History of ETH
The ETH Zurich has existed since 1855. After a lengthy debate in Switzerland as to whether an institution of higher education of federal importance should be created, in February 1854 a bill was approved for a "federal polytechnic school for higher education in the exact, political and human sciences". As a result, the ETH began operating in mid-October 1855 in Zurich, becoming an integral part of the city's architecture.
At the beginning, studies were limited to technical subjects, so students could not learn information about the nature of Zurich and other cities in the world. The reason for this is that the Swiss universities wanted to avoid being marked by the intellectual monopoly of the Protestants and representatives of the urban cantons. The ETH Zurich was created by the confederation and is currently under federal control.
Status of ETH
Currently, ETH Zurich represents an educational institution in Europe, where students can receive higher and postgraduate education. Modern students can study both technical and natural sciences. It is important to note that the school studies the architecture of Zurich as a separate subject.
Over the course of its 200-year history, ETH has been able to gain a high reputation and become known as one of the best educational institutions. This educational institution in Zurich manages to be in the top positions of various world rankings. This high status is confirmed by students and graduates of the technical school.
21 Nobel laureates have graduated from ETH, including Albert Einstein and Wilhelm Roentgen. This can be called one of the most important achievements of Zurich and all of Switzerland.
ETH and the present
Currently, about 15,000 students study at the ETH. Many students study the architecture of Zurich and the world. It is important to note that such a subject as architecture is taught by the best teachers. Many of them are engaged in the study of the architecture of Zurich, and they can personally tell a lot of interesting facts and stories about it.
Students who study at the Higher Technical School are citizens of 80 countries of the world. This is proof that in Zurich you can get the best higher education that meets international standards. In addition, students can study architecture and understand its features, depending on the region. Approximately four hundred professors teach and conduct research in the field of mechanical engineering, various natural and system-oriented sciences, architecture, mathematics, sociology, and management. As a result, students who receive higher education can understand how multifaceted not only architecture is, but also how multifaceted many other sciences are. In addition, the architecture of Zurich is considered one of the most beautiful and unusual among other European cities. Many graduates of the ETH have contributed to the construction of new architecture in Zurich.
Efficiency and Reliability
Studying at ETHZ opens doors and provides undeniable prospects for professional success. About 12,000 students from more than 60 countries study with 350 professors, representing 40% of foreign specialists. Diploma preparation is as compact as it is highly structured. Every year, ETHZ issues about 1,400 diplomas, with 1,300 diploma students receiving initial training in the same School.It is also possible to obtain a higher education teaching certificate or postgrade training.For students, this becomes the starting point in a scientific career.About 500 students receive a doctorate in research.
Departments of Education
ETHZ offers the following disciplines (with the designation of the diploma in brackets):
- agronomy (engineer-agronomist);
- architecture (architect);
- biology (diploma in natural sciences);
- chemistry (chemist);
- electricity (electrical engineer);
- chemical engineering (chemical engineer);
- civil engineering (civil engineer);
- environmental technology (engineer);
- technology of mechanics and processes (mechanical engineer, process engineer);
- geomatics (geomatic engineer);
- computer science (software engineer)
- teacher of gymnastics and sports (federal diploma of gymnastics and sports I or II)*;
- materials (materials engineer);
- mathematics (mathematician);
- pharmaceuticals (pharmacist, federal diploma of pharmacist*);
- physics (physicist);
- food sciences (engineer);
- management and production sciences (management and production engineer);
- earth sciences;
- forest science (forestry engineer);
- environmental sciences;
- interdisciplinary natural sciences.
* upon completion of this training, you can get a federal diploma.
(Regulation 1.1.98)
Doctor degree
An ETHZ doctoral degree certifies that the holder can conduct high-quality scientific research. The following doctoral degrees are awarded:
- doctor of technical sciences (Dr.sc.techn.);
- Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences (Dr.sc.nat.);
- Doctor of Mathematical Sciences (Dr.sc.math.).
Postgraduate studies/Postgrades
The ETHZ chapters organize postgraduate studies and Postgrades, designed for people with higher education and working in their specialty. Depending on the discipline, the duration of training can be 600 hours of lectures and scientific work, i.e. two semesters full-time or four semesters part-time; culminate in the issuance of a certificate (university title). The Postgrades cycle (approximately 200 hours) is carried out in parallel with the professional activity, after which the ETHZ certificate is issued. Postgraduate studies are offered in the following disciplines:
- architecture
- occupational health
- enterprise management
- development cooperation
- intellectual property
- human nutrition
- technical support for communications
- medical physics
- arrangement of the territory.
