> Apprenticeship
After compulsory schooling, or sometimes after high school, two thirds of all young people in Switzerland choose an apprenticeship. A three- or four-year apprenticeship can be completed in around 250 professions. Apprentices normally work three to four days a week in a private or public company and attend a vocational school one to two days a week. Apprentices receive a small wage during their training, but this does not cover their living costs. It is possible for Swiss citizens abroad to apply for a scholarship, depending on their parents’ income and assets. After completing an apprenticeship with a vocational baccalaureate, the path is open to studying at a university of applied sciences.
It takes a lot of personal initiative to find an apprenticeship place. Young people must actively apply. An application dossier must be compiled, similar to when looking for a job. Many apprenticeship contracts are now being finalised. So anyone interested should not delay. A wealth of information and vacancies can be found on the official website www.berufsberatung.ch.
> University or university of applied sciences
If you want to start studying in Switzerland in September, you usually have to register before the end of April or the end of March. The application deadline for medical studies is mid-February. Universities of applied sciences may have different application deadlines. Universities and universities of applied sciences offer three-year Bachelor’s degree programmes and the subsequent Master’s degree programmes.
The admission requirements for a Bachelor’s degree programme vary depending on the country of origin of the secondary school leaving certificate. The admission requirements can be found at www.revue.link/universities.
Very good language skills in the language of instruction are also a prerequisite. A course of study at a university is more academic and research-oriented, whereas a course of study at a university of applied sciences is very practice- and application-oriented. The Federal Institutes of Technology in Zurich (ETHZ) and Lausanne (EPFL) focus on engineering, mathematics and natural sciences. Cantonal scholarships are available if students’ parents are unable to cover the full cost of their studies.
Educationsuisse offers counselling to all young Swiss Abroad on all matters related to education in Switzerland.
educationsuisse, Education in Switzerland
Alpenstrasse 26
3006 Berne, Switzerland
Phone +41 31 356 61 04
info@educationsuisse.ch
educationsuisse.ch
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