Entry + Stay

Studying abroad, either on a short-term basis or for a complete degree, has many advantages. Not least of this is future attractiveness on the job market. But it also requires thorough preparation: you need to get organized in plenty of time.

Before you can set about organizing  a period of study in Switzerland, you need to make various arrangements concerning accommodation, immigration formalities and residence. According to your country of origin or nationality, there are various conditions  to be fulfilled.  Find out in good time about immigration formalities and make the appropriate arrangements.

Switzerland is a multilingual country. You need to have sufficient knowledge of the teaching languages to gain admission and to benefit from your period of study here.  German is the usual teaching language at Bern University of Applied Sciences (BUAS). On many courses, French and/or English are also used.

German courses

BUAS offers its exchange students German courses in co-operation with the University of Bern.  The Bern University Centre for Language Competence (ZSK) runs intensive courses for exchange students, together with its regular German as a foreign language programme. BUAS covers the cost of courses for ERASMUS students.
ZSK course offer / application

Beginner courses

A good knowledge of German is a requirement for admission to most programmes. This means that beginner courses are not offered; please make quite sure of what the language requirements are. On the Biel/Bienne campus, knowledge of French and German is required.

In Bern there are various private schools offering intensive and extensive German courses at all levels: