Guidelines

Two scholarships are available for studies at the Master’s/PhD level or for research at the Post-doctoral level in Switzerland. Priority will be given to PhD and Post-doctoral level applicants. Scholarships are only tenable at one of Switzerland's ten universities or two federal institutes of technology. In the framework of a special allocation, scholarships for advanced arts students are offered to the best applicants who are already at an advanced stage of their training. Scholarships are tenable at all public institutions and conservatories across Switzerland.

These scholarships are not tenable for on-the-job studies, part-time studies or correspondence courses.

Scholarship Value

These scholarships include a monthly living allowance of 1,920 Swiss Francs (CHF) and medical coverage provided through the Federal Commission for Scholarships. These scholarships do not cover the cost of tuition (see the Eligibility tab for more details).

Scholarship recipients are required to pay for their own travel expenses to Switzerland, but the Federal Commission for Scholarships pays a lump sum allowance for the return ticket at the end of the scholarship. This allowance is withheld if scholarship recipients extend their stay in Switzerland beyond six months after completion of their studies, if they take up employment pending the continuation of their studies or if they move to a third country.

Scholarship Duration

These scholarships are tenable for:

• a nine-month academic year;
• the start of the September 2012 academic year; and
• extensions that may be granted for select Master’s programs depending on results from the first year.

Eligibility

Applicants:

• must be Canadian citizens, permanently residing in Canada at the time of the competition deadline;
• must hold the equivalent of an undergraduate and/or graduate degree from a recognized Canadian institution (as required by the degree program for which the scholarship is requested);
• must have a sound working knowledge of the language required for their program of study;
• must make the necessary contacts to secure acceptance documents;
• must be under 35 years of age when applying (born after January 1, 1977);
• must apply independently to a Swiss university or Federal Institute of Technology;
• may only apply to one institution. Fine Arts applicants are exempt from this criterion; and
• must submit all required supporting documentation.

Applications from students already in Switzerland will not be considered. Fine Arts applicants are exempt from this criterion.

Terms and Conditions

Scholarship recipients:

• are responsible for their travel arrangements to Switzerland;
• are not eligible to have tuition fees covered by the scholarship. In most cases, the universities and Federal Institutes of Technology do not require scholarship holders to pay the semester fees (generally around 600 CHF per semester). In some cases, the universities do not waive the Master’s fees. Some programs can cost up to 40,000 CHF. Should the universities and/or institutes and fine arts schools not waive the fees, it is up to the scholarship recipient to pay for the fees;
• may be required to submit a written agreement to return to Canada after the completion of their studies in Switzerland;
• must complete the full course of their study in Switzerland;
• must comply with the directives of the Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students;
• may not hold concurrently other scholarships; and
• may not bring their family members into Switzerland during the first year of study. The Federal Commission for Scholarships does not have the authority to decide on the possibility of bringing family members to Switzerland. This is left to the Federal Aliens Police, which at present deals with requests very restrictively.

Deadlines

Please note that there will be no competition for academic year 2013-2014.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that supporting documents are received by the deadline. The Selection Committee will not accept incomplete files. Supporting documents, other than the ones requested, will not be accepted.

It is strongly recommended that the applicant collects all the required supporting documents in sealed envelopes and send them to the scholarship administrator in one package by a method that provides confirmation of its delivery, such as courier service or registered mail.

If the applicant is unable to collect all the required supporting documents into one package, the applicant must ensure that their referees and institution(s) submit the documents directly to the scholarship administrator by the deadline. The applicant’s name and the scholarship program for which the applicant is applying must be on all documentation sent to the scholarship administrator.

All supporting documentation along with the three copies of the Swiss Government application should be sent to the scholarship administrator at:
 
Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE)
Attn: Foreign Government Awards - Switzerland
220 Laurier Avenue West, Suite 1550
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5Z9

We are unable to acknowledge receipt, by letter or telephone. However, it is possible to get information by e-mail at: scholarships-bourses@cbie.ca.

Notification

Applicants must ensure that a permanent email address is included in the application.

Final Selection

The final selection of scholarship recipients is made by the host country and is communicated to the scholarship administrator in May 2012.

At the same time, a notice will also be sent by the Embassy of Switzerland in Canada to selected candidates.

Application Process

To be considered for a Foreign Government Award an applicant must complete the following two-step process:

1. Applicants must first complete and submit the online application available on this site and provide the supporting documents as requested.
2. Applicants must complete and submit an application from the Swiss Government and the medical certificate. See the section on the Swiss Government Application for details and other requirements. Applicants must print, sign and send to the scholarship administrator three copies of this application along with the other required supporting documents to the address listed further below.

Late or incomplete submissions will not be considered. See the section on Deadlines for the respective dates for step one and step two.

Instructions

Applicants are encouraged to read the instructions below carefully before beginning the online application. If applicants experience difficulty filling out or submitting the application, applicants should send an email to admin-scholarships-bourses@cbie.ca.

Applicants are invited to read the Application Guidelines prior to submitting a formal application.

