Geneva Academy Scholarship 2025-2026 (Fully Funded)

Exciting news for aspiring human rights and law professionals! Applications are now open for the Geneva Academy Scholarship 2025-2026. In this article, we outline the scholarship’s benefits, eligibility, and the complete step-by-step application process.

The Geneva Academy Scholarship is a fully funded master’s program for international students, covering tuition fees and living expenses in Geneva. Full scholarships are reserved for citizens of non-Western countries.

These scholarships support students pursuing a Master of Laws (LLM) in International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights at the Geneva Academy, Switzerland — one of Europe’s most innovative and academically rigorous programs in international humanitarian law (IHL) and human rights.

This one-year postgraduate degree offers advanced, practical training in IHL, international human rights law, international refugee law, international criminal law, and their interconnections. Students can tailor their learning through core courses in public international law and specialized electives in areas such as the conduct of hostilities, enforced disappearances, and Islamic law of armed conflict.

Scholarship Summary

Level of Study: Master’s
Host Institution: Geneva Academy
Location: Switzerland
Fields of Study: International Humanitarian Law, International Human Rights Law, International Law, International Refugee Law, International Criminal Law
Program Duration: 1 year
Application Period:
- Opens: 4 November
- Closes: 15 January (including scholarship applications)

Scholarship Coverage

Geneva Academy Scholarship provides the recipient with the following benefits:

Full Scholarship Covers:

Tuition Fees.
living expenses in Geneva for ten months.

Partial Scholarship Covers:

Tuition Fees.

Please note: Full scholarships are only for citizens of non-western countries, therefore Applicants from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United States and Western Europe cannot be considered for a full scholarship.

Eligibility Criteria for Geneva Academy Scholarship

To qualify for Geneva Academy Scholarship, candidate must fulfill all of the following requirements below:

Required Language: English, French
- A sound command of English. You must be able to show, via a recognized test, that your English is of a high enough standard to successfully engage with and complete your course at the Geneva Academy. This requirement does not apply if (1) your mother tongue is English; (2) you have taken an English-taught bachelor’s or master’s degree; (3) you have at least two years’ professional or academic experience in an English-speaking environment. A passive knowledge of French is an asset as students might have to attend conferences and class presentations in French.
- A sound command of English. You must be able to show, via a recognized test, that your English is of a high enough standard to successfully engage with and complete your course at the Geneva Academy. This requirement does not apply if (1) your mother tongue is English; (2) you have taken an English-taught bachelor’s or master’s degree; (3) you have at least two years’ professional or academic experience in an English-speaking environment.
- A passive knowledge of French is an asset as students might have to attend conferences and class presentations in French.
Eligible Countries: All world countries.
A full degree in law (received by June at the latest) enabling the applicant to sit the bar exam in the relevant country; or another degree if the applicant has a significant amount of training in public international law and courses related to our program (e.g. international human rights law, international humanitarian law, international criminal law).
A strong academic record.
A demonstrable interest in the subject matter of the program (e.g. professional experience, internships, summer school, conferences attended, publications, etc.).

How to Apply for Geneva Academy Scholarship?

Please follow the following application instructions to apply for this scholarship:

The online application is divided into the following steps:

Decide whether to apply (1) without scholarship, (2) with full scholarship; (3) with partial scholarship
Complete the application form
Attach the required documents
Submit your application

Please note:

The documents you have to provide with your application are:

Your curriculum vitae in English.
A personal statement in English explaining your interest in and potential contribution to the programme (no longer than two pages).
Two letters of recommendation in English – no specific format is required.
Certified copies of relevant degrees and diplomas (with an officially certified translation when not in English, French, German, Italian or Spanish) – if copies are not certified, you will need to present the original documents upon your arrival in Geneva.
Certified copies of official records of university examinations taken and grades obtained (with an officially certified translation when not in English, French, German, Italian or Spanish) – if copies are not certified, you will need to present the original documents upon your arrival in Geneva.
If you are currently enrolled in a university program, an attestation by the relevant university of your current enrollment with an official record of the latest university examinations taken and grades obtained.
Language tests – TOEF IELTS, DALF – or verification of language skills (the Geneva Academy does not have an attributed code; please do not use the University of Geneva code, nor the Graduate Institute code).
A copy of your passport.

The required documents for the scholarship (Partial or Full):

Proof of your current income (e.g. salary statement, bank statement, tax declaration, employer’s letter) – if such proof is not available, please explain why.
Proof of your family’s financial situation (e.g. salary statement, bank statement) – if such proof is not available, please explain why.
Proof, if applicable, of any financial support you currently receive (e.g. letter from parents, sponsors, scholarship donor).