Ask the experts - Swiss HEI
In the latest edition of our ‘Ask the experts’ feature, our Research, Data and Insights team is answering another popular question that members ask us.
This month, UK ENIC’s Research Manager Emma Kirby provides the answer to this question: how can I check if a Swiss HEI is recognised?
The official list of accredited higher education institutions is compiled by Swiss Universities and can be found here. These providers are all recognised at a federal i.e. national level.
As UK ENIC typically requires national recognition to provide assessment, we would only assess degrees awarded by institutions on the Swiss Universities list.
Other Swiss institutions may hold some level of cantonal i.e. regional recognition. This includes providers that are simply registered as a company in a given canton. Degrees conferred by these institutions would not ordinarily be eligible for UK ENIC assessment.
Note, however, that some Swiss-based institutions are accredited overseas. The New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), for example, accredits several institutions located in Switzerland.
If the accreditation agency is recognised by the US Department of Education (DoE), we would treat the award as a US qualification and assess it accordingly. This applies to institutions accredited by NECHE.
Other Swiss institutions partner with overseas universities to deliver degree programmes. In this scenario, two final certificates may be issued: one from each institution.
Where a final certificate is issued by a degree-awarding body in another country, the award may be eligible for UK ENIC assessment as part of that country’s education system. It would not then matter if the Swiss institution was not federally recognised.