Lausanne is considered an international, cultural, dynamic, high-tech city. This is the official residence of many international organizations: the UN, the WTO, CERN, etc. In many ways, all this determined the fact that the Polytechnic School of Lausanne has become one of the most prestigious federal educational institutions in Western Europe. In 1969 the school became a technical university. Very often it is compared with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the USA. In 2011, according to The Times Higher Education ranking, the institution took 11th place in the list of the best European universities and 48th place among the best world universities.
Education
Currently, the EPFL includes faculties:
- Biology;
- Social Sciences;
- Mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, materials science;
- Economy;
- Architecture, construction and ecology;
- Mathematics, physics and chemistry;
- Informatics and communication systems.
There are 13 different areas of education: architecture, fundamental sciences, natural sciences, engineering sciences, technologies, etc. Since 2003, the institute's curriculum has been supplemented with new disciplines in the natural sciences. Specialties appeared: engineer-agronomist and engineer-forester. EPFL is the only university in Switzerland that trains microtechnologists and communication systems engineers.
The school is a member of the TIME (Top Industrial Managers for Europe) educational network, which was established in 1989 and unites more than 50 European technical universities. In addition, the Institute is a partner of 150 universities around the world, which contributes to the active exchange of students, including representatives of 80 countries. About half of the teaching staff are foreigners, usually from America and Europe. The main language of instruction is French, but many curricula are taught in English.
Location
In 1943, the school was located on the grounds of the old Savoy Hotel in Lausanne. Later, a large campus was built in Dorigny, near the University of Lausanne. Since then, the campus has been constantly expanded with new laboratories, training and conference centers, student residences, etc. In 2009, the Polytechnic School of Lausanne ranked first among environmental campuses. This was facilitated by the construction of our own experimental thermal power plant for heating campus buildings, which covered about 90% of the total electricity consumption.
On the shore of Lake Leman, the school has a sports center in common with the University of Lausanne, which allows you to practice water and land sports. Lausanne, located on the shores of the world-famous Lake Geneva, is a very convenient place for both study and recreation. The city is always full of life, because half of its inhabitants are students. There are a large number of museums in Lausanne: art, photography, the Olympic Museum, etc. In cinemas offering a wide variety of programs, all students enjoy a discount. The campus of the institute is located 10 minutes from the center by metro.
The Lake Geneva region is actively developing and provides motivated graduates with excellent opportunities for professional and academic growth. A university in Switzerland is a prestigious and high-quality study abroad, providing excellent life prospects.
This technical university is considered one of the most prestigious in Europe and offers study programs at four levels: undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, as well as schools of continuing education. It is often compared to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in America.
Many faculties have their own libraries. The language center offers courses for all levels of German, English, Italian, Spanish, French, teachers are native speakers. The EPFL has a post office, a bank, shops and a travel agency. Located on the shore of the lake, the University Sports Center, students of EPFL and the University of Lausanne can choose to take classes in many sports disciplines.
Type of university. State.
Location. The university is located in Lausanne, Switzerland. Lausanne, one of the cultural centers of the country, stands on the northern shore of Lake Geneva.
Lausanne is located in southwestern Switzerland and is the capital of the French-speaking canton of Vaud. The proximity of France and its influence are really noticeable here - most of the city's residents are French-speaking. This is a small city - the fourth largest city in Switzerland with a population of about 136 thousand people.
Since 1994, Lausanne has been the official Olympic capital of the world. It houses the headquarters of the International Olympic Committee, as well as key institutions for the management of the Olympic movement and international sports.
17th place among European universities according to University Web Ranking
Number of students.
In 2014, the university has about 10,000 students. Among the students there are representatives from 80 countries of the world.
Accommodations.
The residence halls provide more than 1,000 places for the university community. In hostels, monthly rates range from CHF 350 to CHF 600 per month.
Also, the university can give addresses of places where it is possible to rent housing. Approximately - 500 francs per month.
Approximate cost of living, taking into account the cost of food, transportation, etc. - 20,000 Swiss francs per year.
Faculties.
Architecture, construction and ecology
Informatics and communication systems
Mathematics, physics and chemistry
Biology
Mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, materials science
Social Sciences
Economy
General admission requirements
Minimum age: 18 years old.
