If you're from the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA), Switzerland, or other Nordic countries, you can study a Bachelor's or Master's degree for free at public universities in Sweden. And the good news doesn't stop here: PhD programmes are free for all students.
The level of education is constantly growing and international students enjoy the “freedom with responsibility” teaching style of Swedish universities and colleges.
If this sounds good and you can’t wait to start your international experience in Sweden, then we’re here to provide the complete guide on how to apply to your dream Master’s degree.
Swedish universities to consider for your studies
Some of the universities you should consider for your international studying experience are:
- Linnaeus University
- Lund University
- Jönköping University
- Stockholm School of Economics
- Uppsala University
Where to apply for a Swedish Master’s degree?
The UniversityAdmission.se website will be your definitive guide through the application process. You can apply to all accredited universities in Sweden, but never forget to check your eligibility and the required documents — they can either make or break your dream of studying abroad.
You can either go on the official page of your Master’s programme, or you can find the Swedish course that suits you directly on the homepage.
Language requirements for a Swedish university application
English is a must-have in Sweden since most Master’s programmes are taught in it. Usually, the degrees will ask for the equivalent of English 6/English B course, but this may vary, so you should definitely check your programme for details.
You won’t necessarily need an English test. There are two more language requirements you could meet, that will consider your proficiency sufficient. These are:
- English-taught high school studies
- English-taught university studies
Required application documents
General Application Documents
The general application requirement consists of a Kandidatexamen, known as a Swedish Bachelor’s degree, from an internationally recognized university.
Specific entry requirements
The specific entry requirements can consist of two sets of documents:
- English test
- Custom requirements from each Master’s programme
The English certificate should be from an internationally recognised test, and you need to meet the minimum required grade. The following are the most popular English language tests:
- PTE Academic
- IELTS Academic
- TOEFL iBT
- Duolingo
- C1 Advanced (formerly known as Cambridge English Advanced)
The custom requirements can be found on the page of your favourite Master’s degree, so don’t forget to get the proper documentation and do your research before the deadline. However, some of the usual required documents are:
- Identification document (ID)
- Record of completed upper secondary (high school) education (translated into English)
- University records (translated into English)
- Signed cover letter (only when submitting documents via regular post)
- Change of name (only if you legally changed your name)
University application deadlines for Sweden
Sweden is one of the countries that offer two admissions rounds: one in autumn and one in spring.
The first round of admissions, autumn, has a number of key dates. These are:
- mid-October: Online service opens
- mid-January: Admission application deadline
- February: Fee receipt or proof you don’t need to pay deadline
- February: Receipt for supporting documentation deadline
- March: First notification of selection
- April: Last date to respond to the study offer
- April: Second notification of selection
- September: Autumn semester starts
For the second round of admissions, in spring, the dates are as follows:
- beginning of June: Online service opens
- mid-August: Admission application deadline
- beginning of September: Fee receipt or proof you don’t need to pay deadline
- beginning of September: Receipt for supporting documentation deadline
- mid-October: First notification of selection
- end of October: Last date to respond to the offer
- November: Second notification of selection
- January: Spring semester starts
Final steps after receiving your acceptance letter
After receiving the confirmation, you should first celebrate, and second: apply for a study permit.
Checking the Swedish Migration Agency for a study permit, you will see that you should complete their application and visit the embassy or the consulate-general. Although a positive response isn’t guaranteed, the better the application, the more chances you will have to be accepted.
The study permit is a requirement, seeing how it will give you the opportunity to remain in Sweden for the duration of your studies. If you don’t apply, they will have grounds to “escort you out” after only three months.
If you're not from the EU/EEA, you should read about the requirements for a Swedish Visa.
Now that you have all this information at your fingertips, all you need to do to study in Sweden is to find the ideal degree and let your dreams of studying abroad come true.