My report in Curriculum Development

1. Tertiary Education in
Switzerland
By: Mark Chester U. Elnar

2. The Swiss education system is internationally renowned for its
high academic standards, well-regarded research outputs and
student-centered teaching methods. Tertiary education in
Switzerland follows the Bologna Process and is divided into three
program cycles with Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctorate degrees.

3. Primary School: not younger than 6 years old, usually, it is from
6–12 years old. Junior middle school: From 12–14 years old.
Senior middle school: from 15–18 years old. Then University:
from 19–22 years old.
Bachelor courses typically take three years to complete full time
and are open to all foreign students who have a secondary/high-
school-leaving certificate and a good command of the tuition
language (this could be French, German or Italian depending on
where you study).

4. In terms of administration, the Swiss education system is largely
decentralized and each of the 26 cantons is primarily
administered by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and
Innovation (SERI).

5. In Switzerland you can also find public and private Universities of
Applied Sciences, Higher Education Institutions like the
prestigious IHEID in Geneva, Higher Education Institutions of Arts
and Music and Universities of Teacher Education.

6. The ten cantonal universities offer diverse programs in areas like
economics, mathematics, natural sciences, humanities or social
sciences. Switzerland is one of the top leaders in hotel
management education, as eight out of ten best hotel
management schools in the world like the Les Roches
International are located in the country.

7. The Swiss education system is based on a 6-point
grading scale:

8. Bachelor Studies in Switzerland
Higher education in Switzerland consists of 10 cantonal (regional)
universities and two federal institutes of technology. The oldest institution,
the University of Bern, has roots dating back to 1460, while the youngest
institution, the University of Lucerne, opened just in 2000.
University of Bern, 1909

9. Switzerland Academic Year
The academic year in Switzerland lasts from September to May, divided into
two teaching semesters: From September to December and February to May.
You can find programs in four different languages: English, French, Italian
and German. Contact the institutions of your choice for more relevant
information regarding the language of instruction.

10. Bachelor’s programs in Switzerland are completed within three
years of full-time studies awarding 180 ECTS credits (European
Credit Transfer and Accumulation System). However, there are
specific programs like medicine or pharmacy that last up to five
or six years. Completing a Bachelor’s degree in Switzerland is a
prerequisite for admittance to studies at a Master’s level.

11. Switzerland has one of the best education systems in the world
with a high Switzerland education ranking. According to World
Population Review, Switzerland education system ranking is
at 6th position for the year 2021.