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Archive for Karl Peterson — Study

– What I love about higher education in Sweden is that it's not about who you are, but about what ideas you have, says Karl. “Education is not just about learning things. It should also teach you to be critical of old presumptions and encourage new ideas. That's what moves the world forward – and that’s what Sweden does well.”

Studera.nu is no more — Long live Universityadmissions.se

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When you apply for university level studies in Sweden you are bound to come in contact with Sweden’s national (online) application portal. The Swedish Agency for Higher Education Services (VHS), which is responsible for the application and admission process, has recently unveiled Universityadmissions.se.

Universityadmissions.se
Universityadmissions.se is directed exclusively to international students applying for higher education in Sweden. So if you are from Sweden or want to apply for programs held in Swedish — you should instead go to Antagning.se. I hope and believe that Universityadmissions.se will be a step forward compared to the now defunct application portal Studera.nu, which received substantial criticism (sometimes well deserved) for its lack of usability.

So what’s new, what does it do, and how do I use it?

In short, Universityadmissions.se provides a searchable database of all degree programs and courses that are available for international applicants. When the application period for Autumn 2012 has started (December 1, 2011), it is through Universityadmissions.se that you send in your online application, pay the application fee (if applicable), follow your application in progress (including sending in the required documentation) — and when you have received your notification of selection results, reply to any offers of admission.

However, before you get carried away and start with your online application I would recommend that you have a look at the general guidelines about how to apply to higher education in Sweden at Studyinsweden.se.

Karl Peterson — Study

September 29, 2011

Sweden and beyond

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When on the topic of diploma ceremonies, Örebro University recently held a diploma ceremony for their international master’s students. I was invited, as a representative of the Swedish Institute, to say a few things about Sweden and some encouraging words about keeping in contact with Sweden in the future.

Except for being treated to Swedish folk music, a speech from the Vice-Chancellor of Örebro University and h’or d’euvres, the most fulfilling part of the ceremony was to see the well-deserved sense of pride and accomplishment in the faces of all the graduating students. Some which are heading straight home to their home countries, some that are pursuing a PhD at Örebro university or elsewhere, and some which are looking for work in Sweden.

What they all share however, is leaving the international community of fellow students and professors that they have been a part of the past years in Örebro and Sweden. What I hope that they will do, is stay in touch with Sweden and each other. The world needs cooperation and understanding, and who are better fit for the task than the international community of graduating students and researchers?

My notes for my speech. (Click on it to view an enlarged picture if you're curious.)

Karl Peterson — Study

June 21, 2011

Study in Sweden in 中文, русский and العربية

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What I am talking about is not the language of tuition in Sweden. All study programs in Sweden are held either in English or Swedish (when it comes to master’s level programs almost all of them are held in English). However, if you are looking for information about studies in Sweden you will soon be able to access it in either of the languages above. (For those of you that don’t read/write Chinese, Russian or Arabic — those are the languages above, in respective order.)

A Chinese version of Studyinsweden.se already exists, in the form of Sweden.cn/study. The Russian and Arabic versions of Studyinsweden.se are in the making as I write this, aiming for a launch sometime during the summer. Obviously, if you are going to study at a bachelor’s or master’s level program in Sweden you will need to have a good command of the English language, including proving that you do so through one of the internationally recognized English tests, i.e. TOEFL or IELTS.

Study in Sweden in Russian — Work in progress

Studyinsweden.se in Russian — snapshot of work in progress.

So what is the reason for making Chinese, Russian and Arabic language versions of Studyinsweden.se if all students need to know English in order to get accepted to a Swedish university? First of all it gives us an opportunity to tailor the information to the students, since a Chinese, Arabic and Russian student usually have different questions when it comes to what they want to know about Swedish higher education. For example, a Russian student might not have so many questions about the Swedish climate and what kind of food you will find in Sweden due to Russia’s relative proximity to Sweden, but have more questions about the Swedish/European educational system since the Russian system differs quite a bit.

Secondly it also gives the parents and other relatives of the student (that might not speak English) an opportunity to read about Sweden as a study destination. We all know that all parents invest a lot of love (and money) in their children and their children’s education, so it is only fair that they can also form an opinion of Swedish higher education and life in Sweden.

Thirdly, see it as a token of goodwill and respect towards the non-native English speaking part of the world, which Sweden too belongs to. Even though English is the international language above all, it is  not the native language of the majority of the world’s population.

I will let you know through this blog when the Arabic and Russian sites are launched. In the meantime, everything you need to know about Swedish higher education (well almost) can be found at Studyinsweden.se (in English). If you just can’t wait to read about Swedish higher education in your own language — well, you’ll just have to settle for Google Translate for now.

