The National Teacher Exchange Programme called NALE supports school placements and exchange semesters for students from an area of Switzerland where a different language is spoken. This programme is funded by the Swiss Federal Office of Culture and coordinated by Movetia, the Swiss agency for exchange and mobility. Students receive a grant directly from their home university to cover any additional costs associated with the mobility programme.

• National Teacher Exchange Programme (NALE)
• Federal Office of Culture
• Movetia

Applications

For further information on the application process and the financial support available, please contact the relevant department at your home university. You can only apply to PH Zurich online once your home university has nominated you for a place at PH Zurich and approved your nomination.

Application deadline for the autumn semester: 15 May

Application deadline for the spring semester: 1 November

If you are studying at a European university that has an exchange agreement with PH Zurich under the Swiss-European Mobility Programme (SEMP): Incoming students who study at PH Zurich for one or two semesters under the SEMP programme, the Swiss programme for Erasmus+, receive a grant from PH Zurich (not from their home university). An initial payment is made at the start of your time in Zurich. This grant is provided to cover any additional costs associated with your stay. The amount you receive depends on which country you are coming from. You do not have to apply separately for this grant. Students on the SEMP programme do not pay any semester fees to PH Zurich.

SEMP grants

SEMP grants for exchange semesters depend on which country you are from:

* Minimum duration: 3 months
** Minimum duration: 2 months

Applications

If your home university is a PH Zurich partner university under the SEMP programme, you should start by applying to your own university for a SEMP placement at PH Zurich. You can only apply to PH Zurich online once you have been nominated for a SEMP placement at PH Zurich and your nomination has been approved.

Application deadline for the autumn semester: 15 May

Application deadline for the spring semester: 1 November

PH Zurich has exchange agreements in place with many other universities outside of Europe. Students on an exchange based on a bilateral agreement do not pay any semester fees to PH Zurich.

Applications

If you are studying at a university that has a bilateral exchange agreement in place with PH Zurich, you can apply to your home university for one or two exchange semesters at PH Zurich.

You can only apply to PH Zurich online once your home university has nominated you for a place at PH Zurich and approved your nomination.

Application deadline for the autumn semester: 15 May

Application deadline for the spring semester: 1 November

If you are studying at a university that does not have an exchange agreement in place with PH Zurich, you can still apply to complete one or two exchange semesters at PH Zurich. The requirement is that you must have already completed at least two semesters of a degree programme in Education Sciences and/or Teacher Education at your home university. In this case, you need to pay semester fees to PH Zurich and organise your exchange semester yourself.

The staff at the PH Zurich International Office will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have about organising your exchange.

Applications

Please contact the PH Zurich International Office before you submit your application online.

Application deadline for the autumn semester: 15 May

Application deadline for the spring semester: 1 November

The academic year at PH Zurich is divided into two semesters lasting 14 weeks each – autumn and spring. The inter-semester breaks are reserved for school practice modules, study weeks and other activities relating to studies.

It is recommended that incoming students start their studies on 1 September or 1 February (or earlier if completing a study week). You are expected to arrive early enough to attend the International Office welcome days in Zurich.

It is possible for exchange students to have their studies at PH Zurich recognised by their home university. For this to be possible, a study plan and learning agreement need to be finalised between the student and their home university before the exchange starts.

Once you have received confirmation that you have been allocated a place at PH Zurich, please create a provisional study plan and choose your modules. Please list a few extra modules to account for any clashes or changes made to the timetable. The provisional study plan can be changed within the first two weeks of the semester if required.

You need to finalise a learning agreement with the subject coordinator at your home university on the basis of your study plan for your modules to be recognised.

ECTS Learning Agreement

Many course units/modules at PH Zurich are taught in Standard German. If you wish to take courses taught in German at PH Zurich your German language skills need to be at least at level B2. 

Test your own German skills on the Goethe-Institut website

International students who do not speak German at all or only have a basic understanding of the language can take all their courses from the offer taught in English. These modules require your English skills to be at least at level B2 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

German language courses

Proof of achievement at PH Zurich comes in the form of active participation, oral and written examinations, presentations and written work.

Many modules at PH Zurich are not usually graded individually. It is possible for exchange students to be awarded a grade for their modules as per the Swiss grading scheme as well as ECTS points but this needs to be agreed with the teaching staff at the start of the semester.

Grading scheme

This is the grading scheme at PH Zurich:

Students receive ECTS points for their studies under the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS). One ECTS point is awarded for every 30 hours of study. As a general rule, 25–30 ECTS points represent one full semester and 60 ECTS points represent one full academic year. We recommend that students only aim for a maximum of 22–25 ECTS points per semester at PH Zurich depending on their language skills.

