Departments and Units

Why Geneva

Life as an aspiring translator in Geneva

The University is located in the heart of one of the world’s largest translation markets. The UN, WHO, WTO, ILO, ICRC, Rothschild’s bank, UEFA, the IOC and CERN – these are just some of the many companies and organizations in and around Geneva that employ in-house translators. No other translation faculty is in such proximity to so many high-end staff jobs and enriching in-house internships.



For aspiring freelancers as well, Geneva is an exceptionally attractive market. Moving between languages is a part of everyday life in Switzerland, which is, after all, a trilingual country whose economy is driven by exports that are marketed in a wide variety of languages (but especially English). Translators are valued, respected and well paid. But of course, there’s more to life than work! Like skiing? Enjoy going to the opera? Intrigued by the idea of living in a country where writers are often more famous than professional athletes? Switzerland offers stunning landscapes, an unrivalled array of outdoor activities, and a wealth of world-class cultural offerings. Plus, all of it is amazingly close together and easy to reach on public transportation. Perhaps this is why Switzerland systematically tops all the global quality-of-life indexes.


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How to Apply

Standards of foreign-language and writing-skills assessment vary widely from country to country. This is why all applicants are required to sit for entrance exams. The exams are held in Geneva and a few other selected cities around the world. Successful applicants come from a wide variety of backgrounds, but one thing they have in common is strong knowledge of French and/or Spanish and exceptional writing skills in English.