First cycle

Undergraduate courses and programmes build on the knowledge students have acquired in upper secondary school, or its equivalent. All applicants must meet the general entry requirements in order to be eligible for admission to higher education courses or programmes. Numerous courses and programmes also require applicants to meet specific entry requirements. These requirements must be essential for the applicant’s ability to benefit from the course or programme.

Second cycle

Second-cycle courses and programmes build on and expand the knowledge, skills and abilities students have acquired at the first cycle level. Second-cycle courses and programmes require general and other entry requirements. These requirements vary depending on the programme. Higher education institutions may also demand that applicants meet specific entry requirements. These requirements must be essential for the applicant’s ability to benefit from the course or programme.

Third cycle

Third-cycle programmes build on the knowledge that students have acquired in first and second-cycle courses and programmes, or their equivalents. In order to be eligible for admission to third-cycle education, applicants must meet basic entry requirements and specific entry requirements, as well as specific selection criteria. The higher education institution is only permitted to admit applicants who are granted employment as doctoral students or have some other source of funding.

You can find more information about entry requirements on the Swedish Council for Higher Education's website.

If you have questions regarding admission to higher education courses or programmes, please contact the Swedish Council for Higher Education (UHR). UHR is a government agency that coordinates admission to higher education courses or programmes. UHR provides information about higher education as well as assessment of qualifications. UHR is also responsible for the Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test (SweSAT) and the websites antagning.se and studera.nu.

Visit the UHR website here.

Go to antagning.se (In Swedish)

Go to studera.nu

A decision that an applicant does not meet the entry requirements for admission to first or second-cycle courses or programmes, or that an applicant is not granted an exemption from an entry requirement, can be appealed to the Higher Education Appeals Board. However, it is not possible to appeal decisions concluding that an applicant does not meet the selection criteria for a course or programme.

Go to the Higher Education Appeals Board

An applicant must meet general entry requirements for admission to all higher education courses or programmes. The applicant will need to have completed specific upper secondary school courses to meet the general entry requirements. Which courses you will need to have completed depend on when you attended upper secondary school. In addition to general entry requirements, numerous courses and programmes require the applicant to meet specific entry requirements. These requirements must be essential for the applicant’s ability to benefit from the programme.

The applicable national legislation on entry requirements for admission to higher education courses or programmes can be found in the Swedish Higher Education Ordinance. Each higher education institution may also have its own regulations regarding entry requirements, which must be documented in the higher education institution’s own admission regulations.

The Swedish Council for Higher Education (UHR) is the authority responsible for admissions and information about higher education. UHR issues regulations on general entry requirements and selection criteria.

You can find more information about these regulations on UHR's website

In order to be eligible to study higher education courses or programmes, applicants must prove that they meet the entry requirements. All higher education programmes have general entry requirements. Applicants can meet general entry requirements by providing an upper secondary school diploma or its equivalent.

If an applicant does not have an upper secondary school diploma, it can be supplemented through studies at an adult education centre.

You can find more information about entry requirements at the Swedish Council for Higher Education’s (UHR) website, which is the government authority responsible for admissions and information about higher education courses and programmes.

Find more information about admission to first cycle courses and programmes on UHR's website.

In order to be eligible for studies at a higher education course or programme, applicants must prove that they meet the entry requirements. Entry requirements are divided into general and specific entry requirements. Most programmes demand that the applicant meet specific entry requirements in addition to the general entry requirements. In most cases, a specific entry requirement demands that the applicant has completed specific upper secondary school courses. Specific entry requirements can, however, also include work experience, work portfolio samples or completion of higher education courses. For example, it is not uncommon that applicants will need to have completed specific upper secondary school level courses in mathematics to be eligible for admission to a bachelor’s programme in economics. The Swedish Council for Higher Education (UHR) is the authority responsible for admissions and information about higher education courses and programmes.

You can find more information about specific entry requirements for second cycle programmes on UHR’s website.

Learn more about specific entry requirements for third cycle programmes on UHR’s website.

When there are more applicants for a course or programme than there are available places, a selection must be made. Applicants are first divided into different selection groups. Within each selection group, applicants are then ranked based on their merits, such as their upper secondary school grades. Applicants with the highest merit points are admitted to the course or programme.

Yes, higher education institutions may use assessment tests as a basis for admission for up to one third of the places on a programme. All applicants may be admitted to a programme leading to an arts degree on the basis of assessment tests.

Yes, under certain conditions. A student who has failed two exams in a course – or part of a course – has the right to have another examiner appointed, unless there are special reasons preventing such a change.

