University of Lausanne UNIL Master’s Excellence Scholarships 2026
- Omran Aburayya
- Sep 24
- 5 min read
If you are a foreign (non-Swiss) university graduate with outstanding academic results, the Université de Lausanne (UNIL) now offers its Master’s Excellence Scholarships for international students. Every year, UNIL awards around ten of these scholarships to exceptional candidates to support them during their Master’s studies. While not fully funding living costs, these scholarships help reduce financial burden and cover tuition-related costs. The call for applications for 2026/2027 is open, and the deadline is 1 November 2025.
🎓 Scholarship Summary
Location: Lausanne, Switzerland
Host Institution: Université de Lausanne (UNIL)
Study Level: Master’s (1.5 or 2 years, depending on programme)
Target Group: International students who graduated from a foreign university with excellent academic performance (not currently registered at UNIL)
Programmes Eligible: Most Master’s programmes at UNIL (with some exceptions)
Number of Scholarships: Approximately 10 per year
Value & Coverage: CHF 1,600 per month (for 10 months each academic year, from 15 September to 15 July)
Award Duration: For the statutory (minimum) duration of the chosen Master’s programme (i.e. 1.5 or 2 years)
Application Deadline: 1 November 2025 (for 2026/2027 intake)
Start Date: Usually semester starting in autumn (around September)
Eligible To: Graduates of foreign universities whose degrees are equivalent to Swiss bachelor’s degrees; not previously registered at UNIL; must demonstrate excellent academic results
🧭 Scholarship Overview
The scholarship is tied to the minimum statutory duration of the Master’s programme. If a programme is scheduled for 1.5 or 2 years, the scholarship runs for that period.
Recipients are exempt from UNIL’s fixed registration fees (except a small CHF 80 fee per semester)
Recipients are not required to follow additional seminars or service obligations under the scholarship, beyond fulfilling the academic requirements of their chosen Master's.
Withdrawal from the Master’s programme leads to suspension (termination) of the scholarship.
🎁 Benefits
Monthly stipend: CHF 1,600 (for 10 months per year) to help with living expenses.
Tuition / registration fee waiver: Recipients are exempt from fixed registration fees (excluding the CHF 80 per semester).
Access to student housing (FMEL): UNIL guarantees accommodation through its student housing foundation (FMEL). Students must pay the rent; it is typically more affordable than private housing in the Lausanne region.
Health insurance support: International students can either have their European health insurance recognized (for EU/EFTA) or purchase a student health insurance scheme (which is cheaper than general Swiss student rates).
No age limit: There is no maximum age for applicants. However, in some countries subject to visa restrictions, older age or existing advanced degrees might affect visa issuance.
Partial financial relief: Though helpful, the stipend alone is not sufficient to cover all living costs in Lausanne; additional personal financial resources are strongly recommended.
✅Eligibility Criteria
To be considered for the UNIL Excellence Master’s Scholarship, applicants must satisfy all of the following:
Foreign degree
The applicant must hold a degree from a foreign (non-Swiss) university, equivalent to a Swiss bachelor’s (180 ECTS) degree.
Applicants still completing their bachelor’s can apply, provided they submit transcripts and a precise description of remaining coursework or dissertation, and complete the degree before beginning the Master’s.
Academic excellence
The candidate’s academic record must be of very high standard. There is no publicly published minimum GPA or grade threshold; evaluation is competitive.
Preference may be given to applicants who only hold a bachelor’s (i.e., not already holding a Master’s).
No prior UNIL registration
Applicants must not already be enrolled in a Master’s programme at UNIL or in a preparatory year there.
Language proficiency
For a Master’s programme taught in English, C1 level is required (TOEFL, IELTS, CAE, etc.).
For programmes taught in French, C1 in French is required (DALF, TCF, etc.).
If your bachelor’s was entirely taught in the same language as the Master’s, you may be exempt from the certificate.
Administrative obligations
Payment of CHF 200 administrative fee (to process admission). This is mandatory and nonrefundable.
For applicants whose bachelor’s university is in a country that did not ratify the Lisbon Recognition Convention, certified (sealed) copies of diploma and transcripts must be sent by post in addition to PDF uploads.
Submission of recommendation letters, transcripts, motivation letter, CV, and other required documents.
Programme eligibility
Most Master’s programmes at UNIL are eligible except a few exclusions, such as:
Medical programmes
Education programmes
Some Law programmes (though specialisms like “International and Comparative Law,” “Legal Theory,” or “International Tax Law & Policy” may be eligible)
Physical Education & Sports Didactics
Health Sciences
All MAS / continuing education programmes
📝 Application Procedure
Here’s how to apply:
UNIL opens its online application portal (for Master’s + scholarship) around September 2025.
The same application serves as both the Master’s admission request and scholarship application.
Applicants upload a single PDF file containing all required supporting documents.
Documents to include
Curriculum Vitae (CV) with photo
Motivation / cover letter (1–2 pages)
University degree(s) and transcripts (with certified translations if not in French, German, English, or Italian)
If bachelor’s not yet issued: detailed programme description, list of remaining courses, credits, dissertation plan, etc.
Secondary school diploma
Passport copy
Proof of payment of CHF 200 administrative fee
Language proficiency certificate (if required)
Two recommendation letters sent directly by referees (with applicant name) to mastergrants@unil.ch (from non-private / institutional email)
Postal certified copies (if applicable)
If your bachelor’s university is in a country not party to the Lisbon Recognition Convention, you must send certified (sealed) copies of your diploma(s) and transcripts by post in a sealed envelope from the university.
Applicants from convention-ratifying states do not need to send postal copies; uploaded PDF suffices.
Submission and timeline
The application must be submitted by 1 November 2025 (for 2026/2027 intake) by midnight (Swiss time) via the online portal.
After the application window closes, the Admission Office (SII) preliminarily checks formal eligibility; qualified files are forwarded to the relevant faculty or department for admission evaluation.
Faculties make decisions on master’s admission; unsuccessful scholarship applicants who are admitted will be informed of how to register as a regular student.
Final selection and notification likely take place early in the year (e.g. by April or earlier) for the following intake.
ℹ️ Additional Notes
Competition is high — only about ten scholarships are offered annually for all Master’s programs.
Supplementary funding is necessary — the CHF 1,600 stipend does not fully cover living costs in Lausanne (which may require ~CHF 2,000/month).
Visa and age considerations — while there is no official age limit, in some countries a higher age or multiple degrees may affect visa issuance. It is recommended to check with your Swiss embassy or consulate.
Language waiver in rare cases — if your bachelor’s degree was taught entirely in the same language as the master’s you apply to (French or English), a certificate may not be required.
Withdrawal leads to termination — if you leave or drop out of the Master’s programme, the scholarship will be suspended.
Make your dossier strong — since evaluation is qualitative and competitive, include clear motivation, strong academic transcripts, and excellent referee letters.
Confirm programme eligibility — before applying, double-check that your intended Master’s is among the allowed ones; some programmes are excluded.
