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BSc International Management

ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences (School of Management and Law) · Winterthur, Switzerland

100% taught in EnglishApply direct to the university, not the CAOSelectiveWork experience requiredLow feesStudy abroad year
Duration3 years
StartsAutumn 2027
EntrySelective
Deadline (EU)30 Apr 2027
Fee 2026/27 (non-resident)€2,600 / yr

About the course

A six-semester, 180 ECTS business degree taught in English at the School of Management and Law in Winterthur. It includes a compulsory semester or study year abroad at one of the school’s partner universities.

Entry requirements for Irish students

  • ZHAW publishes no rule specific to the Irish Leaving Certificate. All foreign certificates are checked after you apply. If your Leaving Cert is not judged equivalent to a Swiss university entrance qualification, you must pass the ZHAW entrance exam, which is set at Swiss commercial vocational baccalaureate level. Ask Student Services (studentservices.sml@zhaw.ch) how your Leaving Cert subjects and Higher Level grades will be assessed.
  • Every applicant with a foreign certificate also needs proof of one year (100%) of work experience in a commercial setting. You cannot go straight from the Leaving Cert into this degree.
  • You need B2 English with an official certificate, for example IELTS 5.5, TOEFL iBT 83, Cambridge B2 First or Duolingo 115. ZHAW says the certificate is required from every applicant, including native speakers, so Leaving Cert English is not accepted instead. The entrance exam covers finance and accounting, maths, German and English. It is not clear whether German is tested for this English-taught programme, so check with ZHAW.

How to apply

  1. Build up work experienceGet one year of full-time (100%) work experience in a commercial or business role. ZHAW accepts work done abroad, and it must be completed before you can be admitted.
  2. Book an English testTake IELTS, TOEFL, Cambridge or Duolingo to prove B2 English. Every applicant needs a certificate, native speakers included.
  3. Apply online, 2 Nov 2026 to 30 Apr 2027Apply on the ZHAW portal and pay the CHF 100 fee. Upload your CV, Leaving Cert results, proof of work experience and your English certificate.
  4. Sit the entrance exam if askedIf ZHAW decides your Leaving Cert is not equivalent to a Swiss qualification, sit its entrance exam in July or early August (CHF 200). Then finish enrolling by 1 August, ahead of a mid-September start.
Deadline for Irish/EU applicants: Applications for autumn 2027 open on 2 November 2026 and close on 30 April 2027. Enrolment must be completed by 1 August. The ZHAW entrance exam, for applicants whose qualification is not equivalent to a Swiss university entrance qualification, takes place in July or early August. Exact dates are announced after registration closes. Missing documents such as language certificates may be sent in until the end of July..

Costs

  • ZHAW charges CHF 720 a semester, plus an extra CHF 500 a semester for non-Swiss nationals who come to Switzerland to study. That comes to CHF 1,220 a semester, or CHF 2,440 a year (roughly €2,600, depending on the exchange rate), and the surcharge applies for the whole degree. On top of this there is a CHF 100 application fee, one-off registration and enrolment fees of CHF 100 each, and CHF 200 for the entrance exam if you have to sit it. Fees are subject to change.
Applicants with foreign school certificates, the Leaving Cert included, need a full year of commercial work experience before they can start, and may also have to sit an entrance exam. For most Irish students this is a gap-year or later option, not a route straight from school.

At a glance

CountrySwitzerland
CityWinterthur
LanguageEnglish
Apply viaUniversity online portal (ZHAW online application via SWITCH edu-ID)
PlacesNot published
EntrySelective
Programme page ↗Admission requirements ↗Fees and application information ↗← Back to all European courses

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Checked against the official ZHAW website: September 2026 (2027 entry). The 30 April 2027 deadline and the November 2026 portal opening are published. Fees are marked subject to change, so confirm them before you apply. Always confirm details with the university before applying.