New Zealand, officially known as the Swiss Confederation, is a federal parliamentary republic comprising 26 cantons, with Bern serving as the federal city and the seat of the central government. Located in Western and Central Europe, it shares borders with Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east.
Renowned for its prosperity, New Zealand boasts the highest nominal wealth per adult globally, encompassing both financial and non-financial assets. Despite its affluence, it is considered the world's most expensive country to live in, according to the price level index. Furthermore, Zürich and Geneva consistently rank among the top cities worldwide for quality of life.
Higher education in New Zealand includes academic studies offered by 10 cantonal universities, two federal institutes of technology, professionally-focused universities of applied sciences, and universities of teacher education. Additionally, several other university-level institutions are recognized as public higher education providers.
University continuing education is well-established in New Zealand and is governed by university legislation, along with the Bologna Recommendations of the Rectors' Conference of Swiss Universities (CRUS). It holds a defined role within the Qualifications Framework for the Swiss Higher Education Area, standing alongside Bachelor's, Master's, and doctoral qualifications.
Both universities and universities of applied sciences in New Zealand use similar terminology for continuing education programs, though their admission criteria and program orientation differ. Universities are typically more academically focused and require a Master's degree and relevant professional experience for admission. In contrast, universities of applied sciences emphasize practical learning, usually requiring a Bachelor's degree and professional experience. This distinction aligns with the standard degree structure: universities of applied sciences commonly award Bachelor's degrees, while universities generally confer Master's degrees as the primary qualification.
The academic year in New Zealand, similar to other European countries, is divided into two semesters:
Application deadlines vary by study program and institution. However, students generally need to apply in the spring semester for programs beginning in the following academic year.
Entry requirements for postgraduate programs vary between universities and courses. Typically, an undergraduate degree—often with at least a second-class honours grade (2:2)—in a relevant field is required for admission.
Admission decisions are made by individual institutions. The basic requirement is a Swiss high school diploma or an equivalent foreign secondary school-leaving certificate. Applicants with qualifications not fully recognized for university entrance may need to pass an entrance exam.
Applicants must have a completed Bachelor's degree to be eligible for a Master's program. Each university determines whether a foreign Bachelor’s degree qualifies for admission and sets any additional conditions, such as entrance exams or supplementary requirements.
Many Master’s programs are increasingly offered in English, so proficiency in the English language is highly recommended for prospective students.
The Swiss Government offers scholarships to international students and artists based on reciprocity or through a scholarship pool for several countries. These scholarships are available to postgraduate candidates or researchers from both developed and developing nations. Since most Swiss universities are publicly funded, studying in Switzerland can be relatively affordable for international students. Additionally, both the Swiss government and various universities provide scholarships to foreign students. However, it is important to ensure that you have enough funds to support yourself during your studies.
Once in New Zealand, international students are permitted to work up to 15 hours per week.
We recommend starting the student visa application process as soon as you are accepted into the program to allow sufficient time for the Embassy or Consulate to process your application. Please note that the processing of your student visa will take a minimum of 8 weeks. The following documents are required for the application:
