Are you a high-achieving student with an international background looking to pursue a master’s degree in Switzerland? Have you graduated from a foreign university and have exceptional academic results? If so, the Master’s Excellence Scholarships at the University of Lausanne (UNIL) might be the perfect opportunity for you. These scholarships support top-performing students worldwide who wish to further their education at one of Switzerland’s leading institutions.

The UNIL Master’s Excellence Scholarships are highly competitive and available to students with outstanding academic performance. Only around ten scholarships are granted each year, so the selection process is rigorous, ensuring that only the most deserving candidates are chosen. The scholarship offers financial support to cover part of the living expenses in Switzerland.

This scholarship offers financial assistance and exempts recipients from the fixed registration fees for their courses, except for a nominal fee of CHF 80 per semester. However, candidates should be aware that the scholarship amount may not cover all living expenses in Switzerland, and they are encouraged to have additional financial resources.

Key Details and Dates

• Application Deadline: November 1, 2024 (midnight Swiss time)
• Result Announcement Dates: Early April 2025
• Funding Type: Partial Scholarship
• Host Institution: University of Lausanne (UNIL)
• Eligible Countries: All
• Eligible Gender: Male/Female
• Target Group: Graduates from foreign universities
• Field: Any master’s program offered by UNIL
• Study Level: Master’s degree
• Number of Opportunities: Ten scholarships per year
• Duration: Master’s program Duration
• Program Language: English or French
• Host Country: Switzerland

Benefits and Financial Aids

Applicants will benefit from the UNIL Master’s Grants as follows:

• Monthly stipend of CHF 1,600
• Exemption from fixed registration fees for the chosen Master’s program (except for CHF 80 per semester)
• Guaranteed accommodation with the Student Housing Foundation of Lausanne (FMEL) at a reasonable cost

Eligibility Criteria

You must meet these requirements:

• Must have graduated from a foreign university with a degree equivalent to a Swiss university bachelor’s degree
• Must demonstrate exceptional academic performance
• Not currently enrolled at UNIL or in a preparatory year at UNIL
• Must meet the language requirements (C1 level in English or French, depending on the program)
• Must have paid the CHF 200 administrative fee

Eligible Fields of Study and Faculties

Applicants should apply for the following faculties and fields of study:

• Biology and Medicine
• Law, Criminal Justice, and Public Administration
• Geosciences and Environment
• Business and Economics
• Arts
• Social and Political Sciences
• Theology and Sciences of Religions
• Interfaculty Programmes:
• Study of Religions with or without Specialization
• Digital Humanities
• Legal Issues, Crime, and Security of IT
• Law and Economics
• Public Management and Policy

Ineligible Fields:

You can apply for most Master’s degrees at UNIL, except for specific programs, including:

• Master from the School of Medicine
• Master in Sciences and Practices of Education
• Master of Law (except for specializations in International and Comparative Law, International Tax Law and Policy, and Legal Theory)
• MSc in Physical Education and Sport Didactics
• MSc in Health Sciences
• MSc in Sustainable Management & Technology
• All MAS (3rd cycle and Further Education programs)

Additional Requirements:

• For the Master in Psychology, applicants with a foreign Bachelor’s degree in psychology must secure a study place in their home country for a master’s in psychology.
• For the Master’s in Finance, applicants with a foreign Bachelor’s degree in finance must also have a confirmed study place for a master’s in finance in their home country.

Required Documents

Required Documents for the UNIL Master’s Grants Application are as follows:

1. Online Application Submission (One PDF document including all the following):

1. • Complete and update your CV with a photograph.
   • Motivation letter.
   • Copy of university diploma(s) (if obtained) and transcripts of grades from all university exams, with authenticated translations if not in French, German, English, or Italian.
   • Program description of the bachelor’s degree’s final semester or last year (if not yet obtained).
   • Copy of the official language certificate for the Master’s program at UNIL (if required).
   • A secondary school leaving certificate copy (High School) with an authenticated translation, if not in French, German, or Italian.
   • Copy of passport.
   • Proof of administrative fee payment (CHF 200).

2. Additional Documents:

1. • Two Recommendation Letters: Sent directly by the authors from a professional email to mastergrants@unil.ch after the online application

3. Postal Mail Submission (For candidates from universities in non-Lisbon Recognition Convention states):
   • Certified copies of university diploma(s) and transcripts in a sealed envelope sent by the university to:

Université de Lausanne (UNIL)
Service des affaires sociales et de la mobilité étudiante (SASME)
Bâtiment Unicentre
CH – 1015 Lausanne
Suisse

Note: Only applications with successfully submitted online applications and complete documents are considerable. You may check the required documents checklist here.

Selection Dates

The following are the important dates for the Selection Process:

• November to December: Applications processed by SASME and the Admissions Office
• January to February: Eligible applications forwarded to the faculties for review
• March: The Selection Board evaluates candidates and selects scholarship recipients
• Early April: Successful candidates’ notification of the outcome

How to Apply?

The application form for the Master’s Scholarship also serves as your application for admission to the chosen Master’s program at UNIL, so there’s no need to apply separately through the Admission Office.

Steps to Apply:

• Apply online and upload your complete application file in a single PDF document. Email submissions or incomplete files will not be acceptable.
• Suppose your bachelor’s degree is from a non-Lisbon Recognition Convention state university. In that case, you must also send certified copies of your university documents by postal mail in a sealed envelope from your university to the address above.

Apply Now

Further details and information are available on the official UNIL website.

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