Besides...
At the request of students and its partners, ETHZ organizes practical classes (non-scientific) in the field of business (economics and the environment), industrial training (industrial training methods) and communication (written and oral).
5 0 5 1
Freedom, responsibility, entrepreneurial spirit and openness to the world - these Swiss values are the foundation of ETH Zurich. Since 1855, ETH Zurich (ETH Zurich - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) has been a center of knowledge and innovation. ETH Zurich, located in the heart of Europe, creating connections around the world, finds effective solutions to the global problems facing humanity. This educational structure is not only a permanent member of European and world rankings, but often does not leave the top twenty. ETH Zurich is the highest ranked university in continental Europe based on the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings. In the latter, he currently occupies the tenth position.
History and features of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
This educational institution was founded in 1954 by the Swiss Confederation, but the first lectures began to be taught in 1955 as a polytechnic institute. Initially, in the structure of the university there were only 6 faculties:
- architectural;
- machine-building;
- civil engineering;
- chemical;
- forestry;
- an integrated department for natural sciences, mathematics, sociological and political sciences, as well as literature.
ETH Zurich, 4 associated research institutes and the Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne, pursuing the goal of cooperation in scientific projects, organize the "ETH domain".
ETH Zurich has 500 professors, while the total number of teachers is 2470 academic teachers. It teaches 20,000 students from 120 countries, that is, 37% of foreigners study at the university. The track record of this institute includes 21 Nobel laureates, including Albert Einstein.
Tuition fees and other expenses
The main language of instruction at the undergraduate level is German, while most postgraduate degrees are taught in English. The tuition fee for undergraduate and graduate students is 580 Swiss francs per semester (approximately 550 US dollars, that is, 1100 must be paid per year). For foreign students, the fee does not differ significantly, and therefore, for a year of study at a bachelor's or master's degree, you must pay $ 1,140. The fact that the tuition fee itself can be affordable for almost any foreigner who decides to study abroad does not mean that this particular university should be preferred without hesitation. Switzerland is a country where the standard of living is quite high, therefore, it will take from 20,500 to 37 thousand dollars a year for accompanying expenses, such as accommodation, food, clothing, sports, transport, utilities and communications, entertainment and additional research.
That is why, when planning to receive a high-quality diploma, it is worth weighing the pros and cons, analyze your financial situation, and make the only right decision. Having a desire to get an education that can open up many opportunities, while not requiring large investments, experienced UP-STUDY employees advise to prefer Polish universities. In order to make the right choice of specialty and university the first time, we recommend that you seek help from our qualified representatives.
Summing up, it is worth noting that ETH Zurich is a prestigious and highly-rated university, which, in addition to interesting training programs, is able to offer material assistance, exchange programs and the invaluable experience of professors with great experience.Of course, the Institute of Technology does not undertake to cover all costs, but it tries to provide assistance by compensating at least 40% of the costs. Although, for many foreigners from the CIS countries and other states, even such assistance will not solve the problem of colossal additional costs.
Alisa Stepanova, 25 years old
Where, what do you study, for how long?
I study in Switzerland, at the ETH Zurich, at the Faculty of Architecture. I am getting a bachelor's degree. The 4th semester starts next week.
Did you study at a Russian university? What memories?
Yes, I graduated from the Department of Foreign Languages at the Karelian State Pedagogical University. I had very warm, almost family relations with most of the teachers: in this regard, I have very good memories. But there was a lot of free time, and because of this, the 5-year study period seems unreasonably long.
Among the graduates and teachers in the history of the ETH Zurich are 18 Nobel laureates.
How did you decide to leave? Why did you decide to change your major?
It seems to me that many foreign language students at some point in their lives have an idea to leave their homeland, to expand their prospects. Such a moment came in my life. In addition, I realized a long time ago that I want to study architecture - accordingly, I need to get a specialized education. And I entered the foreign language immediately after school, the decision was not very deliberate, as is often the case.
When choosing a university, first of all, I wanted to find a place where I could be in the center of modern architecture. I wanted to be surrounded by students and teachers who would be in awe of this subject. I looked not only at foreign universities, but in the curriculum of various Russian architectural universities I was scared away by excessive study of academic drawing and buildings of antiquity. At the same time, very little attention was paid to modern solutions and practices. So I decided to leave.
