Creativity, motivation, energy and curiosity are the main ingredients to join the ECAL Foundation Year. This preparatory course is for the holders of a Baccalaureate wishing to train in the fields of art or design at a University of Applied Sciences, but who first need to acquire the necessary skills to embark on a Bachelor programme.
Rewatch the live information session dedicated to the Foundation Year
We give you the keys to:
Options: In addition to theory and practical courses, every Friday student stake a course on their BA major.
Yearly fees(materials included)
from CHF 1 725.–to CHF 21 125.– (according to the residence), CHF 8 885.– (if a reduction is granted) www.ecal.ch/en/3935
Language: French
Length: 2 semesters
Credits: 0 ECTS
Qualification Issued
Foundation Year Diploma
The choice is vast. It can be for example a work, a piece, a photograph, a screenshot, a film poster, etc., linked in principle to the field under consideration. However, the dossier may contain images that are not related to the field of study, and which highlight other areas of interest of the candidate.
NECESSARY QUALIFICATION
* Access to Foundation Year application procedure is open to foreign secondary diploma education holders as long as the title is equivalent to one of the Swiss required title. ECAL evaluates title's equivalences. This procedure being relatively long, a request of examination must be submitted by email to ECAL Secretariat inscription@ecal.ch until 12 January 2021 the latest. Request of evaluation submitted after the above mentionned date will not be processed.
This one-year course is designed for the holders of a general education certificate from a Vaud secondary school (gymnase), ideally with a fine arts major, wishing to access the admission procedure for an HES Bachelor programme in Design and Fine Arts. To earn the specialised baccalaureate, students must obtain a passing grade in courses and workshops dispensed by ECAL and their specialised baccalaureate paper must be validated.
The procedure for students wishing to register for the MSAD is as follows:
The decision to accept or turn down the application is made after the interview with the jury.For information on deadlines and various other instructions, refer to the websites of the Etat de Vaud and ECAL.
No. Admission to Bachelor programmes is subject to an aptitude test (entrance exam). However, the success rate of applicants who have successfully completed the Foundation Year is high thanks to the solid basic training in art and design they receive during that year.
Yes. ECAL may exceptionally accept applicants demonstrating extraordinary artistic talent even if they do not meet the admission requirements. However, the applicants must first send the ECAL Director a written waiver request.
The applicant submits an application comprising a letter of motivation, a CV and a portfolio. If the request is accepted, he/she can then register for the Foundation Year entrance exam, in the option he/she has chosen.
Bac S are recognized without special distinction. Bac L are accepted without special distinction, but with mathematics (including the exam) in the final two years (première and terminale). Bac ES are accepted with an average of 14/20.
Yes. You can apply to the Head of the Foundation Year for a change in major by the end of the autumn term at the latest. The results obtained by that point are often decisive. Any change in major is subject to approval by the Head and an interview with management.
No. You may register for only one major. Don’t hesitate to contact the ECAL Secretariat if you have any questions.
Courses and workshops are in French in the Foundation Year and at Bachelor level (some Bachelor workshops are in English). Master / MAS programmes are for the most part bilingual (English/French). Fluency in French is therefore essential for the Foundation Year and Bachelor programmes. The same applies to English at least for Master programmes.
Yes. For the Foundation Year and Bachelor programmes, non-French-speaking applicants who have not attended school in Switzerland must be able to attest that they are proficient in French at the B2 level of the European Language Portfolio. The B2 level is required on registration.
Generally speaking, language proficiency is also checked by the juries during the entrance exam.
ECAL has neither a residence nor a campus, but it can, to a limited extent, help students looking for accommodation. As the housing market in the Lake Geneva area is relatively tight, students are advised to make arrangements well in advance.
No, not at the moment.
Due to a serious lack of availability on the local market, it is very difficult to find an accomodation in Lausanne therefore you should look well in advance to find a suitable accommodation. Please keep in mind that you may be required to provide a
3 month safety deposit.
The following solutions are available:
Furnished studios or flat-sharing for students in Lausanne
Rooms to rent
Educational assistance (grants or student loans) is awarded by the cantons and is intended for Swiss students (nationals, foreign permanent residents and persons with refugee status). It is not available to foreign citizens residing in Switzerland for the purposes of study only. However, the Swiss Confederation offers excellence scholarships to foreign students, researchers and artists for a period of study or research in Switzerland.
Except for the Foundation Year, where the course fees are determined by the student’s domicile, tuition is the same for all students in the same Bachelor, Master or MAS programme.
No, not at the moment.
En dehors des manifestations organisées par l’ECAL (expositions diverses, Open Day, etc.), aucune visite n’est autorisée à titre individuel. Des visites de groupes peuvent être organisées, mais planifiées suffisamment à l’avance. Le cas échéant, merci de contacter directement le Secrétariat de l’ECAL, à l’adresse ecal@ecal.ch.
Please send the ECAL Secretariat, at ecal@ecal.ch, an advert in A4 PDF format containing all the information on the internship or job. The advert will be published on the ECAL intranet. Interested students will contact the advertiser directly.