Karl Peterson — Study

April 27, 2011

Decrease in international applicants to Swedish universities

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Since this is the first year that international students from outside of the EU/EEA area are required to pay tuition fees for programs held at Swedish universities, the number of international applicants has decreased dramatically. As expected, data from VHS (Swedish Agency for Higher Education Services) shows that the number of applicants to master’s programs decreased by 73 % compared to applications for autumn 2010. 25,094 applications were submitted for master’s programs of autumn semester 2011, compared to 91,788 for autumn 2010 (all statistics from VHS).

Lund University received the highest number of applicants for 2011.

Lund University was the most popular Swedish university — with the highest number of applicants both in total and as the first-hand choice university — followed by KTH, Royal Institute of Technology and Stockholm University. A detailed list of the number of applicants per university can be found here.

Although a decreased number of applicants do not necessarily translate to a decrease in admitted students, some Swedish universities will most likely have fewer non-EU students arriving to their campuses in 2011 compared to previous years. The same pattern, to a comparable or even larger extent, could be seen in Denmark and the Netherlands, who recently made a similar switch to tuition fees. However, competition for most programs is still high.

Because of the many positive effects an international climate has on the education and research conducted at the university level, this is of course an unwanted situation. On the positive side is that many Swedish universities have started recruiting qualified international students more actively and taken it upon themselves to work harder with ensuring quality and services for their students. Both on their own and in collaboration with the Study in Sweden team at the Swedish Institute. Hopefully the number of available scholarships will also continue to increase. It all comes down to a strong belief that Swedish higher education has a lot to offer the world, and that the world has a lot to offer to Swedish higher education.

It is truly a challenge for the Swedish universities, which I hope they will take on with passion.

*Update: If you want to find out more about the reasons for introducing tuition fees, please follow this link.

Karl Peterson — Study

February 3, 2011

Time to apply

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Are you thinking about applying for higher education studies in Sweden for the academic year 2011-2012? In that case, here’s a few things you need to know:

Online application service at Studera.nu

The application period for programs that start autumn 2011 has just begun. For most programs the application deadline is January 17, 2011. You might also want to start looking into scholarship possibilities, since most of the scholarship deadlines are also set to the end of January.

For bachelor’s level and master’s level studies you need to apply via the online application service at www.studera.nu. For studies at doctoral level you apply directly to your chosen university.

Applying to a master’s degree program can seem overwhelming, so we’ve broken the process down into five steps:

1. Find your program

The first step to applying for a master’s program is finding the perfect one. You can search Studyinsweden.se’s program database of over 600 master’s degree programs (and 35 bachelor’s level programs) given in English at www.studyinsweden.se/course-search.

2. Apply

Once you’ve identified which program/s you’d like to apply for, use the application instructions available at www.studera.nu. Studera.nu is a central application service where you can apply for up to four different master’s programs at different universities around Sweden with just one application.

Each program has a special application code which you must use in the application to ensure that you apply to the correct program. You can find each program’s code at www.studera.nu or, usually, in the program description at the university’s homepage.

Please note that students who are not citizens of the EU, EEA or Switzerland are required to pay an application fee of SEK 900.

At this point you should also look into the possiblities of scholarships. For scholarships that are administered by the Swedish Institute, I recommend that you use this guide to see if you are eligible to apply to any of them.

3. Wait to receive notification of acceptance

After the deadline passes, your application will undergo a selection procedure determined by the individual school and based on various criteria, such as grades obtained and results of previous courses and degree projects. All of these will influence the outcome of your application.

If you are accepted you will need to confirm that you will attend the program in question. If you are not a citizen of the EU, EEA or Switzerland you will also be required to pay the tuition fee for the first year of study at this point. If you are in doubt whether you are required to pay tuition fees, Studera.nu provides a helpful guide.

4. Apply for a residence permit

As the application process for visas and residence permits can be lengthy, you should apply as soon as you have received your acceptance letter!

Generally speaking, in order to obtain a residence permit for studies you will need to show that you:

  1. have been accepted to a full-time study program (if you are not a citizen of the EU, EEA or Switzerland this includes paying tuition fees for the first year of study)
  2. can support yourself financially throughout the entire period of study (you must show proof that you have access to or funding of 7,300 SEK per month of your stay)

Specific information about application residence permits, as well as application forms, can be found at the Swedish Migration Board.

Note: students from the Nordic countries and the EU/EEA do NOT need to apply for residence permits, but should rather (in the case of a non-Nordic EU citizenship) register with the Swedish Migration board upon arrival.