A student does not have the right to take an exam at another location, but based on provisions in the Administrative Procedure Act regarding the duty of public authorities to provide service, there may be reasons for higher education institutions to offer such an opportunity. Students who are given the opportunity to take an exam at another location cannot be charged any fees by the educational institution.

There is no national legislation on how much time an examiner has to mark an exam. A starting point is the provision in the Administrative Procedure Act that cases must be dealt with as quickly as possible without compromising the quality of the process.

It is not uncommon for higher education institutions to have their own regulations on how much time the marking should take.

There is no national legislation on this subject matter, but UKÄ’s approach is that the time between the announcement of the exam results and the re-examination must be at least ten working days or at least two calendar weeks.

A student can, in principle, take an exam or undergo a practical training period an unlimited number of times. Higher education institutions can however decide on a limit if an unlimited number of attempts would lead to an unreasonable use of resources.

Such limits should be specified in the course syllabus or in another formal decision by the higher education institution. The minimum number of exam attempts must be at least five, and the minimum number of practical training periods must be at least two.

More information: restrictions on the number of exam and internship opportunities (In swedish) pdf, 68 kB.

The date for re-examinations should be announced on the day of the original exam.

Grades are decided by the teacher appointed as examiner by the higher education institution. As a student, you should receive grades for the courses you have completed, unless the higher education institution has decided otherwise.

Higher education institutions are free to decide which grading system they would like to use. However, there are special provisions regarding practical training periods in certain teacher education programmes.

A decision to give a student a certain grade cannot be appealed, but it is possible to request a review of the decision. The examiner decides whether or not the grade should be changed.

Course and programme syllabuses include provisions that specify the requirement for admission and conditions for completion of the course or programme. The Higher Education Ordinance specifies which provisions course and programme syllabuses must include.

According to the Higher Education Ordinance, every education programme must have a programme syllabus. The programme syllabus must specify the following:

• The courses included in the education programme
• Specific entry requirements

According to the Higher Education Ordinance, there must also be a course syllabus for each course. The course syllabus must specify the following:

• The cycle in which the course is given
• The number credits
• The intended learning outcomes
• Any special entry requirements
• The forms of assessment

Higher education institutions may also have their own regulations in their programme and course syllabuses. For example, a course syllabus may include which literature is to be used and which elements of the course are compulsory to complete in order to receive a passing grade.

UKÄ’s opinion is that, as a general rule, course and programme syllabuses should be finalised and available to the general public no later than the first day of application for a place in the course.

Read more in the UKÄ's supervisory memorandum (only available in Swedish) pdf, 99 kB.

A degree certificate is proof that you have completed a higher education programme and meet the requirements for your degree. The degree certificate holds information about the scope and content of your studies, the title of the degree and the name of the awarding higher education institution. The degree certificate includes a Diploma Supplement which describes the programme and its place in the education system. To obtain your degree certificate, you must send an application to the higher education institution where you completed your studies.

If you have studied at several higher education institutions throughout your programme, the degree certificate must be issued by the higher education institution where you completed your studies. However, this does not apply if the institutions concerned have agreed otherwise in your particular case. They may also issue a joint degree.

A course certificate is proof that you have completed a course with a passing grade. If you have passed a course, you should receive a course certificate from the university upon request.

The normal processing time for degree certificates should not exceed two months.

It is your right under the Higher Education Act, as a student, to exert influence over your education. Student influence exists, among other things, to ensure that courses and programmes attain high standards. Quality assurance procedures are the joint concern of staff and students at higher education institutions.

The Higher Education Act also stipulates that higher education institutions should encourage students to take an active part in the process of developing courses and programmes. This means that students' experiences and knowledge should be considered. This applies to individual students as well as students who are active members of the student unions.

Students have the right to representation through the student union in all decision making and preparatory bodies within the university which affect the situation of students and their education. Examples of decision-making bodies are the central board, the faculty board and other work groups which make decisions on matters of education and research. The university and the student union should sign an agreement specifying the decision-making bodies for which the students should have the right to be represented.

In order to exert influence, students have the right to participate in the process leading up to a decision. This means that students should receive information and be represented in preparatory bodies, i.e. in groups and at meetings that take place before a decision is made, and not only during the actual decision-making meetings. If a decision is to be made by a single person, such as the vice chancellor or the head of a department, he or she must inform and consult with a student representative in good time before the decision is made or the preparatory work is completed.

As a student, you can also influence your education through the course evaluations that higher education institutions must offer after each completed course.

