International Institute in Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland

International Institute in Geneva: Rankings, Courses, Admissions, Fees, and Scholarships

Founded in 1997, the International Institute in Geneva (IIG) is one of the top ten business schools in Switzerland specializing in business education. Although it is a private school, it has the status of a non-profit Swiss Foundation of Higher Education and is approved by the Swiss Federal Department of Home Affairs. If you are in search of a good business school in Switzerland, then the International Institute in Geneva is your next best choice. The university campus is 5 kilometers from Geneva’s city center and has 200 students, 30% of them representing over 60 different nationalities.

Why study at IIG?

• The IIG is located in Geneva, a global city known for its multicultural taste making it an ideal place to study for international students.
• The curriculum focus is particularly on international business practices and offers undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral degrees.
• The faculty, with considerable expertise in both the public and commercial sectors, is sure to produce future world business and political leaders.
• Student life is not limited to academic courses but includes a variety of sports (football, tennis, swimming, etc.) as well as leisure activities (dinners and ski weekends).
• IIG has twenty-two exchange programs for study-abroad in collaboration with seventeen countries around the world from Europe, North and South America, and Asia. 
• The school offers unique double-degree programs in partnership with the University of Plymouth, UK (undergraduate level), and Boston University, USA (graduate level). 
• Over 1100 alumni work for corporations like Novartis, Loreal, UNICEF, Dell Computer, Estee Lauder, HSBC Bank, World Economic Forum, World Trade Organization, and others in over 100 countries. 

University Rankings and Accreditation

Eduniversal, a global ranking agency for higher education has ranked IIG as one of Switzerland’s top ten business schools. Eduniversal has also ranked it among the top 1,000 business schools in the world.

The institute has received international academic standards with triple accreditation from

1. the British Accreditation Council (BAC)
2. the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)
3. the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE)

IIG is also featured in a number of educational guides such as 

• World Higher Education Database
• QS TOPMBA 
• Masterstudies
• European Council of International Schools

Programs and courses offered by IIG

The International Institute in Geneva offers a number of bachelor’s degree and master’s degree programs in 

• Business Administration 

• Business Analytics

• International Management  

• International Relations and Diplomacy 

• Digital Media 

• Computer Science

• Sales and Marketing

A multicultural classroom environment, top-grade education delivered by first-class faculty, dual-degree options, and international partnerships makes IIG one of the best choices for international students to study in Switzerland. 

IIG also offers research-based doctoral programs in partnership with the University of Plymouth: Doctorate of Business Administration and Doctorate of Public Administration.

Ambitious students with a GPA of 3.5 or higher at the undergraduate level and 3.7 or higher at the postgraduate level are eligible for a medal of excellence.

Undergraduate/Bachelor’s Programs

The entry-level bachelor’s program (with dual-degree options) offered are:

Graduate/Master’s Programs

After finishing undergraduate education, students have the option of obtaining a Master’s degree in the following fields: 

Campus and Accommodation

The campus is housed in a modern building near the United Nations and the International Organizations in Geneva. It also has a library, a student center, a computer center, academic and career counseling offices, and a cafeteria. 

IIG helps students find accommodation or residences ranging from small, private apartments to huge residences with amenities such as restaurants and study areas. It also assists overseas students in completing visa paperwork and securing student visas in Switzerland. 

Admission requirements for international students

Students are admitted to IIG based on their previous academic performance, intellectual capacity, and strong determination to excel. Admissions are offered on a rolling basis for the convenience of students. All the applicants are required to possess proficiency in the English language. Students who do not score a minimum of 6.0 in the IELTS or a minimum of 80 in the TOEFL exams must take an English language course (ESL) in their first year at IIG. 

For undergraduate programs, there are two enrollment periods: September (Fall) and February (Spring). Graduate programs have four registration dates: September (Fall), November (Winter), February (Spring), and May (Summer).

Application Deadline: For the convenience of students, the International Institute in Geneva accepts applications on a rolling basis throughout the year.

Where to Apply: Students can apply via the university website. Alternatively, to ensure timely submissions of the application and increase your chances of getting admitted you can apply via Gyanberry. 

Undergraduate Admissions

A student must have finished high school/secondary education with a good grade point average (GPA) to be considered for an undergraduate program. IIG’s application requirements are as follows:

• A filled application form with an essay
• A certified copy of the high school diploma/secondary education diploma
• A certified high school/secondary transcript
• TOEFL (minimum score 80), IELTS (minimum score 6.0) or CAE (minimum grade C) exam result not exceeding a validity of two years, students with low scores in these examinations can undertake ESL program of the university
• Two passport-size photos
• A resume/curriculum vitae
• A reference letter from a counselor or professor
• A copy of passport
• A non-refundable fee of 150 USD or 551 AED

Graduate/Postgraduate Admissions

For graduate programs, the students must submit the following documents:

• A filled application form with an essay
• A certified copy of undergraduate degree
• A certified transcript of undergraduate degree
• TOEFL (minimum score 80), IELTS (minimum score 6.0) or CAE (minimum grade C) exam result not exceeding a validity of two years, students with low scores in these examinations can undertake ESL program of the university
• A minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.7 (for MBA programs the minimum GPA is 3.0)
• Two passport size photos
• A resume/curriculum vitae
• A reference letter from a counselor or professor
• A copy of passport
• A non-refundable fee of 160 USD or 588 AED
• A two year work experience is an added advantage

Tuition, fees, and annual cost of attendance

With the exception of advanced fees, which are refunded if a student cancels before the first day of the semester, all the other fees are non-refundable.

Fees for Undergraduate Programs

As per Swiss law, international students requiring student visas must be enrolled full-time, i.e., 5 courses per trimester. Also, the students enrolled in the dual-degree program are required to pay an additional fee of 9,568 USD (for 3rd year only).

Fees for Graduate Programs

As per Swiss law, students requiring student visas must be enrolled full-time for master’s degree, i.e., 4 courses per trimester. Also, the students enrolled in the dual-degree program are required to pay an additional fee of 6,552 USD.

Cost of Living

Because of the high expense of accommodation in the Geneva region and to prevent being deceived by scammers, international students should take advantage of the accommodation offered by the IIG Student Housing Services.  

Switzerland is an expensive place to live; in addition to the yearly education fees and the cost of housing, there are some other costs to consider:

The average annual cost of attendance for an international student pursuing any educational program at the International Institute in Geneva is 49,727 USD or 1,82,648 AED. 

Scholarships for international students

Each year, IIG sponsors a number of scholarships based on the merit and financial need of its students. Students must submit a motivational letter along with a completed scholarship application form. Furthermore, students who receive scholarships are required to do administrative work for a set number of hours each week.

IIG offers a limited number of merit, sports, and diplomatic scholarships to undergraduate students. Scholarships are only available to graduate students with a GPA of at least 80% (3.2 out of 4) or above.