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International programs & student supports

University of Lausanne

Location: Lausanne, Switzerland
Website: University of Lausanne
Language of instruction: French, with limited courses taught in English
Language requirement: students’ French language skills must be at least equivalent to level B2 of the CEFR
Terms: Fall semester (September - February) // Spring semester (February - July)

Highlights

  • The University of Lausanne (UNIL) is a Swissstate university that focuses on Life Sciences, Geosciences, Environment, Business, Medicine, Humanities and Social Sciences.
  • UNIL is a research intensive university that encourages interdisciplinary. UNIL is situated at the heart of the French-speaking region of Switzerland, in the centre of Western Europe. It welcomes more than 400 exchange students every year!

Area of study

  • Theology and Sciences of Religions
  • Law, Criminal Justice and Public Administration
  • Arts
  • Social and Political Sciences
  • Business and Economics (HEC Lausanne)
  • Geosciences and Environment
  • Biology
    • Most courses in these departments are taught in French.

The full UNIL course catalogue is available and can be filtered by teaching language. 

Courses taught in English are available in the following departments: 

  • Business and Economics
  • Biology
  • English Literature

French Language Courses: 

Credits

Credits at Lausanne:

  • Full-time option (7.5 UVic units): 30 ECTS per term at Lausanne 

Course Evaluations at UVic: 

  • Before departure, UVic students will be able to submit exchange courses to UVic for evaluation. The results will indicate how many UVic units each exchange course is worth, as well as the course equivalency.
  • Students must use the evaluation results to ensure their exchange courses credits add up to the equivalent UVic units. The total number of units for each exchange term should be 4.5 UVic units for part-time exchange or 7.5 UVic units for full-time exchange.
  • This course evaluation process will be made available and explained in detail during the pre-departure session in early October for Spring exchange terms and in late March for Fall exchange terms. Evaluations take 2-6 weeks to complete and will be emailed to students. 
  • Course evaluations results are tentative until the end of the exchange term, when a second, final evaluation is conducted by OREM using the students’ exchange transcript, and the results are applied to their UVic record. 

Exchange credit history

  • Click here to check out the exchange credit history of courses that have been previously evaluated by UVic for this host university.
  • Students are not limited to this list when selecting courses for their upcoming exchange and should consult the host university’s course catalogue for a full list of offerings.
  • Important note: this document is a guide only and previously evaluated courses are not guaranteed to be evaluated in the same way in the future.
  • After being accepted into the ICS Exchange Program, students will have the chance to submit exchange courses to UVic for evaluation. The results will provide updated unit and credit equivalency information. 

Housing

  • On-campus housing: Unavailable
  • Off-campus housing: Available 
    • The university works closely with the Foundation Maisons pour Etudiants Lausanne (FMEL), which welcomes over 3,500 students at 14 locations, mainly within the Lausanne urban area.
    • More housing information can be found here.

Cost of Living:

  • The cost of living in Lausanne for students all included is around CHF 2,100 per month (incl.
    accommodation: CHF 700 to 900).

Medical Insurance, Immigration & Arrival

  • Medical insurance: Mandatory
    • Exchange students must have health and accident insurance coverage that complies with Swiss regulations. If the health and accident insurance does not offer the minimum coverage required by
      Swiss law, the exchange student will have to opt-in to Swiss health and accident insurance.
  • Immigration documents: Student visa required
    • Students should apply to the Swiss diplomatic representation in their own country in order to complete the necessary administrative procedure.
    • See Settling in Lausanne for more information. 
  • Orientation program: Available

How to apply

Learn how to apply or sign up to receive emails about studying on exchange at a partner university. We will send you information about events, application deadlines, funding opportunities, and more!