It is important to keep in mind that the laws and regulations on student influence only apply to higher education institutions run by the government. This means that different rules apply to non-governmental higher education institutions, referred to as independent higher education providers.

A student union is a student association which has been granted student union status. It is an organisation for students, represented by students. The representation is focussed on the students’ relations with the higher education institution.

A student union has limited geographical or organisational coverage. Several different student unions can be active within the same higher educational institution.

If a student association would like to obtain student union status it must apply to the higher education institution. The main purposes of the union must be to monitor and participate in the development of education as well as monitoring the study environment at the higher education institution. The student union must have a defined area of activity, i.e. a specific higher education institution, faculty or campus. There are also other requirements that must be met for a student association to be granted student union status.

These requirements are:

• The area of activity of a student union must not be larger than a higher education institution and must coincide with at least one geographically or organisationally limited part of it.
• A student union must be democratically structured and able to represent students within its area of activity. Even students who are not members of a student union are represented by student representatives from the union.
• All students within the area of activity must have the right to be members of the union.
• A member must have the right to vote when the student union's highest decision-making body is elected.
• The student union must have statutes adopted by its members and a board of directors.
• The student union must keep a register of its members.
• The student union must report its activities and number of members to the higher education institution each year and provide the higher education institution with its membership register upon request.

Students who participate in or have completed a course must be given the opportunity to provide feedback on the course through a course evaluation. Higher education institutions are obliged to carry out and compile course evaluations and inform students of the results as well as any changes that will be made based on the results. The results must be made available to the students.

Some issues can be resolved by liaising with the higher education institution. Contact the teacher responsible for the course or programme, or the director of studies, head of department, or vice chancellor. If you are a student, you can also contact the student union for help or advice regarding how to proceed. At some higher education institutions, there is also a student ombudsman whom students can contact for support or assistance. If the issue remains unresolved, you are welcome to submit a complaint to us at UKÄ (the Swedish Higher Education Authority).

How to submit a complaint against a higher education institution

Two main areas of our activities are particularly relevant for student influence: quality assurance of higher education and legal supervision. UKÄ has also received special assignments from the government related to student influence.

UKÄ’s contribution to the quality of higher education consist of carrying out different types of reviews. Regardless of the type of review, the perspectives of students and doctoral students must always be considered. Some of the matters addressed through these reviews include how student influence works in practice, and whether students and doctoral students have opportunities to participate in the institution’s quality assurance processes and the development of their courses and programmes. Student representatives must be included in UKÄ's work groups for quality assurance evaluations.

UKÄ carries out legal supervision over public higher education institutions, with a focus on legal certainty for students. This includes reviewing whether institutions comply with existing legislation, rules and regulations regarding student influence. UKÄ also reviews whether institutions adhere to their own rules regarding student representation.

Not all higher education institutions in Sweden are run by the government. The non-governmental higher education institutions are referred to as “independent higher education providers.”

Most independent providers offer programmes in only one or a few subject areas, such as healthcare, psychotherapy, or theology.

It is your right under the Higher Education Act, as a student, to exert influence over your education. One of the goals with student representation is to ensure high quality in higher education. Quality assurance procedures are the joint concern of staff and students at higher education institutions. This is established in Chapter 1 of the Swedish Higher Education Act and applies to both public institutions and independent education providers. The Higher Education Act also states that institutions should encourage students to take an active part in the process of developing courses and programmes.

The organisation of student influence at higher education institutions run by the government is regulated by law. Independent education providers have greater freedom to choose how to organise student representation. For example, it is possible for independent higher education institutions to make student union membership mandatory.

Chalmers University of Technology, Beckmans College of Design, Marie Cederschiöld University College, Jönköping University College and the Newman Institute are some examples of independent higher education institutions in Sweden.

The provisions regulating student influence at public higher education institutions are to be found in the following laws and ordinances:

The Higher Education Act (Högskolelagen, HL)

The Higher Education Ordinance (Högskoleförordningen, HF)

The Student Union Ordinance (Studentkårsförordningen, SF)

When the ordinances refer to “students,” this includes both undergraduate and graduate level students, as well as doctoral candidates at the third cycle level.

You can find English translations of these laws and ordinances here:

The Higher Education Act on uhr.se

The Higher Education Ordinance on uhr.se

The Student Union Ordinance on uhr.se

For institutions that are not public (independent higher education providers), student influence is not as extensively regulated. You can find more information about what applies to these institutions here:

Information about independent higher education providers

Act concerning authority to award certain qualifications (1993:792) on uhr.se

The Higher Education Appeals Board (ÖNH) is a government authority whose task is to hear appeals against certain decisions made by higher education institutions and in the sector for post-secondary higher vocational education. Decisions that may be appealed to ÖNH include employment at a higher education institution, decisions on credit transfer for education or professional activity, and decisions on entry requirements for education. ÖNH is the final appeal body in these cases which means that it is not possible to challenge ÖNH’s decisions.

