Universität St.Gallen, Sveits
Exchang on 3rd semester MSc.
Exchange semester: Fall 2011
I GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
St.Gallen is a small city (app. 75.000 inhabitants) in the north-eastern part of Switzerland. The closest
big city is Zurich, which takes an hour by train. Universität St.Gallen is located closely to the city
St.Gallen and it takes approximately 10 min to walk from the school to the city center. The
surroundings of the school are rural and the campus buildings are all close to each other. On campus,
there is also a gym that was renovated and reopened just before our semester started. The gym is free
for students, but you have to pay a small fee to attend some of the classes.
Universität St.Gallen is considered to be one of Europe’s leading business schools. There is a student
mass of 7000 students. The faculty divisions for the university in organized in the subject areas of
business, law, social sciences and finance, and we experienced a wide variety of subjects we could sign
up for. A major advantage compared to BI is that you in a larger extent can tailor the combination of
subjects through the bidding system.
II PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Information before you left
Information prior to the exchange was send by e-mail and we also got information by post in
May/June. The brochures were helpful and informative.
Visa Procedure and travel experiences
In order to pay the rent for housing, you either have to get a Swiss bank account or pay the bills at the
post office. There is no fee when you pay bills at the post office. From Oslo you can get quite cheap
flight tickets to Zurich. As the semester lasts until Christmas Eve, it is an advantage to order the return
ticket on a late date if you plan to order the plane ticket in advance.
Academic Calendar
We arrived in the beginning of September, and the first day of the semester was the 19 th of September.
The school had an own buddy system for the exchange students that arranged trips and events and we
highly recommend to participate in this. To join the arrangements was a great way to see Switzerland
and to get to know fellow students.
As the exam period for regular St.Gallen students is in January, the lectures last until the week before
Christmas. However, own exams for exchange students are arranged before Christmas, and teachers
make an effort to find the right date that suits you. We had all our final exams during the last two
weeks before Christmas.
Reception
The reception at the school was very good and they seemed to be well prepared when we came. The
administration was very helpful. It was also possibilities to sign up for a buddy in the buddy system for
exchange students.
Housing
For a fee of approximately 1500 NOK, the Housing Office at the university can help students with
accommodation. There are no student dorms, but the Housing Office will help you find an available
room in a student apartment or a studio. The city is small, so most apartments are located within 15-20
minutes walking distance from school.
Costs
The price level in Switzerland is approximately the same as Norway. As in Oslo, rent and food are the
two largest budget items. We also recommend prospective students to buy a half-price card for the
trains. The card costs about 1000 NOK and gives you a 50% discount on all train rides. Most students
spend the weekends travelling, so it pays off to buy the card early in the semester. You can buy this
card at the train station.
The International Office
The day you arrive you must visit the international office to get the keys to your apartment, as well as a
“welcome package” which provides you with all the information you need. You are also invited to
attend a welcoming session where you get introduced to the administrative personnel that help you with
your inquiries throughout the semester. We found that the international office was accommodating and
helpful.
Exchange promotion
The university arranges a student exchange fair that exchange students are expected to participate in.
BI sent us some promotional materials and we represented our home school at a stand.
Social Activities
Students are requested to join a Buddy system well in advance of the exchange semester, and we
strongly recommend students to join. It is a great opportunity to get to know both regular students and
exchange students, and participate in various social and cultural events, such as skiing trips,
international dinner and fondue night. Both the international office and the Buddy system arrange
“apéros”, which are informal receptions at the school, with finger food and drinks, where exchange
students can mingle and get to know each other.
Our overall perception of the social life at the school is very good. Most of the regular students are not
from St. Gallen, so they are outgoing and eager to get to know new people. St. Gallen is a small city
and only 7000 students are enrolled at the university, so the student community is vigorous and there is
always a party or event to attend.
Culture and Language
Although it may be an advantage, it is not necessary to know German to attend St. Gallen at master
level. The students and the faculty speak proficient English, and the majority of the master courses are
in English. At bachelor level, most of the courses are in German.
