Scholarships from the Swiss Government

The Swiss government awards scholarships to foreign students through the Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students (FCS).

For information about countries in which you can apply for a scholarship from the Swiss government, please visit the web pages "Scholarships and grants" and "Foreign students university, fine arts and music school scholarships" of the State Secretariat for Education and Research SER to find out more about the conditions and procedures.

As a first step, please contact the Swiss Embassy in your home country for an application form and to find out about the application deadline .

Studying at ETH Zurich

As a holder of a Swiss government scholarship, you can choose one of the following options at ETH Zurich and enrol as a:

• Non-degree research student (visiting student)
• Master student
• MAS student

You must follow these instructions:

Along with your application to the Swiss embassy, you must include a letter of acceptance from an ETH professor who is willing to act as your scientific supervisor during your study period at ETH.

Finding a supervisor

On the ETH website you will find a general outline of current research projects and, in particular, departmental projects in which you are interested. Please also consult the ETH Research Database. You  should then contact a professor whose work lies within your own field of study, and discuss with him/her the project on which you would like to work at ETH Zurich. Remember to mention that you intend applying for a Swiss government scholarship.

Your email enquiry should contain:

• a CV
• a letter of motivation
• 2-3 important reference letters
• your transcripts and certificates.

The professor you contact will decide whether or not he/she wants to accept/reject your application. If you receive a positive reply, you will need a letter of acceptance for the Swiss embassy. You may only register as a student at ETH Zurich once your application has been accepted by the the Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students (FCS).

Important

You can only be admitted at ETH Zurich as a non-degree research student if you hold a Master's degree or equivalent qualification upon commencement of the scholarship.

In this student category, you will conduct research within a research group and have the possibility to enrol for individually selected courses/seminars or those recommended by your scientific supervisor. You will not be able to obtain a degree or a diploma from ETH Zurich.

Tuition fees at ETH Zurich are waived for Swiss government scholarship holders (CHF 580 a semester).

If you would like to take a Master's course at ETH Zurich, you must apply to the Admissions office. See

• Information about Master programmes at ETH Zurich
• How to apply for Master courses
• Application periods
  

Applicants for a Swiss government scholarship must also apply for admission to a Master‘s programme directly at ETH Zurich and must follow the application instructions.

Please note that you may not apply before 1 November for a Master’s programme at ETH Zurich. As a rule, it is therefore not possible to include an admission letter with your application for a Swiss government scholarship. We recommend you to submit your application for a Master’s programme as soon as possible so that you may, in the event of acceptance, send the admission letter to the Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students before they hold their selection meeting in March/April.

Important

• Tuition fees at ETH Zurich are waived for Swiss government scholarship holders (CHF 580 a semester).
• Scholarship holders must cover any additional course costs.
  
• If your application is not accepted for a Master’s programme at ETH, the Federal Commission will not consider your application for a government scholarship.
• Government scholarships are initially for 9 months. Depending on a student’s performance, an extension may be requested. There is, however, no guarantee that an extension will be granted.
  

If you would like to follow a MAS programme at ETH Zurich, you have to apply for admission to the Centre for Continuing Education.

• Information about MAS programmes

Applicants for a Swiss government scholarship must also apply for admission to a MAS programme directly at ETH Zurich and must follow the application instructions of the Center for Continuing Education.

Important

• Tuition fees at ETH Zurich are waived for Swiss government scholarship holders (CHF 580 a semester).
• Scholarship holders must cover any additional course costs.
  
• If your application is not accepted for a MAS programme at ETH, the Federal Commission will not consider your application for a government scholarship.
• Government scholarships are initially for 9 months. Depending on a student’s performance, an extension may be requested. There is, however, no guarantee that an extension will be granted.

Contact at the ETH Student Exchange Office

Ms. Sandra Zweifel, phone: +41 44 632 51 52, email: sandra.zweifel@rektorat.ethz.ch