Programs designed for foreigners

Where to get information:
When it comes to the admission of foreign students, Swiss institutions operate largely by a system of exchange agreements with foreign schools. It is more difficult to study in Switzerland outside of this system. The best thing to do is contact the specific university where you wish to enroll to get further information.
For a list of all Swiss institutions of higher learning with their Web sites, consult: www.switch.ch/edu/educ_orgs_fr.html

Programs:
Without officially adhering, Switzerland does participate in the European exchange program Erasmus/Socrates. This arrangement greatly facilitates admittance of students from the EU and from other European countries participating in the program. As soon as a Swiss university is contacted by the university where the foreign student is registered, it will send the appropriate forms, including housing information, directly to the student. The diplomas and credit earned in Switzerland will then be recognized in the country of origin. In most cases, Erasmus students pay the registration fees to the institution of origin.
Foreign students can participate in orientation weeks and language courses before the beginning of the winter semester in September. These courses are free for Erasmus students or participants in other exchange programs.
In order to facilitate mobility and academic recognition, most Swiss institutions have adopted the European system of credits ECTS (European Credit Transfer System).
Agreements between Swiss and foreign schools are numerous. For example, HEC Lausanne has exchange agreements with some ten partners throughout the world.