No, all candidates must sit the competition, regardless of their previous training.

Candidates must hold one of the following diplomas or be in a position to obtain it before 1 September 2025:

Maturité gymnasiale

Maturité with preparatory class or passerelle / propédeutique

Specialised Maturité in art and design

Professional Maturité

Equivalent foreign qualification such as a secondary school leaving certificate (Note: certain qualifications such as the French baccalauréat professionnel are not considered equivalent. Please contact the Registrar's Office for information on the validity of your diploma)

Other qualifications deemed equivalent

General information on the routes to the Bachelor's degree is available on the HES-SO website by clicking on this >> link <<

You must have one of the following diplomas or be able to obtain it before 1 September 2025:

• Vocational Matura (Maturité professionnelle) in Art with an advanced federal certificate (CFC) specific to the field in question, or

• Specialised Matura in Art and Design sepcific to the field concerned, or

• Matura and preparatory classes or bridge / foundation course in the field concerned, or

• Matura and one year’s professional experience in Design in the field concerned (9-10 months full-time), or

• Equivalent foreign qualification (Nota bene: some diplomas such as the French baccalauréat professionnel are not considered equivalent. Please contact the Office of Studies to find out about the validity of your diploma), or

• Other qualifications deemed equivalent

Please consult the brochure published on the HES-SO website at the following pathway: Admissions to our Bachelor's programmes.

• In Geneva: you can take your preparatory classes at the Centre de formation professionnelle Arts - CFP Arts. This course is free of charge for taxpayers in the Canton of Geneva and costs about CHF 20,000 for non-taxpayers in the Canton. In Switzerland, inter-cantonal agreements exist if the course is not taught in the Canton of residence. You can get information from CFP Arts or from the student guidance services of your Canton of residence.

• In neighbouring France: at the École des Beaux-Arts du Genevois. This preparatory class, which has a deliberately all-round approach, provides an opening onto different artistic and design practices by combining theory and practical teaching. It is open to applicants with a baccalaureate or equivalent qualification.

• You can also do your preparatory year at another school in the country of your choice. Other schools located close to Geneva that offer this training are the École Cantonale d'Art de Lausanne, and the École d'Arts Visuels Berne et Bienne.

• HEAD – Genève does not make any recommendations on the choice of preparatory class/propaedeutic year.

Yes, you also have to submit an application directly to CFP Arts or EBAG. 

Yes, it is possible to do a preparatory class outside Switzerland.You can do your preparatory year in the country of your choice.

Yes, provided certain conditions are met:

• be able to demonstrate outstanding artistic talent (exceptional admission) and, for the design programs only, have one year of professional experience in the field concerned – details in the Special Conditions and Procedures for Admission to Bachelor’s Studies under Admissions;

OR

• be over 25 years old, meet residence criteria in Switzerland or the French departments bordering Switzerland, and have one year’s full-time professional experience in the field concerned (admission on file) – details in the Special Conditions and Procedures for Admission to Bachelor's Studies under Admissions.

You must use the online application form.

From Friday, 15 November 2024 until Tuesday, 4 March 2025 at 17:00 CEST (Swiss time). For special admissions, the deadline is Tuesday, 18 February 2025 at 17:00 CEST (Swiss time). No application forms can be submitted or accepted outside this period.

The admission process takes place in two rounds. The first round consists of the examination and evaluation by a committee of professors of the personal file of each applicant. The second round involves an interview to which the applicants selected after the first round are invited by email.

For the Bachelor’s in Film Studies, the second round includes an exercise to be completed at the time of the interview.

Details on the expected contents of the personal file can be found under Admissions in the Conditions and Procedures for Admission to Bachelor's Studies.

This portrait – based on a few questions – is intended to highlight different aspects of your background, your personality, and your motivations and interests.

The creative test is designed to allow applicants to demonstrate their expressive and imaginative potential. The instructions for this test, which will be carried out remotely, are specific to each department. They will be communicated in the Admissions section on: Friday, 23 February 2024 at 10:00 for the Bachelor applications in Interior Architecture, Fashion Design, and Product, Jewellery and Accessory Design, Visual Communication and Illustration.

There is no creative exercise requested from the applicants to the Bachelor in Fine Arts and to the Bachelor in Cinema.

Please refer to the Conditions and Procedures for Admission to Bachelor’s Studies under Admissions.

