FAQ
Frequently asked questions for outgoing students
You are currently enrolled at D-MAVT, in the normal cycle/standard period of your study programme, and meet the requirements of ETH, D-MAVT, and the selected partner universities.
You can undertake an exchange semester in the third year of your Bachelor's degree or the first year of your Master's degree at D-MAVT. However, D-MAVT recommends the first year of the Master's programme as the ideal time for the exchange semester.
For all ETH exchange programmes, including the "worldwide programme" (ETH-wide and departmental), the "Swiss-European Mobility Programme" (SEMP), and/or the "Swiss programme" ("Swiss Mobility"), you can apply for an exchange semester with up to ten priority choices directly through the Mobility-Online platform. The application deadline for the following academic year is 1 December.
If you meet the requirements set by ETH, D-MAVT, and the selected partner institution, you are eligible to apply. The selection process is carried out centrally by the ETH Zurich Student Exchange Office and all places are allocated via a "lottery" (randomised selection). More information about the allocation process.
To apply to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge), the Northwestern University (Illinois), the University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia), or the University of Texas at Austin through the "worldwide departmental programme", you must have a weighted average grade of at least 5.60 (no rounding) at the time of application. If this requirement is not met, these partner universities cannot be listed among your priorities, and your application to them will not be considered.
Yes, you may apply for up to ten priority choices across all ETH Zurich exchange programmes via Mobility-Online. However, it is important to carefully consider which partner universities and programmes best match your study at ETH.
The application deadline for exchanges in the following academic year is 1 December.
The ETH Student Exchange Office holds an online information session about the application process for all interested students in mid-October, as well as an Infomarkt in late October, where former outgoing students will share their experiences.
Additionally, the D-MAVT Student Exchange organises an information event specifically for D-MAVT students in early November, addressing all exchange-related questions for the following academic year. The event date and location will be announced on the ETH website “Information events organised by the departments” and the D-MAVT website “Students' information events” before the start of the Autumn Semester.
No. D-MAVT students may only go on exchange to universities with which D-MAVT has established reciprocal agreements, either within Switzerland or abroad.
- If your study abroad was not in the framework of the ETH Zurich exchange programme but self-organised, the credits cannot be recognised for your study at ETH Zurich.
- All project and thesis work abroad is self-organised. You should first discuss the thesis/project abroad with your tutor and supervisor. Once they agree, you can conduct the research outside ETH, but you must register for the course at ETH and will be graded by your ETH thesis/project supervisor. Therefore, project and thesis work are not recognised as exchange programs.
Visit the IKB page to see what experiences our students are having abroad and what they have to say.
Frequently asked questions for incoming students
There has to be a formal exchange agreement between your home university and ETH Zurich. You can ask the coordinator at your home university if such an agreement exists.
- Project mobility students: If you meet certain requirements, yes. See details.
- Exchange students: If you find an ETH professor as a supervisor, yes. It is your responsibility to find a supervisor and upload the supervisor’s confirmation when you apply for your exchange at ETH.
After the start of the semester, the ETH Student Exchange Office will ask you by email to update your final choice of courses in Mobility-Online by the end of the second week of the semester. After the add and drop phase, the recorded enrolments in Mobility-Online and myStudies must be identical.
According to the ETH study guideline, two-thirds of your course credits must be offered by the department you are applying to. Exceptions are possible for interdisciplinary study programmes. However, it is not about whether you are in an interdisciplinary study programme at your home institute but if a course is offered in an interdisciplinary study programme at ETH. For instance, if a course does not start with 151 but is offered in MSc in Robotics, Systems and Control, it is a subject for D-MAVT Student Exchange to make an exception for your study plan at ETH.
When requesting your transcript, you will have to check out if all grades are published in myStudies. If yes, D-MAVT Student Exchange can provide you with an e-Transcript upon request.