Degrees and diplomas

Undergraduate
- License (Bachelor's degree) (6 or 8 semesters, 8 semesters in most programs)
- Diploma (in sciences, 9 semesters)

Postgraduate
Complementary certificate (1 year after the diploma)
Masters (1 year after the License)
- DEA Diploma in applied studies (1 year after the License)
- DES Diploma in advanced studies (2 years after the License
- Doctorate (variable duration)

University education
Additional diplomas exist in the scientific track which, compared to the humanities track, do not offer the same level of basic education as the license. These programs take four years, sometimes three.
The diploma in science requires an extra semester of research work. Each year of study ends with exams, generally in July, which must be passed before continuing to the next year of studies. Make-up exams are organized for students who fail the first time.
For humanities students, a thesis is required before graduation.
The Complementary Certificate is awarded following one year of specialized lab research in a scientific field. The DEA and DES are similar. Masters degrees are generally offered by private schools, comparable to the Masters degrees in the Anglo-Saxon system, and usually last one year after the License. These programs include theoretical as well as practical courses for professional training. MBA programs are generally aimed at students who already have some professional experience.
A doctorate, which first requires a post-graduate degree (DEA, DES, Certificate, etc.), usually consists of three to five years of research and the submission of a dissertation.

Technical training
Technical schools offer a very practical education in three years and are attracting more and more Swiss students, although relatively few foreign students.