What was the admission process like?
I am studying for a bachelor's degree, and since I already have one higher education, I needed:
Pass the German language proficiency exam. Since my profile language in foreign language was German, there were no special problems with the exam. .
Translate and certify documents from the university.
Complete the online application and attach all of the above documents. The application costs 150 Swiss francs (approximately $165).
The deadline for applications is from November 1st to April 30th. The answer comes somewhere within 1-2 months. . After receiving an invitation, you must apply for a visa. The process of obtaining a visa takes about 3 months. The visa costs 110 Swiss francs (approximately $120). .
But for a Swiss visa, I have a stack of papers 5 cm high. If you want to enter a Swiss university after school, then first you also submit an online application along with your matriculation certificate. Then, if the commission is interested in you, it will send a conditional invitation. After that, you will need to take the entrance exams (between August 19-29). Exams are taken directly at the university. Depending on your school curriculum, you will have to take either 9 exams (it will cost 800 francs or 870 dollars) or 5 exams (550 francs, about 600 dollars). Exams, they say, are quite difficult, but within the framework of the school curriculum. .
At the same time, you will only be able to start studying in a year: since the exam results come in September, and you still need time to get a visa (about 3 months).
Where do you live now?
It is very difficult to find accommodation in Zurich, it can take several months. In addition, the process is quite nervous: tenants ask you to fill out a questionnaire about yourself, sometimes they even take your photo with a serial number in your hands and in the end they say “Sorry, nein. It's not about you."
Now we are renting an apartment with two classmates. We live on the longest street in Switzerland, which stretches from Zurich to another city - Basel. We were looking for an apartment specifically near our campus, as we often have to return home after studying at night, when the buses no longer run. There are quite a few students who travel every day to study from their hometowns - Bern, Basel, etc.
Tell me about your classmates.
At my faculty, most of the students are from different parts of Switzerland: from Zurich, Bern, Basel, Geneva, Lausanne, Lugano. There are many Italian and French speaking students. I really wanted to meet at least one student from Russia, but I am still in active search. Only once on the board was clumsily written in native letters "I work for Putin." My joy at the found compatriot did not last long: it turned out that it was written by a Swiss student of Russian.
What are you working on?
The last project was urban planning. It was necessary to propose ideas for the redevelopment of a small area of Zurich. The task was to analyze urban and private space and improve its quality. The project lasted six months, and as a result, a plan of the urban space, facades of new buildings, and apartment layouts were made.
What does the learning process look like? Describe your typical school day.
School starts at 8 am and ends at 8 pm if you're lucky. At first, I often had to stay overnight at the university to cope with the number of assignments. More important than attending lectures is just working on your architectural project. The professor's assistants help in this process, and the professor himself only gives the final criticism, which lasts all day. This is a great opportunity to watch presentations of various projects and hear what experienced practicing architects have to say about your ideas.
What is your coolest professor?
It's hard to single out anyone. All the professors here are very successful, quite famous architects, engineers, art and architecture historians. For example, in the 3rd year, you can get on a course with such architects as Duke and de Meuron. Guest speakers from all over the world also constantly come.
What are the benefits of being a student?
In Switzerland, students are loved, and this love is expressed in various discounts in shops, museums, cafeterias, and free access to gyms.
How do you usually spend your free time and do you have much of it?
There is almost no free time. Student unions organize parties that fit comfortably into the learning process (for example, after the final presentation of the project). But I see a computer screen and a wood-cutting machine much more often than I do Lake Zurich or Fraumunster's stained-glass windows.
What is the most important knowledge or skill that you received in the process of studying?
Perhaps most importantly, I began to feel much better space, physical and temporal. Hmm, that sounds rather vague, but it's true.
What the cost of studying?
Tuition costs: 580 Swiss francs / semester = 3480 francs for 3 years = 3800 dollars for 3 years.
Living expenses: approximately CHF 500 per month = CHF 18,000 for 3 years = $19,500 for 3 years.
Visa costs: 110 Swiss francs (approximately $120).
ETH Zurich (German: Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich, abbreviated as ETHZ) is a world-renowned institution of higher education. In the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, published by the London-based Times Higher Education magazine, ETHZ has risen from 13th place in 2014 to 9th place in 2015. Thus, the ETH Zurich is one of the top ten technical universities in the world and is ranked as the best technical university in continental Europe. In The Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), also known as the Shanghai Ranking, which ranks 500 universities, ETH Zurich was ranked 20th in 2015.
