Master's Scholarship•Switzerland · Lausanne

EPFL Master Excellence Fellowships

Funding

Partial / Stipend

Program dates

TBA

The Master Excellence Fellowships are awarded by EPFL (École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne) in Switzerland to a limited number of outstanding students entering one of its Master’s programmes. The fellowship recognises exceptional academic records together with distinguished achievement beyond the classroom — in sport, the arts, civic engagement, or entrepreneurship. Recipients pursue a full EPFL Master’s degree while receiving a semesterly stipend and support for enriching activities and internships.

Benefits & funding

  • CHF 10,000 per semester, for a maximum of 4 semesters (the length of the Master’s, including the MSc project semester).
  • Guaranteed student housing reservation (external candidates).
  • Excellence certificate on completion.
  • Paid at the start of each semester into a Swiss bank or postal account.

Eligibility

  • Open to anyone applying to an EPFL Master’s programme, whether from EPFL or another institution; international students are eligible, with no nationality restriction.
  • Applicants must hold (or be completing) a Bachelor’s degree; candidates who already hold or are enrolled in a Master’s degree are excluded.
  • Selection rests on remarkable academic results and distinguished extracurricular performance; the fellowship is highly competitive and awarded to only a small share of applicants.
  • Renewal for the second year requires an overall average of at least 5.0/6 and at least 50 ECTS credits earned in the first year.

Application process

  1. 1
    Apply to an EPFL Master’s programme through the online Master application portal (internal same-field candidates submit directly to their section).
  2. 2
    Indicate interest in the Excellence Fellowship on the Master’s application form and provide the requested application file.
  3. 3
    Sections pre-select candidates; the Excellence Fellowships Committee awards the fellowships.
  4. 4
    Decisions are notified at the beginning of April (first round) or early-to-mid June (second round).

Program timeline

  1. First-round application deadline (external candidates)

    December 15

  2. Second-round application deadline (external candidates)

    March 31

  3. First-round decisions

    Early April

  4. Second-round decisions

    Early-to-mid June

  5. EPFL Master’s programme begins

    September