Incoming Students
The International Office advises and supports students who are interested in studying at the Basel Academy of Art and Design FHNW for one semester or a full year.
The Basel Academy of Art and Design FHNW has a growing network of partner universities, which provides the basis for exchange programs in Europe as well as worldwide. Exchange students from these partner universities can spend up to 12 months in Basel through the Swiss-European Mobility Programme (SEMP).
Studying at the HGK Basel
Here you will find all the study programmes offered by the Basel Academy of Art and Design FHNW. Candidates must specify in their application which study programme they wish to join.
The academic calendar can be found here. About 3 weeks before the semester begins, each student will be sent their class schedule by the respective study programme.
The current course catalogue can be found here. The course catalogue contains an overview of all the courses offered in the Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes. Candidates may only choose courses from the study programme they are applying for.
The main instruction language at undergraduate level (Bachelor) is German. Therefore, applicants are expected to have previous knowledge of the language (minimum level B2 certificate required).
The following undergraduate programmes will accept applications from non-German speakers as well:
- BA Fine Arts
- BA Fashion Design
- BA Process Design at Hyperwerk
- BA Visual Communication and Digital Spaces
- BA Industrial Design
The main instruction language at postgraduate level (Master) is English (minimum level B2 certificate required).
Application
Deadline for nomination by the home university
Autumn term: 1st April
Spring term: 1st October
Deadline for application by the student
Autumn term: 30th April
Spring term: 30th October
Interested students must be enrolled at one of the Basel Academy of Art and Design FHNW’s partner universities, have been nominated by the International Office of their home institution and have uploaded all the required application documents before the respective deadlines (as outlined above).
Important: Applicants will be selected based on the quality of their application and the availability of spaces. Due to the high number of applications we receive, we cannot guarantee all nominated students a place on exchange.
- Interested students must be nominated on Mobility-Online by the International Office of their home institution before the given deadline. The link to the nomination form will be sent by email to all partner universities in advance of the nomination window. If the link has not been received, please ask your exchange coordinator to request it at international.hgk@fhnw.ch.
- Once the nomination has been received, we will invite you to complete your application on our online platform, Mobility-Online.
The following documents must be uploaded as part of your application:
- Reference letter from the home university
- Motivation letter
- Portfolio (max. 50MB; approx. 7 - 10 Projects)
- Resumé / CV
- Current Transcript of Records
- Language Certificate (if applicable)
- Provisional Learning Agreement - Complete applications will be assessed by the respective Study Programme and outcomes will be communicated within 6-8 weeks.
Please note: We can only accept applications submitted through our online form and where the student has previously been nominated by their home university. We cannot accept individual applications via email.
Financial matters
Exchange students from partner universities do not pay any additional semester fees at the Basel Academy of Art and Design FHNW.
Exchange students from partner universities may be eligible to receive funding through Movetia’s Swiss-European Mobility Programme (SEMP). The SEMP grant for study exchanges is approximately CHF 300 - 500 per month.
Important: Students do not need to apply directly to Movetia for the grant. The application process runs via the International Office. The latter will inform all eligible candidates about the application process in due course.
Life in Switzerland
Exchange students from EU and EFTA countries need a valid passport or identity card to enter Switzerland. A visa is generally not required, but you must apply for a residence permit. Transitional regulations apply to nationals of the new EU member states.
Most non-EU/EFTA citizens will need a visa in order to study in Switzerland. It is your own responsibility to apply for the correct visa. It can take several months for a visa to be issued after application, so we advise that you apply for it well in advance. You should NOT enter Switzerland on a tourist visa, as this will not automatically convert into a residence permit and you will be asked to leave the country and reenter it again.
Refer to the website of the State Secretariat of Migration (SEM) if you are unsure whether or not you need a visa.
Regardless of citizenship, all exchange students who are staying in Switzerland longer than 90 days are required to register with the local authorities in order to obtain a residence permit within 14 days from their arrival date:
Migrationsamt Basel-Stadt (Migration Office Canton BS)
Amt für Migration Basel Landschaft (Migration Office Canton BL)
The Basel Academy of Art and Design FHNW does not offer housing options. International students are responsible for finding suitable accommodation in Basel or the surrounding area.
You can find housing and rooming options on the following websites:
- https://wove.ch
- http://www.wgzimmer.ch/
- http://www.students.ch
- http://www.studentenwohnheim.ch/
- http://markt.unibas.ch/category/wohnen-angebot
As demand for accommodation is high, we strongly advise you to arrive in Switzerland a few weeks before the start of your studies in order to find suitable accommodation.
Everyone coming to stay in Switzerland for longer than 90 days is legally required to obtain basic health insurance coverage within 3 months. If you do not get health insurance, the Swiss authorities will assign you a health insurance plan of their choice, which can become very expensive, so make sure you do not miss the 3 month deadline!
More about Swiss health insurance requirements can be found here.
Depending on your circumstances, you may be able to apply to be exempt from Swiss compulsory health insurance. More information about exemptions for international students can be found here.
There are many options available for learning German in Basel for free or at a small cost. More information about German language courses in the city can be found here.
Exchange students at the Basel Academy of Art and Design FHNW can apply to take part in a buddy programme. Buddies are experienced FHNW students who will be able to advise you on everyday life at the FHNW and in Basel in general. The Buddy Programme is organized by the Erasmus Student Network (ESN) and all accepted exchange students can apply for it on Mobility-Online.
Welcome Days provide incoming exchange students with an introduction to life in Switzerland, as well as the opportunity to meet and connect with other students. They generally take place during the week preceding the first week of the semester and attendance is highly recommended. The International Office of the Basel Academy of Art and Design FHNW will also invite all new exchange students to an informal Welcome Breakfast at the start of the semester.