Admission

In the case of definitive failure, unfortunately, you cannot enroll in the same field of study. However, you can enroll in a different field of study.

It is possible to submit a request for equivalencies during the online registration (but not once the programme has already begun) to have ECTS credits earned in previous university-level studies recognized.

A maximum of 60 ECTS credits can be acknowledged for bachelor's programmes and 30 ECTS credits for master's programmes. Additionally, only ECTS credits acquired in the last 5 years are considered in such a request.

For an equivalence to be granted, the content of the acquired courses and the number of ECTS credits obtained must match those of one or more modules in our curriculum.

Dual enrollment in the same field of study is not possible. However, if the field of study is different, the candidate can be admitted to UniDistance Suisse provided that the other university approves of dual enrollment. It is the responsibility of the candidate to obtain this approval and provide the documentation during the registration process.

Les candidat-e-s ne possédant pas l’un des titres d’accès requis pour être directement admis-es peuvent passer par notre admission sur dossier et examens. Cette dernière est accessible uniquement pour les personnes résidant en Suisse. Pour plus d’informations, veuillez consulter la page Admission sans maturité.

Anyone who does not have a Matura certificate in accordance with Art. 6(1)(a) and (b) of the Rules of Admission is admitted to study only if the certificate of education gained is regarded as equivalent to a Matura. The Executive Board decides on the equivalence of certificates of education. The list of equivalent certificates of education can be found in Annex A of the Rules of Admission.

Foreign students

No, admission does not, under any circumstances, result in the issuance of a residence permit.

You do not need such a permit because you are not required to be a resident in Switzerland to study with us. Your nationality plays no role in your admission. Only the formal criteria outlined in the Admission Regulations are considered.

The courses of study are, as a general rule, taught in German, English or French. A very good knowledge of the course language is therefore indispensable. 

Candidates with another mother tongue must possess confirmation of a successfully completed language examination or evidence of sufficient linguistic educational background in the language of instruction at university or secondary school level.

Holders of foreign diplomas may be admitted provided that the diploma obtained is recognised as equivalent to those set out in article 8, paragraph 1 of the Admission Regulations. You will find our admission requirements by country of origin of the diploma in Annex B of these regulations.

Yes; you don't need to live in Switzerland to study with us.

Admission 25+

Firstly, you need to complete the online registration form, selecting the option «Admission 25+». You must upload various documents needed for the evaluation of your application and indicate the programme you wish to pursue. Once the online registration is completed, the dated and signed confirmation of registration must be sent via email to studentservices@unidistance.ch. Applications are only processed upon receipt of this confirmation email.

Une fois que le dossier a été accepté, le ou la candidat-e étudie de son côté pendant huit mois, de septembre à avril, avec les contenus fournis par UniDistance via la plateforme d’étude en ligne Moodle. En mai, les candidat-e-s passent les différentes épreuves de l’examen « Admission 25+ ». En juin, les candidat-e-s reçoivent les résultats de leurs examens. Si les examens sont réussis, ils/elles peuvent s’inscrire soit pour la rentrée d’automne, pour démarrer les études au 1er août, soit pour la rentrée de printemps, pour commencer au 1er février. La décision positive à l’admission est valable pendant deux ans.

Registration

Switch eduID is a shared authentication procedure used by all Swiss universities and universities of applied science. In case of admission, your Switch eduID credentials will allow you to log in to our various online platforms. Please make a note of the password you use, as you will need it later.

You can use our online registration form to provide us with the necessary information and submit documents (e.g. for a request for equivalence).

Once the online registration has been finalised, you will have to send by post the dated and signed confirmation of registration as well as the certified copy or copies or the originals of your access degrees. 

UniDistance Suisse will only process applications once they have been received by post.

Organisation in distant learning

Under the regulations, students are allowed to take a maximum of two modules and, in addition, any failed modules. It is possible to take more than two modules per semester, but these are exceptional cases that meet specific conditions and are authorised by decision of the Programme Director.

Yes, it is possible to take a leave of absence for one or more semesters. There is no need to provide a reason for the leave, and you remain enrolled during your leave semester. This means you pause your studies; you cannot attend group sessions or participate in exams. Taking a leave of absence incurs a leave fee (see the Fee Regulations).

There is no set rule: everyone must find the ideal system based on their life and private and professional obligations. It's crucial to have good organization to successfully balance everything, and this also requires the support of your personal and professional circles. It's important to be well aware of your individual resources to find a balance among all these aspects and successfully complete your studies.

Yes, our study programmes are designed for you to balance work, family, or pursue sports or artistic careers while studying. The average workload is around 25 to 30 hours per week. It's important to be aware of this to make adjustments to your weekly schedule. However, the choice of the percentage of professional engagement is very personal. Understanding your individual resources is crucial for finding a balance between work and studies.

On average, we estimate that students should allow 20 to 30 hours per week.

