Hi. I'm from Basel, and me and my family just moved here.
I have finished my High/Secondary Education in a non-German speaking country, and I am planning to attend a German-speaking university here.
Right now, I was given a 2-year integration/german course and I would like to ask if after I learn the language, would it be possible for me to enter this German-speaking university?
This is considering I did not finish my secondary education in Switzerland.
I am a High school graduate, and I have my diploma.
Thank you for your input in advance. I really need it.
Guys, thanks for the input. All has been very helpful.
I checked the links and according to what I understood, my foreign high school diploma IS recognized.
BUT, on the same page, it says that there is an additional requirements to enter Basel/Zurich University, the universities that I would like to go to. And this requirement is that I should have a university degree certificate of atleast 3 years. Other countries do not have this requirement.
I just finished high school, so I certainly don't have any college degree.
My grades are really good, and my records/transcripts are blemish-free. And I really, really wanna go to college, do you think they can make exceptions?
That doesn't sound right... Are you sure that you weren't looking at the requirements for the admission to a masters course? Could you give the link to exact webpage, and indicate where in the text you have found this requirement listed?
It looks like you're right... I had a look at a couple of different countries (India, Gabon, USA, France, Italy) and I saw that it really depends on the country. It may sound elitist, but it might have to do with the fact that the compulsory education in some countries is not perceived as being sufficient to start studies here.
If you're convinced that your qualifications are good enough (read: you know enough stuff to start a university course here, no matter what your piece of paper says), I would suggest that you contact directly the head of department of the faculty where you're planning to study and see if there is any arrangement that can be made. Possible alternatives could be to enroll in a local high school to obtain a cantonal Matura, or (maybe better) enquire about taking the federal Matura. The secretary of the university will probably be in a better position to make good suggestions on what to do. I tried to look up something in google and this is what I found (try looking for information yourself too):
I had the same problem, since you use the term high school diplom i assume you come from the states as did I, I just graduated high school with very good grades as well.
I also saw that swiss univerisities recognize the high school diploma but yes most will also require up to 3 years of college, I contacted all the major universities and they all told me it doesnt meet the requiremnts.
I ended up geting into a school here with my high school diploma and proving some work experiance. I am going to start my Bachlor in fall but its not concidered a university, one level below, I suggest you search for a "Hochschule" for example I will go to Hochschule Luzern and theres a lot just have to do some research, hope it helps if you have questions contact me because I just did this
Thanks for the link! I read about some test, granted you pass it, you will recieve a certificate that is equavalent of the Matura.
BUT, the test also involves French, German, and English.
I'm learning German right now, as it is the language of this canton, and I have no problems up to now. But the french test may cause me problems. *sigh*
im 18 (when i say just finished high school i mean it) i graduated in june and moved here right after so ive only been here 2 months and will start in classes in september
and i am in an only english course (all classes for all 3 years) so i didnt have to worry about anything like that
none, but to get in wasnt the easiest task, there were some "entrance qualifications in math so I just got the descriptions from my school in usa so they could see what I learned, then they accepted it and I had to write a few papers, send grades, diplomas along with a few other things
i suggest you check out hochscule basel on the website you can read what it takes to get in
The University of Applied Sciences of Northwestern Switzerland offers two BSc courses entirely in English if you are interested. Generally the entrance conditions are not quite as stringent as the mainstream universities but they require 12 months work experience.
Here is the website. Some of the links do not appear to be working but it should be enough for you to contact them if you are interested.
I didn't realise that you had been appointed the EF English teacher.....
The OP didn't say that he/she was a native English speaker, just that his/her education was in a non German-speaking country. Considering that he is contemplating a university education in German the fact that he/she may not read/write like Shakespeare is kind of irrelevant. I find your post patronising and lacking any constructive element.
The work experience may be the real challenge. Here I suggest you ask your parent(s) to see if they can pull some strings for you at their workplace. Afterall, the reason you are here is likely due to a relocation. Asking your parents employer for assistance is not inappropriate, in my opinion.
It is not easy to try and meet everyone's needs when moving and I think most parents do try and balance everyone's needs. I hope your parents are helping you with this. There are plenty of non Swiss students who are not fluent in a local language pursuing their education here. It can be done.
Asking HR to see if they assist in some way with helping you find a position that will qualify as appropriate work experience is not too much to ask. If you don't already have one, put together a CV and write a cover letter explaining what course you intend to study and the work qualifications you need for acceptance.
In support of your application, a school may also request that you attend an interview.
One last point, it is quite common here for students to be older than you are when they begin their studies. There are a variety of reasons why they may have had to postpone the start date for their studies (military service, for example).