ETH Zurich Excellence Masters Scholarships

Overview

The ETH Zurich Excellence Scholarship & Opportunity Programme (ESOP) is one of the most prestigious Master's scholarships in the world, offered by ETH Zurich — consistently ranked among the top 5 universities globally for science and technology. The scholarship covers full tuition fees and living expenses for the entire duration of a Master's degree in Switzerland.

Nepal is eligible with no nationality restrictions. The ESOP is open to outstanding students from any country, provided they are in the top 10% of their bachelor's class. For Nepali students with strong academic records in engineering, computer science, mathematics, architecture, or natural sciences, this is a genuinely competitive opportunity.

In addition to financial support, ESOP scholars receive mentorship and become part of the ETH Foundation's alumni network — connecting them with researchers, innovators, and industry leaders across the world. Approximately 60 scholarships are awarded annually across all ETH Master's programmes.

Note on the old MSP programme: The original page on this site referenced two programmes — ESOP and the Master Scholarship Programme (MSP). The MSP has since been discontinued. ESOP is the only ETH Excellence scholarship currently available for Master's students.

Eligibility

• Applying for a Master's degree programme at ETH Zurich (all programmes eligible except MAS programmes)
• Top 10% of your bachelor's degree programme — equivalent to an A grade (self-assessed at application stage)
• Open to all nationalities — national and international students equally eligible
• Must apply within the first application window (1–30 November) — Nepali students with a bachelor's degree from outside Switzerland cannot apply in the second (December) window
• Must not already be enrolled in a Master's degree at ETH Zurich, or hold a Master's degree from any institution
• Must meet the specific entry requirements for the chosen Master's programme, including English (and in some cases German) language proficiency

Important: Application Window for Nepali Students

Nepali students whose bachelor's degree is from outside Switzerland must apply in the November window only (1–30 November). The December application window is exclusively for students holding a Swiss bachelor's degree. Missing the November deadline means waiting a full year.

Who is Not Eligible

• Students already enrolled in a Master's programme at ETH Zurich
• Students who already hold a Master's degree from any university
• Applicants to MAS (Master of Advanced Studies) programmes
• Applicants applying in the second (December) window with a non-Swiss bachelor's degree

How to Apply

The ESOP scholarship application is integrated with the ETH Zurich Master's admission application — there is no separate scholarship portal.

1. Choose your Master's programme — review ETH Zurich's Master's programmes and identify one that matches your background. Note that some programmes require German proficiency. If applying to more than one programme, submit a separate application for each.
2. Prepare your pre-proposal — in addition to standard admission documents, ESOP requires a pre-proposal for your Master's thesis. This must be your own original work, using established scientific citation practice. Plagiarism or misinformation will result in disqualification.
3. Identify reference professors — if your chosen programme does not ask for references as part of standard admission, you must name two professors as reference persons in your ESOP application. They will receive an automated email prompting them to upload a reference letter.
4. Apply via eApply — submit your complete Master's application including all ESOP-specific documents through ETH Zurich's eApply portal. The window opens 1 November and closes 30 November (11:59h MEZ) — no exceptions.
5. Interview (if shortlisted) — shortlisted candidates may be invited for a phone or video call interview in February. Ensure the telephone number in your CV is current and you are reachable during February.
6. Decision — scholarship decisions are communicated by the end of March. Successful candidates begin their Master's in the autumn semester.

The application window for the 2027-28 intake (Master's starting autumn 2027) opens 1 November 2026 and closes 30 November 2026.