The university offers all exchange students to attend a free language course at the beginning of the
semester, before the courses start. It is also possible to attend language courses throughout the
semester. Many exchange students are accommodated in apartments’ with Swiss students, and in
general it is easy to get to know the regular students. This is a good way to learn about Swiss culture. In
addition, it is easy to travel by train around Switzerland, and many students spend the weekends
visiting nearby cities or going skiing in the Alps.
Cultural and Social Effects from the Exchange Experience
How do you think the exchange experience will affect you from a cultural and social point of view?
A semester in St. Gallen provides you with an opportunity to network and get to know people from all
around the world. It has sparked my interest in pursuing an international career.
How do you think the exchange experience influences your future career possibilities?
With an international business world in mind, it might be a great advantage to have international
experience from an exchange semester. This shows that you are able and willing to adapt to different
cultures. In an international business environment, being able to speak English fluently and perhaps
even a third language could be considered to be a career advantage. Germany is one of Norway’s most
important trading partners, and to speak the language might give you opportunities that you would not
otherwise have.
St. Gallen is a University with a strong reputation and is considered as one of the leading business
schools in Europe, which in itself could influence future job opportunities.
III ACADEMIC INFORMATION
In which language are the courses taught? Any problems?
There is a wide range of courses to choose among and they are thought in German or English. It should
not be a problem to get only English courses if you do not speak German. However, the university has
a bidding system for allocation of courses, and you might end up with courses that you initially did not
want to have.
How would you evaluate the level of study in relationship to the level at BI?
The courses have between 3 and 6 ECTS credits, and you can expect the working requirements to be
equal or a little higher than what you are used to from BI.
Is the teaching primarily practical or theoretical?
The teaching is primarily theoretical, however, most teacher expects the student to become well
prepared to class and able to participate in discussions during the lecture. Many courses do also have
compulsory case presentations and class participation as part of the final evaluation (from 5-50 % of
final grade).
How is the workload compared to that at BI?
Exchange student can expect the workload to be equal or higher than what you are used to from BI.
Is the literature in English?
All the literature for the English thought courses are in English.
How do you estimate the level of the literature?
In some courses the amount of readings were quit substantial, while others had less literature and more
focus on material handed out during the semester (readings and cases given by the teacher).
Is the literature used for detailed knowledge or a broad overview?
My experience is that the questions on the exam is not very detailed, they are wide and makes you able
to include most of the literature presented in class/ in the curriculum.
Is exam based on the literature or on the lectures?
The exam is usually based on the lectures and the materials handed out and discussed in class. In order
to get a good grade, it is necessary to read and get a good understanding of the mandatory readings
made available on Study Net.
What types of exams were you given?
I was given both written and oral exams, as well as term papers, case hand in and presentations.
What knowledge level was required to pass the exams?
You need to have a basic understanding of the material presented in class and be able to apply theories
and issues discussed during the lectures.
Do students have easy access to the library and it’s resources?
The Library is open Mon-Fri from 8 to 22, Sat from 9 to 18 and closed on Sundays. The library has its
own webpage, http://www.unisg.ch/en/Bibliothek.aspx, where student can search for books, journals,
articles etc. It is also possible to get a visual overview of the library, which makes it easy to locate the
right shelf within the library building.
How is the access to the computers?
There are several computer spaces at the Library, as well as computer rooms scattered throughout the
Campus.
How is IT used in the teaching or as a distributor of information?
IT is used to some extent in methodology courses, otherwise only for distributing course material and
information to the students through Study Net (same as It’s Learning at BI).
IV Courses
Prerequisite
Exam
Major at BI
7,076: Marketing of
Innovations
Marketing
Written 60% /case
handins 40%
MSc in Strategic
Marketing
Management
7,360: Research
Methods
Basic Research
Methods
Written 50%/term
paper 50%
7,640:
Corporate
Development with
Project and Change
Management,
Methods and
Concepts
7,358.
