Available agreements and application rounds for UMA students
Students at the Umeå School of Architecture can apply for exchange studies through different types of agreements.
University-wide agreements
Umeå University has university-wide agreements. These agreements are open for all students at Umeå university to apply for.
Depending on where you want to go, there are different application rounds:
Application and eligibility for university-wide exchange places outside Europe
Application and eligibility for exchange studies through North2north
Application and eligibility for exchange studies within Europe
Please note that university-wide agreements are agreements with universities in a wide variety of subject fields. This means not all universities offer courses in architecture. Therefore, make sure you start investigating possibilities and courses well in advance to increase possibilities of being nominated.
Faculty agreements
The Faculty of Science and Technology has faculty agreements, these agreements are open for all students at the Faculty of Science and Technology to apply for.
Learn more about the faculty agreements
Please note that faculty agreements are agreements with universities in a wide variety of subject fields. This means not all universities offer courses in architecture. Therefore, make sure you start investigating possibilities and courses well in advance to increase possibilities of being nominated.
Departmental agreement
Umeå School of Architecture also has departmental agreements, these agreements are open for students at UMA to apply for.
If you are interested in learning more about exchange studies through UMA’s agreements, all information about how to apply is gathered below.
Note that the application procedure and periods differ depending on the agreement you apply through.
When can I go on exchange studies?
Architecture Programme
Students enrolled on the Architecture Programme can apply for exchange studies during year 2 and year 4.
It is only possible to apply for exchange studies one semester per study level, e.g. semester 3 or 4, and semester 7 or 8.
This applies regardless of where you want to go and study and it applies equally for university-wide, faculty and departmental (UMA) agreements.
Master's Programme in Architecture and Urban Design
Students enrolled in the Master’s Programme in Architecture and Urban Design can apply for exchange studies during semester 2 (spring semester in year 1).
This applies regardless of where you want to go and study and it applies equally for university-wide, faculty and departmental (UMA) agreements.
How do I know if the host university offers courses I can apply for?
The host university you apply to must offer courses that can be accredited to the programme after your exchange. This means that the courses must match those you would have studied at UMA the same semester you plan to be abroad.
Find course descriptions for the Architecture Programme
Before you apply to be nominated it is your responsibility to investigate if the university offers courses you can apply for and that can be accredited.
It can sometimes be difficult to know if the courses match or not. A good start is to investigate if the host university offers courses in architecture that adds up to 30 ECTS, are on the right study level, and in a language that you know well enough to study and be assessed in.
Your courses must be approved by UMA’s international contact person before your exchange studies start, for you to be able to study abroad.
For guidance, please contact UMA’s international contact person.
Exchange studies through UMA's agreements
Umeå School of Architecture has around 30 partner universities in Europe. All our partner universities offer courses in architecture. Typically, teachers at UMA have contacts at our partner universities and collaborate with them in various ways. Most agreements are within the Erasmus+ programme.
How to find UMA’s agreements
- Go to Solemove.
- Under ”Your home unit” select ”Umeå School of Architecture”.
- Select "Advanced search".
- Under “EU Subject area", select “0731 - Architecture and Urban Design”.
- Click "Search" to see all UMA's partner universities.
We have noticed that it may be difficult to search in Solemove and find our agreements through a smartphone. We therefore recommend to use a computer instead.
How to find information about the universities
After you have found the list of partner universities in Solemove (see instructions above), click on the host university to learn more about study cycles and language of instructions. By doing so, you can also see if it is an Erasmus+ agreement. Often there is a link to the university’s website and you might also find a fact sheet.
Note that the study cycle and language of instruction that you find in Solemove is information that we have received from the partner university when signing the agreement and should be seen as an indicator to which university you can apply to.
When does the application period open?
Below are the application periods for the autumn and spring semesters for exchange studies during the academic year 2025/2026.
For exchange studies during the autumn semester: 15 February – 17 March
For exchange studies during the spring semester: 15 August – 15 September
The deadlines are strict, and no applications will be considered after the application deadlines.
List of universities you can apply for in the application round
After the application opens, you find all universities that you can apply to in the specific application round by following instructions:
- Go to Solemove.
- Select "Advanced search".
- Under "Application period", select "Umeå School of Architecture" and the correct semester and year.
- Click "Search" to see all our partner universities that are included in the application round.
Read further up under “How do I know if the host university offers courses I can apply for” and “How to find information about the universities” before you start investigating which of the universities in the application round you can apply to.
