If you intend to study a course or study programme that corresponds to the knowledge you already have obtained from previous academic studies or professional experience, you can apply for a transfer of credits. You may also need to apply for transfer of credits to fulfil the requirements for the degree you are working towards. If your credit transfer is approved, this means that you do not have to take those parts of the course.
If you have completed academic studies from a Swedish or foreign institution of higher education, you can apply to have the credits transferred to correspond to a course, or part of a course, at Umeå University. It may also be possible to have credits transferred from other relevant studies or credits granted for occupational work experience. A decision approving a transfer of credits can mean that you do not have to study the corresponding course or part of course twice.
When applying for a transfer of credits, we will make an assessment of the contents and level of the studies or occupational work experience you want to transfer credits for. We assess what knowledge you have gained from this and compare it to the content of the course at Umeå University that you want to transfer credits to. If we find that your previous experience provided the required knowledge, we will approve your application.
Before you start an application for transfer of credits, please read the questions and answers below.
Contact a study counsellor if you need help with your study planning and what transfer of credits you should apply for.
What can I apply for?
As a student at Umeå University you can apply for transfer of credits to a course or part of a course based on relevant studies or occupational work experience. You can also have previously completed academic courses assessed to another main field of study or as studies abroad.
If you want to get credit transfer for parts of a programme, you need to know which courses are included in the programme. You will find that in the programme syllabus. Seek out syllabuses for programmes and courses in the university's syllabus search to find out their content.
What do I need to apply for transfer of credits for?
You must apply for a transfer of credits if
If you apply for a later part of a educational programme, are a VAL-student (Further Training For Teachers), or you pay a tuition fee, you shall not apply for a transfer of credits. Learn more under the next question on this page.
What shall I not apply for transfer credits for?
You shall not apply for a transfer of credits if you
Will my student grants and loans for studies from CSN be affected if I have my application for transfer of credits granted?
If your application for transfer of credits is granted, it may have an impact on your student grants and loans for studies from CSN. Contact CSN for questions concerning student grants and loans for studies.
Transfer of credits and guaranteed admission, grades and getting a degree
A credit transfer decision does not mean that you have a guaranteed place on a course, part of a course or study programme.
You will not get a grade on the course or course module since there has been no new examination of your knowledge.
A course or part of a course that you have a decision approving a transfer of credits for, can not be included in your degree together with the course that the decision is based upon. The credits can not be counted twice and the degree must only be based on courses that do not overlap.
A decision on transfer of credits is not also a decision on which courses may be included in a degree.
What is required for your intended degree is stated in the local qualifications descriptor (in Swedish only).
When you intend to apply for transfer of credits, you can get help from the following questions and answers. You will reach the application through the link under the tab “Apply here”.
What is required for me to be able to apply?
Keep in mind that it is required that your submitted application is complete with the necessary documents in order for us to be able to assess it.
When can I apply?
You have to be admitted to and registered for education at Umeå University to be able to apply for transfer of credits. Apply well in advance before the course starts, but not earlier than the term before the course starts that you want to receive a transfer of credits corresponding to.
The processing time is normally within 60 days, and varies depending on how extensive the particular case is. The processing time is counted from when your application is complete and with the necessary documents.
What documents for previous studies do I need to send with my application?
When you apply for transfer of credits and want to base your application on previous relevant studies, you need to attach documents that confirm your knowledge.
For previous academic studies, you need to enclose:
For previously completed studies abroad, you must also enclose the Official Transcript of Records:
We accept documents issued in Swedish or English. If your documents are issued in languages other than these, you must make sure that they are translated by an authorized translation agency. Please note that you must be able to show original documents if we request it.
What documents for occupational work experience do I need to send with my application?
When you apply for transfer of credits and want to base your application on relevant occupational work experience, you need to attach documents that confirm your knowledge and skills.
For previously completed occupational work experience, you need to enclose:
Certificate from the employer (not salary specification or employment contract). The employer's certificate must state:
"Relevant work tasks" means something that corresponds to the course objectives and the content of the course or part of the course that you want transferred to credits.
The decision will be based on how well your documented experiences correspond to the course content, objectives and expected study results. You will find the syllabus for the current course in the university's syllabus search.
If you have other documentation that proves your knowledge and skills and that may have a bearing on the decision on transfer of credits, you should enclose that documentation when you apply.
Apply here
The decision will be sent to the e-mail address you have registered in Ladok (at the time you make your application). If you want to change your e-mail address in Ladok before you apply, you can change it on My settings.
Once you have submitted your application, it is received, processed and decided by Student Services/Degree Evaluation Office.
Confirmation that your application has been received
You will automatically receive a confirmation e-mail when your application has been registered.
Please note that the confirmation e-mail may end up in your spam folder. Add the domain (umu.se) as a trusted sender if this is possible in your e-mail program. This may reduce the risk that messages from Umeå University will end up in the spam folder.
If you have not received a confirmation, you will need to resubmit your application.
We will contact you via e-mail
If we need additional information or documents from you, we will send you an e-mail to the e-mail address you provided in the application. The decision concerning transfer of credits will also be sent via e-mail.
Please note that the e-mail may end up in your spam folder. Add the domain (umu.se) as a trusted sender if this is possible in your e-mail program. This may reduce the risk that messages from Umeå University will end up in the spam folder.
If the course starts before you have received a decision
If the course you have applied for transfer of credits to starts before you have received a decision, our recommendation is that you study the course until you have received the decision.
If you choose to complete the course and no longer wish to apply for transfer of credits, you must withdraw your application before a decision has been made. You can do this by sending a message to the Student Services/Degree Evaluation Office via the contact form on the page.
Normally you will receive a decision to your application within 60 days
The Student Services/Degree Evaluation Office will make a decision concerning transfer of credits as soon as possible and then send the decision to the e-mail address you provided in the application. Please note that the e-mail with the decision may end up in your spam folder.
The processing time for transferring credits is usually within 60 days. However, this may vary during the year depending on how many applications have been received and on how extensive your particular matter is. The processing time will not start until your application is complete and with the necessary documents.
You can appeal if your application is denied
If all or part of your application is denied, you are entitled to appeal against the decision. Information about what you need to do if you want to appeal will be stated in the notification of the decision on your application. The appeal must be made in writing and submitted to the Registrar at Umeå University within three weeks of the date you received notification of the decision.
Please note that you can only appeal decisions based on the qualifications you provided, and the documentation that you attached, when applying. If you are dissatisfied with a rejection of an application and wish to attach more qualifications, you should not appeal the decision you received. Instead, you should submit a new application where you attach all the qualifications and documentation on which you want your application to be based.
Learn more about how to appeal.
If you pay a tuition fee, you can receive the tuition fee refunded if your application for a transfer of credits is granted
Those who pay a tuition fee, study within a study programme and have had your application for transfer of credits granted, may be entitled to a reimbursement of your tuition fee corresponding to the amount of credits transferred. More information on tuition fees and transfer of credits can be found in the Rules for tuition fees and scholarships, which is found in the Legal framework at Umeå University.