Applicants:

• must complete both application forms;
• must enter data in the fields provided, following the instructions for each item;
• must, upon completion, verify the data prior to submitting;
• can obtain a hard copy for record keeping by printing the form using the print function in the browser, prior to submitting; and
• must click SUBMIT for the online application on this site. A confirmation page and reference number will appear after submission.

Supporting Documentation

The following documentation must be uploaded and attached to the online application form (format .pdf, .jpg, .doc, .docx, .txt, .gif):

• Certificate of admission: certificate of admission from the host institution or copy of correspondence testifying that the applicant has requested admission or will have access to the facilities needed to complete the proposed research project. Research fellows must also provide a confirmation from a professor at the intended Swiss University that they will supervise the research.
• Curriculum vitae: the curriculum vitae should not include photographs or any personal information such as the date of birth. (maximum four pages)
• Proof of registration for studies in progress: proof of registration for studies in progress, including courses being taken (if applicable).

The following documents must be sent by mail

• Proof of Canadian citizenship: copy of a birth certificate, a citizenship card or a passport; a certificate of baptism is not accepted as proof of Canadian citizenship.
• Official transcripts: a transcript of all post-secondary studies to date (complete academic record(s) including College of Applied Arts and Technology and CÉGEP) with the cumulative grade point average (GPA) for each degree or certificate. Transcript(s) must be submitted in sealed envelopes and sent directly to the scholarship administrator at the address provided below.
• Copies of degree diplomas: a certified copy of diplomas notarized by a Notary Public or stamped by the institution that issued it. The copies should include undergraduate and graduate degrees. If the degrees are in a different language than English or French, they must include a translation into English or French by a certified translator.

Artwork samples: three sets of artwork samples for applicants in Fine Arts, Music and Architecture. Applicants in the History or Theory of Art, of Music, or of Architecture are not required to submit samples. Artwork samples required are as follows:

• Applicants in the Fine Arts (painting, graphic arts, sculpture and photography) must submit copies or photos of three pieces of their work. Film-makers and video artists must submit at least one recent film, indicating when it was made, how the applicant was involved in its production and the running time. These must be provided on a USB Key, CD or DVD, be dated, and clearly identified with the applicant's name.
• Applicants in Music must submit a USB Key, CD or DVD of three original work pieces totaling no more than 30 minutes. The recordings of singers and instrumentalists must be chosen from three different musical periods, except in the case of Baroque musicians, who must include movements from three different types of pieces. Piano accompaniments may be included.
• Applicants in Architecture must submit up to 10 reproductions of drawings, provided on a USB Key, CD or DVD.

Only samples as specified above will be presented to the Selection Committee.

The following documents must be sent by email

Letters of recommendation: three letters of recommendation from people who are well acquainted with the applicant’s scholarly work.

Letters of recommendation must be sent separately, by the referee, as a PDF document to the scholarship administrator at admin-scholarships-bourses@cbie.ca. Document titles must clearly identify the name of the applicant in the following format:

Subject: FGA-SWITZERLAND-last name of the candidate-last name of the referee.

The letters of recommendation must arrive by the deadline to be considered.

Swiss Government Application

Applicants must complete the electronic application for a Swiss Government scholarship. Applicants must print, sign and send to the scholarship administrator three copies of this application.

Applications must include the following:

• Research Fellowships: a complete research proposal (approximately five pages), including an overview of all previous and current research work that could be relevant for the granting of a fellowship.
• Master’s programs: a two page personal statement emphasizing the reasons for study in Switzerland, the importance of this choice for their future career and professional projects.
• Language certificate (if applicable): applicants must provide the relevant language certificate.
• Medical certificate.

Note: If the above list of documents is not submitted in German, French, Italian or English, then an authenticated translation in one of these languages must be included.

Review Procedures and Conditions

All online applications received by the respective deadline that meet the eligibility requirements are evaluated by the Canadian Scholarship Selection Committee. The Committee is made up of individuals from the academic community representing all regions of Canada, both official language groups and a wide variety of academic disciplines. This Committee reviews, evaluates and ranks candidates to recommend a list of pre-selected candidates.

Note that pre-selection does not guarantee an award. This is a very competitive program with a limited numbers of awards available to Canadian citizens. Only pre-selected applications will be sent to the Swiss Government for final review.

Conditions

All recommendations of the Selection Committee and decisions made by the host country are final. There is no appeal process.

The Selection Committee cannot provide feedback for unsuccessful candidates.

Applications submitted directly to the Embassy of Switzerland in Canada or the Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students will not be considered.

Applications and documents submitted to the scholarship administrator will not be returned.

These scholarships are subject to the availability of funding provided by the Swiss Government.

About

Through the Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students (FCS), the Swiss Government grants Canadian citizens scholarships at Swiss universities and Federal Institutes of Technology. Scholarships are intended for study in Switzerland. They are for those interested in furthering their education and research in the fields in which Swiss universities are particularly active.

These scholarships are based on reciprocal agreements.