Eligibility for university studies

An upper secondary school-leaving certificate is the standard entry route to university studies.

However, you may also be eligible by way of a professional or specialist diploma, if your average mark in the complementary Passerelle Dubs exam, offered by the Commission suisse de maturité, qualifies as a pass.

Holders of Bachelor degrees from Universities of Applied UASAs or UTEs are also eligible for Master programmes. In such cases, the UniNE will establish the supplementary requirements to be met, according to the gap between the knowledge and skills acquired during Bachelor level studies and those required at Master level.

Master degree

The prerequisite for access to a Master program is a successfully completed Bachelor program in a related subject.

A Bachelor degree obtained in a non-related subject and/or in a foreign country gives its holder access to Master programs under certain conditions. Further requirements may be asked (e.g. 30 or 60 additional ECTS before the Master program, additional studies during the Master program).

For admission to specialized Master programs, the University sets additional requirements, equally applicable to all candidates.

How to apply

Before the deadline, applicants send the application form, online or paper version, with the documents below :

• photo (passport format)
• copy of your passport or ID card
• copy of the High School Diploma or equivalent
• copy of Bachelor or equivalent (if already obtained). If admitted, a legalization may be requested
• copy of the diploma supplement or the list of grades and ECTS credits for each previous university year
• if you study in a Swiss university or School of Higher Education, the certificate of completion (exmatriculation)
• proof of payment of administrative fees (CHF 100.-) if you have a foreign bachelor
• additional documents – a complete resumé (Curriculum Vitae) and a motivation letter

Only completed files will be considered.

Successful applicants will then receive an admission certificate (which is essential to obtain a visa) and will be asked to present certain documents, in particular the original qualifications.

Deadlines

Generally, the steps above must be taken as soon as possible, as – in certain countries – administrative requests may take several months (visa requests, legalization of diplomas, etc). The completed registration request must arrive at the Registration Services by:

• April 30 to be registered in the fall semester of the current year
• November 30 to be registered in the spring semester of the current year.

It is recommended that students begin their studies in the fall semester. For certain courses, admission is only possible in the fall semester.

Adminitrative fees

There is no administrative fee for holder of Swiss qualifications.

A fee of CHF 100.- is charged for an application made on the basis of a foreign diploma. This amount is deducted from the first semester tuition fees for students admitted to UniNE. If the person is refused or does not start their studies during the concerned semester, the administrative fees will not be reimbursed.

Doctorate

Doctoral candidates must satisfy the following requirements:

• hold a Master degree (regulated by a university), a ‘licence’, a university diploma or a qualification judged equivalent
• be eligible for doctoral study in the country where the academic qualification has been obtained
• obtain a written agreement from a professor who will act as thesis director
• obtain the agreement of the faculty, with regard to the subject of the thesis

We invite those who are interested to contact the secretariat of the relevant faculty directly for further information:

• Faculty of Humanities
• Faculty of Science
• Faculty of Law
• Faculty of Economics and Business

Doctoral candidates may undertake a thesis in collaboration with a foreign university:

• Study Exchange Office

How to apply

Before the deadline, the candidate must send the documents below to:

Immatriculations
Av. du 1er-Mars 26
CH-2000 Neuchâtel

• the registration request form, completed and signed
• 2 passport-sized photographs (not scanned)
• a copy of a document which proves the candidate’s identity
• a copy of completed secondary studies diploma
• a copy of the Bachelor degree diploma
• a copy of the Master degree diploma (if already obtained)
• copies of certificates of previous university education
• a copy of the agreement with the professor acting as thesis director
• a certificate of exmatriculation from the last university or Swiss high school attended

Auditing Students

Auditing student status is open to any person over 18 years of age.

• Auditing students do not have access to any university degrees or diplomas
• They may take examinations and receive a certificate stating that they have followed the course, with mention of the mark obtained.
• In some cases, access to courses may be restricted when integration conditions are not adequate, as in the instance of the ILCF courses and the seminars/workshops of the Faculty of Humanities.
• Tuition fees will be billed according to the number of hours followed. Auditing students may normally follow a maximum of 6 hours of courses per week.

Procedure

• Consult the course program
• Take part in the first two weeks of courses in order to choose options and to check schedules and rooms
• Fill out the form specifying the semester concerned and detailing the selected courses
• Provide a photocopy of a document which stands as proof of identity
• Pay via the post office, by means of the payment slip which will be given to you by the Registration Office. The receipt will act as an « auditing student card » that you must be able to present at any time, should you be asked, for administrative reasons.

The staff members of the Registration Office are at your disposal for further information.