Application guide

Plan your exchange in advance and make sure your application contains what is required. Here you will find instructions and procedures for applying for exchange studies.

How to apply

When can I go?

The possibility for exchange studies is often determined by your programme. At the time of application you should have studied at least one full-time semester at Uppsala University. At the time of departure you should have completed at least one academic year of full-time studies.

Credit transfer

The ground rule for exchange studies is that you must transfer credit towards your planned degree, even if there is some flexibility in this. The degree requirements of the program determine what course credits you can transfer. You will find the exam requirements in your programme syllabus.

Study in English

If you want to study the study language to be english during an exhange in a non-english-speaking country, you are usually bound to study courses at Master's level. In this case, previous studies corresponding to a Bachelor's degree are usually required.

Figure out to which country and university you want to make your exchange at. Find out which courses you would like to study during the exchange. Plan course proposals for full-time studies corresponding to 30 ECTS.

Depending on what you want to study and where you want to go there might be different available opportunities. Familiarize yourself with the range of exchange agreements in technology and natural sciences.

Note that different higher education institutions in the world may have specific eligibility requirements or restrictions in what you can study. Make sure that your course proposal matches the agreement you are interested in.

Questions regarding agreements

If you have questions regarding exchange agreements, please contact respective exchange coordinator

  • The regular application period for the fall and upcoming spring semesters is January 15-February 15.
  • Any remaining places for the spring term can be applied for from 15 August to 15 September.

Please note that this only applies to exchange studies via the Faculty of Science and Technology or one of its departments.

When the number of applicants who meet both the basic and specific criteria for exchange is greater than the number of available spots, a selection process is conducted.

The selection process applies to agreements through the Faculty of Science and Technology, the Department of Civil and Industrial Engineering, and the Department of Information Technology:

Students who have not previously participated in an exchange through Uppsala University are given priority over students who have previously participated in an exchange or have previously been offered an exchange spot but declined after the final response date or hold another exchange offer.

First, the spots are allocated among applicants who meet the priority conditions. Any remaining spots are allocated among the other applicants. The allocation of spots is done in selection groups as described below. If applicants within the same selection group have equal merit, the spots will be allocated by lottery.

The selection groups rank students according to the number of uncompleted ECTS credits within the current program's study plan. Fewer outstanding credits are prioritized. Students are divided into selection groups according to the following criteria:

  • Selection Group 1: 0-5 uncompleted ECTS credits within the current programme.
  • Selection Group 2: 6-10 uncompleted ECTS credits within the current programme.
  • Selection Group 3: 11-20 uncompleted ECTS credits within the current programme.
  • Selection Group 4: ≥21 uncompleted ECTS credits within the current programme.

Selection Group 1 is prioritized over Group 2, and so on. Within each selection group, applicants are ranked based on merit. If applicants have equal merit, the spot will be allocated by lottery. Spots are first allocated to students in Selection Group 1, then to Selection Group 2, etc.

For more questions about the selection process for other exchange agreements, please refer to the respective exchange coordinator.

Uncompleted Credits

Uncompleted credits refer only to courses where results have been reported. Ongoing courses that have not yet been completed are not included. No consideration is given to results from re-exams that have not yet been reported; these are considered uncompleted credits.

A student who has uncompleted courses (for example, if they attempted to take extra courses but has passed the courses within their programmes study plan and pace) is not considered to have uncompleted credits when being placed in selection groups.

Merit Value

The merit value is the sum of the average grade and the additional merit points.

Average Grade

The average grade is calculated from all courses at Uppsala University with a grading scale of U, 3, 4, 5 that have been reported as completed in Ladok by the final application date for exchanges. The grades are weighted by the course credits before calculating a geometric average to one decimal place.

Additional Merit Points

Additional merit points are awarded for certain engagements during the study period, as follows:

  • 0.2 points for a student who has served as an official in a student nation or student union.
  • 0.1 points for a student who has participated in reception activities for international students.

The additional merit value can be up to a maximum of 0.3 points, and the engagements must be verified with a certificate from the student union or nation.

Questions regarding selection

If you have questions regarding the selection procedure please contact your faculty or department coordinator.

  • If you are nominated for exchange, you will recieve information on how to apply to the host university according to their instructions and deadline.
  • The host university generally accepts the nominations made by Uppsala University but assesses the student's eligibility for the selected courses.
  • If you are nominated, you will receive information on how to apply to the recipient university.

When you have been on an exchange via the Faculty of Science and Technology or one of its departments, you shall fill in an exchange report in Moveon. We expect you to participate in information meetings for new students and can share your experiences.

Application

You can apply for up to four exchanges in the same application. These can be both faculty and departmental agreements. Your application is submitted by filling in the application form in Moveon during the application period. Here you also see which agreements are open for application.

The application must contain:

  • Academic purpose statement - for your first choice.
  • Course suggestions- for all your electives, planned for full-time study
  • Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  • Result certificate
  • Registration certificate
  • Possible certificate of specific merit points.

Make sure you meet the requirements for all the agreements you apply to.

Questions regarding application

If you have questions regarding your application or specific questions about the institution you wish to exchange with, you can contact the coordinator responsible for the agreement. You can find contact details in the contact box at the bottom of the page.

For each exchange a student applies for, certain specific criteria must be met, which are defined based on the specific agreement. These requirements pertain to the subject matter of the selected courses in relation to the agreement, the student’s academic background, level of study, and language skills. Other requirements formulated by the partner university or related frameworks may also apply.

A student who has chosen courses not covered by the agreement or has chosen courses within the agreement for which they are clearly ineligible is considered not to meet the specific conditions in both cases, and the student cannot be offered a place under the sought agreement.

Due to increased use of AI in previous application rounds, the format of the Academic Purpose Statement has changed. In your application, you should answer three questions related to your exchange studies, and you write the answers directly in the application form.

It is important that you carefully consider the questions as it will help you be more prepared for your exchange, and we can see that you have carefully thought about how exchange studies will impact both you and your studies. You write the answers to the questions in English. The questions are:

  1. What are your expectations of the courses you selected?
  2. How does the exchange fit in with your education, both when it comes to content and timing?
  3. What do you hope to get out of the exchange, both from an academic and a personal perspective?

Your answers are required to be considered eligible for exchange but will not affect any potential selection process.

For each university you apply to, you need to enter a course proposal corresponding to full-time studies for one semester. Your course proposal is a request for courses and can therefore be changed. Your course suggesion shall include the following information:

  • Course name and course code
  • Amount of ECTS or equivalent
  • Link to course outline

Exactly when you make your final course choice depends on which university you go to. At some universities, your choice of course is determined before you go, others apply a first-come, first-served system at the beginning of the semester. It is also the partner university that decides whether you are authorized to read a course.

Some partner universities have course catalogs, others lack catalogs and you therefore have to search for courses by finding the degree programs and looking at the program structure. In many cases, there may also be a lack of a current course catalog for the particular semester you are applying for your exchange, then start from the most recently published course catalog.

Sometimes courses require specific prior knowledge. Look up the course listed as a prerequisite and make your own assessment as to whether or not you have read the requested content.

Note that the courses you apply for must be in accordance with the exchange agreement.

Good to know

  • If you are going on an exchange within the ERASMUS program, you need to apply for the scholarship according to instructions that are sent out automatically.
  • All students who go on an exchange are insured via the Chamber of Deputies' insurance Student-OUT.
  • Visas and residence permits in the recipient country are the student's own responsibility to check.

Questions and contact

International coordinators at the Faculty of Science and Technology

International coordinators at departments

Contact

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