ETH Zurich Excellence Scholarship 2027 (ESOP) for Master's Students

The ETH Zurich Excellence Scholarship 2027, officially the Excellence Scholarship & Opportunity Programme (ESOP), supports excellent Master's students at ETH Zurich, one of the world's leading universities for science and technology. The scholarship covers the full study and living costs during the Master's degree and comes with mentorship and access to the network of the ETH Foundation. Master of Advanced Studies (MAS) programmes are not included. What the scholarship covers - A scholarship for living and study expenses of CHF 12,000 per semester. From the autumn semester 2027 (HS27) onwards, the amount is CHF 13,500 per semester. - A tuition fee waiver - Support for the regular duration of your Master's programme, which is three or four semesters. This applies to the tuition fee waiver as well. - Mentorship and the ETH Foundation network For the 2027/28 academic year, approximately 60 ESOP scholarships will be awarded. The exact number depends on the availability of funds. Who can apply - You need a very good result in your Bachelor's degree programme. You should be in the top 10% of your programme, which is grade A. This is based on your own assessment. - You must be applying to a Master's programme at ETH Zurich. - You must not already be enrolled in a Master's programme at ETH Zurich, and you must not hold a Master's degree. - You must be reachable on the phone number given in your CV, because the selection may include a phone or video interview in February. You must also be admitted to your chosen Master's programme, so check the admission requirements for your programme on the ETH website before you apply. How to apply ESOP is not a separate application. You apply through ETH Zurich's online Master application system, eApply. 1. Choose your Master's programme and read its admission requirements. 2. Open eApply when the application window starts and submit your Master application. 3. In addition to the standard documents, upload a pre-proposal for your Master's thesis. You must develop it yourself and use established scientific citation practice. Plagiarism or false information leads to exclusion, or to withdrawal of the admission and scholarship if it is found later. 4. If your programme does not ask for references, name two professors who will upload a reference letter after an email from the system. 5. Submit before the deadline. Deadline for the ETH Zurich Excellence Scholarship 2027 The application window runs from 1 November to 30 November 2026 for a start in the autumn semester 2027. The official ETH page lists the closing time as 11.59h Central European Time, and the FAQ page adds "am". To avoid any misunderstanding, submit well before noon on 30 November. You must apply within this first application window. Applications in later windows are not considered for ESOP. Selection The Admissions Committees of the individual Master's programmes evaluate the applications. The final decision on awarding the scholarships rests with the Rector of ETH Zurich. Decisions are communicated at the end of March 2027. A tip for your pre-proposal The thesis pre-proposal is where many strong applicants lose points. Choose a clear research question connected to your programme, explain why it matters, and cite your sources properly. A focused, honest proposal is better than an ambitious one that you cannot support. Please confirm all dates, amounts and requirements for the ETH Zurich Excellence Scholarship 2027 on the official ETH Zurich website before you apply. Questions can be sent to the ETH Financial Aid Office.