Application Deadline: Nov, 1 – Nov, 30, 2026, 11.59h, MEZ for a start in the Master programme in HS27.
LOCATION: Zürich
The Excellence Scholarship & Opportunity Programme (ESOP) supports students with a scholarship, mentorship, and a network of the ETH Foundation. The scholarship covers the full study and living costs during the Master’s degree course.
ELIGIBILITY:
ESOP applications are supplied via eApply (online Master application).
This also applies for ETH Bachelor students for a consecutive Master programme.
Very good result in Bachelor’s degree programme (top 10% of Bachelor’s degree programme = grade A; this is based on self-assessment).
Please make sure to be reachable under the telephone number specified in your CV as the selection process might include a phone/VC interview in February. If your are not available during that time, please inform the study programme coordinator.
If you are already enrolled in a Master’s degree programme at ETH Zurich, or hold a Master degree, you are not eligible for ESOP.
In addition to the documents for the Master admission you will need to upload a pre-proposal for your master thesis (Downloadguidelines_preproposal (PDF, 86 KB)).
The pre-proposal for the Master’s thesis must be developed by yourself and use established scientific citation practice.
Plagiarism and negligent or intentional misinformation will lead to exclusion from the admission process or—if discovered later—to the revocation of the admission and of any scholarship.
If your study programme does not ask for references, you must name two reference persons (professors) for your ESOP application. These persons should upload (after an email from the system) a reference letter.
Only ETH Bachelor students may start the ESOP with a leave of absence.
Selection Process: For the start of the academic year 2027/28, there will be approximately 60 ESOP scholarships assigned. The decision is communicated at the end of March.
The applications are evaluated by the Admissions Committees of the respective Master’s programmes. The final decision for awarding scholarships in the Excellence Scholarship & Opportunity Programme rests with the Rector of ETH Zurich. The exact number of annual scholarships depends on the availability of funds. The decisions are communicated by the end of March.
BENEFIT:
The Excellence Scholarship/ESOP consists of a scholarship covering living and study expenses (CHF 12’000 per semester, from HS27 onwards to 13’500 CHF) as well as a tuition fee waiver.
ESOP is awarded for the regular duration of the Master’s programme (three or four semesters). This also applies for the tuition fee waiver.