English level: IELTS 6.5+, TOEFL 110+, TOEIC 701+
French language level: DALF C1, TCF 5
Academic requirements: GPA from 3.0
Prices and admission requirements for undergraduate programs
Prices and Admission Requirements for Master's Programs
The tuition fee is CHF 633 (approximately $700) per semester, the same for undergraduate and graduate students.
Final payment term - usually corresponds to the end of the 3rd week of the semester.
In addition, tax accounting is charged at the beginning of the 1st semester in EPFL:
- CHF 50 (approximately $60) for Swiss Certificate holders
- CHF 150 (approximately $175) for foreign certificates
The Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne (EPFL) is one of two polytechnics in Switzerland. Our university is the most multinational technical university in Europe. Representatives of over 120 nationalities study, teach and work here. Thanks to the worldwide scope of its activities, the university is constantly striving for greater openness; our collaboration with other institutions and our teaching and research work has an impact on all sectors of society: universities and technical departments, developing countries and countries with economies in transition, secondary schools and grammar schools, industry and the economy, political circles and the general public.
Since the young university received national status in 1969, much has changed for the better, and now EPFL has become one of the most famous universities in Europe in the field of natural and technical sciences. Like the similar university in Zurich, ETHZ, we set ourselves three main tasks: teaching, research and direct development of technology. The two Swiss Technical Universities are associated with several research institutes and together form a group of research institutions reporting directly to the Federal Department for Economic Affairs, Education and Research.
More than 350 laboratories and research groups are located on the EPFL campus, making our university one of the most innovative and productive research centers in Europe. The university is ranked 3rd in Europe and is one of the top 20 technical universities in the world, which is why many of the world's leading researchers have chosen it as their place of work.
The unique structure of the university promotes the development of interdisciplinary research and stimulates cooperation with other organizations. We traditionally combine fundamental research and engineering activities.
Year of foundation
Number of students
Academic Specialization
We offer 13 full-time degree programs, from undergraduate to graduate level, in the following areas: engineering, basic sciences, information technology and communications, life sciences, and construction, architecture and the environment. In addition, you can take advantage of our exchange programs at the best universities in the world and industrial internships to better understand the reality of the labor market.
The PhD gives applicants the opportunity to work with colleagues from the same field, not only in their own laboratory, but also outside it. The professionalism of the teachers and the excellent facilities of the university help applicants for scientific degrees in EPFL in their research. Further study allows students to deepen and update their own skills and knowledge in a rapidly changing business world.
To leave for Switzerland on the educational program of the ITMO University exchange semester, and return as a master's student at the Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne (EPFL) - Alexander Mylnikov, a graduate of the Department of Information Systems, knows how to do it. In an interview with our portal, he told why he liked the Swiss education system so much and why students need to change universities during their studies.
How to leave for a semester to one of the best universities in Europe and stay there for two years. Alexander Mylnikov
Why did you choose the exchange semester program with EPFL?
The decision to go to study in Switzerland was quite difficult for me. This is a very expensive country to live in, but at the same time, the exchange program with a university in Lausanne is one of the best that operates at ITMO University. I am really grateful to the university for giving me such an opportunity. Moreover, students who come to EPFL for an exchange semester do not have to pay tuition fees. But if you study there permanently, then you have to pay state tax - about 633 francs per semester ( about 40 thousand rubles). I also tried to apply for the exchange semester program at Aalto University, the University of Jyväskylä, and also at the University of Paris. But, unfortunately, my applications to these universities were rejected, as the deadline was overdue. And as an exception, I was admitted to the Polytechnic School of Lausanne even after the deadline for submitting documents. I think in the end it was the best option for me.
Did you have any advantages in enrolling in a master's program at EPFL?
No, because I only studied in Lausanne for half a year. If I spent a year there, it might somehow affect my enrollment. In general, the conditions for admission there are absolutely the same for everyone: for the Swiss, Russians, Americans, and at least for aliens. EPFL has two deadlines for applying for admission to the master's program: in January and in March. I really wanted to enter a foreign university, but first I decided to try, will I like living abroad at all? Can I? I didn't have this experience before. Therefore, I first studied for some time under the exchange semester program, and then in March I applied for admission to the magistracy of the Polytechnic School. The selection process for students at EPFL is completely closed. You simply submit the necessary documents, and a month later you receive an e-mail with a decision on enrollment. Of course, the admission committee of the Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne has its own selection criteria, but you cannot know exactly how the final decision is made. For me, this month of waiting was very exciting - I really wanted to enter and would have been upset if the competition had not passed.