5. Come to Sweden

Once you’ve been accepted on a program and your residence permit has been processed, check out our guide to living in Sweden for information on how to prepare for your stay. I also recommend that you have a look at SwedenInTouch, Sweden’s official community for international students (if you haven’t already). There you’ll find all kinds of tips from current and former students at Swedish universities. Your university’s international office can also offer tips and advice.

Good luck!

Karl Peterson — Study

December 3, 2010

A brief guide to studying in Sweden

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Well, essentially that is what our web site Studyinsweden.se is all about. Although you should take the time to read up on most of the things we cover there, as well as look more deeply into the universities and study programs you are contemplating, I thought I’d gather a few tips of things to have in mind when considering to study in Sweden.

– What makes Sweden different?

Every country’s educational system has its own distinct profile and higher education in Sweden stands out in several areas. The open, informal relations between students and teachers are often cited as typical of university studies in Sweden. This does not only mean that you are on a first-name basis with your teachers and professors, but perhaps more importantly it means that you are expected to think for yourself and argue for your cause. Students should develop their own academic intellect and not just repeat the teacher’s words. Hence, personal initiative and critical thought is expected of you if you are to do well on your exams and papers. At the same time there is also an emphasis on group work. Expect to be thrown into different constellations where you will apply methods and theories in practical situations.

(You can read more about the nature of Swedish higher education in our section called “Why Sweden?”.)

– What and where do you want to study?


Some students have a clear image of what they want to achieve through their studies, and some have even focused their attention on a specific study program at a specific university. Most students however are a bit in the dark when it comes to making the choice. Our program database and university map may hopefully be of assistance, but even after reading up on program descriptions and university profiles it may be difficult to differentiate between the multitude of available programs and educational institutions. Sweden has a mix of universities — large and small, old and new, research-oriented and student-centric, more academically grounded and more practically focused — and the variations between faculties within the universities may sometimes be more distinct than between the universities themselves. What to make of all this? Look into what you want to get out of your studies and try to find the program that suits you — but don’t always expect the choice to be evident. At least it never was for me.

(If you want to talk to someone with first-hand experience of the program or university you are considering — check out www.swedenintouch.se.)

– The application

Once you’ve identified which program/s you’d like to apply to, you will inevitably get in contact with the central online application service at www.studera.nu. The only caveat would be if you are applying for a PhD program or one of the (mainly in the field of Fine arts) few programs that relies on different application procedures and application deadlines. When applying to your chosen programs at Studera.nu, you will also need to pay an application fee (of SEK 900)*. At this point you should also apply for any scholarships that might be available.

After the deadline passes, your application will undergo a selection procedure determined by the individual university, usually based on criteria such as your grades and results of previous degree projects and academic theses. The decision on whether to accept an applicant ultimately rests with the academic institutions themselves as long as you fulfill the general requirements.

If you are accepted to any of the programs you have applied to, you will need to confirm that you will attend the program in question. At this point you will also need to pay the tuition fee for the first year of study.* If you have received a scholarship that will cover your tuition fees, just make sure to confirm that you will attend the program.

Next up is to apply for a residence permit from the Swedish Migration Board (unless you are an EU/EAA citizen, in which case you only need to register with the Swedish Migration Board upon arrival). As the application process can be lengthy, you should apply as soon as you have received your acceptance letter. Generally speaking, in order to obtain a residence permit for studies you will need to show that you:

  1. have been accepted to a full-time study program (if you are not a citizen of the EU, EEA or Switzerland this includes paying tuition fees for the first year of study)
  2. can support yourself financially throughout the entire period of study (you must show proof that you have access to funding of SEK 7,300 per month of your stay)

– The final step (which really is the starting point)

Come to Sweden.

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*Swedish and EU/EEA citizens (and Switzerland) are exempt from application and tuition fees. If you are in doubt whether you need to pay tuition fees — check out the ‘personas’ at Studera.nu.

Karl Peterson — Study

November 8, 2010

Welcome to the study blog

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Here you’ll find a personal take on Swedish higher education and the work that we do at the Swedish Institute — making Swedish education known to the world. We will share our experiences and give you some tips and ideas about how to make sense of the academic world in Sweden.

Except for running this blog and the Studyinsweden.se web site, the Study in Sweden team is present at SwedenInTouch, Facebook, Twitter, Sweden.se/watch and YouTube. You can also talk to us in person at any of the study fairs and other events we attend — next up is Moscow (Nov 11-13) and India (Nov 26-Dec 7).

Karl Peterson — Study

October 26, 2010