Spring Semester in Zurich

The program is tailored to the needs of finance majors and streamlines the process of course selection for you. You actually get ahead in meeting graduation requirements in Finance while builiding the foundation for an International Business minor at VT.

You take the following courses at ZHAW that substitute back at Tech toward graduation requirements and the International Business minor.

Please remember to fill out the Course Equivalency form, see Dr. Morgan for details.

Prerequisites by CoursePrerequisites  So you can see that you will not lose any time in working toward your degree as you might in an exchange program with other universities. All the substitutions have already been approved. You do not have to do anything to make the substitutions work -- just take the classes.

The prerequisite courses can be taken in the Fall of the junior year just prior to embarking on the study abroad. Or you could have taken one or both Finance courses in an earlier semester. The Concepts and Skills prerequisite will not be waived for this program, so you must take it no later than the fall of your junior year (for most students that means taking it concurrently with Intro to Finance -- which is the way that they should be taken even if you are not studying abroad). You must achieve a grade of C or better in FIN 3134 to be eligible for the Zurich semester program.
The Marketing course at ZHAW requires MKTG 3104. Plan to include it on your fall schedule.

Participating in study abroad does not allow a student any exceptions to meeting Policy 91 requirements. It is the students’ responsibility to understand Pamplin’s specific Policy 91 requirements, which may be viewed at http://www.undergrad.pamplin.vt.edu/advising/policy91.html

International Business Minor

Seven of the credits count towards the International Business Minor in Pamplin College:

• International Marketing, 3 credits
• Study Abroad credits, 2 credits
• German class, 2 credits

plus, of course, the required overseas experience for the minor is satisfied by participation in this program. So you will have the foundation for completing the minor when you return to Blacksburg.

Excursions

Part of the program is the opportunity to receive business briefings and conversations with business people as well as opportunities to visit cultural sites to help you understand European and Swiss culture.

Some examples of excursions are given below (you will be able to do many more on your own).

Possible Excursions

Estimated costs for admissions, train/cable car transportation: $500. This will be a cost you must budget to come out of your spending money in Switzerland. The excursions are a required part of the program.

Students will document their visits and write about their experiences on these excursions as part of their grade for the Study Abroad course. Video conferences with VT faculty will also be scheduled to discuss reactions and reflections on the site visits.

As a semester exchange program, you only pay regular tuition at VT and do not pay any tuition to Zurich. 

Switzerland is not part of the Euro zone nor part of the EU

The advantage of this program is that you don't pay any more for tuition than you would pay for taking courses in Blacksburg.

• You are going to pay tuition for spring anyway.
• You are going to pay rent anyway.
• You are going to eat meals anyway.
• Why not do all that and live in Europe instead?

Pamplin College's Estimated Cost Table

* Does not include costs of any additional travel outside of Zurich.

From "Airfare" to "Personal" expenses are costs that you would not incur normally during a semester in Blacksburg. Those plus the VT fee sum to the incremental cost of the Zurich Semester = $7,000-$9,500.

(Click on the category to go to the detailed description below.)

ª these figures are based on the published rates for 2013-14 as 2014 rates are not yet available.

The summary here is not legally binding and is provided for information purposes only. Consult the Financial Agreement/Contract and other forms for details.

Virginia Tech reserves the right to make cancellations, date, cost, and deposit adjustments, and other necessary changes in the program. Prices may change due to global economic or other conditions.

Currency

1. Current exchange rate between the Swiss Franc and the dollar is approximately
   • 1 SF = $1.05
2. The Swiss central bank has placed an upper limit on how high the value of the Swiss Franc can go.

1. Switzerland does not use the euro even though every country around it does.
2.  
   1. They have so far been successful in maintaining that level.
   2. They don't want such a high Franc because it makes all the stuff they export more expensive.

Costs of Living

• Zurich is a relatively high cost of living city even more expensive than NYC or London
• However, "student living costs in Switzerland are comparable to major European cities and are, in fact, lower than those in Paris and London." (from ZHAW web site)
• The university Mensa is a cost efficient way to get 2 meals a day

Start the application process early.

Who can apply

Applications are accepted one semester in advance of the program or more. Thus sophomore finance majors should apply if they will complete the prerequisites (especially Financial Analytics) in the following fall.

There is a GPA minimum of 3.25. Candidates must be able to manage their time very effectively between the fabulous personal experience in Europe and the coursework from ZHAW professors.

Apply by Sept. 15th

How to Apply to VT’s Finance in Zurich Program

View this powerpoint on the application process.

(For Early Bird Applicants)
Follow the process described below but your application must be submitted to Dr. Morgan by May 1 of the year prior to the program and to ZHAW by May 15. You should receive a response from ZHAW in mid-summer and thus be able to make arrangements for Spring much earlier).

(For September Deadline)

Step 1: Complete this application form, records release form , the Student Life Disclosure form, and the FERPA waiver form. Submit to Dr. Morgan prior the Sept. 15 deadline.

Step 2: Then, go to the VT Education Abroad website to apply. Fill out the required questionnaires and submit your application by the deadline above.

Step 3: If you are accepted by VT, then fill out the application forms for ZHAW including getting endorsement on the referral form. Their deadline is September 30, 2016 for the Spring 2017 semester.

Step 4: File the Authorization to Study Abroad form with Ms. Leanne Byrd in the Pamplin advising office.

Step 5: Once you get an acceptance from ZHAW, you need to apply for a visa from the Swiss embassy because you will be in Switzerland for over 4 months. There are several pieces to the application process that will require preparation. These should not be an obstacle, but they do consume time and require your attention to get completed. This may require three months or more. So you need to start the whole process mid-late November. You must physically deliver your visa application (with your passport) to the Swiss Embassy in Washington, DC.

