Choose up to 4 destinations and rank them in order of preference, based on your interests and priorities, the courses available in your area of study, the partner university's requirements, the strength of your application, whether the academic calendars are compatible, and the type of exchange agreement UNIGE has with the university.

 

Order of priority

Exchanges are allocated in the following order:

• world destinations (Accord de collaboration)
• European discipline-specific destinations (Programme ERASMUS)as well as the universities of the Alliance 4EU+;
• The other European multi-faculty destinations (Programme ERASMUS / Plurifacultaire)
• Swiss destinations.

The destinations you choose must be ranked in the above order.

 

If a host university cancels your exchange, you will be allocated your second, third or fourth choice instead, provided there is still place and you are within the deadlines.

 

Limits on destinations choices

The following limits apply for/to world destinations:

• If you have an excellent record (i.e., a grade average of 5 or more), you can apply for up to 3 world destinations
• If you have a good record (i.e., a grade average of 4.5 or more), you can apply for up to 2 world destinations
• If your grade average is below 4.5, you can only apply for 1 world destination

 

Please also check in Panorama whether you are eligible for your chosen destination based on your field of study or faculty, whether you're a BA or MA student, the language requirements, the minimum required grade average, etc.

 

Learning agreement

The learning agreement is an agreement between you and the University of Geneva to ensure that the credits you obtain abroad are recognized as part of your degree from Geneva.

How to draw up a learning agreement

1. Choose courses at the host university that are compatible with the program you are taking at UNIGE. Check the subject, whether it's an MA or BA course, and any faculty-specific requirements.
2. Get your academic advisor to approve your learning agreement.

 

At this point, it will still be a provisional agreement, as course descriptions for the following academic year may not yet be available; you will have to draw up your learning agreement based on the information available at the time. 

 

Faculty-specific pre-requisites

You must check the study regulations for your program and take account of any faculty-specific requirements.

 

Exchange webpages

• Faculty of Law
• Faculty of Translation and Interpreting
• Geneva School of Economics and Management
• Global Studies Institute
• Faculty of Humanities
• Faculty of Medicine
• Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences
• Geneva School of Social Sciences
• Faculty of Science

Please keep to the following deadlines:

For an exchange during the 2024–2025 academic year (autumn 2024 and/or spring 2025 exchange) to any destination:

• Online applications open on Monday, 9 October 2023

• Printed applications must be handed in to the Academic Exchange Office by 12.30pm on Wednesday, 30 November 2022 at the latest

• Make sure you submit your application on time, but don't rush to get it in early – all applications are processed after the deadline.

 

Students who did not submit an application in November 2022 can still apply for an exchange, with the following deadlines:

• First year's Master students who have completed a Bachelor's degree elsewhere than at the UNIGE can apply for a European exchange in the spring 2024 semester if they submit their application by September 23 2023 and if there are still places available. Most places will have already been allocated by that point, so only a very limited number of exchanges will be available.

• Students at all levels can apply for an exchange in Switzerland within the following deadlines:

> Mid February for an exchange in the following autumn semester

> Mid September for an exchange in the following spring semester

 

 These deadlines don't apply to FTI students. 

 

Provisional allocation of places
World destinations	During the month of January
European destinations	During the month of March
Swiss destinations	End of April

There is no point contacting the Academic Exchange Office before these deadlines.

Apply online using this link.
You don't need to finish the form in one go, and please don't send it unless it is complete and accurate.
Tutorial for registration

Printed documents to bring to office 132 at Uni Dufour:

1. Documents generated automatically:
   > The printed and signed exchange application form
   > Your provisional learning agreement – please see the instructions on your faculty's website to find out whether your learning agreement needs to be approved before your application is submitted.

2. Proof of language proficiency for non-French-speaking destinations and if required by the host university (see “Language tests” below)
3. All of your university grade transcripts
4. For GSEM, and Geneva School of Social Sciences (SdS) students only: a course description
5. Your CV
6. A cover letter listing your 4 chosen destinations
7. A copy of the page of your passport with your personal information. For exchanges within the European Union and Switzerland, a copy of your ID is enough.

These documents must be submitted without staples or paper clips.

Incomplete applications will not be processed.

 

If you are an FTI student, please follow your faculty's specific instructions.

 

If you would like to go to a university where classes are not taught in French, you will almost certainly have to provide proof of language proficiency. Please be sure to:

• check the host university's requirements on the university's page in Panorama
• prepare for and take the language test required by the host university.

 

Please note:

• The UNIGE Maison des Langues offers language classes and tests. More information (such as dates, how to sign up and course descriptions) is available here.
• You are responsible for finding out whether these tests are recognized by the host university – many universities will require you to have a certificate such as TOEFL or IELTS.
• If you already have a language certificate dated within the past two years, please include it in your application.  However, as some partner universities require you to have a language certificate that is dated within the last two years at the time of your exchange (and not just at the time of your application), you may be required to retake the test once you are allocated a destination.

 

Don't forget to start looking into funding options for your stay as early as possible.

Various forms of financial aid are available. If you wish to apply for a grant, make sure you start the process as soon as possible.

If you're going on a Swiss European Mobility Programmes (SEMP) exchange or an exchange within Switzerland, you will automatically receive a grant if you meet the conditions.

More information about the various types of grants available and the eligibility requirements is available here.

 

You will be informed of the place that has been allocated to you by email at your @etu.unige.ch address.

 

Provisional allocation of places
World destinations	During the month of January
European destinations	During the month of March
Swiss destinations	End of April

Please don't contact the Academic Exchange Office before these dates.

Please note that this is a provisional allocation; for it to be approved, you must fulfill certain conditions.

• For UNIGE:
• You must be enrolled at UNIGE at the time of your exchange.
• You must meet your faculty's exchange requirements (e.g., the minimum grade average).
• Your learning agreement must be approved by your faculty.
  
  
• For the host university:
  • You must have registered with the host university, and they must have approved your application. You will receive instructions by email on how to do this (i.e., the form to fill in, documents to provide and deadlines).

 

There is no appeals process for students who are not allocated a place.