These interviews must take place at HEAD – Genève for all candidates whose address is in Switzerland or in the Rhône-Alpes region, except in cases of force majeure. Other candidates may choose between an interview at HEAD – Genève and an interview by videoconference.

The fee is of CHF 150.- per course choosen. You may choose up to 2 courses maximum, in which case, the registration fee will be doubled to CHF 300.-. This amount is non-refundable even if your application is deemed ineligible at the administrative review stage.

Yes, candidates who have completed one (or two) year(s) of equivalent study in an institution of a similar level to HEAD – Genève can apply for admission to the second or third year by following the procedure indicated in the Special Conditions and Procedures for Admission to Bachelor’s Studies in the Admissions section.

You will receive an email and an official letter approximately three weeks after the interviews. Successful applicants have until 31 May to accept their admission offer.

Each applicant is entitled to a total of three attempts. If a candidate applies for two courses in a given year, this double application in the same year counts as one attempt.

The pre-enrollment internship agreement is an official document provided by HEAD, enabling candidates to complete an internship at a company or institution to gain the required professional experience before enrolling in the Bachelor’s programme in Design at HEAD. This internship must meet specific criteria regarding duration, namely 9 to 10 months full-time at minimum, and must be relevant to the candidate’s chosen field/major at HEAD.

Candidates who wish to enroll at HEAD but lack professional training directly related to their chosen field/major, or those holding a high school diploma (federal maturity or equivalent), may need prior professional experience to qualify for admission to the Bachelor’s design programme. To acquire this experience, they can request a pre-enrollment internship agreement to complete an internship relevant to their intended field of study at HEAD.

The internship agreement is provided to candidates once the admissions office has assessed their eligibility and confirmed that they need to acquire professional experience before applying for admission to the Bachelor’s programme in design.

You can request it by emailing the HEAD admissions office at: admission.head@hesge.ch, attaching your high school diploma (secondary II). After reviewing your eligibility, and if you meet the necessary requirements, the admissions office will guide you through the process and provide the required documents.

The agreement establishes a legal and administrative framework between the intern, the employer, and the school, ensuring that the internship is formally recognized by HEAD and that the experience qualifies to meet the admission requirements.

The internship must last a minimum of 9 to 10 months full-time. It aims to provide candidates with significant professional experience. Your application will be rejected if you have less than 9 months full-time professional experience.

It is the candidate’s responsibility to secure an internship. HEAD does not find internships or provide recommendations for potential employers. Therefore, it is important to start your internship search as early as possible to fulfill the admission requirements.

When applying for admission to HEAD. If your internship is still ongoing, you must submit a letter from your employer confirming the internship is in progress. If the internship has been completed, you are required to provide a letter from the employer confirming that the internship was successfully completed.

It is possible to accumulate multiple professional experiences, but we recommend a maximum of two internships to ensure continuity in your knowledge acquisition. A fragmented experience may hinder the integration of the necessary skills relevant to your chosen field of study.

No, all candidates must submit an application regardless of their previous training.

Applicants must hold a Bachelor’s degree at university or UAS level or a foreign qualification deemed equivalent, unless they request an application under special conditions (application on file).

Please consult the brochure published on the HES-SO website at the following pathway: Admissions to our Master's programs and regulations.

You must use the online application form.

You can apply from Wednesday, 15 November 2023 until Monday, 25 March 2024 at 17:00 CEST (Swiss time). No application forms can be submitted and accepted after this deadline.

The admission process takes place in two rounds. The first round consists of the examination and evaluation by a committee of professors of the personal file of each applicant. The second round involves an interview to which the applicants selected after the first round are invited by email.

Details on the expected contents of the personal file can be found under Admissions in the Conditions and Procedures for Admission to Master’s Studies.

These interviews must take place at HEAD – Genève for all candidates whose address is in Switzerland or in the Rhône-Alpes region, except in cases of force majeure. Other candidates may choose between an interview at HEAD – Genève and an interview by videoconference.

The fee is of CHF 150.- per course chosen. You may choose up to 2 courses maximum, in which case, the registration fee will be doubled to CHF 300.-. This amount is non-refundable even if your application is deemed ineligible at the administrative review stage.

The results of the entrance exam are communicated on the dates mentioned in the Conditions and Procedures document, exclusively through the application portal assigned to you. An email will be sent to inform you that a message has been posted on your application portal.
Successful candidates have until May 31 to confirm their enrolment at HEAD – Geneva.

Each applicant is entitled to a total of three attempts. If a candidate applies for two courses in a given year, this double application in the same year counts as one attempt.