Step 6: Apply for housing in the International Dorm (Camp AXA is recommended by past students) in November.

How to Apply

Checklist

1. VT Application
2. ZHAW Application
   1. ZHAW guidelines
3. Passport
4. Purchase Swiss approved health insurance
5. Student Visa from Swiss embassy

Be sure to consult the University Education Abroad staff to ensure that you have everything needed.

Zurich-- a superbly located home base for travel

Europe is beckoning with its wide assortment of languages and cultures, its famous resorts, museums, churches, and places in history.

Zurich is a widely-used jumping off point for people traveling around Europe because of its central location as well as the trendy and vibrant city life. It has been said that it is like San Francisco, Boulder Colorado, and New Orleans rolled into one city.

Trains in Europe are phenomenally efficient (especially Swiss trains) and effective at transporting you across the continent. For longer distances, you can use air travel from Zurich's international airport. The airport is only 15 minutes by train from Winterthur. The train station in Winterthur is virtually across the street from the ZHAW classroom builiding so you can step out of class and start your journey.

You will have 3-4 long weekends for travel including a four day weekend around Easter. The variety of Swiss locations are easily accessible by train for a day trip or during a two day weekend as are other sites in Austria, Germany and France. So there is lots of opportunity to travel from Zurich.

There is required travel to banks and businesses in Zurich, Winterthur, Basel, Flawil and other locations. Plus cultural visits are required to the Mythens, museums, and the old town of Zurich.

Where can you go?

There are so many locations available it will be hard to choose!

Here is a table with the travel times by train to a wide variety of destinations. Some as close as an hour (most everyplace in Switzerland) to several hours away.

From the Basel or Zurich airports, you could even travel easily to London, Amsterdam, Prague, Madrid, Berlin, Krakow, Budapest.

Zurich itself is a wonder. This site has some great suggestions for things to do and see: Art Museum, Am Romerholz, Design Museum just in Winterthur.

Also see the NYTimes travel guide to Zurich

Zurich Tourism Site

Places in Switzerland

• Berne
• Luzerne
• Geneva
• Ski resorts

Housing in Zurich/Winterthur

Apartments are available specifically for international students who share apartments. A new dorm (video) has opened with single rooms that are reasonable to spacious.

The cost of living in Winterthur is reasonable. Remember that you would be paying for housing, food and transportation in Blacksburg, so consider that when looking at these prices.

Student living costs in Switzerland are comparable to major European cities and are, in fact, lower than those in Paris and London. Living costs depend heavily on personal lifestyles and on one's choice of recreational activities. Based on the experience of former students, you should budget 1,300 Swiss Francs or $1,500 per month. A typical student budget for one month includes:

Monthly Living expenses (in Swiss Francs)

Does not include entertainment and leisure costs nor cost of school materials/books.

An average total cost estimate is $1,500 per month. (But remember that is not the incremental cost because you would pay rent and eat meals in Blacksburg anyway.)

Behavior Expectations on Study Abroad You are expected to behave on your study abroad in a manner that is safe, that brings honor to VT and the US, that respects the local culture, and that otherwise maximizes your engagement with the local culture. See policy here.

Living in Switzerland for more details on living in Winterthur.

Tourism in Winterthur.

Each student must have a valid passport from their home country. You can apply for a passport at the Blacksburg Post Office (540-552-2751) at the University Mall with appointment or at the Montgomery County Clerk's Office at the Christiansburg Courthouse (540-382-5760), no appointment required. You can get passport photos at most local pharmacies.

You should insure that you have the proper vaccinations for this program. This can be done through the University's recommended travel clinic (Intravene), a county health department, or your family physician. Your familiy physician usually does not have the more specialized vaccines and should refer you to the county health department. You can see a list of recommended vaccinations and other health information at the CDC travel website.

These sites have additional information:

• Passports
• General Information - U.S. State Department
• Students Abroad - U.S. State Department
• Customs Information
• Medical Information - U.S. State Department
• CDC Medical Information for Switzerland
• Drug Offenses Overseas from the U.S. State Department
• CIA Factbook (A great place for country information.)
• State Department Travel Alerts and Warnings

Packing list will be available shortly

Brochure available below.

• Winterthur is satellite town to the city of Zurich, ie, in the greater metro area of Zurich
  • 2nd largest city in canton of Zurich (See video on Wintherthur)
  • Like Stamford, Conn. is to NYC
• Zurich Rated No. 2 best place to live in the world for expatriates by Mercer Consulting
  • Based on 39 criteria
  • Trendy, vibrant, youthful
• Birthplace of private banking
  • "Gnomes of Zurich" are famous for customer service, discretion, investing skill
• Competitive Advantage: Hub for traditional financial services
  • Accounting, Law, Finance, Insurance
• European HQ for firms like Google
• Host to largest open air festival in Europe
• Carnival is a huge celebration
• New Orleans, San Francisco, and Boulder Colorado all in one place
• Close to lots of Alpine ski resorts
  • Especially in central Alps: Rigi, Mythen only an hour away
  • Matterhorn is not far, nor is Davos, St. Moritz
• Geneva, another center for banking, is only 90 minutes away
  • United Nations and other international organizations
• Easy access to other places in Europe as Zurich is a rail hub
  • Many international travelers use Zurich as a jumping off point
  • Access to cities like Prague, Hamburg, even Florence
• Access to Swiss multinationals and Swiss engines of growth
  • Pharmaceuticals
  • Precision manufacturing (not just watches!)
  • Investment and commercial banking
  • Insurance
  • Confectionary industry (think Nestle, Lindt, Sprungli, etc.)