UW Engineering Switzerland Study Abroad Program

Program Details

Program Dates

The 2026 Engineering Switzerland Early Fall program will run from August 24 - September 16, 2026. Students will fly in before or on XXX and check into their housing accommodations that evening. The program will end on September 16 when students check out of the housing and travel home or on to their next destination. Students are welcome to travel before or after the program as long as they are present for the duration of the term.

Program Fee

The 2026 Engineering Switzerland Early Fall program fee is $5500. Costs included in the program fee are: instruction, housing, program activities, and program travel. Not included in the program fee: $485 study abroad fee, airfare (average price subject to when and where your buy your ticket - $1,300), food (about $35/day), UW Student Abroad insurance ($1.64/day), personal spending money.

Housing

Your housing in Lausanne will be provided by Fondation Maisons pour Etudiants Lausanne (FMEL). Everyone will be assigned a studio or private room within a shared apartment. All apartments have a bed, desk, storage space, a small cooktop, and a mini fridge, and you will have sheets, a pillow, and a towel provided. Each unit has a private bathroom.

The final location of the building we will stay in is not final yet, but the accommodations should similar at all of the buildings managed by FMEL. Program staff will accommodate special needs and requests as necessary and accessible housing is available through FMEL.

The Vortex housing building which housed athletes during the Olympic Youth games in 2020. Credit Fondation Maisons pour Etudiants Lausanne

Travel

All students will have a travel pass which will allow them to take buses and the light rail around the Lausanne region. Any transportation for program excursions, such as high-speed trains or coaches, will be provided by program staff. Students are able to travel during their free time but any travel expenses incurred will be their responsibility.

Excursions

The program will explore different locations in the Lausanne area. These excursions will include trips to Geneva to visit CERN and a cheese and chocolate tasting trip to Gruyeres & Broc. We will visit the Olympic Museum in Lausanne and take a city tour in Lausanne.

Program Staff

Tai Chen

Tai is a Teaching Professor of Electrical Engineering, where he has offered more than 14 different undergraduate and graduate courses. Chen has been involved in developing new curricula for various universities and has also worked to develop the format of lecture-based online courses.

Kevin Shao

Kevin is a PhD student in the UW Electrical and Computer Engineering department and served as the teaching assistant for the Engineering Switzerland program in 2023 and 2025. He has been the TA for EE 215 multiple times and is a great resource for students on the program.

We are very excited to be going back to Lausanne and are happy to answer any questions that you might have! If you would like more information, please consider attending one of our info sessions in the winter or email tcchen@uw.edu and kshao918@uw.edu.

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