You need a minimum of 3 years of post-Bachelor degree work experience to be admitted. Applicants with a doctoral background are asked to contact us for an independent assessment of work completed as part of their doctoral studies.
We do not have a minimum GPA requirement. When assessing your application, we look at academic performance in the context of the entire application. We also acknowledge that assessment practices vary between different institutions and education systems.
English is the sole language of instruction for both the Part-time and Full-time programs. You need to prove that you are fluent to be admitted to the program. Note that we do have the capacity to provide German and French language communication in some of our Career Advisory interactions.
There are two possibilities to submit an application without one of these standardized test scores: 1) You are eligible for a test waiver. 2) You submit your application without a test score to have it conditionally assessed. If your application is successful, you will be given a conditional offer. Note that a conditional offer does not guarantee a seat in the class. To receive a full offer, you will need to take and submit a satisfactory GMAT, GRE or EA test score by a specified deadline.
Yes, to arrange a campus visit, please get in touch with our Talent Acquisition team to schedule a date and time.
Yes, we require a Bachelor's degree from a recognized and approved institution to have been completed. In rare cases, if you do not have specifically a Bachelor's degree, we can assess qualifications as being equivalent to a Bachelor's degree, usually in medical-related study paths.
Test waivers are granted to PhD holders and candidates with a CPA and CFA level II. Other qualifications and experience are considered on a case-by-case basis.
To find out if you qualify for a test waiver, please contact our Talent Acquisition team at mba@unisg.ch
The Elective Phase and Project Phase are fully customizable. You can choose from our elective portfolio or apply to attend one of our partner institutions to take an eligible elective they offer. The scope of projects is largely defined by you. These phases of the program allow you to construct a tailor-made MBA that fits your personal and career goals. Kindly note we do not have specializations or majors.
Final course grades for the MBA program will be determined by a mix of class participation, case analysis and your final project. To graduate, participants must maintain a mean grade of 2.1 in core courses and electives. While grades are important, we also want to create an environment where our participants feel able to take risks. Learning occurs when you push yourself into unfamiliar territory and try new things. To accomplish this, many of our assessments are team-based.
It is different for every participant. Some are sponsored by their organization in time, funding or both. In these instances, the Part-time MBA is often part of a formal learning and development plan within the organization, so participants remain 100% employed. That said, many who have less formal arrangements with their employer also remain 100% employed. There are options to apply holiday time, accrued overtime and take unpaid leave. Other participants are more comfortable reducing their employment in percentage. This can be determined by personal life commitments, travel distance to Switzerland and other reasons. We encourage you to find a personalized solution that works for your personal, professional and MBA-related commitments.
Most citizens of countries outside the European Union/ European Economic Area need a visa to enter Switzerland for study purposes. It is very important to check your immigration requirements early enough. After you submit your application, it can take up to 3 months for the visa to be issued. Please do NOT enter Switzerland with a Swiss tourist visa or a Schengen visa for another country. These cannot be changed for a student residence permit after you arrive in Switzerland.
The student visas that the University of St.Gallen MBA facilitates with the support of the cantonal migration office do not include visas for spouses or children (below 18). Spouses of MBA students need to go through the normal Swiss visa application process. Please get in touch with the Swiss Embassy in your country of residence for any questions concerning visas for spouses or other family members.
If you are an enrolled, incoming Full-time student, you will have the opportunity to work with our dedicated MBA Housing Assistant from June – September for assistance in organising your accommodation in St. Gallen. The Housing Assistant is not responsible for finding you housing but can help communicate with landlords or translate rental contracts that are in German. He or she will also help match vacant properties of outgoing MBAs with incoming MBAs based on budgets, size, proximity to campus and other criteria.
Should you wish to start your own research, below you will find some of the opportunities you may want to look into:
· City Suites AG - St. Gallen - an offer through ImmoScout24
· Flat Fox - Find properties in Switzerland
· Homestay - Locations (homestay-ag.ch)
· You52 - in a central location in the city of St. Gallen
Swiss rental applications are comprehensive documents. Expect to provide your:
- Age
- Marital status and number of children
- Profession and employer
- A letter of reference or indication of employment from your employer
- Salary or a document indicating you do not have outstanding debt
- Residency or visa status
- Copies of passports and visas
- Number and type of pets
- Duration of tenancy
When opening a bank account in Switzerland as a foreign student, you must show your passport and usually your permit card. Most banks offer free accounts with special benefits for students 30, or younger or giro accounts for a small yearly fee for people above 30. We encourage you to open a bank account with a large bank, as they often offer special offers for students and a wide range of products that suit international candidates.