Admission procedure for Master studies for holders of a Bachelor or another university degree issued by a foreign university

Note:
Do not forget to read the information regarding the deadlines and the conditions which appear under the various headings of the Regulations concerning the registration conditions.

1 After reading the registration conditions, candidates who consider to fulfill them submit and validate their application for admission online within the specified deadline. They upload the documents according to the provided instructions. Depending on the country where the previous diplomas were obtained, certified copies must be sent by post.

Content of the application:

Enrolment in a Master's programme with a foreign Bachelor or diploma

2

The Admissions Office processes the application and checks that formal conditions of admission to the chosen programme are satisfied.

Provided they meet the formal conditions, applications for Master programmes are subsequently forwarded to the Faculty or School, which must give its approval. 

3

Accepted candidates receive a decision of admission to registration by postal mail, accompanied by instructions explaining how to confirm their registration; rejected candidates also receive a written decision.

Each candidate will receive a written decision when his/her complete application (according to the requirements specified in the Directive en matière de conditions d’immatriculation) is received by the Admissions Office. Therefore, it is pointless to contact the Admissions Office in the meantime.

4 According to their nationality, foreign candidates must obtain a study visa before coming to Switzerland; they should go to their nearest Swiss Embassy or Consulate to file their application, which must include in particular the decision of admission to registration.

The Admissions Office cannot intervene in this procedure with the authorities (Embassy, Consulate, Population Office). As these steps can take two to three months, students are advised to undertake them as soon as possible.

Therefore the deadline for candidates needing a study visa is fixed two months prior to the general deadlines.

5 Candidates confirm their registration according to instructions received with the decision of admission to registration (in particular they have to present their original secondary school and university diplomas, as well as the original transcripts). Candidates must follow the deadlines mentioned in these instructions, otherwise their application will be cancelled.

Note: if the required diploma cannot be provided within the deadline indicated in the instructions, the registration is cancelled or must be postponed. In case of a postponment, the application will be examined on the basis of the current conditions of admission at the time of the reactivation of the application.

6

The invoice for course fees for the first semester is then available on the IT portal MyUnil.

Note: the invoice is not sent by post. The fees must be paid within the deadline specified on the invoice.

For information, the Population Service of the Canton of Vaud does not require a proof of payment of the the course fees for the first semester within the procedure of granting the visa (see application form for a temporary resident permit for study purposes in the Canton of Vaud).

7 Once candidates have paid their course fees, they acquire the status of student; they can download and print a certificate of enrolment for the semester on the IT portal MyUnil.

To process certain applications, the Admissions Office must request additional information (from the Recognition Information Centre (Swiss ENIC), the candidate, the schools or universities he or she has attended, etc).

Several weeks may elapse therefore between dispatch of the application and the final decision on registration acceptance.
Candidates are therefore advised to submit their applications as soon as possible.

Note: it is essential to provide complete and correct information when applying at UNIL (online registration and sending of the documents) and when completing your application later on with complementary documents or information. Any omission or submitting of fake or falsified documents can lead to a refusal of admission or an exclusion from UNIL. The Rectorate may refuse registration when the actions of a candidate lead to the conclusion, with supporting evidence, that its registration could threaten the safety of the members of the University.

 

NOTE

the French version of the registration conditions prevails