How to apply
1. Apply in Solemove
You apply to be nominated in Solemove.
Problems? Use the manual for applying for exchange in Solemove
2. List the universities that you want to apply to
List the universities you want to attend and rank them in the order of your preference. The lower options will be disregarded if you are granted your first choice. By selecting multiple options, you increase your chances of studying abroad. There is no limit to how many universities you can apply to.
3. Enclose your Letter of Motivation
In your application, you need to include a letter of motivation, explaining why you want to study abroad and how studying abroad fits into your programme and future plans. Max 1 A4 page.
You must also list the courses you would like to study at the partner university.
If you apply to be nominated to more than one university you do not need to motivate all your selections. However, a list of courses for all universities that you apply to must be included.
The letter must also specify if you have previously been on an exchange and if you previously have been nominated and turned down the offer.
Enclose the motivation letter in your application in Solemove.
Nomination criteria
What decides if I am nominated or not?
Applications are reviewed by the international contact person, director of studies and programme coordinator at the Umeå School of Architecture, and the nominations are based on their assessment according to several assessment criteria:
- Letter of Motivation:
To be nominated, you must be able to explain why you want to go on an exchange, what your goals are with the studies aborad, and how the studies abroad fit into your education and your future plans. You are also to list courses you want to study at the partner university. Read more under “Letter of Motivation”. - Study results:
If you are behind in your studies, have repeatedly submitted assignments late, or have failed, this may affect your chances of being nominated. - Language skills:
To be nominated to a partner university that teaches in a language other than English, you must have sufficient language skills to manage the studies. - Previous exchange studies:
Students who have not previously participated in exchange studies have priority over those who have already taken part in exchange studies, or who have previously been nominated and withdrawn their application without a valid reason.
When deciding on nominations, we primarily consider the applicant's first choice. If more than one student has chosen a specific university as their first choice and meet the criteria listed above, allocation will be made by lottery. Applying to be nominated to several universities does not reduce your chances of being nominated to your first choice. Decisions on nominations cannot be appealed.
After nomination
What happens after I am nominated?
As soon as a decision is made, the applicants will be informed, and nominated students will receive further information and instructions. If you are nominated, it means that you are eligible to apply as an exchange student to the relevant university. In other words, the nominated student is not formally admitted to an exchange place until they have applied to the partner university, and the host university decides on the admission.
Because our partner universities have different application procedures (deadlines and what to include in your application) the nominated students must find out from school to school how and when you apply. Once contact between the nominated student and the host university is established, it is the student's responsibility to make sure that the application and supporting documents are submitted on time.
Course selection and transfer of credits
If you study abroad as an exchange student, you should be able to transfer your credits from the host university to your education at Umeå University.
You need to find courses at the host university which correspond to the courses you would have studied at Umeå University during the same period and make sure that those courses have been approved by the international contact person at Umeå School of Architecture.
Note that the approval from the international contact person is not a formal decision for transfer of credits. The final decision is made by the Student Services Office's Degree Evaluation Office at Umeå University when applying for transfer of credits after completed exchange studies. However, having the courses approved by the international contact person is a strong indication of how the courses will be credited, as the Degree Evaluation Office usually follows our recommendations with a few exceptions.
Find out more about transfer of credits
Information meeting
Nominated students will be invited to an information meeting by UMA’s international contact person where we go through things such as application for scholarship (for students that study abroad through an Erasmus+ agreement), insurance while studying abroad and other practicalities.
See a checklist of things to keep in mind before departure once you have been admitted
During your exchange studies
Change courses
If you want or need to change a course during your studies abroad, it is important that you contact the UMA international contact person so that we can accept your change of course.
After exchange studies
Credit your studies
Once you have completed your studies abroad, you must apply to have your credits accredited. Your credits are not transferred automatically.
To be eligible into the academic year that follows your exchange studies, your courses must have been transferred before the semester starts. This means you must complete all your courses abroad and those must correspond to 30 credits (ECTS) to be eligible to the following autumn semester.
Find out more about transfer of credits
Write a report – how were your exchange studies?
After your exchange, we want to know how you experienced your exchange studies.
We therefore ask you to write a short report about your time abroad. The purpose of the report is for you to reflect about your time abroad and, at the same time, it gives us insight into how our partner performs as a host university.
We appreciate if you can also help us inform students at UMA about your experience of studying abroad to inspire others.
Find other examples of things you can do after your exchange studies, such as become a buddy or student ambassador: After exchange studies
International contact person at Umeå School of Architecture
