Applying

The admission process is quite long and is divided into three stages:
Stage 1: University Admission

Applications open on January 7th 2013 and close on February 28th 2013.

Admissions for the 2012 - 2014 Intake are now closed.

The first thing to do is to enroll on-line. Follow the instructions and print the documents twice. At the end of the procedure on the last page you will find the list of all documents to be duly filled.

Enrolment conditions may slightly vary from year to year. The most updated and reliable version can be found at

unige.ch/dife/immatriculation/Immatenglish.html (English)

http://www.unige.ch/dase/immatriculation.html (French)

You will also need to fill in the Equivalence form and join all a copy (no need for certified copies) of all requested documents.

For all whose do not have a swiss diploma (college or University degree) you will have to pay CHF65 admission fees. Proof of payment have to be enclosed in your application file.

An undergraduate degree with a minimum average of B on the ECTS scale or higher.

Officially certified copies of your university and high school degrees.

An officially certified copy of your transcript of grades

A copy of your GMAT score (minimum 500 points). Our institution code for reporting your GMAT score is 651-QT-61

Two letters of recommendation (academic or professional) in French or English

Very good knowledge of the English language (both oral and written)

The first stage of enrolment is managed by the University of Geneva’s Admissions’ Office and your complete file needs to be sent no later than February 28th (postmark) at the following postal address:

Université de Genève

Espace administratif et social des étudiants
Uni Dufour
24 rue du Général-Dufour
CH-1211 Genève 4
Bureau 222

Applications received after this date will not be taken into account.

A note to students from Universities outside Switzerland: a copy of your degree needs to be officially certified as authentic by a university official, a notary, or stamped and signed by an official copying authority (if you live in Switzerland, your embassy or consulate should be able to provide this service). Alternatively, you can ask your University to send your transcript of grades in a sealed envelope (that you will enclose in your file) 

If you have further questions, please contact:

Espace administratif et social des étudiants
Uni Dufour
24 rue du Général-Dufour
CH-1211 Genève 4
Bureau 222

Sebastian Aguilar - for names from A to K
Sebastian.Aguilar@unige.ch
Tel + 41 22 379 76 95

Carole Boulliane - for names from L to Z
Carole.Boulliane@unige.ch
Tel + 41 22 379 78 49

Please include a cover letter in your file, explaining your interest in the programme.

GMAT: All applicants, regardless of their previous study or experience, must complete the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). Please note that official results must be sent to the University from the Pearson VUE (a business of NCS Pearson, Inc. who administers the GMAT® test). Nevertheless, please enclose a photocopy of your score report with your application package. We will accept GMAT scores that are up to five years old.

The minimum result of 500 points on the GMAT test needs to be sent together with your application by February 28th. Our institution code for reporting your GMAT score is 651-QT-61. Applicants need to request that their results be sent to the University on the registration form for the GMAT, otherwise the University will have no record of the applicant’s results.

Please go to this link for information about the GMAT http://www.mba.com/mba/thegmat

Stage 2: Students selection

Students’ applications are carefully studied by a team of experts and, by the end of April, the Scientific Committee will select the students who can potentially attend the Master of Arts program. You will receive an e-mail from the Program Coordinator informing you of your conditional acceptance (or refusal) by the beginning of May. An official letter from the University will follow. Only provisionally accepted students will reach stage 3.

Stage 3 : Part-time Employment

Provisionally accepted students are requested to send the following documents by e-mail to the Program Coordinator, within one week of the conditional acceptance.

Cover Letter to potential employers and CV (with picture), both in English, as one single PDF document.

The GTSA will post, on its dedicated webpage, the CVs of students who have been conditionally accepted to the University and who have attained the minimum of 500 points on the GMAT. Students can also seek relevant employment themselves, under the terms and conditions - as stipulated in the confirmation letter from the University - of this Master’s program.

A speed-recruiting session may also be organized in order for students to meet as many recruiting companies as possible in one or two days. More detailed information will be sent to the provisionally accepted students.

Part time employment in a trading, shipping, specialized commodity finance bank or services company related to these activities, needs to be secured and confirmed by the company in a letter to the Program Coordinator by July 13th. The letter must indicate that the company is hiring the candidate under the terms and conditions - as stipulated in the acceptance letter from the University - of the Master of Arts in International Trading, Commodity Finance and Shipping.

Students from countries outside the Schengen area need to secure their job by June 15th as the OCP (Office Cantonal de la Population) takes up to 3 months to deliver a work permit.

N.B. Neither the University nor the GTSA can provide any visa services. Moreover, only the OCP (office Cantonal de la Population) can deliver work permits, neither the University nor the GTSA can influence the OCP’s decision to deliver (or not) a work permit. Applicants accepted to the program will be given a letter confirming their admission to the University, which the candidate would then use to obtain their visa/work permit where necessary.

If a student does not manage to secure employment in a recognized firm by July 13th 2012, the student’s candidacy will be lost, even after having been accepted to the University. Applications can however be maintained for the following academic year, provided a copy of the acceptance letter is joined when applying again the following year.

Class size is limited to 30 places.

If, during the course of study, a student leaves his/her place of employment, s/he needs to find a new job in the same sector, within one month or else leave the program. Moreover, the new company needs to take over his/her tuition fees.