Swedish Higher Education System
The Swedish higher education system follows the European model and includes bachelor’s, master’s and PhD programmes. Here’s a simple overview.
Degree programmes in Sweden
Swedish universities offer programmes according to the European standard:
- Bachelor’s programmes (undergraduate): 3 years long (180 ECTS credits) and taken after high school.
- Master’s programmes (graduate): build on bachelor’s studies and are 1 or 2 years long (60 or 120 ECTS credits).
- PhD programmes (doctoral): research-focused degrees involving several years of study and a dissertation. The structure varies by university.
Programmes vs. Courses
A degree programme consists of multiple courses in a study field leading to a specific degree. Courses (modules) are the building blocks of each programme. Each semester, you may take one major course or several smaller ones.
You can also apply for individual courses instead of a full programme. When enrolled in a course, you are only registered for that course. When enrolled in a programme, you register for many courses over its duration.
Examples
- You enrol in a 2-year master’s programme (120 ECTS). Each semester you take four courses of 7.5 ECTS.
- You enrol in a 1-year master’s (60 ECTS). Each semester you take one 30-credit course.
- You enrol in a 30-credit stand-alone course. You study only that course and must reapply to take more.
Degree programmes often include compulsory, recommended and optional courses.
Academic calendar
- Autumn semester: Late August to mid-January (with a short December break)
- Spring semester: Mid-January to early June
Course structure
Full-time study equals about 40 hours per week. Even if classroom hours are low, the rest of your time is spent on reading, group work and assignments.
You often take one course at a time for a few weeks followed by an exam, then move on to the next course. For example, in a 20-week semester, you may take four courses back-to-back for five weeks each. Some programmes may run multiple courses at the same time instead.
Course structure differs by subject: technical fields may have more lab and classroom time, while social sciences may involve more independent and group work.
Lectures and examinations
Courses include lectures, seminars and lab sessions. Seminar groups can be small, while lectures may have hundreds of students. You are expected to participate actively, think critically and come prepared.
Exams may be written or oral, or may involve labs, group work or projects. Most programmes end with a thesis or final project.
University vs. University College
Sweden uses two types of higher education institutions:
- Universities (universitet): Have the right to award PhD degrees.
- University colleges (högskola): Usually cannot award PhDs, though some do.
There is no difference in the bachelor’s or master’s degrees offered by universities and university colleges. Many university colleges use “university” as their English name, and international students have similar experiences at both types of institutions.
