Application Procedure

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To select the best students, the MIDS has a strict application procedure; please review it carefully and start your application now!

Admissions to the MIDS program are based on a comprehensive evaluation of each application. While no minimum GPA is required, the admissions process is highly competitive, with fewer than 20% of applicants admitted.

The MIDS Admissions Committee thoroughly reviews all complete applications, placing particular emphasis on academic performance, the motivation letter, and relevant professional experience. Priority is given to applicants who demonstrate both strong academic achievement and a clear, compelling motivation for joining the program.

2025-2026 Applications

Applications for the MIDS 2025-2026 program will be open from Thursday, 31 October 2024 to Sunday, 15 December 2024 at 23:59 CET.

Timeline

Admissions Cycle for the 2025-2026 MIDS Program

Thursday, 31 October 2024

Application portal opens.

Sunday, 15 December 2024, 23:59 CET

Deadline to submit application.

By early February 2025

Applicants with complete applications will receive an email indicating the precise date for admissions decisions and instructions for applying to MIDS-managed scholarships.

Mid-February 2025

First round of admissions decisions released. Candidates will be admitted, waitlisted, or rejected.

Candidates admitted in the first round must submit their scholarship applications within one week of the admission notification

Mid-March 2025

MIDS-managed scholarship decisions announced.

Late March 2025

Deadline for first-round admitted candidates to accept or decline the admission offer and pay the non-refundable deposit to confirm enrollment.

Early April 2025

Rolling admission offers begin for waitlisted candidates, based on available seats.

Candidates admitted from the waiting list have one week from the notification date to accept the admission offer and pay the deposit to confirm enrollment.

Late April 2025

All remaining waitlisted candidates will be notified of their final application outcome.

Application Materials

To apply, applicants must submit an online application with the following documents by the deadline (Sunday, 15 December 2024 at 23:59 CET). Incomplete applications will not be considered.

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. 

Important Information

Please read all of the following information carefully before starting an application, as it will help ensure a quick and smooth application process.

Applications must be submitted via the online application portal. The link for the portal will be available once applications are open. Applications open every year by the end of October.

Supporting documents must be uploaded to the online application portal as PDFs.

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

It is the applicant's responsibility to

  • Carefully review all instructions on the MIDS website and in the online application portal;
  • Confirm that all supporting documents are successfully uploaded to the portal; and
  • Submit the completed application before the application deadline (Sunday, 15 December 2024, 23:59 CET).

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Enrolled students will receive timely information and materials necessary to apply for housing, visas, etc. Students must also submit official, certified copies of academic records after admission to the program.

Waiting List Policy

The waiting list has also been referred to as the "priority list" in previous admissions cycles; the two terms are synonymous. 

Waitlisted candidates will be required to confirm their intent to remain on the waiting list. Without confirmation, admission may not be offered if a place becomes available.

Candidates admitted from the waiting list cannot apply for MIDS-managed scholarships.

Candidates admitted from the waiting list have one week from the notification date to accept the admission offer and pay the deposit to confirm enrollment.

Enrollment Deposit

Admitted candidates must secure their place in the program by submitting a non-refundable deposit of CHF 700 shortly after receiving their admission notification. This deposit will be credited toward the total tuition fees.

Admitted candidates who accept an offer but do not pay the CHF 700 deposit will not be considered officially enrolled and may forfeit their place once the MIDS begins extending offers to waitlisted candidates in April.

Please note that the non-refundable deposit is valid only for the current admissions cycle. If a candidate wishes to defer or withdraw from the program, the deposit cannot be transferred to a future cycle and will not be credited toward tuition fees in the event of another future admission offer.

All admitted candidates must pay the CHF 700 deposit regardless of whether they receive a scholarship, except those awarded a MIDS-managed scholarship covering the full tuition fees.

Deferral Policy

The MIDS does not permit deferrals. Candidates who choose not to enroll for the 2025-2026 academic year and wish to join in the future must reapply in the following admissions cycle. Previous admission to the program does not guarantee admission in a later cycle; each admission cycle is assessed independently.

Confidentiality

All information provided in the application and supporting documents will be treated with the strictest confidentiality and will only be reviewed by the MIDS Admissions Committee (including the MIDS Committee and MIDS Staff), MIDS-managed scholarship donors (in the case of a scholarship application), and the MIDS parent institutions, the Geneva Graduate Institute and the University of Geneva. 

Start your application now.

Questions? Ask our team.

Reach out to our admissions team at info@mids.ch - external link

    We will do our best to reply within two to three business days. 

    Please note that the MIDS Office observes normal business hours (Monday-Friday, 9:00-17:00 CET), and follows the Geneva Graduate Institute’s staff holiday schedule.

    The MIDS Office is closed on the following dates: 

    • Friday, 20 December 2024 to Monday, 6 January 2025 (Winter closure)
    • Friday, 18 April and Monday, 21 April 2025 (Easter Friday/Monday)
    • Thursday, 1 May 2025 (Labor Day)
    • Thursday, 29 May 2025 (Ascension)
    • Monday, 9 June 2025 (Pentecost or Whit Monday)

    Learn more

    Application Requirements

    The MIDS is a highly selective and competitive program. Applicants must meet a number of key requirements to be considered for admission.

    Tuition & Financial Planning

    Joining the MIDS is a valuable investment in your future, but it is also a significant commitment that requires careful consideration and planning.   

    Scholarships

    By offering scholarships, we strive to attract the most talented students, regardless of where they are from or what obstacles they face.