.
- All documents must be translated into either German, or French, or Italian, or English, depending on the university, and the translation must be certified by a Swiss translator or Swiss embassy. (In some universities, another type of certification of documents is also possible).
- As for the deadlines for submitting documents, they are very different from university to university, and the deadlines for submission must be clarified each time separately.
- Most universities require the submission of documents online through special Internet portals.
- A signed statement of consent (dt. Einverständniserklärung), which can be found on the university website.
- Check for payment for processing documents.