International
Business Regulation
7,370: International
Public Management
Basic Strategy
Oral exam 100%
MSc in Strategic
Marketing
Management
MSc in Strategic
Marketing
Management,
Master of Science
in Business and
Economics
Basic Strategy
Written 50%/term
paper 50%
7,756: History of
Economic Thought
None
9,456: Law and
economics of
Regulation and
Law-Making
9,458: Topics in
International
Finance and
Monetary Policy
None
Written exam 50
%/ case
assignment 50 %
Written multiplechoice exam 100
%
MSc in Strategic
Marketing
Management
MSc in Strategic
Marketing
Management,
Master of Science
in Business and
Economics
Master of Science
in Business and
Economics
Master of Science
in Business and
Economics
Basic
Macroeconomic at
bachelor level
Written multiplechoice exam 100
%
Master of Science
in Business and
Economics
7,366: Governing
Defence: The
Political Economy
of Armaments
Basic understanding
of political science
theories
Written exam
40%, presentation
30%, in-class
participation 30%
MSc Political
Economy
7,374: Empirical
Political Economy
Some
statistics/STATA
50% written
research report,
40% presentation,
10% in-class
participation
MSc Political
Economy
9,270: Health
Economics
Microeconomics
50% presentation,
50% oral exam
MSc Political
Economy
Written 75%/oral
25%
Comments
7,076: Marketing of Innovations
For students on the Master in Strategic Marketing Management this is a highly relevant course that
gives you the process from managing ideas until you launch a product and quantitative tools to base
your decisions on. Often, guest lecturers from known companies gave guest lectures that gave a
practical angle on the material. The difficulty level of the subject was ok.
7,360: Research Methods
This was the last semester this course were given to master students at St.Gallen, but probably other
research method related courses are replacing it.
7,640: Corporate Development with Project and Change Management, Methods and Concepts
This was a four day seminar course on how to develop and change firms. For students on the Master in
Strategic Marketing Management I would recommend this to get the firm perspective on strategy
processes from top management level to the operational level.
7,370: International Public Management
This course is mainly on the subject area of New Public Management in different countries and the
practical differences. For my Master degree and own interests this was the least relevant subject I had
in St.Gallen.
7,358.International Business Regulation and Firm Strategy
This subject is on international business issues and on the strategies firms should use to adjust and keep
up with the changes in the international business environment. Even though there is no pre requisite, it
is a clear advantage to have a good understanding of basic strategy and strategy theory/ models.
7,756. History of economic thought
This course is focusing on the development of economic thought between the 18 th and 20th century. The
course spans from Adam Smith and the classics through marginalism and the German historical school
to the transition and John M Keynes. This is an introductory course and no prerequisite is required to
attend the class. As an economic or business student it is good to have some basic knowledge in
economic history and thus I would strongly recommend this course. The working requirements are not
too overwhelming. The evaluation consists of one two-pages hand in counting for 50 % of the grade as
well as a one-hour essay exam (choose one out of three questions).
9,456: Law and economics of Regulation and Law-Making
This class is an introductory course to law and economics and no prerequisite is required or needed.
The course has four main topics, consisting of how laws are generated and how economics could be
used to determine the effects of different types of law and lawmaking. The course is thought by an
excellent Italian/ American professor, and it is not difficult to get a good grade if you attend all the five
lectures. The final exam count for 100 % of the grade, which is a 90 minute multiple choice exam,
consisting of 30 question covering the topics discussed in class.
9,458: Topics in International Finance and Monetary Policy
This course is an introductory course, however, it is useful to have some basic course in
Macroeconomics (bachelor level). Topics covered in the course are international financial systems and
markets, interests rate and the stock market, theory of rational expectations and the efficient market
hypothesis. Further, the course covers the financial crisis and the subprime meltdown as well as
financial regulation and monetary policy. The course is thought by an American professor, employed at
IMF in Washington, which has hands on experience from the recent financial crisis. This is an
interesting and fairly easy course. A 90-minute final exam with a combination of multiple choice and
essay questions counts for 100 % of the grade.
7,366: Governing Defence: The Political Economy of Armaments
The course is mainly about weapons production and weapons trade. A special interest in this field is a
clear advantage, but no prerequisite.
7,374: Empirical Political Economy
There are no lectures in this course. You are on your own the whole semester, working with a dataset
and doing analyses in STATA. Good knowledge of STATA or similar statistical program an
advantage.
9,270: Health Economics
Very interesting course, small class and good teacher! 50% of the grade is a cost-benefit/effectiveness
analysis of a chosen medical treatment etc. The oral exam is more focused on econometrics than
health-related questions.