In reality, this depends on the student's prior academic background, their ease of learning, the topics covered in the modules, the semester period (more hours may be needed for revision before exams), and the activities within the modules, etc. It's important to be aware of these factors so that you can make adjustments to your weekly timetable.

At UniDistance Suisse, a Bachelor's degree takes 9 months to complete, and a Master can take 5 to 6 semesters, depending on which programme. You have some level of flexibility: normally, students take two modules per semester, but it is always possible to take just one or to take a one-semester break if need be. 

Each teaching team decides on the materials (including books) you will need for the courses. The list of used materials is available in the curriculum of each programme on our website.

Moodle is the teaching platform used at UniDistance Suisse. Students can find all the content and information related to their courses there.

Examinations; campus-based teaching sessions

Yes, you must resit failed examinations. They can be resat twice.

En Suisse, l’échelle de notation va de 1 à 6, 1 étant la note la plus basse et 6 la meilleure. Ainsi, les contrôles de connaissances et travaux jugés suffisants sont sanctionnés par l’échelle de notes suivante :

In Switzerland, the grading scale ranges from 1 to 6, with 1 being the lowest and 6 the highest. Thus, work carried out in examinations and for theses which meets or exceeds the required standard (satisfactory/sufficient) is marked according to the following grading scale:     

6.0 - 5.75Excellent
5.5 - 5.25Very good
5.0 - 4.75Good
4.5 - 4.25Quite good
4.0Pass

Work carried out in examinations which falls below the required standard (unsatisfactory/insufficient) is marked according to the following grading scale: 3.5; 3.0; 2.5; 2.0; 1.5; 1.0 

Classes are held about once a month.

Exams take place at the end of the semester, and continuous testing takes place throughout the semester.

You will find the timetable of the sessions at least 6 months before the beginning of the semester on the pages of the different courses.

No, it is not, but attendance is strongly encouraged: classes are an integral part of the pedagogical scenario set up in our courses. They allow for in-depth study of the subject matter, the study of concrete cases and interactive exercises.

Computer skills, hardware and software needed

De préférence un ordinateur portable ou un PC. Les tablettes ou téléphones portables ne sont pas adaptés à toutes les activités effectuées en ligne mais peuvent être utilisés en soutien.

Preferably a laptop or PC. Tablets or mobile phones are not suitable for all online activities but can be used to support them.

  • Windows, Mac or Linux, with a preference for the first two. Linux does not offer all the specific software for certain subjects.
  • To connect to our various online platforms, Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Some of our tools do not work with other web browsers (Safari, Internet Explorer-Edge).

Moodle is the teaching platform used at UniDistance Suisse. Students can find all the content and information related to their courses there.

Bologna Reform; ECTS; recognition

Yes, holders of a Bachelor degree obtained with us can be admitted to Master programmes at any Swiss university, provided they meet the requirements of the Master programme in question.

A Master's degree can be completed following successful Bachelor's degree studies. The Master's comprises 90 to 120 ECTS points and imparts additional and further knowledge in a field of study. Following a Master's degree, it is possible to do a doctorate.

A Bachelor's degree is the first academic degree of a university, with 180 ECTS credits. Bachelor's studies are aimed at acquiring basic knowledge and a scientific working method in a discipline. At the same time, it constitutes the prerequisite for admission to higher Master's degree studies in the same field of study.

The ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) is the European system for the accreditation, transfer and accumulation of academic credits (for learning achievements). One ECTS credit point corresponds to a workload of 25 to 30 hours.

The Bologna Process was introduced with the aim of creating more transparency and better comparison of academic qualifications in Europe, as well as to encourage mobility and exchange. The reform introduced a two-tier study system - Bachelor and Master - based on ECTS credits.

Financial aspects: taxes and scholarships

The fees regulations are depend on the course of study. Added to this are costs of course materials and travel if necessary.
 Details of the costs to be covered by students are set out in the Fees Regulations.

As well as tuition fees, additional costs are incurred for course materials. In addition, you also have to allow for your travel costs to the campus-based sessions.

Non, notre institution ne délivre aucune bourse ou prêt d’études. En Suisse, le système de bourses est cantonal. Vous trouvez toutes les informations relatives à une demande de bourses, y compris la liste par canton des institutions qui délivrent des bourses, sur le site de la Conférence suisse des directeurs cantonaux de l’instruction publique (CDIP).

EDUCA SWISS, fondation qui œuvre au financement et à la promotion de la formation, soutient les étudiant-e-s en proposant une planification budgétaire gratuite ou des prêts d'études à faible taux d'intérêt.

En outre, les entreprises, associations sportives ou organes de chômage peuvent en partie participer aux frais de formation de leurs employé-e-s, membres ou client-e-s.

Contact persons

For potential students: if, after consulting the website, you still have any questions, you are welcome to contact us by email or phone.

For students: for questions regarding content, please consult the assistant for the relevant study module. In the case of administrative questions, please contact the student managers. For technical problems relating to the learning platform or to study resources, please ask our IT support.