Requirements you must meet to be eligible
Bachelor's requirements
Bachelor's level studies:
- If you have completed an upper-secondary school or high school education that makes you eligible for higher education studies in your home country and meet the language requirements in English and/or Swedish, then you are eligible for Bachelor's level university studies at Umeå University.
- You also need to be able to demonstrate proficiency in English by means of an internationally recognised test, such as TOEFL, IELTS or the equivalent. It is also possible to be eligible through previous college or university studies.
Learn more about elibiglity for Bachelor's level studies
For students who received their final school grades after 31 December 2009, there is an additional entry requirement for mathematics as follows:
- The student must have successfully completed courses in mathematics to reach the level of the Swedish course Mathematics A (approximately 10 years of mathematics studies).
This mathematics requirement does not apply to students who received their final school grades before 1 January 2010.
Specific requirements
For many courses and programmes (and all Master's programmes), there are specific eligibility requirements to be met. These requirements generally concern previous studies in the specific subject or field of study and are determined by reviewing your academic transcripts.
For example, you may need to have completed certain subject credits within your Bachelor's (undergraduate) degree and/or earned credits in specific courses.
These specific requirements are found on each programme or course page. Look for the heading 'Application and eligibility'.
If you are in the final year of your undergraduate degree:
You can apply to a Master's programme during the last year of your undergraduate degree programme. Your application may be considered if you provide the necessary documentation on the University Admissions' website.
Please note! If you have not uploaded your complete transcript and degree by the start of the programme, you will not be able to register as a programme student. This applies to all applicants, both EU/EEA and non-EU/EEA applicants.
Learn what to do if you are taking your final Bachelor's year (Universityadmissions.se)
Master's requirements
To be eligible to take a Master's programme you must:
- have a Bachelor's degree from an internationally recognised university;
This means a minimum of three years university or college studies (180 ECTS) from an accredited university or college, with a minimum of two semesters (60 ECTS) of full-time studies in one discipline, subject or major.
- be able to demonstrate proficiency in English by means of an internationally recognised test, such as TOEFL, IELTS or the equivalent. It is also possible to be eligible through previous college or university studies; and
- depending on the country you graduated from, there may also be other requirements regarding qualifications and which enclosures you need for your application. Visit the University Admissions' website for more information about required documents.
Note! Results below second class are not accepted and study results under 50% will not be considered.
Find out what documentation you need to provide (Universityadmissions.se)
Learn more about eligibility for Master's level studies (Universityadmissions.se)
Specific requirements
For many courses and programmes (and all Master's programmes) there are specific eligibility requirements to be met. These requirements generally concern previous studies in the specific subject or field of study and are determined by reviewing your academic transcripts.
For example, you may need to have completed certain subject credits within your Bachelor's (undergraduate) degree and/or earned credits in specific courses.
These specific requirements are found on each programme or course page. Look for the heading 'Application and eligibility'.
English and Swedish language proficiency
For most Master's level courses and programmes, the requirement is the equivalent to the Swedish upper-secondary course English 6.
- Proficiency in basic English can be proven by test scores from a number of internationally recognised tests. The most common are IELTS and TOEFL. Detailed information about English language requirements can be found on the University Admissions website.
- English 6 level is the equivalent of IELTS 6.5 (no section less than 5.5) or TOEFL 90. It is important that you check the programme or course as some programmes have a higher requirement for admission.
The English language requirement can also be met through previous upper-secondary studies or previous university studies in certain countries.
English language requirements (Universityadmissions.se)
Proficiency in Swedish is only needed if you intend to apply to courses and programmes with Swedish language instruction. This can be done through the Test in Swedish for university studies (TISUS).
Find out about TISUS (Stockholm University)
Country-specific instructions
There are specific requirements for students from most countries wishing to study at a Swedish university. It is very important to check these national regulations before applying to a programme or course at Umeå University.
Country-specific instructions for students applying for Bachelor's studies (Universityadmissions.se)
Country-specific instructions for students applying for Master's studies (Universityadmissions.se)
Recognition of prior learning
You can be considered eligible for a course or a programme despite the fact you do not meet the formal entry requirements. This can be done by referring to your accumulated competence, if you document it completely and clearly.
If you do not fulfil the requirements formally, but still feel that you have acquired the knowledge needed to study a specific course or programme, you can apply for recognition of prior learning. In the application you must describe in what way you acquired knowledge and proficiency that gives you the ability to pursue higher studies, as well as support your claim with certified documents.
- To apply for recognition of prior learning you must first submit an application for a course or programme. The form and all documents must have been uploaded no later than the last day for applying for the course or the programme.
- If you submit a late application, it is not possible to apply for recognition of prior learning. The form and all documents must have been uploaded no later than the last day to apply for the course or programme.
Interested in applying for a validation of prior learning? Please consult with study counsellor.
What to do if you cannot start your planned studies
Application for deferment
If you have been admitted to a course or a programme and have a valid reason to why you are not able to commence your studies, you can apply for a deferment of studies. To apply for a deferment means that you are applying to postpone the start of your studies until another semester when the course or programme is offered.
The reason for deferring the start of your studies should be beyond your control, such as social or medical reasons. Examples of valid reasons include:
- disease;
- pregnancy;
- parental leave until the child turns one year of age;
- basic training for military conscription or civil alternative service;
- student union appointments; or
- that your employer has denied or postponed your application for leave for training.
