University of Lausanne

About university

The University of Lausanne (UNIL, French: Université de Lausanne) in Lausanne, Switzerland was founded in 1537 as a school oftheology, before being made a university in 1890. Today about 13,500 students and 2,200 researchers study and work at theuniversity. Approximately 1,500 international students attend the university (120 nationalities), which has a wide curriculum including exchange programs with world-renowned universities.

Since 2005, the University follows the requirements of the Bologna process. The 2011 Times Higher Education World University Rankings ranked the University of Lausanne 116th globally. The CWTS Leiden Ranking 2015 ranks the University of Lausanne 11th in Europe and 41st globally, out of 750 universities.

Together with the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) the university forms a vast campus at the shores of Lake Geneva.

• Faculty of Business and Economics

  HEC Lausanne is regarded as a high quality academic institution, offering high-grade management and economic education and conducting prolific and visible research across various fields of business studies.

  Located on the shores of Lake Geneva, our school is at the center of an exceptional cultural network and at the heart of a vibrant business community made up of multinationals and SMEs.

History

The Academy, forerunner of the UNIL, was founded in 1537. Its vocation at that time was to train ministers for the church. The university enjoyed a certain renown due to the fact that it was the only French language Protestant school of theology. As the centuries passed, the number of faculties increased and diversified until, in 1890, the Academy received the name and status of a university.

In 1909 Rodolphe Archibald Reiss founded the first school of forensic science in the world: the Institut de police scientifique.

From 1970, the university moved progressively from the old centre of Lausanne, around the Cathedral and Château, to its present site atDorigny.

The end of the 20th century witnessed the beginnings of an ambitious project aiming at greater co-operation and development among the French-speaking universities of Lausanne, Geneva, and Neuchâtel, together with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL). Among others, this led to the transfer of the sections of Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry from the University to the EPFL; the funds that were made available following this transfer were invested in the development of the life sciences at the University, including the creation of a Center for Integrative Genomics.

In 2003 two new faculties were founded, concentrating on the life and human sciences: the Faculty of Biology and Medicine and the Faculty of Geosciences and Environment.

On 1 January 2014, the Swiss Graduate School of Public Administration (IDHEAP) was integrated into the University of Lausanne.

Accreditation

The Master of Actuarial Science program meets the educational requirements of the Swiss Association of Actuaries syllabus (SAA). Moreover, certain courses prepare the students for the first exams of actuaries (SOA).

Due to the inclusion of certain optional courses, the Master program will be in compliance with the future syllabus of the International Actuarial Association, which is currently working on promoting a new specialty track in the field of social security at the international level.

Established experts from ILO will deliver courses on social security financing, based on recent ILO series of textbooks on social security financing, actuarial practice, health financing and social budgeting.

Student life

Associated costs in Switzerland are around 1600 euro (as a rule, meals and transportation takes 1,000 euros per month).

University services

Evening events, sporting activities, as well as advice and the sale of study materials: these are some of the key activities of the Committee, which also defends students’ rights with the Faculty Council or the assembly of the FAE (Federation of Student Associations). The Committee has its own teams in the world of football and skiing(HEC Lausanne Ski Club), as well as running and sailing (HEC Sailing team).Throughout the year, the Committee also organises talks, sporting events, and of course the very prestigious HEC Ball. For unforgettable memories, look no further!

Student associations of different Master's degrees

• AECCF Association of Students in Accounting, Control and Finance
  The AECCF aims to create a lively community for students enrolled on the Master in Accounting, Control and Finance. It is also a source of information for students or those interested in the Master’s degree.
   
• AESA Association of Students in Actuarial Science
  The AESA has existed since 1996 and is the only actuarial student association in Switzerland. It represents students on the Master in Actuarial Science programme and serves as a gateway between employers and future graduates, at the same time facilitating the integration of new students by organising events.
   
• ALESI Lausanne Association of Students in Information Systems
  ALESI represents students on the Master’s degree in Information Systems at the Universities of Lausanne and Neuchâtel and defends their rights. It promotes the development of debates and conferences linked to information systems and new technologies.

Why studying here?

• An international atmosphere. One fifth of the student population and one third of the teaching staff come from abroad.

• Up-to-date facilities and technology. State-of-the-art laboratories for researchers: spacious, well-equipped lecture halls for teaching staff and students.

• Three faculties unique in their kind in Switzerland. Law, Criminal Justice and Public Administration; Biology and Medicine (FBM); Geosciences and Environment (GSE). New innovations require new synergies.

• Close collaboration with the University Hospital of the Canton of Vaud (CHUV) in order to remain at the forefront of advances in medical knowledge.

• The University and Cantonal Library - Lausanne (BCUL), with its two million documents, modern research tools and an ideal working environment overlooking Lake Geneva.

• A philosophy and work ethic expressed in a Charter of Values and precepts.

• An exceptionally green and spacious lakeside setting. In just a few minutes an excellent public transport network links the university campus to Lausanne, the capital of Vaud, noted for its varied cultural activities.

• A wide range of continuing education and interdisciplinary courses, as well as countless sporting and cultural activities in fields as varied as: language and IT courses, football (soccer), capoeira, fitness or underwater diving at the Sports Centre; societies, cinema, exhibitions or theatre at the Grange de Dorigny.

• UNIL Master's grants