If you plan to study in Switzerland with financial support, the Geneva Academy Scholarship is one of the best opportunities for international students. This scholarship provides fully funded programs at Swiss universities across a wide range of fields. In this article, we will explain everything you need to know about the Geneva Academy Scholarship, including its benefits, eligibility criteria, required documents, and a detailed step-by-step application process to help you apply successfully.
The Geneva Academy Scholarship 2026-2027 is a fully funded master’s scholarship for international students. This scholarship covers tuition fees and living expenses in Geneva. Full scholarships are only for citizens of non-Western countries.
Master Scholarships for Geneva Academy, Switzerland, are open for international students to pursue their master’s degree in International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights (LLM) at the Geneva Academy, Switzerland. International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights (LLM) is one of the most innovative and intellectually challenging programs in international humanitarian law (IHL) and human rights offered in Europe today.
This one-year postgraduate degree course provides advanced, comprehensive, and practical training in IHL, international human rights law, international refugee law, and international criminal law, as well as the interplay between them.
The program allows students to tailor their studies according to their particular interests. Core courses provide a firm grounding in public international law, IHL, IHRL, international refugee law, and international criminal law. Optional courses allow students to deepen their expertise in a particular issue, such as the conduct of hostilities (the rules governing how military operations are carried out), enforced disappearances in international law (the illegal abduction of individuals by state agents), or the Islamic law of armed conflict (the principles of warfare according to Islamic jurisprudence).
Scholarship Summary
- Level of Study: Master’s
- Institution(s): Geneva Academy
- Study Destination: Switzerland
- Courses Offered:
- Program Period: One Year
- Deadline:
- The application portal opens on 17 November 2025
- The application portal closes for priority, regular, and scholarship applications on 16 January 2026
- The application portal closes for non-priority regular applications on 31st October 2023. 16 February 2026
- Please note that we will accept scholarship applications only until 16 January 2026.
Scholarship Coverage
The Geneva Academy Scholarship provides the recipient with the following benefits:
Full Scholarship Covers:
- Tuition Fees.
- The scholarship covers living expenses in Geneva for a period of ten months.
Partial Scholarship Covers:
- Tuition Fees.
Please note: Full scholarships are only for citizens of non-Western countries; therefore, applicants from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United States, and Western Europe cannot be considered for a full scholarship.
Eligibility Criteria for Geneva Academy Scholarship
To qualify for the Geneva Academy Scholarship, a candidate must fulfill all of the following requirements:
- Required Language: English, French
- The candidate must possess a strong command of English. You must be able to show, via a recognized test, that your English is of a high enough standard to successfully engage with and complete your course at the Geneva Academy. This requirement does not apply if (1) your mother tongue is English; (2) you have taken an English-taught bachelor’s or master’s degree; or (3) you have at least two years’ professional or academic experience in an English-speaking environment. A passive knowledge of French is an asset, as students might have to attend conferences and class presentations in French.
- Students may need to attend conferences and class presentations in French, so having a passive understanding of the language is beneficial.
- Eligible Countries: All non-Western countries (full list of eligible countries available here).
- A full law degree (received by June at the latest), enabling the applicant to sit the bar exam in the relevant country, or another degree if the applicant has a significant amount of training in public international law and courses related to our program (e.g., international human rights law, international humanitarian law, international criminal law).
- A strong academic record.
- The applicant should exhibit a clear interest in the program’s subject matter, as evidenced by professional experience, internships, summer school, conferences attended, publications, and so on.
How to Apply for the Geneva Academy Scholarship?
Please follow the application instructions below to apply for this scholarship:
The online application is divided into the following steps:
- Decide whether to apply (1) without scholarship, (2) with full scholarship, or (3) with partial scholarship
- Complete the application form
- Attach the required documents
- Submit your application
Please note:
The documents you have to provide with your application are
- Your curriculum vitae in English.
- You must also include a personal statement in English, no more than two pages, that explains your interest in and potential contribution to the program.
- You must submit two letters of recommendation in English, with no specific format required.
- If copies are not certified, you must present the original documents upon your arrival in Geneva, along with certified copies of relevant degrees and diplomas (with an officially certified translation when not in English, French, German, Italian, or Spanish).
- If copies are not certified, you must present the original documents upon your arrival in Geneva, including certified copies of official records of university examinations and grades obtained (with an officially certified translation when not in English, French, German, Italian, or Spanish).
- If you are currently enrolled in a university program, please provide an attestation from the relevant university confirming your current enrollment, along with an official record of the latest university examinations taken and the grades obtained.
- Language tests—such as TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), IELTS (International English Language Testing System), or DALF (Diplôme Approfondi de Langue Française)—or verification of language skills is required. The Geneva Academy does not have an attributed code; please do not use the University of Geneva code nor the Graduate Institute code.
- A copy of your passport is also required.
The required documents for the scholarship (partial or full):
- Proof of your current income (e.g., salary statement, bank statement, tax declaration, employer’s letter)—if such proof is not available, please explain why.
- Proof of your family’s financial situation (e.g., salary statement, bank statement)—if such proof is not available, please explain why.
- If applicable, provide proof of any current financial support you receive, such as a letter from your parents, sponsors, or scholarship donor.
Website
To know more about the Geneva Academy Scholarship, please visit the official website: