Announcement by the University of Bern for Studies Beginning in the Autumn Term 2014

Six outstanding foreign students are eligible for monthly financial support for the duration of a Master’s programme. The Master Grant is awarded for all programmes offered by the University of Bern with the exception of Biomedical Science.

1. Value and Duration of Funding

The monthly payment is 1’600 Swiss Francs (for further information on costs of living in Switzerland, see FAQs).
The Grant is first awarded for a period of 13 months starting 1 September 2014. When the Grantee demonstrates academic progress, the Grant is prolonged for the entire regular duration of the Master’s programme.

Besides the above-mentioned financial aid, the Grant covers also the ordinary registration- as well as semester fees for the entire regular study period.  However it is important to note that all grantees must pay per semester 55 Swiss Francs for administrative costs in the admissions office as well as the membership fee for the student union

2. Nomination Process

Nomination of the Grantees is a multi-step process. In the first stage the focus lies on the completeness of the application files. A committee of experts will then nominate the Grantees according to criteria of qualifications, potential in the field, academic goals as well as reasons and motivation for choosing to pursue a Master’s degree in Bern.

3. Eligible for a Grant are Persons

• Whose permanent domicile at the time of application is outside of Switzerland, and who obtained their Bachelor’s degree outside of Switzerland
• Whose Bachelor’s degree is in the relevant field of study
• Who will graduate with a Bachelor’s degree no later than July 2014

4. The Application Must Contain

• The application form;
• A motivation letter, integrated in the application form, in the language of instruction of the chosen Master’s programme;
• Recommendation letters by two professors of the home university. These must be printed on official letterhead and duly signed;
• A certificate of language proficiency in the language of instruction, e.g. TOEFL, Goethe-certificate, etc, (Level: German C1, English B2);
• One photocopy of the Bachelor’s degree or a confirmation (no older than three months) from the home university that the applicant will graduate by the end of July 2014;
• One photocopy of the transcript of records;
• One photocopy of the baccalaureate (school-leaving or university entrance certificate).

Depending on the Master’s programme, additional documents may be required. As soon as your application reaches the third stage of the nomination process, you should be prepared to swiftly submit such documents. Please check what documents apply to your case: Additional Documents to be Submitted (pdf, 82KB)

5. Submission Deadline

The complete application, in duplicate and packed in one parcel, must arrive no later than 30 November 2013 at:

University of Bern
International Office
Hochschulstrasse 4
3012 Bern
Switzerland

Any applications arriving after the above-mentioned deadline will not be considered.

6. Communication with the International Office of the University of Bern

The International Office will communicate with applicants in the following manner:  

1. Upon arrival of the documents, all applicants will receive an acknowledge of receipt per e-mail
2. After the first evaluation, rejected applicants will receive an e-mail (about January 2014)
3. After the second evaluation stage, rejected applicants will receive an e-mail (about March 2014)
4. Applicants who are nominated or put on the waiting list will receive an e-mail (End of March/Beginning April 2014)

7. Remarks

• Submitted documents will not be returned. Please send us NO originals. 
• Master Grant applications are not accepted as regular enrolment in a Master’s programme.
• Fulfilment of the prerequisites does not guarantee entitlement to the Grant. 
• Reasons for rejection cannot be provided individually.

More information http://www.int.unibe.ch/content/incoming/master_grant/index_eng.html