Application instructions

To come to Umeå University as an exchange student, there must be an existing signed formal exchange agreement with Umeå University and your home university. You need to be nominated by the exchange coordinator at your home university.

It is recommended that interested students contact the exchange coordinator at their home university to find out if there is a possibility to be nominated as an exchange student to Umeå University.

Before you proceed with your application, watch this video:

Before you choose your courses

Course changes after the application deadline are restricted and not guaranteed since we do not have an add/drop period. Therefore, it is important that you choose courses carefully and discuss them with your home university exchange coordinator before applying. Should students require a course change after application deadline, they should reach out to us by 30 May. Any requests of course changes for Autumn semester received after this date will be processed in August, after the summer break.

We have comprised some important things to consider below. Please read the information carefully.

Check which period the courses are offered

In the Swedish system, you usually only take one course at a time. We therefore encourage you to choose courses that are given at different periods during the semester so that you do not end up with four courses that all start at the same time.

More information can be found here: Swedish study system - the basics (umu.se) 

Observe type of studies (tempo/study pace of the course)

Courses are given at different study paces. Full-time studies (100%) equal 40 hours a week.

Some courses are given at half-time (50%) or part-time (25%), which means that the work load is 20 hours and 10 hours per week respectively. Consequently, half-time and part-time courses run for a longer period than a full-time course.

A few courses are taught online with no meetings on campus. If you do not intend to enroll in an online course, make sure that none of the courses you select are marked "Distance" under Type of studies.

Note! If you are applying for a residence permit or visa, the courses you select need to be marked On campus under Type of studies.

Recommendations about combining courses
Courses are given at a different study pace. Full-time studies (100%) equal 40 hours a week. These courses are often tough to combine since the workload would be heavy and the lectures may collide. We therefore strongly recommend you NOT to combine these types of courses.

Some courses are given at a half-time (50%) or part-time (25%) pace, which means that the workload is 20 hours or 10 hours per week. Consequently, half-time, and part-time courses run for a longer period than a full-time course. These courses might be possible to combine with other courses if lectures do not collide. 

Whether or not courses are possible to combine depends on the schedules and if there are any course conflicts. The schedules are not published until one month before the course begins. Contact the department to ask if they have the schedule available, so that you can check if there are any course conflicts: International Contact Persons at the departments

For more information, see Study system.

Look through the specific requirements

The requirements are obligatory. To be eligible for a course, you must meet the required knowledge. The requirements are found on the course web page.

Proof of English Proficiency

As an exchange student, you do not need to prove your proficiency in English - this is only required of international students outside a formal exchange agreement. However, you should  have sufficient knowledge of English, both oral and written, so you are able to succeed in your courses.  

When applying

Submit your course selection via your unique link from Solemove

Your unique link to the course web page can be found in the email from Solemove with the subject line "Nomination received - send in course selection". Select your courses through the course web page for exchange students by clicking on your unique link.

Do not apply for courses by any other means than the unique link from Solemove. Any application submitted by any other means will be invalid and will be deleted. 

Apply for 30 ECTS to be a full-time student

The number of credits you can be admitted to is restricted to 30 ECTS per term, which equals full-time studies. If you are a student from outside the EU/EES and Switzerland you need to apply for a residence permit, and you must therefore be admitted to 30 ECTS. Once you have been admitted to 30 ECTS, any additional courses will be deleted from your application.  

This rule does not apply to Swedish for International Students, Beginners Course I, II, or III. It is possible to apply for this course in addition to 30 ECTS in other subjects.  

Pay attention to course schedules

Please note that you cannot study more than 100% at one time. You are responsible for checking the dates of your courses and choosing courses that do not clash. Umeå University does not check whether your courses will clash, this is your responsibility. Use the filters on the course catalogue for exchange students to ensure you are never studying more than 100% tempo at the same time. 

List the courses in order of preference

The courses should be listed in order of preference. You can apply for a maximum of eight courses but since you will not be admitted to more than 30 ECTS per term, it is very important how you prioritise your courses. Once you have been admitted to 30 ECTS, any additional courses will be deleted from your application. 

Ensure that your home university approves of your selection

Make sure to discuss your course choice with your home university coordinator so that they approve of it before you submit your application. This is important so that the credits you get at Umeå University can be transferred to your home university, as course changes are not guaranteed.

