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Switzerland

CERN Summer Student Programme

Spend a summer at the world's largest particle physics laboratory. Summer students join an actual project team — physics, engineering, computing, or maths — attend the famous lecture series, and leave with a CERN line on the CV and a supervisor who can write letters.

No application feeShort-term (weeks–months)

Fact sheet

Funding
≈ CHF 92/day allowance + travel + insurance
Typical deadline window
~Jan (one annual round for the summer)
Application fee
None
Language test
None — working language is English
Where you study
Switzerland

What it covers

  • ✓Daily subsistence allowance (covers housing and meals in Geneva)
  • ✓Travel to and from Geneva
  • ✓Health insurance for the stay
  • ✓8–13 weeks working inside a real CERN team, plus a lecture programme

Can you apply?

  • ▸Bachelor or Masters student in physics, engineering, computer science or maths
  • ▸Completed at least three years of full-time studies by the summer
  • ▸Still enrolled (recent graduates are not eligible)
  • ▸Separate but parallel programmes exist for member and non-member state nationals — apply to the one matching your nationality

Insider tips

  1. 01Name concrete CERN experiments, detectors, or software (ATLAS, CMS, ROOT, Kubernetes at CERN…) in your statement — generic 'I love physics' applications don't survive.
  2. 02Computing students: CERN hires many summer students for pure software/data engineering work — you don't need to be a physicist.
  3. 03Ask your referee to submit early; applications without the reference letter on deadline day are dead.
Official page ↗Track this applicationDocument checklist

Useful services for this route

How we fund this site

Magoosh IELTS Prep ↗

Self-paced IELTS prep — far cheaper than coaching centres.

Wise ↗

Pay application/deposit fees abroad at the real exchange rate.

StudentUniverse ↗

Student-only fares for your first one-way flight.

Independent services we'd recommend anyway — using them never costs you extra.

Stipend amounts and deadlines shown are recent figures and change between intakes — always confirm on the official page above before planning.