Studying in Sweden – DreamanDo France

Introduction

There are currently 39 universities in Sweden that offer courses and programmes in English. Each one of them is unique, be it on courses offered or the atmosphere of your chosen place of study. If you haven’t already you can start researching study options on www.studyinsweden.se, a website made specifically for international students, or on the websites of various Swedish universities.

Fun fact! Sweden has two types of higher education institutions, depending on the subject that one wants to study – universities and colleges. Both of these have undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.

Basics of studying in Sweden

So, how does studying in Sweden work?

Fundamentally, there are three cycles.

• Undergraduate/Bachelor’s (First cycle)

To access this cycle students must have completed secondary education. This corresponds to what is known as undergraduate degrees, at the end of which you will obtain a Bachelor’s. There is a wide range of international (English-language) courses in this cycle, but a limited number of programmes. Once this cycle is complete, students have the possibility to access further cycles. The duration of an undergraduate course in Sweden is typically a minimum of three years.

•Master’s (Second cycle)

The following level is a master’s (graduate programme), which is considered part of the second cycle. There are many programmes in English offered by Swedish universities. These programmes are open to both Swedish and international students who have completed a Bachelor’s, equivalent to the Swedish kandidatexamen. The duration of a graduate course in Sweden is typically a minimum of three years.

Additionally, you can complete professional qualifications in fields such as engineering, healthcare, agriculture, law, education, etc. These can be done either during the first or second cycle, and courses vary in length.

What is a kandidatexamen?

The Swedish kandidatexamen is the diploma received after completing a Bachelor’s (cycle one). Students who did not complete an undergraduate degree in Sweden must have an equivalent degree in another country to access graduate courses.

Doctoral level (Third level)

After having completed a master’s, students can continue their studies through a doctorate. This has a different admissions process from the previous levels. Admissions are processed directly through the universities, hence you should contact them directly for information about starting a doctorate.

The school year

The academic year is split in autumn and spring semesters. Most courses begin in autumn.

This semester starts at the end of August and goes until January of the following year. The spring semester instead begins in January and ends in june. Between the spring and autumn semesters many universities offer summer sessions where students can earn up to 15 credits in courses taken during this period.

Fun fact! Prior to July 1st 2007 universities assigned points rather than credits. This was changed to make the Swedish system compatible with ECTS. ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System) is how European institutions of higher education recognise each others’ courses and programmes.

How to Apply to Universities in Sweden

International students have two cycles (or periods) of admission, for each semester

•The first cycle of admission is explicitly for international students and has many advantages:

All courses taught in English are available in this period
The deadlines and decisions on admissions arrive earlier
Those who require residency permits have more time to go through the process of applying for it
Students have more time to plan their move and/or study plans in Sweden

•The second round of admissions is aimed at students who live in Sweden. The entire catalogue of courses in Swedish is available. Some universities offer English programmes as well in this round, usually when spots remain available from the first round. International students are welcome to this round, however there are a few things you should consider.

Many courses and programmes in English are no longer available for you to sign up to;
Your response (on whether you are accepted) will arrive in July, giving you less time to prepare your move to Sweden;
Those who don’t live in the EU/EEA and require a residency permit will not have enough time to go through the administrative procedures to get a visa.

Our advice on the two rounds of admissions:

We recommend ALL international students to sign up to the first round;
Students from EU/EEA countries are able to apply to the second round;
Citizens not from EU/EEA countries should not apply during the second round where they will not have time to complete the application for residency permits.

Watch out! To be accepted for bachelor’s courses you must have completed secondary-school education and have received your marks. If you are in your final year of school, we recommend you do not apply for the first round in autumn. This is because the selection happens in April, when you will have not yet received your final marks.

So, if you are a citizen of an EU/EEA country or Switzerland, you can enroll for your Bachelor’s in English courses and study programs in the second round. As the selection takes place in July, you should have your final school grades available so you can compete for places.

All students can wait and apply to the first round for admission to the following spring semester (please note that there are fewer courses and programs offered with the start of the spring semester).

What documents are needed to apply?

Every university and cycle has different entry requirements, however most ask for:

ID documents (ie: passport)
Transcript of required diplomas (ie: secondary school diploma for first cycle)
Transcript of language certificate

Watch out! You must always submit your certificate/diploma and transcripts in the official language of the country in which you studied. If the language of issue is not Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, English, French or German, you must also provide an official translation. Official means that your translation must be completed by a translation company or a person who works as a translator. This translation must be in Swedish or English. For your transcripts, if the issuing language is not Swedish, Danish, Norwegian or English, you must also provide an official translation.

How do the cycles differ in entry requirements?

To meet the entry requirements for a Bachelor’s degree (First Cycle)

Have successfully completed upper secondary education (high school)
Have a good working knowledge of English. The entry requirement for studies at bachelor level in Sweden is the equivalent of the Swedish upper secondary course in English 6. For more information see English language requirements.
For students who received their final school grades after December 31, 2009, there is an additional math requirement. The student must have successfully completed math courses equivalent to Swedish Math 1a, 1b, or 1c.

To be eligible for a master’s degree (second cycle) in English you must:
- Have completed a Bachelor’s (equivalent to the Swedish kandidatexamen) at a recognised university (either in Sweden or abroad)
  - Many masters programmes ask that you’re undergraduate was completed in a related field to the one you wish to study at the masters level
- There will be English requirements here as well, although these might differ depending on the university and the course
- You can see specific requirements for different programmes at www.universityadmissions.se

University fees

How much does it cost to study in Sweden?

If you’re an EU / EEA / Swiss citizen or if you have been granted permanent Swedish residency, you won’t have to pay tuition fees.

For other international students the yearly higher education costs in Sweden may vary depending on the institution and programme of study. Tuition fees in Sweden range from around SEK 80,000 per annum (approximately 8.000€) to SEK 295,000 (approximately 30,000€).

Some scholarships are available for students wishing to study in Sweden. Funding is awarded on a competitive basis by the Swedish Institutions and individual universities. The Swedish Institute is a government authority that grants scholarship funding for international students every year. They have several programmes available. Scholarships awarded by the Swedish Institute are available to international students from specific countries who apply for a master’s degree starting in the fall semester. Please note that there are no scholarships available for bachelor’s studies or for programs starting in the spring semester. After submitting your application to University Admissions, you will be assigned an application number. You will receive a unique number for each round of admissions. Log in to “My Pages” and click on “Application.” The application number is listed for each round of admission. Information about the Swedish Institute’s scholarship programs and other programs is available at Studyinsweden.se.

Please note: The Swedish Institute is responsible for all information regarding scholarship programs. We are not able to answer any university admission questions in Sweden.

Most Swedish universities also offer their own scholarships. You must apply directly to the individual university in which you are interested. Students should contact the university of their interest for more information. Each university has its own schedule for when students can start applying and its own deadlines. Contact the university you are interested in for more information.