Read more at the ÖNH website.

The Swedish Higher Education Authority cannot try appeals, but you can file a complaint with the Swedish Higher Education Authority if you believe that a higher education institution has contravened any laws or regulations applicable to the higher education sector. The Swedish Higher Education Authority can criticise a higher education institution if we judge that it does not comply with laws or regulations. UKÄ cannot, however, change a higher education institution’s decision.

Certain decisions can be appealed to the Higher Education Appeals Board, ÖNH. ÖNH is a government authority whose task is to hear appeals against certain decisions made by higher education institutions and in the sector for post-secondary higher vocational education. Decisions that may be appealed to ÖNH include employment at a higher education institution, decisions on credit transfer for education or professional activity, and decisions on entry requirements for education. ÖNH is the final appeal body in these cases which means that it is not possible to challenge ÖNH’s decisions.

Read more at the ÖNH website.

Some decisions can be appealed to the Higher Education Appeals Board (ÖNH), including but not limited to:

• a decision that an applicant does not meet the general entry requirements for admission to first or second-cycle level courses and study programmes
• a decision on credit transfer
• a rejection of a student’s request to be issued with a degree or course certificate
• a decision not to allow a person admitted to a first or second-cycle course or study programme to defer the start of their studies or to continue with their studies after an approved period of absence
• a decision to withdraw a doctoral student's right to supervision or other resources
• Employment decisions (with the exception of appointment as a doctoral student)

Get more information about which decisions can be appealed at ÖNH’s website.

Decisions of higher education institutions on disciplinary measures can be appealed to the local Administrative Court.

Learn more about the Administrative Courts on the Swedish Courts website (In swedish)

It is not possible to appeal a decision on a grade, but you can ask the examiner to retry the decision.

Individual education providers may have local rules for the review of their decisions. For more information on this, please contact the relevant institution. Decisions by independent higher education providers cannot be appealed to the Higher Education Appeals Board.

More information about laws and rules applicable to independent higher education providers is available here.

The principle of public access to official documents means that the public and the media have the right to scrutinise the activities of the state, municipalities and regions. The right to access public documents is the core of this principle and is ensured by one of our constitutions, the Freedom of the Press Act.

The principle of public access to official documents and the right to access public documents apply to all government run higher education institutions. The principle does however also apply to Chalmers University of Technology and Jönköping University, which are independent higher education providers.

More information about the principle of public access to official documents is available on regeringen.se.

A document becomes public when it is received or drawn up at the authority and kept there. The right to access public documents can only be restricted by the Freedom of Information and Confidentiality Act.

A public document can either be public or subject to confidentiality. According to the principle of public access, everyone has the right to access public documents which are not confidential. Anyone who requests access to a public document has the right to remain anonymous and, as a rule, does not have to disclose what the document or information is to be used for. The right to access public documents applies to all government run higher education institutions.

Yes, an excerpt from LADOK is a public document. Every higher education institution is obliged to keep certain information about its students. This includes information on entry requirements, selection criteria for admission, study results, grades and degrees. The information in these registers, such as LADOK, is accessible to everyone according to the same rules that apply to public documents held by authorities.

The Swedish Higher Education Authority (UKÄ) does not have access to LADOK. If you’d like to access information documented in LADOK, this can be provided by the higher education institutions.

All higher education institutions run by the government are public authorities. If you are refused access to a public document, you can request a written decision from the authority in question. It is important that this decision is made by the person authorised to make such decisions on behalf of the authority.

An authority's decision to refuse to disclose a document can be appealed to the Administrative Court of Appeal.

You can find more information about the Administrative Court of Appeal on the Swedish Courts website (In swedish)

An exam, the exam form itself, should become a public document once it has been distributed to the students taking the exam. Before the exam has been completed, there may be grounds to refuse public access to the exam under the provisions of the Freedom of Information and Confidentiality Act.

Answers to an exam answer that a student has submitted is a public document and can therefore be requested from the relevant higher education institution.

The Swedish Higher Education Authority (UKÄ) does not have access to these submitted answers.

Government agencies do not need to keep all public documents, they may discard them in accordance with the Swedish National Archives' regulations and general advice. Exam answers that have not been given to the examined student may be discarded two years after the grading decision has been made.

A copy of the exam form must always be kept.