Practical Informations

This page has been designed to help you prepare your future stay at the Graduate Institute and in Geneva. Undergraduate students are responsible for their personal logistics including travel arrangements, accommodation and visa issues and we, therefore, invite you to read the information below carefully.

You will find below the different steps to follow to prepare for your stay in Geneva:

Submit your housing request
Accommodation must be secured before starting the visa procedure
Apply for your visa (if needed) & residence permit
It takes up to 3 months for your visa application to be processed.
Activate your Geneva Graduate Institute email and Campus account and download the Pocket IHEID smartphone app and start looking at the course offering.
Read information on health insurance

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Master level courses

The academic year at the Geneva Graduate Institute consists of two semesters, each 14 weeks long.
The typical course load is five courses each semester; you can therefore expect to have at least 10 class hours each week.

Most courses require a large amount of reading, individual or group research, papers and other types of preparation before each weekly class.
Class attendance is expected; instructors should be notified in advance of any absences. In many courses, a significant portion of the grade is based on the quality of class participation. Students are required to come prepared for each class and are encouraged to engage actively and critically with the academic material.

Exams usually take place during the last week of classes and can be either sit-in or take-home exams.

Class size varies between introductory lectures and specialised seminars. On average, there are about 20 students in each course, providing numerous opportunities to interact with the professor.

Courses availability for undergraduate semester students

Master-level courses listed on your Campus portal (access is given upon admission) are open to incoming exchange students.
Compulsory courses and research method electives are not open to undergraduate students
Admitted students will receive instructions on how to register for courses by email.
Changes to course registrations can be made during the first week of classes but are subject to places available.

Ressources

When to arrive in Geneva

We advise that you plan to arrive 3-7 days before the semester begins to have time to get acquainted with your new surroundings. Geneva is quite small and when the academic year begins, you will have plenty of time between classes to take care of any paperwork and to get organised.

A Welcome Meeting for incoming undergraduate students will take place on the first day of the semester. Details will be sent by email.

Students will officially register to the Institute during this meeting and attendance is therefore mandatory. During this meeting, students will finalize their registration to the Institute and receive their multi-service student cards.

The Institute’s Academic Adviser will also be present if you have any questions pertaining to course offerings and registration.

Practical Information about life in Geneva

Office Cantonal de la Population et des Migrations (OCPM)

Website: Welcome to Geneva

Route de Chancy 88, 1213 Onex
Opening hours: Mo, Tue, Th, Fr: 7:30-13:30; Wed 9:00-16:30
Telephone : +41 22 546 47 95, Mo-Fr: 13:30-16:30
Contact

Incoming Exchange students who have received a residence permit are required to inform the OCPM ) about their departure, at the latest, two weeks prior to leaving by sending the departure form. This procedure is mandatory.

Remember to cancel your insurance policy upon departure, otherwise, you will continue to receive invoices.

Access: Tram 14, Bus K and L «Bandol» stop. Map