WELCOME TO the switzerland program

Welcome to the Switzerland Program, our university's study abroad program on the shores of Lake Geneva in Switzerland.  We offer students the chance to engage in experiential learning through summer, semester, and year long programs intentionally designed for academic, personal, and spiritual growth.   

COMMUNITY AND FAITH

At the heart of the international experience is the community that forms as our students explore the world and share their lives together in our house.  They foster trust and interdependence by pledging to conduct themselves with integrity, to treat each member with dignity, and to “speak the truth in love.”  This supportive context allows students a space to reflect deeply and develop in the intellectual, social, and spiritual domains of their lives.

A central component of our community is our desire to wrestle together with the critical and timeless questions of the Christian faith: “Who is God?”, “Who am I?”, and “How do I live a life of significance?”  We probe the Bible, examine the life of Jesus, and seek to understand the relevance of the Christian faith to the world today.  In this search, we seek to be guided by love, honoring the faith journey that each student is on and the questions that propel them to greater understanding and transformation.  Our hope is that students would grow in their love for God and in their desire to serve others, as Jesus expressed in Matthew 22:37-38: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

ACADEMICS

Studying at the Switzerland Program is an academically rigorous experience. Courses are taught by local faculty and classes are conducted in English and French. The scope of our academic offerings is intended to fulfill many of our university's general education requirements in the humanities, economics, history, French language, religion, and literature. However, depending on the specialties of the visiting Malibu-campus faculty member that accompanies students abroad, major specific courses may also be offered. For assistance in determining how a semester or year abroad works with students' academic planning, please contact the Office of International Programs at our university.  

TRAVEL

Switzerland is located in the heart of Europe and serves as a perfect "home base" for travel across the European continent.  Students can venture throughout Switzerland, into neighboring countries throughout Europe, and beyond. Because we believe travel has the potential to enhance classroom learning, our academic schedule has been intentionally designed to allow students the ability to regularly explore the cultural richness and history of the African and European continents through university-sponsored educational field trips and independent travel. 

HOUSING

All the Switzerland Program students live in the historic Château d’Hauteville overlooking the Swiss Alps and lake Geneva. (Lac Léman) In addition to providing residential housing for the students and staff, Château d’Hauteville also contains classrooms, kitchens, library and ample student recreational and study spaces.