PH Zurich will assign you to a student at PH Zurich before you travel to Zurich. As your personal point of contact, they will help you settle in and get used to student life at PH Zurich and in the city in no time.

Please visit the Swiss government’s website as soon as possible to find out about the current entry and residence regulations applicable in Switzerland. Allow plenty of time to make the necessary arrangements. Students are responsible for following the regulations.

EU and EFTA countries

Students coming from EU and EFTA countries do not need a visa for their time in Switzerland. You do need a valid passport to enter the country.

If you are staying in Switzerland for longer than three months, you need to apply to the relevant residents’ registration office for a residence permit within 14 days of arriving in Switzerland.

Next, you will be asked to make an appointment at the Migration Office in Zurich to register your biometric residence permit.

Non-EU/EFTA countries

Students coming from non-EU/EFTA countries need a visa to enter Switzerland. The PH Zurich International Office will contact you to discuss applying for a visa for your time in Switzerland.

As part of your application for a residence permit, you may need to prove that you have enough financial resources to support you during your time in Switzerland (e.g. bank statements, letter from your parent(s), placement confirmation from PH Zurich). Make sure you have sufficient funds available – especially at the start of your student exchange.

Anyone staying in Switzerland for longer than three months is required by law to take out a health insurance policy. The very few exceptions to this rule include students who are coming to Switzerland for an exchange semester and who have an equivalent health insurance policy that would cover any costs incurred in Switzerland.

The local health service provider will contact you once you have arrived in Switzerland. You will not be required to take out a health insurance policy in Switzerland if you can provide proof that you already have health insurance that corresponds to the Swiss standard. Otherwise, you will have to take out basic insurance with a Swiss health insurance provider.

The Zurich Cantonal Department of Health accepts the following health insurance providers for international students:

• Swisscare
• Scorestudies

You can choose your own health insurance provider. You may opt for any of the insurance packages recognised in Switzerland.

Before you arrive in Switzerland, please also check that any other insurance policies will be valid for the duration of your time in Switzerland (e.g. personal liability, accident and/or travel insurance).

Students from EU/EFTA countries with a European Health Insurance Card

You can apply for exemption from the legal requirement for health insurance in Switzerland. The International Office can provide you with further information at the start of your exchange semester.

Students from EU/EFTA countries without a European Health Insurance Card

If you already have private insurance cover, you can apply for exemption from the legal requirement for health insurance in Switzerland. Please note, however, that such applications are often declined. If you do not have a European Health Insurance Card or private insurance cover, you will be required to take out a Swiss health insurance policy for international students. The International Office can provide you with further information at the start of your exchange semester.

Students from non-EU countries

If you already have private insurance cover, you can apply for exemption from the legal requirement for health insurance in Switzerland. Please note, however, that such applications are often declined. If your private insurance policy is not accepted or you do not have any health insurance cover at all, you will be required to take out a Swiss health insurance policy for international students. The International Office can provide you with further information at the start of your exchange semester.

A room in the city of Zurich or the surrounding area will cost you between 600 and 900 Swiss Francs – and maybe even more – a month depending on the location and facilities. Many students live in shared student accommodation. PH Zurich has a limited number of rooms available. Contact the PH Zurich International Office if you need help finding accommodation.

Top tips for finding accommodation

The cost of living in Switzerland and Zurich in particular is relatively high compared to other parts of the world. You can expect to pay between 1500 and 1800 Swiss Francs a month depending on your lifestyle.

Zurich has an impressive public transport network. Prices are discounted for young people under the age of 25. A monthly ticket normally costs 85 Swiss Francs, but you only have to pay 62 Swiss Francs if you are under 25.

Cycling is a cheaper alternative, with bikes available to hire from a number of providers. Driving is not recommended because there is a lot of traffic and parking is difficult and expensive in the city centre.

You are responsible for making your own travel arrangements. We would advise you to arrive in Switzerland a few days before the semester starts to allow yourself time to get settled in.

Green Mobility – SEMP Green Travel Top-up

We recommend travelling as sustainably as possible. Students under the SEMP programme who choose to travel to and from Switzerland by a means of transport with lower carbon emissions than flying (train, bus or ferry) will receive a one-off grant of 100 Swiss Francs from PH Zurich. You must submit proof of travel, such as a copy of your original ticket, before the grant can be transferred at the end of your time in Switzerland.

Erasmus Student Network (ESN) is a Europe-wide student organisation with the aim of helping exchange students to integrate socially in their exchange country.

ESN Zurich

• organises trips such as city breaks, skiing and hiking weekends, and river rafting adventures;
• arranges an evening meet-up at a bar once a month;
• pairs students up as tandem partners for language practice;
• sends out email notifications about all events.