OpenFieldUNIL Master's Grants for International Students
Prestigious Swiss excellence grants awarded to ten outstanding international graduates each year to pursue Master's studies at the University of Lausanne.
University of Lausanne (Lausanne, Switzerland)
Established in 1537 along the shores of Lake Geneva in Lausanne, the University of Lausanne (Université de Lausanne - UNIL) is an internationally celebrated Swiss research institution. Together with EPFL and the CHUV University Hospital, UNIL forms a world-leading biomedical and oncology powerhouse housing the AGORA Cancer Research Centre and the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research. UNIL leads Europe in molecular life sciences, cancer immunotherapy, evolutionary bioinformatics, and environmental geosciences. Explore low-fee master's degrees, salaried doctoral assistantships, and world-class faculty profiles.
Verified degree programs and opportunities
Review checked academic pathways and funding options below:
UNIL Salaried Doctoral Assistantships (Assistant·e diplômé·e)
Four to five-year salaried doctoral research positions in life sciences, oncology, and geosciences, conducting original research alongside world-class Swiss laboratory investigators.
UNIL Master of Science in Molecular Life Sciences
High-level two-year English-taught Master of Science degree with specializations in Cancer Biology, Immunology, Bioinformatics, and Stem Cell Biology.
UNIL Master of Science in Earth Sciences (Joint Degree with UniGe)
Prestigious joint master's degree with the University of Geneva exploring geological hazards, environmental geochemistry, alpine tectonics, and sedimentary basins.
Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research & AGORA Cancer Center Placements
Cutting-edge translational oncology research placements investigating personalized neoantigen vaccines, T-cell receptor engineering, and tumor microenvironment mechanics.
UNIL Summer Undergraduate Research (SUR) Programme in Life Sciences
Highly selective 8-week summer research fellowship bringing international undergraduate scholars to Lausanne to conduct independent laboratory investigations in world-class faculties.
UNIL Graduate Assistant Teaching Duties & Lab Supervision
Academic teaching appointments providing doctoral researchers with university instructional experience, supervising practical laboratory exercises and guiding bachelor student projects.
Admissions, language requirements & application process
- Master's admission eligibility
- Recognized Bachelor's degree (minimum 180 ECTS) in relevant subject from an officially recognized university; prerequisites evaluated by the respective UNIL faculty.
- Doctoral admission eligibility
- Recognized Master's degree in relevant discipline; formal agreement of doctoral supervision from a qualified thesis director (directeur de thèse) at UNIL.
- Language proficiency
- Demonstrated English or French proficiency depending on degree program (English master's require IELTS 6.5-7.0 or TOEFL iBT 90+; French programs require CEFR B2/C1).
- Research statement / Proposal
- Comprehensive 2-4 page research project plan approved by the sponsoring UNIL thesis director.
- Application fee
- CHF 200 application administrative fee for applicants holding non-Swiss qualifications; standard semester tuition of only CHF 580/semester (no international tuition surcharge).
- Required documentation
- Certified academic transcripts, degree diplomas, curriculum vitae, motivation letter, and valid passport identification.
Tuition fees and verified scholarship systems
Tuition is highly subsidized at UNIL for all nationalities, costing only CHF 580 per semester. Doctoral candidates are employed as salaried university research assistants (Assistant·e·s diplômé·e·s), earning competitive gross annual salaries of CHF 50,000 to CHF 58,000 per year with comprehensive Swiss social healthcare and retirement coverage.
Verified faculty profiles and research leaders
Distinguished researchers and laboratory heads at University of Lausanne:
Prof. Dr. George Coukos
Director of the Department of Oncology UNIL-CHUV, Head of Ludwig Lausanne Branch; specializing in Ovarian Cancer, Cancer Immunotherapy, Tumor Microenvironment.
Prof. Dr. Johanna Joyce
Full Professor of Oncology, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research; specializing in Tumor Microenvironment, Macrophage Polarization, Brain Metastasis.
Prof. Dr. Marc Robinson-Rechavi
Full Professor of Bioinformatics, SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics Group Leader; specializing in Evolutionary Genomics, Comparative Transcriptomics, Bgee Database.
Important verification note
Facts reflect official University of Lausanne documentation reviewed 2026-10-14. Degree admissions, scholarship awards, and employment positions are subject to formal university review. OpenField does not charge students application fees.
Reviewed 2026-10-14 · Editorial standards · Report an issue