<p>I live in Switzerland and I'm going to university starting fall 2009 in Fribourg (most likely). My question is; can I, let's say, after my first year, change university, go study in the US and finish my bachelor and do my master over there? The reason I'm asking this questions is because I haven't even wrote to any US university yet, let alone decide where and what I was going to study! </p>
<p>Plan:</p>
<p>1st year bachelor: Fribourg
2nd + 3rd year bachelor: USA
Master degree: USA</p>
<p>Yes it is possible, but you would not get your Bachelor's degree in 3 years total and I don't know how much you would enjoy the academic experience as a transfer student in the US. A typical American undergraduate degree requires 4 year's worth of classes, with about 2 years' worth of classes in your major and 2 years' worth of work outside of your major. Some of the classes outside of your major are "general education requirements" in subjects such as English, history, math, sciences, arts, foreign languages etc which all students have to take. (Usually you get some choices, e.g. you might get to pick which literature class you want to take, but you will have to take some literature class.) The remaining classes are "free electives" which you can take in whatever field you want; for example, you can take some random classes you find interesting or complete a minor or a double-major. </p>
<p>Most American students take their general education requirements in the first one or two years so that they have more time to figure out what they want to major in, and then focus on their major in the last two years. I would also like to add that the specific requirements for a degree vary by college, but the programs of study generally look similar to the outline above.</p>
<p>The following two paragraphs will assume that in Switzerland you would only study classes related to your major (or minor) but not unrelated classes. (For example, an engineering major would not take a literature or a history class.) When you get to the US as a transfer student, you would already have one year's worth of classes in your major from your studies in Switzerland. For a typical American undergraduate degree, you would have to take another year's worth of classes in your major in the US and two years' worth of classes outside of your major.</p>
<p>Now here comes the ironic part: If you went to the US right after high school, you would probably get one year's worth of credit for your high school work which would count towards your general education requirements. So once in the States, you could finish your Bachelor's degree in 3 years total and you would have most general ed requirements taken care of. You could use your remaining electives to explore a few different fields of your choice in the first year and then focus on your major in the remaining two years. However, if you transfer after 1 year of college in Switzerland, you will usually not get credit for your high school work at all. Hence it would take you 4 years in total to finish your degree and you would have to take most of your classes outside of your major because you transfer in with a lot of credits in your major already. </p>
<p>I didn't express myself very clearly, but I hope you understand what I mean.</p>
<p>I'd like to add something to my previous post: You can often use your free electives in your major if you would like, but that's not always possible (e.g. because the college requires a certain number of classes outside of your major, or because you run out of classes to take).</p>
<p>I don't know if finances are an issue at all, but there is some amount of financial aid available for international first-year applicants but close to none for international transfer applicants.</p>
<p>Thanks. I didn't get everything but anyway...so you're saying I shouldn't transfer. I'd like to transfer because I'm sick of switzerland. Want to live in the american culture, have a great college experience, etc....</p>
<p>You are right; here in switzerland, we only study what we have majored in. So in the US, I would have to take other courses that I don't major in?</p>
<p>I am not saying you shouldn't. I just wanted you to know what to expect once you do transfer.</p>
<p>Yes, in the US you have to take classes outside of your major. Typically students take more than half of their classes outside of their major... Or in the words of a former high school teacher of mine: the first two years of college in the US are essentially like the last two years of high school in Germany (and probably in Switzerland as well). If you transfer in with only classes in your major, you will have to take a lot of classes outside of your major once you get there. It's fun and you might enjoy it, but if you would rather study your major only, you might be happier in another country.</p>
Now here comes the ironic part: If you went to the US right after high school, you would probably get one year's worth of credit for your high school work which would count towards your general education requirements.
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<p>Even if the OP moves to the US as a transfer student, couldn't he/she still get university credit for his/her High School classes in Switzerland ? I don't see why not.</p>
<p>Because some colleges won't consider giving you transfer credit for something that your previous institution did not give you credit for. At least mine doesn't, but we might be the exception.</p>
<p>i am actually looking for some help.I am from england and i am hoping to transfer to an American University. . . . I was just wondering how would i be ble to do that. Also i am confused about how in America you guys have people called seniors freshmens and all that well at a high school for example a secondary school in England we just have people called year 11s and that and then after 5 years we go to college and then after two years of college we go to university. . . .</p>
<p>Hi!
I am a freshman this year in college. I am attending a US University and I am interested in transferring to a European university preferably after my first year. Is it even possible to transfer from the US te Europe seeing as how there are a lot of differences regarding academics?? I have been searching for information regarding this question on many universities’ websites but none mention any requirements for transfers, only for undergraduates, masters, postgraduates,visiting and exchange students. I am majoring in Economics and am interested in universities in the UK, the Netherlands and Switzerland. Does anyone have any information regarding transferring from the US to Europe? I would really appreciate your help!</p>
<p>Most European universities require 1 year in a US university as a freshman anyway for you to apply as a “first year” or “fresher” :). You wouldn’t be considered a transfer. Scores or 4 or 5 in 3-4 APs related to what you want to study would be considered, as would your SAT score and the grades you got in college-level classes related to your future major. You wouldn’t apply to a university as a whole and wouldn’t have any gen ed classes: you’d apply to a specific major within a university. UCAS allows you to apply to 5 different programs, either in the same school or in different schools (ie. you can apply to sociology at University A, sociology at university B, Business at university A, International Business at university C, and anthropology/sociology at university C… or any combination of 5 that you can think of.) Once in a major, you can’t switch, unless you start over from year 1.
For economics specifically, you’d need to have completed Calculus I (and II in some universities, check the specific requirements for each “course” ie program/major), macro economics and micro economics, plus typically political science, European history, and/or sociology, either at the Ap level or at the 1st year college level. Your math level is likely to be the key factor.</p>
<p>So I guess I would have to sort of go through a gap year again huh since I would have to start over according to the European system of education? (I already went through a gap year this year and that’s why I don’t want to lose another year) I appreciate your help! Thanks a lot Myos1634!</p>
<p>No, you just fill out the paperpwork during your freshman year. You need to have all A’s or near and take classes related to what you hope to major in. You’ll start your “first year” in the UK but the degree only has 3 years, so essentially the “first year” in the UK is like sophomore year in the US.</p>