Application Procedure

Up-to-date CV in English.

An essay in English (up to 1000 words) addressing the following points:

Interest in Dispute Settlement: A description of the applicant’s interest in dispute settlement, focusing on key motivations without excessively repeating details from the CV.

Specific Interest in the MIDS Program: An explanation of how the MIDS program’s unique offerings align with the applicant’s interests and goals.

Contribution to the MIDS Community: A reflection on the applicant’s anticipated contribution to the academic and collaborative environment at MIDS, drawing on relevant skills, perspectives, or experiences.

Impact of the MIDS Program: An outline of how completing the MIDS program is expected to impact the applicant’s life, community, or professional landscape.

Further Study Consideration (if applicable): For applicants with an additional post-graduate degree (completed or in progress), a clarification of why the MIDS program is essential for career advancement.

Where relevant, applicants should use specific examples to illustrate their interests, experiences, and professional ambitions.

Two recommendation letters from academic or professional sources. Each letter must be:

On official letterhead,

Dated within six months of the application date,

Signed, and accompanied by a certified translation if not in English or French.

Recommendation letters must be sent directly to info@mids.ch by the recommender by the application deadline. Applicants should also upload a copy on the application portal, unless the recommender prefers to send the letter only to the MIDS and not to the applicant.

Copies of degrees and diplomas for all university studies completed thus far;

Transcripts showing all university examinations and grades for all university studies completed thus far;

If currently enrolled in a university program, an attestation of current enrollment from the university with an official record of all university examinations and grades obtained to date.

Academic records must be accompanied by certified translations if not in English, French, German, Italian, or Spanish. 

Non-certified copes of academic records are acceptable for uploading to the portal for the application phase. Admitted and waitlisted applicants will be required to promptly submit official, certified copies of their academic records upon receiving their admissions decision.

Official language scores, if applicable, or a copy of the waiver request email sent to info@mids.ch - external link.

A color photocopy of the applicant’s passport or, if the applicant is not in possession of a passport, another official government-issued identification document.

A 10-page excerpt (with table of contents) from a major paper written during university studies, in English, French, German, Italian, or Spanish.

Do not send original documents by mail; all submitted materials become the property of the program and cannot be returned.

In the course of completing the online application, applicants will be asked if they intend to apply for a MIDS and/or MIDS-Young ICCA scholarship. This question is simply to gauge interest, and the response is not a factor in deciding admission. Further information on applying for these MIDS-managed scholarships will be provided in due course to all applicants who have submitted complete applications.

There are some items that applicants may wish to highlight or elaborate on in their applications, in addition to their academic and professional experiences. Please note that these items are considered possible assets, not requirements.

• Bar admission;
• Moot court experience;
• Summer schools;
• Internships in law firms, international organizations, international courts, arbitral institutions, and companies;
• Working languages other than English.