Switzerland has a short list of well-known funded routes and a long list of internships and training programmes. The data here covers 18 entries: doctoral work at CERN, Master's funding at ETH Zurich, EPFL and the University of Geneva, Swiss government awards for researchers and artists, research fellowships from the Swiss National Science Foundation, athlete support from the IOC, and placements at the WHO, WTO and WIPO. Which one fits depends far more on your level and field than on your grades alone.
If you are finishing a Bachelor's degree in science or engineering, the Master's awards are your starting point. If you already hold a Master's and want research, look at the Swiss government awards, CERN and SNSF. If you want work experience in Geneva, the international organisation programmes are the route, though funding there is listed as full or partial, so read each guide closely.
All 18 Swiss scholarships and programmes at a glance
Fully funded options in Switzerland
Six entries are listed as fully funded. They are the strongest on paper, and they are also the ones with the most applicants, so plan early.
Master's and doctoral study
ETH Zurich Excellence Scholarship & Opportunity Programme (ESOP) gives full funding to outstanding Master's students at ETH Zurich, with a tuition fee waiver and a living stipend for the whole degree. The deadline is November 30, 2026, which makes it the nearest fixed date in this list. See full details.
CERN Doctoral Student Programme is for PhD students who do their thesis work at CERN in collaboration with their home university. It pays a monthly stipend and suits STEM fields. There is no single deadline, because dates follow vacancy announcements. See full details.
Swiss government awards
The Swiss Confederation funds early career researchers and artists from over 180 countries. The awards cover doctoral studies, research fellowships and initial Master's degrees in arts. Deadlines vary by country of origin and are published in August 2026, so Pakistani applicants should look for the Pakistan-specific notice rather than a general date.
This list holds three separate entries for the programme, and each has its own guide. Read them side by side, since each one was written from a different source page:
- Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships (full details)
- Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships (full details)
- Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships 2027-28, labelled 2027-28 (full details)
A paid placement in Geneva
WTO Young Professionals Programme (YPP) is a paid, year-long placement in the WTO Secretariat in Geneva for young professionals from under-represented developing and least-developed member countries. It focuses on international trade policy. The call usually opens in March, but the dates are unconfirmed, so check the official WTO page. See full details.
Partial funding for Master's study and athletes
Geneva Excellence Fellowships (University of Geneva) is a renewable Master's scholarship for science students at the University of Geneva, worth CHF 10,000-15,000 a year and based on strong Bachelor's results. It will not cover everything, so work out your living costs before you count on it. The deadline is around February 28. See full details.
IOC Olympic Solidarity Athlete Scholarship Programme pays monthly scholarships to elite athletes nominated by their National Olympic Committee. You cannot apply directly. Your route runs through your national committee's nomination cycle before each Games. See full details.
Fellowships, training and Master's awards with full or partial funding
EPFL Excellence Fellowship Programme supports Master's students at EPFL in Lausanne, and the amount can be full or partial. Swiss National Science Foundation SNSF Fellowships is research funding that spans fields from chemistry to medicine to sociology. Both list deadlines as varying, so confirm on the official sites. Details: full details and full details.
WIPO Academy Scholarships and Training Programme offers intellectual property training and joint master programmes for member states, developing countries and least-developed countries. One edition, the Spanish International Patent Drafting Training Program, closes on September 4, 2026. See full details.
WHO internships
Five entries cover the World Health Organization internship for students and recent graduates, at headquarters, regional offices and country offices. They overlap heavily, and dates vary by vacancy, so use the official WHO site as the final word:
- WHO Internship 2026 (full details)
- WHO Internship Programme (full details)
- WHO Internship Programme (full details)
- WHO Internship Programme (full details)
- World Health Organization (WHO) Internship (full details)
WTO internships
WTO Internship and Young Professionals Programme (full details) and World Trade Organization Internship 2027 in Switzerland (full details) cover WTO internship and young professional opportunities. The 2027 guide says applicants do not need an IELTS score, which removes one cost for some students.
Choosing between Swiss options and preparing your papers
For a Pakistani student with a Bachelor's degree, ETH Zurich is the clearest fully funded Master's route and has a fixed date. For a research career, the Swiss government awards and CERN give full funding but need a strong research profile. Geneva is the realistic fallback, though only partial. Treat the internships as career steps rather than a way to pay for a degree.
Start with your transcripts, degree certificates, CV and references, then match each guide's requirements. Our documents checklist covers what most applications ask for, and the scholarships guide for Pakistani students explains how the process works overall.
Frequently asked questions
Which Swiss scholarship has the nearest deadline?
Among the fixed dates, WIPO Academy's Spanish patent drafting edition closes on September 4, 2026, and ETH Zurich's ESOP closes on November 30, 2026. Many others vary, so check each official site.
Which options are fully funded?
ETH Zurich ESOP, the CERN Doctoral Student Programme, the Swiss government awards and the WTO Young Professionals Programme are listed as fully funded.
Can I apply to the Swiss government awards if I am a Master's student?
They cover doctoral studies, research fellowships and initial Master's degrees in arts. Other Master's fields are not listed, so read the guides before you plan around them.
Is the Geneva fellowship enough on its own?
It is worth CHF 10,000-15,000 a year, renewable, and partial. Plan for the remaining costs.
Do I need IELTS for the WTO internship?
The 2027 internship guide says applicants do not need an IELTS score. Confirm this on the official WTO site before applying.
Where to go next
Open the individual guides in the table above for eligibility and steps, and always confirm dates and requirements on each programme's official website before you apply.