Send the course selection to University Admissions

Once you are satisfied with your courses, open a new tab and go to universityadmissions.se. Create an account on this website. Make sure that you use the same email address for your University Admissions account as on Solemove. We will use this address to communicate with you, therefore it is important that they match, and that you check for incoming emails often. Your username on the University Admissions website is your email address.

Keep the University Admissions tab open, and make sure you are logged in before proceeding.

Return to the tab with the course catalogue, where you have made your course selections. Click on the button ‘Send to universityadmissions.se”. This will then connect your course choices from the course catalogue tab to your account on University Admissions.

Do not use the University Admissions website to choose or add courses. It is not possible to submit a late application using this website either. Any applications received in this way will not be considered a part of your exchange studies and will be deleted. Only apply for courses by using your unique link sent from Solemove. 

Mandatory documents

• Study Information (PDF)
  Please download and open Study Information in Adobe Acrobat Reader before filling it out. Using alternative PDF software or an old version of Adobe may make the Study Information unreadable.
  
  
• All your academic transcript of records (Relevé de notes et resultats, mark sheet). If you are a master 's student it is important to also upload your bachelor's transcript.
  
  
• Passport or Identification

Please note that the documents listed above are mandatory for exchange students to upload in order for Umeå University to process the application.

How to upload your mandatory documents

1. Log in to your account at universityadmissions.se.
2. Go to Documents.
3. Read Information before getting started for instructions.
4. Follow the step-by-step instructions for uploading documents.

Important

You should not upload any other documents if additional documents are listed on the University Admissions website.

Last day to apply and upload your documents is 15 October for spring semester start/15 April for autumn semester start.

In the event that the dates above fall on a weekend/holiday, the deadlines are moved to the nearest workday.

Your application is complete when you have submitted your application and uploaded your documents to your account on the University Admissions website.

After your application

Change your course selection 

Before the deadline
If you want to change your course selection before the application deadline, use the same link found in your e-mail and make the changes in your current application. If you apply for courses in any other way, the course application will be invalid.

After the deadline
Course changes after the application deadline are restricted and not guaranteed. Should you require a course change for the Autumn semester, please reach out to incoming.io@umu.se by 30 May. Any requests of course changes received after this date will be processed in August, after the summer break.

Assessment of your application

We will contact you if you do not meet the requirements, or if any documentation is missing. It is therefore important that you check the email address that you provided when you created your account.

Follow your application status

You can follow the status of your application on your account on the University Admissions website.

Notification of Selection Results

Your admission results will be published in the Notification of Selection Results on your account on University Admissions. Results for the autumn semester will be published at mid-May and for the spring semester by mid-November. Please read all information fully, and carefully.  

• The label “unqualified” means that your application has not been processed yet.
• The label “reserve” means that you are not admitted to the course, but you are on the waiting list, in case any places should become available. 
• The label “conditionally admitted” means that you must pass the courses you are currently enrolled in at your home university before the course at our university starts. As soon as you have finished the courses, please upload a new transcript. 
• As an exchange student you do not have to confirm your offer to keep your place on the course. 

If you need to apply for a Residence Permit to come to Sweden, the Notification of Selection Results functions as your Admissions Letter to Umeå University and your proof of insurance. More information can be found on the Swedish Migration Agency’s website: Residence permit for studies in higher education - Migrationsverket 

Housing

When you have been admitted to studies at Umeå University, you need to create an account (My Pages) in the housing web portal system, and then join the queue. The link to My Pages can be found on the last page of your Notification of Selection Results. Please note that if you are a tuition-fee-paying student you will instead receive an email with the link from tuitionfees@umu.se about a week after you've paid your tuition. 
 
Once you have created an account you can start to apply for housing through the Umeå University Accommodation Service. You get one point for each day in the queuing system (1 day = 1 point), so registering as quick as possible will increase your chances of getting accommodation in the area you prefer. 
 
Should there be a large number of applicants, students registered for at least 15 ECTS per semester are prioritised. 

Do you have questions about the application procedure?

For questions regarding the application, contact the International Office at incoming.io@umu.se 

Now you are well prepared to proceed with your application through the link in your nomination e-mail from Solemove. We look forward to receiving your application!