Syllabus content

Here is a description of what belongs under the different headings of the syllabus. Information that is mandatory in the syllabus is marked with an asterisk (*).

The course syllabus must always be available in Swedish. If the course is to be given in English, it must also be translated into English. Even for a course to be given in Swedish, the syllabus can be translated into English.

Name*

A course must always have both a Swedish and an English name, regardless of the language in which the course is given. The name of the course should be comprehensible without knowledge of the subject area or department to which the course belongs. Information on credits, level of education, type of study, etc. should not form part of the name.

Number of credits*

In line with the Vice-Chancellor’s decision, Bestämmelser avseende examina på grundnivå och avancerad nivå, (UFV 2007/212), the smallest scope of a course is 5 credits. If there are special grounds, the Vice-Chancellor can, at the proposal of the disciplinary domain or faculty board, approve an exemption from this rule.

Code*

Each course should have a unique code. If major changes are made to the course, the course should be given a new course code. This always applies to changes to the name, education cycle, scope of credits and when changing or removing a main field of study or in-depth level.

Education cycle*

This specifies whether the course is at the first cycle (Bachelor’s level) or second cycle (Master’s level). A course can only belong to one level of education. The document Mål uttryckta som förväntade studieresultat – en vägledning Pdf, 167 kB. (Targets expressed as intended learning outcomes – a guidance document) (UFV 2005/2130) describes the principles for determining the level of a course.

Main field(s) of study and in-depth level

A course may belong to one or more main fields of study. Each faculty has a number of main fields of study for Bachelor’s and Master’s (60 or 120 credits) degrees. In addition, a few of these main fields of study are produced exclusively for a higher education diploma.

For each main field of study, the in-depth level should be specified in the form of a code. In addition to the placement of the course within the main field of study, this information shows its in-depth level in relation to the degree requirements for general qualifications.

The following codes are used for in-depth levels:

Courses that cannot be classified as above can use the codes GXX (Bachelor’s level) and AXX (Master’s level). These should not be used for courses belonging to a main field of study.

The in-depth level may also be specified for a course that does not belong to any particular main field of study. In that case, the information refers to the progression in relation to other courses within a vocational programme or a minor field of study.

If the course is to belong to one of the particular minor (subsidiary) fields of study created for a Bachelor’s degree, this can be stated under the heading General provisions.

Grading system*

This specifies the grading levels to be used during the course. Only one grading scale can be used for a course. The following grading scales are used at Uppsala University:

The Vice-Chancellor’s decision Grading scales for first- and second-cycle education (UFV 2018/1961) specifies that each faculty decides which of the grading scales below will be used in that faculty. There is a guidance document to help with selecting a grading scale for individual courses.

Information on decisions and validity*

The syllabus should state the date on which it was approved and which disciplinary domain or faculty board – or, if the decision was delegated, which other body – took the decision to approve it.

It should also be stated from which semester the syllabus or its amendment is to apply.

Entry requirements*

The requirements for prior knowledge and other conditions in excess of general entry requirements that apply for admission to the course (specific entry requirements) are stated here. According to Chapter 7, Sections 8, 25 and 31 of the Higher Education Ordinance, the stated specific entry requirements must be essential for a student to be able to assimilate the course.

The admission requirements should be chosen and formulated with care so that only those students who have the prerequisites to pass the course will be eligible for admission. At the same time, overly narrow wording must not be used that risks making students who actually have the prerequisites to pass the course ineligible. If possible, the requirements should be worded in a way that is not purely based on the range of programmes offered at Uppsala University.

How the entry requirements are formulated depends on the level of education and the students at which the course is aimed.

Responsible department*

The department responsible for the course is stated here.

General provisions

No information is usually stated here. In certain cases, it can be stated whether the course forms part of an educational programme or if it is aimed at a special target group. If the course is to belong to a subsidiary field of study in the Bachelor’s degree, this can be specified here. Information about the approval date, decision-making body and date of validity should not be repeated under this heading.

Learning outcomes*

This section must specify the course goals, formulated as intended learning outcomes. Intended learning outcomes describe the examinable core of what a student should master/understand, relate to and be capable of performing after completing the course. The intended learning outcomes must form the basis of assessment, examination and grading criteria and state the minimum requirements for achieving a passing grade. In accordance with the Vice-Chancellor’s decision, the outcomes should be formulated in a way that:

• specifies the minimum expertise, skills and knowledge the student should have acquired at the end of the course or programme
• renders the outcomes comprehensible for students, teachers and other stakeholders, for example employers
• enables them to form a basis for planning courses and programmes
• enables them to form a basis for planning examination
• enables them to form a basis for follow-up and quality assurance.

See the document Mål uttryckta som förväntade studieresultat – en vägledning Pdf, 167 kB. (Targets expressed as intended learning outcomes – a guidance document) (UFV 2005/2130) for more information.

If the course is divided into different parts, the outcomes can also be divided up accordingly.

Content*

This section outlines the main subject content of the course. The content should be directly related to the aims (the intended learning outcomes).

If the course is divided into modules (credit-bearing components), this should be specified under this heading. In this case, the content of the various modules should be stated.

Instruction*

This section describes the structure and forms of teaching on the course. Examples of forms of teaching include lectures, group work, seminars, supervision and laboratory sessions. If the course is to be offered in various ways (e.g. both on campus and remotely), the teaching for each different method should be described.

When choosing forms of teaching for the course, the University’s teaching and learning programme (UFV 2015/826) can provide guidance.

For courses that contain degree projects or other major projects, the syllabus should state how much supervision time the student is entitled to and whether there are restrictions on how long the student is entitled to supervision. If degree projects can be carried out in pairs or groups, this should also be specified.

The rate of study or period of study for the course does not need to be stated in the syllabus as this is something that can vary year-by-year.

Assessment

This section outlines the various forms of assessment of students’ performance (written exam, oral exam, essay, laboratory work, etc.) The University’s teaching and learning programme (UFV 2015/826) prescribes that varying modes of assessment are to be chosen depending on the knowledge, skills and competences specified in the intended learning outcomes. It should be stated here whether there are other compulsory activities (e.g. field trips).

If, for example, written assignments are to adhere to a certain scope (characters, words, pages) or be submitted within a certain period, this should be specified here.

It should also be stated whether the number of opportunities for assessment or to carry out a placement in order to achieve a passing grade is restricted. Such restrictions may only be implemented pursuant to the Vice-Chancellor’s decision (UFV 2016/327).

The syllabus should specify that the examiner can, on special grounds, decide to implement different formats for an assessment. The following wording can be used:

“If there are special grounds for doing so, an examiner may make an exception from the method of assessment indicated and allow a student to be assessed by another method. An example of special grounds might be a certificate regarding special pedagogical support from the University’s disability coordinator.”

"If there are special reasons for doing so, an examiner may make an exception from the method of assessment indicated and allow a student to be assessed by another method. An example of special reasons might be a certificate regarding special pedagogical support from the University's disability coordinator."

For more information, see Fair examination 4th edition, Rättssäker examination, 4. uppl. (Swedish Higher Education Authority).

Transitional provisions

This sets out the transitional provisions needed, for example if there are special provisions for when the course ceases to be offered or is amended.

Other directives

This sets out any other directives needed, for example if the course completely or partially overlaps with another course and therefore cannot (for its full credits) be included in the degree together with that course.