Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships
Course(s) Offered: Approved fields
Course Level: Graduate (masters, research, PhD, postdoc)
Provider: Swiss Government (via FCS)
Country to Study in: Switzerland
Scholarship Description
The Swiss Government, through the Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students (FCS), awards various postgraduate scholarships to foreign scholars and researchers: University scholarships (Swiss universities, Federal Institutes of Technology
as well as Universities of Applied Sciences); AND Arts scholarships
(schools of music and fine arts, only for a limited number of
countries).
These scholarships provide graduates from all fields with the
opportunity to pursue postgraduate studies or research in Switzerland at
one of the public funded university or recognized institution.
Warning against a fake scholarship offer using the name of the Swiss Government Scholarships (phishing)
The State Secretariat for Education and Research issues this warning
against fake Swiss Federal Government Scholarships advertised by e-mail.
The Swiss Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students
(CFBE) never advertises its scholarships by e-mail. The scholarships are
directly managed by the Swiss Embassies in the various countries.
The Swiss Federal Commission for Scholarships recommends to never answer to these e-mails and above all not to send any money.
Eligibility
Main conditions for the applicants are:
First class master, doctoral degree or equivalent university degree
Sufficient knowledge of the teaching language (French, German, Italian or English)
Age limit: 35 years (excluding the postdoctorate scholarships)
If you are in Switzerland since more than 1 year you are not eligible for a Swiss Government scholarship.
For country-specific criteria and information, please use the drop-down
menu (on official site via link below) to see what type of scholarships
are offered for your country of origin. You will also find the necessary
information regarding eligibility criteria and the application
procedure.
Eligible groups
Scholarships are open to students from both industrialized and developing countries:
Africa: Benin, Angola, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cap
Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic
Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea,
Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho,
Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco,
Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra
Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Sudan South, Swaziland, Tanzania,
Togo, Tunisia, Uganda
Others: Albania,
Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium,
Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada,
Chile, China, Columbia, Czech Republic, Croatia, Cuba, Denmark, Ecuador,
Egypt, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland,
Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakshtan, Kenya, South Korea, Kyrghyzstan,
Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Macedonia, Madagascar, Morocco, Mexico,
Moldavia, Mongolia, Montenegro, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia,
Senegal, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Sri
Lanka, Spain, Sweden, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey,
Ukraine, Uruguay, USA, Uzbekistan, Vietnam.
Participating Institutions
All recognised/accredited tertiary-level educational institutions in Switzerland - ten (10) Public Universities, two (2) Federal Institutes of Technology, public teaching and research institutes and Universities of applied sciences.
Fields of study
All courses offered at Switzerland's higher education institutions: Applied sciences, Arts, and any other approved disciplines
Number of awards
Not specified by provider, but several will be awarded
Sponsorship duration
Scholarships are provided for:
Research fellowships: 12 months (no extension possible)
PhD scholarships: 3 years maximum. (The scholarships are not
automatically extended. Every request will be analyzed according to the
FCS criteria as well as the academic results)
Postdoctorate scholarships: 12 months (with the possibility of extension for 6 month)
Scholarship benefits
Scholarships consist of monthly payments (tax free net amount) of:
CHF 1920 -- for postgraduate students
CHF 1920 -- for fine arts and music students
CHF 1600 -- for students attending language courses in Fribourg or Lugano
The scholarship is meant to cover a student's living expenses. To give
an idea, in a Swiss city, the food and housing costs are around CHF 1200
per month. With a scholarship of 1920 CHF per month it largely covers
the financial needs.
The Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students does
not cover the cost of academic and /or term fees. Generally-speaking,
the universities and the Zurich Federal Institute of Technology exempt
holders of Swiss government scholarships from term fees, but not
necessarily from Masters programme enrolment fees. In the event that
these fees are not waived, it is up to the scholarship holder to arrange
payment.
Method of Application
If you fulfill the eligibility requirements, contact the Swiss
diplomatic representation in your country of origin (see 'Contact'
below).
The diplomatic representation will provide you with all the necessary information regarding the procedure including application forms and a list of required documentation.
DEADLINES:
The new offer for academic year 2014-2015 will be online end of July 2013.
The scholarships always start in August/September. (It is not possible
to start the scholarship in the spring semester or any other time in the
year).
The application deadline falls between the end of October and early November 2013 depending on the Swiss Embassy to which the applications have to be submitted.
PLEASE NOTE:
It is important to note that each country has its own application
deadline, so contact the Swiss Diplomatic Representation in your home
country to know their application deadline.
For eligibility criteria, application procedure, deadlines, and contact information specific to your country, see link below.
Contact
State Secretariat for Education and Research SER,
Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students
E: monika.kiefer@sbf.admin.ch
T: +41 (0)31 323 26 76
Application Deadline: Varies by country (generally Oct-Nov each year)
Open to International students: Yes
More Scholarship Information and Application