Escabeau Programme
The Escabeau Programme (literally stepladder) seeks to facilitate the integration of migrants in Switzerland (refugees with B, F, N, and S permits). Our programme includes several initiatives to help foster integration:
- improving French communication skills (from A2 to C1);
- attending a CAS in integration to complement a diploma awarded abroad;
- pursuing BA or MA programmes, according to previous academic record;
- attending the integration programme for foreign students starting their BA curriculum at the UniNE (Escabeau admission)
- being supported by a mentor while studying at the UniNE.
Click on the situation which is the closest to your circumstances :
The Escabeau Programme helps you improve your French communication skills (from A2 to C1) through different curricula and classes.
For example, if you already have an A2 level in French, according to the CEFR, you could attend the courses of the Preparatory year (please note that to be admitted you need to have a high-school diploma equivalent to a Swiss Federal Vocational or General Baccalaureate).
You will find more information under the tab “Learning French” below.
To apply for a BA, it is important to choose which actual programme you want to take, as well as to check if your high school diploma will grant you access to higher education in Switzerland.
If the conditions are met, you can apply.
If your high school diploma is not recognised but you normally would have access to higher education in your country of origin and the other required conditions are met, you can apply for the integration programme for BA studies (Escabeau admission), see the tab below.
Please note that a good command of French is required to comfortably and successfully attend BA courses. Depending on your communication skills in French, you will be asked to improve your French first. You will find more information on the tab “Learning French” below.
You can apply for an MA programme in one of our faculties. Admission will depend on your academic record and is conditional upon a positive evaluation of the chosen faculty.
To attend courses comfortably and successfully, students are required to have good written and oral communicative skills in the language of instruction. For MA programmes taught in French, you might be asked to start with improving your language skills. You will find more information on the tab “Learning French” below.
For MA programmes taught in English, you can attend language classes in parallel to your other courses – see the Language Centre offer in Academic English.
To apply for a BA, it is important to choose which actual programme you want to take, as well as check if your high school diploma will grant you access to higher education in Switzerland.
For many countries, you will be required to show certification of admittance at a university or the proof that you spent a set number of semesters in a university in the country of origin in the same type of programme than the one which was selected at the UniNE.
If the conditions are met, you can apply. Please follow the instructions given on the page Escabeau admission. If your registration is accepted, you can ask to validate some of the credits already acquired in your country of origin – go to the page Equivalence – taking into account previous studies.
If the conditions are not met and you are not admissible, you can apply for the integration programme for BA studies (Escabeau admission).
Please note that a good command of French is required to comfortably and successfully attend BA courses. Depending on your communication skills in French, you will be asked to improve your French first. You will find more information on the tab “Learning French” below.
Since September 2018, the UniNE offers a CAS (Certificate of Advanced Studies) in integration. This programme is tailored for students who have already obtained a higher education diploma. It helps them complement their prior studies in a new context. It is offered in each faculty: the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, the Faculty of Science, the Faculty of Law, and the Faculty of Economics and Business.
To know more about this programme:
Contact
University of Neuchâtel
Immatriculations
Av. du 1er-Mars 26
CH-2000 Neuchâtel
Enrolment
Financial support
Migrants who apply for the Escabeau programme can benefit from financial support, under certain conditions, depending on their study plan and their individual projects. Such financial support needs to be mentioned in the application form to the programme.
Learning French
Whole programmes at the Institut de langue et civilisation françaises (ILCF)
These programmes are aimed at non-native French speakers who want to receive practical training in French at A2 level and above. Courses includes practical language teaching, supplemented by cultural aspects of European civilisation; oral and written communication (reading, listening, speaking, and writing); acquisition of skills for independent and collaborative work.
Cost : 790.- per semester (financial support available under certain conditions)
- Apply (Escabeau candidates)
Weekly French classes: Bite-size French
If you are studying in a BA or MA programme, you can improve your French communication skills with the bite-size French courses, taking place at lunchtime. These free courses are offered to the UniNE non-native French students for levels from A1 to C1.
To know more and to apply:
Français pour tous (literally French for all)
These free French classes are taught by volunteers from the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. The public is mainly asylum seekers, holders of N permits, but courses are also opened to foreigners who have recently been granted an extended residence permit (F permit or B permit for recognised refugees), as well as people with an S permit. Courses are organised around 4 levels (A1-B1). Since Feburary 2019, the programme organises a babysitting service during classes.
To know more and to apply:
Summer course
The summer course takes place for 4 weeks in July and is opened to participants who are 17 and older. Classes are organised from A1 to C1 level.
To know more and to apply :
Integration programme for BA Studies
The University of Neuchâtel organises an integration programme for BA studies to asylum seekers who hold B (refugee), F, N and S permits and do not meet the conditions for direct admission. They can apply to all BA programmes, with the exception of the BA in Human Medicine and the BA in Pharmaceutical Science.
This Escabeau admission is by application only. Candidates need to meet the following conditions:
- foreign high school diploma giving access to higher education in the country where is was granted;
- attestation of French language skills at B2 level, according to the CEFR;
- asylum status B, F, N or S;
- agreement from the department responsible for granting social assistance in asylum matters.
At the end of the application procedure, a conditional admission is granted to applicants who meet the fixed conditions. Applicants start their first year of BA programme and have one year to validate 30 ECTS in the chosen programme. If applicants validate these 30 ECTS, the conditional status is waived and they pursue their BA as regular students. Programme participants receive guidance and support until the end of their studies (regular meetings and support from a mentor, organised by the SACAD).
Cost : CHF 790.- per semester (Go to page “financial support” if it is needed)
Registration
CAS in integration
With the CAS in integration, people with a higher education diploma can do additional training in one of the faculties and obtain certification. They attend BA courses in their own field or in a different field of study to complement their previous higher education diploma.
To know more
Enrolment
Application for the Escabeau programme are opened to refugee and asylum seekers in Switzerland who hold a B (refugee), F, N or S permit.
To enrol, fill in the application form and send it to us by email or post.
You also need to send compulsory documentation that differs according to the study programme you want to enrol on:
French programmes:
- a high school diploma (equivalent to a Swiss Federal Vocational or General Baccalaureate); a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree;
- attestation of French language skills at A2 level, according to the CEFR.
Integration programme for BA studies (Escabeau admission)
- a high school diploma, which gives access to higher education in the country where it was granted ;
- attestation of French language skills at B2 level, according to the CEFR;
- agreement from the department responsible for granting social assistance in asylum matters.
Bachelor’s/Master’s Programmes :
- a high school diploma (equivalent to a Swiss Federal Vocational or General Baccalaureate);
- Bachelor’s degree (if obtained, compulsory to enrol on a MA programme);
- copy of all the marks delivered for each year the applicants spent at university;
- exmatriculation certificate if you have already studied in another Swiss university;
- complete resumé and cover letter can be asked for some programmes.
CAS d’intégration :
- holding a recognised university degree;
- attestation of French language skills at B2 level, according to the CEFR.
Enrol
Mentoring
The UniNE has launched the ‘Escabeau Mentoring’ project. This project is funded by the ‘Perspectives-Etudes’ fund belonging to the Swiss Union of Students. It aims to help asylum seekers who study at our university and offers guidance and support for their studies and integration. The main idea of the project is that students who have been studying at the UniNE for some years (mentors) share their experience and knowledge with student refugees (mentorees).
