A warm welcome to our guests, the visiting students

International Office

Studying abroad is a life-changing experience. Study in Zurich and discover what it means to be Swiss: the country, Swiss culture, and the HfH’s approach to inclusion, guided by the motto «Education for All.»

International Office

Wortmarke HfH

International Office

internationaloffice [at] hfh.ch
Tönnissen Liliana

Liliana Tönnissen Dr. phil.

Senior Lecturer

Wild Gyulnash

Gyulnash Wild

International Relations Coordinator

Meya Krisztina

Krisztina Meya

Assistentin Leiterin Zentrum Ausbildung und Weiterbildung

Zurich, Switzerland’s vibrant waterfront metropolis, offers a wide range of cultural attractions, including museums and a diverse gallery scene. The city is also known for its vibrant nightlife and outdoor activities, from hiking up the Uetliberg to enjoying the river and lake bathhouses in the heart of the city. In Zurich, you will be amazed by the historic buildings in the Old Town, stroll along the world-famous Bahnhofstrasse, and enjoy Lake Zurich.

«All in all, I've got a lot of good things from my exchange to Zurich with the PMT2GO program, which I can use personally as well as professionally in my work as a psychomotor therapist. This is something I would recommend to everyone.» 

Corien V., from Windesheim University of Applied Sciences in Zwolle (Netherlands), studied psychomotor therapy with us.

Recommendations from former mobility students

  • Take part in the many events offered by the HfH to broaden your cultural horizons!
  • Make as many connections as possible with students and faculty at the HfH to expand your professional network internationally.
  • Switzerland is one of the oldest direct democracies in the world. It’s worth getting to know the country and its people and making connections beyond the HfH as well. 

Read more about HfH in English 

Interested in spending a semester at the HfH? Please note the following information.

Registration and Nomination. Fill out the registration form in its entirety and submit your nomination to your home university by the registration deadline (by September 15 for the spring semester and by February 15 for the fall semester). 

Important Note: The Difference Between Movetia and Erasmus. The HfH settles its mobility programs with Movetia. Movetia agreements differ from Erasmus agreements. In order for a Learning Agreement to be concluded, incoming students must ensure with their home university that they will receive credit for the HfH modules. 

Language of instruction. German, language level B2. 

Language. Please note that all lectures are held in German. The recommended language level is B2.

Academic Programs. All degree programs (Link to the German-language page) at the HfH combine a scientific foundation with practice-oriented approaches. They prepare graduates for careers in educational and therapeutic professions in special education and therapeutic pedagogy. View the list of modules (Link to the German-language page)

Semester Dates. The following semester dates apply:

  • Fall Semester: Calendar Weeks 38–51
  • Spring Semester: Calendar Weeks 8–22

Information Sessions. See the Academic Calendar (Link to the German-language page) and the HfH Events Calendar (Link to the German-language page). 

Health, liability, and accident insurance. Anyone staying in Switzerland for more than 3 months must have health insurance. Check with your insurance provider to see if your coverage extends to other countries.

ISA and Entry Formalities. Students who are citizens of EU/EFTA countries do not need a visa. Students from countries subject to visa requirements may have to wait up to three months for their visa. For more information, contact the Office of Migration.

Residence. In Switzerland, all individuals staying in the country for more than 3 months must apply for a residence permit. Within 14 days of your arrival, you must register in person at the Residents’ Registration Office.

Scholarship. Depending on their country of origin, incoming students receive varying amounts: CHF 2,000–CHF 2,500. Detailed information can be found on the Movetia website.

Housing. The HfH is happy to assist you in finding housing but does not provide a placement service.

Useful links:

Other students also recommend https://zurich.esn.ch/

Testimonials from former visiting students

«Overall, I’m very glad I decided to spend a semester abroad at the HfH. Not only did I get to know the country, its people, and its natural surroundings better, but I’m also taking away a lot of new knowledge on a professional level that will help my career development. In particular, I’m thinking of the topic of interdisciplinary collaboration. Its necessity became clear to me while studying dysphagia, but also while exploring approaches in psychomotor therapy. Knowledge from other disciplines fosters awareness and sensitivity to the mechanisms at work in the therapeutic and educational support of people. It helps us understand people’s behaviors and the challenges they face, thereby enabling us to make our interactions and the support we provide more dynamic for them.»

«I have nothing but positive things to say about the Intercantonal University of Special Education. Right from the start, I was given the opportunity to choose my courses freely. I was also able to take elective modules… I’d like to express my sincere gratitude to Carla Canonica and Andreas Eckert for my study abroad experience; they gave me the opportunity to participate in and contribute to one of their research projects for two semesters.»

Maria S., Martin Luther University Halle/Wittenberg, studied speech-language pathology for one semester at the HfH

Additional Statements

Mandy S., Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences (Germany), studied speech-language pathology and psychomotor therapy for one semester at the HfH:

“Overall, I’m very glad I decided to spend a semester abroad at the HfH. Not only did I get to know the country, its people, and its natural surroundings better, but I’m also taking away a lot of new knowledge on a professional level that will help my career development. In particular, I’m thinking of the topic of interdisciplinary collaboration. Its necessity became clear to me while studying dysphagia, but also while exploring approaches in psychomotor therapy. Knowledge from other disciplines fosters awareness and sensitivity to the mechanisms at work in the therapeutic and educational support of people. It helps us understand people’s behaviors and the issues they face, thereby enabling us to make our interactions and the support we provide a bit more dynamic for them.”

Maria S., Martin Luther University Halle/Wittenberg, studied speech therapy for one semester at the HfH: .

“I have nothing but positive things to say about the Intercantonal University of Special Education. Right from the start, I was given the opportunity to choose my courses freely. I was also able to take elective modules… I’d like to express my sincere gratitude to Carla Canonica and Andreas Eckert for my study abroad experience; they gave me the opportunity to participate in and contribute to one of their research projects for two semesters.”

Anne-Mai L., student at VIA Randers (Denmark), short-term visit as part of the PMT2go project

“One of the main reasons I came to Switzerland was the German language. At first, it was sometimes difficult for me to express myself well, but I soon got the hang of it.

I’ve learned a lot about the German language and am now more independent.”

Lydia Elaine S., Martin Luther University Halle/Wittenberg (Germany)

“I really enjoyed the fall semester at the HfH, which is why I decided to stay for the following spring semester as well. There were two reasons for this. First, I appreciate the faculty members at the HfH for their expertise; in other words, I found the courses very interesting, and they provided me with a solid grounding in the topics that truly interested me. I was also fortunate to be able to freely choose which seminars and lectures I wanted to attend. Second, I was, of course, able to complete a very good internship at the University Hospital of Zurich, which I didn’t want to cut short after just two months.”

Anna-Lena K. from LMU Munich studied special education at the HfH

"The university is very well-equipped, has modern facilities, and is located relatively centrally. The staff in the library and technical support were always friendly and helpful, and you could turn to them whenever you had problems. We had a very personal and open relationship with the instructors, which created a very pleasant atmosphere in the seminar groups. In most cases, the course content was very practice-oriented, and the individual modules were structured in a coherent manner.”

Nadja B. from Martin Luther University Halle/Wittenberg studied speech therapy for one semester at the HfH:

“The semester abroad at the Intercantonal University of Special Education in Zurich was a very enriching experience for me, both academically and personally. It gave me the opportunity to view my field of study from a new perspective. I particularly enjoyed the practice-oriented modules and being part of the university choir. I felt very at home at the HfH and am very grateful for this experience!”

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