Entry requirements for Uppsala University Master’s programmes

General entry requirement - Bachelor's degree

To meet the general entry requirements for Master’s level studies at Uppsala University, you must hold a Bachelor’s degree equivalent to a Swedish Kandidatexamen (180 ECTS credits) from an internationally recognised university.

Students in their final year of Bachelor’s studies

If you have not yet been awarded your Bachelor’s degree but are in your final year, you may be conditionally admitted to a Master’s programme.
When applying, you must submit:

• an official transcript of records, and
• a document confirming that you are expected to receive your degree before the start of the Master’s programme.

These documents must be issued and certified by the Academic Registrar’s Office, Examinations Office, or an equivalent department at your university. Certifications from other staff, such as faculty members or college staff, are not accepted.

Conditionally admitted students must present their Bachelor’s degree certificate before the start of their Master’s studies in order to be registered for courses.

Registration of your Bachelor’s studies

Once University Admissions has assessed your supporting documents, your Bachelor’s degree will be registered in your account at UniversityAdmissions.se as equivalent to a Swedish Kandidatexamen (180 ECTS credits).

Regardless of how many degrees you submit to meet the general entry requirements, these will together be registered as 180 ECTS credits, even if your studies were longer. This standardisation allows for fair and consistent evaluation of qualifications from different education systems.

Credit ranking and additional studies

Some Master’s programmes at Uppsala University use credit ranking as part of their selection process.

In general, if you meet the entry requirements, your academic background will be registered as 180 ECTS credits, which corresponds to a Swedish Bachelor’s degree.

If your previous studies were already graded using the ECTS system, your ranking will instead reflect the actual number of ECTS credits you have completed. In some cases, any additional ECTS credits earned from other recognised studies may also be added to your total.

Please note that previous Master’s or PhD degrees are normally not included in this general credit registration, although they may still be considered when assessing programme-specific entry requirements.

English language proficiency requirements for Master’s studies

To be eligible for Master’s level programmes and courses at Uppsala University, you must demonstrate sufficient English language proficiency.

For most programmes, the requirement is equivalent to the Swedish upper secondary course English 6. This requirement is usually met by submitting results from an internationally recognised English test, such as IELTS or TOEFL.

Meeting the English requirement through a language test

You can meet the English 6 requirement by achieving one of the following minimum test results:

• IELTS Academic: overall score of 6.5, with no section below 5.5
• TOEFL iBT: total score of 90, with at least 20 in the written test
• Cambridge English: CAE or CPE

Higher English requirement – Master’s Programme in English

Please note that the Master’s Programme in English requires a higher level of English proficiency, equivalent to the Swedish course English 7.

This higher requirement generally cannot be met by having completed a degree taught in English. It must instead be demonstrated through an approved test result (such as IELTS or TOEFL).

Applicants with a Swedish Kandidatexamen in English (as their main field of study) automatically meet this requirement.

Meeting the English requirement in other ways

In some cases, you may fulfil the English language requirement through previous high school or university studies.

For more information about alternative ways to meet the English requirement, visit the University Admissions website.

In addition to the general entry requirements, almost all Master’s programmes at Uppsala University have their own programme-specific entry requirements.

These usually include having completed a certain number of university credits in specific subjects relevant to the programme.

Check the programme-specific requirements by selecting your Master’s programme. Go to the first section on the page called "Autumn 2026" and expand the information box.

How to calculate ECTS credits?

There are two types of supporting documents required when applying for a Master’s programme at Uppsala University:

• General supporting documents, and
• Programme-specific supporting documents.

Regardless of which Master’s programme you apply for, you must submit the general supporting documents through UniversityAdmissions.se before the application deadline.

Many programmes also require programme-specific documents. These must be submitted either:

• together with your general supporting documents at UniversityAdmissions.se, or
• directly to the department at Uppsala University, depending on the instructions for the specific programme.

Read about the supporting documents you are required to submit.

When the number of eligible applicants exceeds the number of available places in a Master’s programme, a selection process is carried out.

Applicants are usually ranked based on their academic qualifications, such as previous university studies and grades. However, the method of selection can vary between programmes — for example, some programmes may also consider other criteria such as statements of purpose or relevant work experience.

For detailed information about how selection is made for a specific programme, please check the programme page of the Master's programme you are applying to. Go to the first section on the page called "Autumn 2026" and expand the information box.