As soon as the program opens for registration in February each year, you have the opportunity to fill in a registration form. As soon as the form is completed, we take note of it and begin the registration process, which may take some time.

There are four modules. During your training at Horizon académique, you will move from module to module as you improve. Feel free to consult our student handbook for more information on the modules and the programme.

The programme is for asylum seekers and other immigrants - with an N, F, B, C-refugee or S permit, or a B permit for family reunification - and Swiss nationals, with a Swiss passport who have returned from living abroad. You must also meet the programme's eligibility criteria.

The programme is financed by private foudnations in the canton of Geneva. It is intended for those with the permits listed in the previous question, who may participate free of charge. If you hold one of the permits listed above and live in a canton other than Geneva, your canton's departement of social services must cover your training fees.

Horizon académique's main goal is academic, social and professional integration. Pursuing studies at a higher education institution allows asylum-seekers and other immigrants to showcase their competencies or access training that will lead to professional integration in the future. The Horizon académique programme help participants learn French to better equip them for their academic career.

Registering for Horizon académique means that you can take part in the Horizon acaédmique programme, but it does not make you a regular student. You become a regular student when you register at UNIGE or another higher education institution in the canton of Geneva.

The eligibility criteria can be found under the Registration tab on our website. Please note that these criteria may change, because the programme changes from one year to another.

You may come to our office in person on Tuesday and Thursday from 10 am to 1 pm. You can call us from 10 am to 12 pm every Monday and Wednesday or from 10 am to 1 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

We will give you a Frenc test to determine your level and make sure that you have at least an A1 level of French. If your French level is above A1, the test will help place you in the right class.

Horizon académique is reserved for residents of Geneva. However, we accept candidates from other cantons only if their social welfare provider covers the costs of the programme. Please talk to your social worker before registering.

Applying to UNIGE or another higher education institution in the canton is one of the programme's objectives. We will therefore help you with your application and provide assistance throughout the academic year.

UNIGE has two registration periods: one for the fall semester and one for the spring semester. For all questions related to UNIGEregistration, please consul the admissions office's FAQs.

You can visit these websites to find information on programmes offered by higher education insitutions in Geneva :

• Bachelor's degrees offered by UNIGE
• Master's degrees offered by UNIGE
• Training programmes offered by HES-SO Geneva
• Degrees offered by the Graduate Institute (IHEID)

An Horizon académique visiting student takes classes like any other student and may take examens and earn credits. However, they are not considered regular students, as they are not officially registered with the institution. A regular student if officially registered with UNIGE or another higher education institution.

Most programmes (curriculums) require a level of French of at least B2 for enrollment as an official student.

Mentoring helps you integrate the University of Geneva or HES-SO. Mentors help you with typical student tasks such as registering for classes and exams, signing up for Moodle and Switch-DRIVE, checking a book out from the library, etc.

They also introduce you to the social aspects of the University or HES-SO, including associations, campus life and museum visits.

Mentors cannot help you with tutoring (studying or re-reading academic work) or with questions on you academic progress (waivers, credits needed, etc.) For these questions, you can directly contact the Horizon académique team.

Programme participants auditing courses at UNIGE or HES-SO are put in contact with mentors from the same faculty or branch.

If you are not yet taking any course, you can connect with mentors at events and workshops organised by the programme.

You can also propose activities that we will share the mentoring community.

During the fall and spring semesters, we offer 10 hours of courses per week for each student.

During the summer intensive courses, students have 3.5 hours of course each morning and 2.5 hours of workshop each afternoon for six weeks.

The type of course depends on your level. For students not yet at the B1 level, there a two general French courses per week in which we work on all language skills (oral and reading comprehension, oran written production, grammar...) as well as a thematic course and two hours of practical exercises.

For students at the B1 level, there is one general French course per week in which we work on all language skills (oral and reading comprehension, oral and written production, grammar...), one French course per week targeting university objectives, and four hours of practical exercises.

The French courses are taught in various UNIGE buildings. Most courses are taught in Uni Mail, Pavillon Mail and Pignon and some are taught at the Haute école de Gestion (HEG) and at the old medical school.