What motivated you to enter EPFL so much?
Firstly, many advise that during the training you need to try several universities - preferably in other countries. This broadens the horizons, makes it possible to acquire non-standard skills. Secondly, the atmosphere at the university in Lausanne was very motivating. The people there are very friendly and open, and the environment is accessible and comfortable. The attitude towards international students at the university is very friendly. Before leaving for Switzerland, I was a little worried about how other students would treat me. But people at the university in Lausanne don't pay attention to your nationality at all. Rather, they are even interested in talking with the Russians, because there are very few citizens of the Russian Federation there. Absolutely everything is on an equal footing, everyone follows certain rules. In addition, I really liked that the educational courses are taught by professors who are the heads of laboratories and spend most of their lives studying their narrow topics.
Recently, I occasionally call myself the buzzword “blogger”. The main topic of my blog posts, I think, as you might guess, travel. Accordingly, I hope (so far unsuccessfully) that the same travel-obsessed people will come to my blog. However, since SEO questions are still only in the process of mastering, they find me for completely different requests - and most often about studying at the EPFL University.
Some people even write letters and messages! What makes me happy every time, and I always try to help them and tell them everything I know. Graduate studies are easy - I've gone through all this myself, and I can speak from my own experience. With a master's degree, it is more difficult, but also normal - some of the current graduate students went to advance science after the EPFL master's degree, so there is someone to clarify the necessary information. However, a few months ago I received a question about undergraduate studies. The question puzzled me - I do not know Russian bachelors here, I had to make some efforts.
So, how to enter EPFL for undergraduate studies? First, we read the official sources.
Who is eligible for 1 year Bachelor's degree?
Swiss students who have passed their school-leaving exams (maturité gymnasiale) get the green light and don't have to do anything, they are automatically accepted. For Europeans (residents of the EU), the conditions are also free - having a good certificate from a school with a scientific orientation and knowledge of French at level B2 (or better C1), they can also easily go to study without passing exams. Similar criteria for owners of a mysterious beast named I-Be (I.B. - International Baccalaureat).
What should everyone else do? There are two possibilities - either to go to a preparatory course, or to take an entrance exam.
Passing exams, having only a school certificate in hand, EPFL strongly advises against. But if suddenly someone decides - a fee of 800 francs, registration - in the fall, the exam itself at the end of January.
The preparatory course is called CMS - Special Mathematics Course. The course runs for a whole year, and following its results, you can enroll in any undergraduate program at EPFL. How to get there? The main requirements are to have a good diploma (80%, that is, an average score of at least 4) and a certificate confirming knowledge of French at level B2. Admission to the CMS is not guaranteed, but decided on a case-by-case basis on the basis of the dossier, in case there are vacancies.
How to apply?
Online, from mid-January to April 30. For documents that you do not have on hand at the time of confirmation of your application on April 30 - for example, a school diploma - there is a second deadline - July 15. By July 15 at the latest, all documents must be added to your file. For the consideration of your documents, the university requires a fee of 150 francs - this is if you are not Swiss, they take only 50 from your own. The results are reported around mid-August. Among the necessary documents, by the way, is a copy of all the grades received in the last two years of the school.
How does it actually happen?
As one bachelor student told me, everyone is taken to CMS - simply because there are not very many applicants. I don’t know how true this is, so I advise you to check it empirically 🙂 However, we must remember that in order to enter the EPFL, getting into the course is not enough - you also need to study well. Many do not withstand the load and fly out of this course. There are 8 subjects on the course - two different analyzes, geometry, physics, chemistry, biology, algebra. The eighth subject is an elective from programming, descriptive geometry and applied mathematics. In total, if everything is summed up, it turns out, indeed, as stated in the title of the course - solid mathematics, 22 hours a week.
My friend told me that out of 113 students who came in September, about 50 graduated from his course. To successfully graduate, you need to have an average score in all subjects in the fall semester - 3.5 out of 6, and in the spring semester - 4 out of 6. From my point of view of view, a somewhat strange approach - it turns out that you can fill up one subject and pass the rest with excellent marks, and still pass successfully, but here and in regular courses there is a similar scheme.
The last exams are held in the first week of June, and the results are known by the end of the month.
