1. Application
Process
Unlike other Universities in Switzerland you will face a
traditional Business School
application process. The intake each year is limited due to faculty
restrictions and teaching quality considerations. The first argument for a this
kind of application with your academic resume, relevant diplomas, language certificates
and a motivation letter is the more complete picture, which the faculty at USI
will obtain about you.
Most of the students will have an opportunity to shine in
the motivation letter – especially if your grades where not to shiny. Don’t get
me wrong. Your grades will be the first and probably the single most important
selection criterion. Nevertheless if your grades are so-so and your motivation
letter is stellar, you will have a good chance. Troublesome is the combination
about average or less grades and a standardized motivation letter you found on
Google the other day.
I advise you to focus strongly on your motivation letter
and put quite a bit of effort in it. First of all you will think about your
academic goals – trust me, this can be quite revealing – second you will be
grateful to have some skills on this when you are applying for a job, an
US-University or for a Ph.D.
To conclude let’s have a quick review of the two probably
most important decision criterion at USI.
First of all they will check your
grades. Most of the people in my class where among the top 20% at their
previous university. There is no minimum grade you will need, neither a grade
that will easily get you in. It is all depending on the university you came
from, the classes you took and the academic level of your competing students.
Second they will focus on your degree. You need to have a background in the relevant fields. Our class had people with business, economics, communication or life sciences background.
Third your motivation letter. This can decide about your enrollment. Show the faculty that you put some thoughts into your decision, show a clear path and stress your relevant experience or strong interest in this particular degree.
1.1 Material Needed
The material the Università della Svizzera Italiana wants to
see is pretty much standard for an international oriented school.
You need to add the copies of your
1.
Maturitae / High School diploma
2. Academic diplomas (Bachelor, Master, Pd.D., et cetera)
3. The
motivation letter (mentioned above)
4. The
registration form from USI
5. Proof of English Proficiency (at
least a First Certiface, the TOEFL is
preferred and you will need it for Virginia Tech anyway)
6. GMAT
(not mandatory, but certainly a strong plus)
1.2 Fees
The USI is not a cheap university – neither for swiss nor
for international students. In plain numbers this means tuition fees
2000.- if
you graduated with a swiss matura at a swiss high school
4000.- for
anyone else
for each semester.
In comparison, this is about 3x more than most swiss
universities. But you will benefit of small classes, separate study rooms for
master students and a unparalleled student to faculty ratio.
The living cost in Switzerland is also very high compared to other European countries. Expect to spend 400.- to 800.- for a room, 300.- for groceries, 300.- for insurance and 100.- for transportation (public transport is very good). Books and reading stuff can add another 500.- each semester. All in all, you will face spendings from 1500.- upwards.
2. Response Time
& Deadlines
The response time for your application differs quite a bit.
Some get an answer within 10 – 15 days, others wait quite a bit more. It depends
quite a bit on your application material, the date you submitted and whether or not your material was complete.
The application deadlines differ from year to year. Your
will find the proper information on the page referred below.
3. Acceptance Rate
There are no official figures about the acceptance rate.
Based on the information from the faculty it’s somewhere around 20 – 30 % with
a slight advantage for people with a degree from a Swiss or well known
international university.
4. More Information
More information about the application process is available
on the university homepage.
The specific page for the degree in Management,
Communication & Health
Or at the students page of the McmH degree
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