Famous Alumni
ETH Zurich can rightly be proud of its famous graduates, whose solid list also includes Nobel laureates. This is, for example, the famous German physicist Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen (German: Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen, 1845 -1923), who received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1901. The famous physicist and creator of the theory of relativity Albert Einstein (German: Albert Einstein, 1879 -1955), who also received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921, studied and taught at ETHZ. Vladimir Prelog (1906-1998), a Swiss chemist of Croatian origin, who received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1975, studied at ETHZ. Swiss microbiologist and geneticist Werner Arber (German: Werner Arber, born 1929), also a graduate of the ETH Zurich, won the 1978 Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology.
Undergraduate and postgraduate students from over 120 countries
ETH Zurich was founded in 1855 and was called at that time the State Polytechnic School or the State Polytechnic with a modest number of students of 68 people. In 1908, the polytechnic received the right to award the degree of "doctor", and in 1911 it was renamed the Swiss Higher Technical School. ETHZ currently has over 19,200 undergraduate and graduate students from over 120 countries. ETHZ has more than 9,000 employees, including 498 professors.
Suggested majors
At the moment, this university is divided into 16 departments, which offer training in 23 specialties with a bachelor's or master's degree in technical, mathematical and natural sciences. The list of specialties is impressive: architecture, structural engineering, geomatics and planning, environmental engineering, electrical engineering and information technology, biotechnology, computer science, materials science, mechanical engineering, biology, chemistry, chemical engineering, interdisciplinary natural sciences, pharmaceutical sciences, mathematics, computerized sciences, physics , health sciences and technology, food science, agronomy, and ecology and natural and earth sciences. In addition, it offers training in the specialty of state studies, which involves the training of career officers. More than 700 dissertations and about 1,800 theses are defended at ETH Zurich every year.
The Swiss Higher Technical School actively cooperates with the Paul Scherrer Institute (German: Paul Scherrer Institut, PSI) in the canton of Aargau, which studies nuclear physics, as well as with the Research Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape (German: Eidgenössische Forschungsanstalt für Wald, Schnee und Landschaft) , which has branches in Birmensdorf (Canton of Zurich) and (Canton of Graubünden), which deals with the use and protection of natural and urban areas. ETHZ also actively cooperates with the State Materials Research Laboratory (Eidgenössische Materialprüfungs- und Forschungsanstalt Empa), founded in 1880, with branches in Dübendorf and Thun, as well as the State Institute for Water Supply, Wastewater Treatment and Water Protection (German: Eidgenössische Anstalt für Wasserversorgung , Abwasserreinigung und Gewässerschutz Eawag) with branches in Dübendorf and Kastanienbaum in the canton of Lucerne.
Sports in ETHZ
The leadership of ETH Zurich is doing everything possible to ensure that undergraduate and graduate students are actively involved in sports. The Zurich Academic Sports Society ASVZ organizes classes at ETH in more than 80 sports disciplines - from aerobics to rock climbing and yoga. An important sporting event is the SOLA relay race, which has been held annually since 1974 in late April - early May and consists of 14 stages with a total length of 116 kilometers.
University ball
The ETH Zurich annually hosts the Polyball University Ball, which gathers up to 9,000 participants and guests. The exact date of the first ball is unknown; It is believed that it originates in the 1880s. The ball starts at 7:00 pm on the last Saturday in November and continues until 5:00 am on Sunday morning.
Admission and tuition fees
Education at the ETH Zurich is paid, but the amount of payment is quite modest. Students pay 644 francs per semester. Postgraduate students pay a one-time fee of 320 francs for admission to graduate school and pay only 32 francs per semester. However, an ETHZ PhD student must also pay a one-time fee of CHF 1,200 for admission to a thesis defense. Applicants with a Swiss Abitur are allowed to study at ETH Zurich without entrance exams. The admission of foreign applicants depends on the subjects and grades in their matura; in some cases, entrance exams are required.
ETH Zurich address:
ETH Zurich
Ramistrasse 101
CH-8092 Zurich
Switzerland
Tel. : +41 44 632 11 11
Fax: +41 44 632 10 10
Internet: https://www.ethz.ch (German and English)
