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Master’s Scholarship · Switzerland

ETH ZurichUniversity · Switzerland

ETH Zurich Excellence Scholarship (ESOP) 2027

A fully funded route into one of the world’s top universities: CHF 13,500 per semester for living and study costs plus a full tuition-fee waiver, mentorship, and access to the ETH Foundation network — for outstanding master’s applicants across all disciplines.

Opens 1 Nov 2026 Open Updated 16 Oct 2026 By ETH Zurich
Award
CHF 13,500 per semesterFrom HS27 (CHF 12,000 before) + full tuition waiver
Who can apply
Top-10% bachelor’s graduatesApplying to an ETH Zurich master’s (MAS excluded)
Deadline
30 Nov 2026, 11:59 MEZFirst application window only — submit via eApply
Duration
3 or 4 semestersRegular duration of your master’s programme
Awards
~60 for 2027/28Subject to available funding

About the scholarship

The Excellence Scholarship & Opportunity Programme (ESOP) is ETH Zurich’s flagship funding scheme for outstanding incoming master’s students. It pays a scholarship covering living and study expenses — CHF 12,000 per semester, rising to CHF 13,500 per semester from the autumn semester 2027 (HS27) — plus a full tuition-fee waiver, and adds mentorship and access to the network of the ETH Foundation. Funding runs for the regular duration of your master’s programme: three or four semesters depending on the degree.

Window not open yet: applications for the 2027/28 academic year are accepted 1–30 November 2026, 11:59 MEZ, for a master’s start in autumn 2027. ETH runs a separate later window (1–30 April) that is only for Swiss bachelor’s graduates — ESOP applications are only possible in the November window, so international applicants must use November.

Eligibility

  • Very good bachelor’s results — in roughly the top 10% of your bachelor’s degree programme (grade A); this is a self-assessment.
  • Applying to an eligible consecutive ETH Zurich master’s programme (Master of Advanced Studies / MAS programmes are excluded).
  • You must not already be enrolled in an ETH Zurich master’s and must not already hold a master’s degree.
  • Open to all nationalities — the November window is mandatory for students with a bachelor’s from outside Switzerland.
  • You must meet the admission requirements of your chosen master’s programme (academic and language requirements).
  • Only ETH bachelor’s students may start the ESOP-funded master’s with a leave of absence.

Benefits

  • CHF 13,500 per semester for living and study expenses from autumn 2027 (CHF 12,000 for earlier cohorts).
  • Full tuition-fee waiver for the regular duration of the programme.
  • Mentorship and access to the ETH Foundation network.
  • Funding for three or four semesters, matching the regular length of your master’s programme.
~60 awards planned: ETH states approximately 60 ESOP scholarships will be assigned for the 2027/28 academic year — the exact number depends on available funding. Applications are evaluated by the admissions committees of the master’s programmes, and the final decision rests with the Rector of ETH Zurich.

Documents required

In addition to the standard master’s admission documents, ESOP applicants must upload a pre-proposal for the master’s thesis — developed by yourself, following established scientific citation practice. Plagiarism or misinformation leads to exclusion from the admission process, or later revocation of admission and the scholarship. If your study programme does not itself ask for references, you must name two reference persons (professors), who upload their letters after receiving the system’s email invitation. Keep the telephone number in your CV current: the selection process may include a phone or video interview in February.

How to apply

  1. Choose an eligible ETH Zurich master’s programmeCheck its admission profile, deadlines and language requirements.
  2. Prepare your admission documents plus the ESOP pre-proposalDraft an original thesis pre-proposal with proper scientific citations, following ETH’s published pre-proposal guidelines.
  3. Arrange your two professor refereesAsk them early if your programme does not already require references; they upload letters after ETH’s system email.
  4. Apply through eApply in the November windowESOP applications are supplied via ETH’s online master application system, eApply — there is no separate scholarship application.
  5. Submit by 30 November 2026, 11:59 MEZKeep your phone reachable for a possible February interview. Decisions are communicated by the end of March 2027.
Deadline caution: ETH states the close as 11:59 MEZ, which reads as midday (not midnight) Swiss time — and sources differ on the exact interpretation. Do not leave submission to the last evening; set your own target well before 30 November.

FAQs

When does the ETH Excellence Scholarship 2027 application open?

Applications for the 2027/28 intake open 1 November 2026 and close 30 November 2026 at 11:59 MEZ, through ETH’s eApply system — there is no separate scholarship application.

What does the ESOP scholarship cover?

A living-and-study grant of CHF 13,500 per semester from autumn 2027 (CHF 12,000 before), a full tuition-fee waiver for the regular duration of the master’s (three or four semesters), mentorship, and access to the ETH Foundation network.

Who is eligible for ESOP?

Bachelor’s graduates in roughly the top 10% of their programme (grade A, self-assessed), applying to an eligible ETH Zurich consecutive master’s programme — not MAS — who are not already enrolled in an ETH master’s and do not already hold a master’s degree.

How many ESOP scholarships are awarded?

Approximately 60 for the 2027/28 academic year, subject to available funding. Applications are assessed by the master’s programmes’ admissions committees; the final decision rests with the Rector of ETH Zurich.

Can I apply in the April window?

No — ESOP is only available in the first application window (November). The April window is for Swiss bachelor’s graduates without ESOP eligibility.

Verified 19 Oct 2026 on the official ETH Zurich ESOP page (ethz.ch/students/en/studies/financial/scholarships/excellencescholarship.html), live-read this run: window 1–30 Nov 2026, 11:59 MEZ, for HS27 master’s start; CHF 13,500/semester from HS27 (CHF 12,000 before) + full tuition waiver for the regular 3- or 4-semester programme; ~60 awards for 2027/28 subject to funding; decisions by end of March; top-10%/grade-A bachelor’s (self-assessed); no MAS; not enrolled at ETH / no existing master’s; self-developed thesis pre-proposal with scientific citation (plagiarism = exclusion); two professor referees where the programme does not require them; possible phone/VC interview in February; only ETH bachelor’s students may start with a leave of absence. Deadline-time ambiguity flagged (11:59 MEZ — noon vs midnight disputed across secondary sources); article advises early submission. Financial Aid Office contact published on the official page: Dr. Barbara E. Hellermann, +41 44 632 20 23 / +41 44 632 20 88.

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