The following diplomas are not recognized as BA degrees giving access to an MA program at HEAD – Genève:

• DNMADE: National Diploma of Art and Design. On the basis of this diploma, equivalence may be granted for admission to the second year of the BA degree.

• DSAA: Higher Diploma of Applied Arts if taken after a BTS or DMA (Arts and Crafts Diploma). On the basis of this diploma, equivalence may be granted for admission to the second year of the BA program.

• Licence professionnelle (Professional Diploma) if done following a BTS +1. On the basis of this diploma, equivalence may be granted for admission to the second year of the BA program.

The following diplomas are recognized as BA degrees giving access to an MA program at HEAD – Genève:

• DNA: National Art Diploma

• DNAP: National Diploma of Visual Arts

• DNSEP: National Higher Diploma in Visual Expression

• DSAA: Higher Diploma of Applied Arts if done following a DNMADE

• Licence professionnelle (Professional Diploma) if done following a DUT+ 1

Bachelor's studies at HEAD – Genève are in French.

Candidates whose upper-secondary level qualification has not been issued by a French-speaking institution must, once they have been admitted, submit a B2-level French certificate by 31 August.

Candidates do not have to submit this B2-level French certificate if they hold:

• an upper-secondary level qualification from a German-speaking Swiss canton or from Ticino that includes French as a subject

• a tertiary level A qualification (Bachelor's degree or equivalent qualification of at least 180 ECTS credits) in which French is the official language of instruction

Master's studies at HEAD – Genève are in English, in French or in English and French, depending on the course of studies (please refer to the admission conditions and procedures for the specifics of each course).

Candidates whose secondary II or Bachelor's degree was not awarded by an institution whose teaching was in the same language as that of the Master's programme must, after being admitted, submit by 30 June a B2-level French or English certificate, depending on the course of studies.

No, you only need to provide proof of your language skills in French or in English.

• DELF with at least B2 level

• DALF with at least C1 or C2 level

• TCF with at least B2 level in the compulsory and optional (complementary) tests

• TCF DAP with at least B2 level in the compulsory tests and in the written expression test (this test is compulsory)

• TEF with at least B2 level in the compulsory and optional (complementary) tests, issued by the CCIP/Alliance française

• B2-level French certificate issued by a language school or other recognized institution

• TOEFL test taken on or after 1 July 2023, with a minimum score of 72

• IELTS test taken on or after 1 July 2023, with a minimum score of 6.0

• Duolingo Test taken on or after 1 July 2023, with a B2 level (minimum score of 100 out of 160)

• B2-level English certificate issued by a language school or a recognized institution specialized in assessing language proficiency. English grades obtained as part of the Maturité are not accepted, unless a certificate indicating a level according to the CEFR is provided

No translation is required for diplomas in English, German, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese.

For all other languages, the documents must be a certified translation, i.e. a translation that bears the seal and signature of an accredited translator and must be sent directly by the translation office to admission.head@hesge.ch.

Semester fees are as follows: CHF 775 for Swiss students (i.e. Swiss nationals or those with tax residence in Switzerland and cross-border commuters) and CHF 1'125.- for international students

No, it is not possible to be exempt from paying tuition. However, ad hoc assistance may be requested through the University of Geneva’s financial aid system.

Approximately CHF 1,000 to 2,000 per year is needed for materials, travel, museum visits, etc.

You should contact the scholarship service of your Canton of residence. In Geneva, this is the Service des bourses et prêts d’études.

Please consult the webpages dedicated to scholarships and financial aid.

Yes, in certain courses. A compulsory internship is included in the study plans of the Bachelor’s in Fashion Design and the Bachelor’s in Product/Jewellery and Accessory Design at the end of the second year. An optional internship is also included in the study plan of the Bachelor’s in Film Studies for students in the Editing and Sound options. This internship takes place during the third year.

You can earn ECTS credits for an internship as part of the Master’s in Fashion and Accessory Design, the Master’s in Space and Communication, and the Master’s in Media Design. This non-compulsory internship takes place during the summer between the first and second year. An internship during the academic year can also be credited towards the Master in Interior Design.

No, Bachelor’s studies at HEAD – Genève are full-time. The workload leaves some time for a student job but not, e.g., for a part-time job.

No, Master’s studies at HEAD – Genève are full-time. The workload leaves some time for a student job but not, e.g., for a part-time job.

Yes, but only during the open day on Saturday, 18 January 2025.