We are very supportive when students take exchange semesters and / or do an internship during the studies. It is an amazing opportunity to use and improve the learned in the world outside the school context.

Exchange – How and when?

The International Office offers students who are interested in staying at a partner university in Switzerland or abroad, comprehensive advice and support in the preparation and organization of the exchange semester. If you are interested in doing a semester at a partner university, please get in touch with the team of the International Office. Their office is in 5.C01; opening hours: Tu – Th: 13.00–17.00.

When to apply: 1st semester (October)

Please be aware, that you have to apply for the exchange program very early. Usually, the deadline is already in October. So it's only a month after you started your first study year. Check with the international office for the exact date.

When to go: 4th or 5th semester

The best moment for an exchange in the 3-year Interaction Design BA-course is the 4th or 5th semester. To learn more about the consequences of an interruption, please see below.

Presentation after your semester abroad

Please be aware that every returning student presents her/his experiences from the semester abroad. An inspiring presentation of 30 minutes length is expected. Through this little event, the fellow students can also benefit from the impressions and are hopefully encouraged to go abroad and gain valuable experience at a partner university as well.

Past exchanges

Here's a list of previous exchanges for inspiration.

Presentations with insights from previous exchanges can be found on the server under DDE > BDE_VIAD > 05_EXCHANGES.

Mutationsmeldung

Students are required to notify the responsible «Vertiefungsleitung» in case of absence (e.g., exchange semester, interruption of studies, withdrawal). They must also confirm their resumption of studies before the end of the previous semester. Deadlines: 30 November (for the spring semester); 31 May (for the autumn semester). Tuition fees are owed in case of late notification.

Students must complete a “Change in Circumstances” form in the following cases:

• Leave of absence
• Placement or internship
• Students who are planning a leave of absence or a placement, yet have not received confirmation, must nevertheless submit the corresponding form (including a respective note) to the Specialisation Office. Students who decide to continue their studies at ZHdK in the following semester should send a brief note to that effect to University Administration.  

The current version of the form is available on the Intranet and can be completed online at:

https://intern.zhdk.ch > Studierende > Formulare > Formulare Hochschuladministration: Mutationsformular

Impact of Exchange Semesters and Internships

As the course structure is composed on a yearly based semester structure, we can`t guarantee seamless transitions in all combinations of exchange semesters or internships.

In case of taking one exchange semester, we usually acknowledge the ECTS points successfully completed from the exchange university. In that case, a seamless transition back to your regular IAD semester class is possible. We recommend you to take an exchange semester in the third or fourth semester, because at that time, it is best to integrate. Please make sure, that the exchange university provides similar courses to our BA curriculum structure at that time.

In case of taking one exchange semester and one internship semester, we usually acknowledge the ECTS points successfully completed from the exchange university. But a seamless transition back to your regular IAD semester class is not possible, as you are missing on ECTS points for the time of the internship. In that case, you would have to re-entry one year below your regular IAD semester class you started with.