Swedish study system - the basics https://www.umu.

se/en/education/study-system/

If you study full-time you are supposed to spend around 40 hours a week on your studies, for
example lectures, group work and individual studies. Full-time studies during one term equals
30 credits if you pass all courses.

Half-time means you should spend approximately 20 hours a week on your studies. It takes
twice as long to complete a course at half-time study pace as it takes to complete the same
course at a full-time basis. Half-time studies gives you 15 credits per term if you pass all cour-
ses.

Part-time studies at 25 % study pace means you should spend 10 hours a week on your studies.
One term of part-time studies at 25 % study pace gives you 7,5 credits if you pass all courses.

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In Sweden, the credit system is used to measure academic achievement. Sweden follows the
ECTS system. After the successful completion of full-time study (having passed the examina-
tions), the student will have achieved 30 credit points (högskolepoäng), which is equivalent to
30 ECTS or 15 US credits. Degree programme students are automatically enrolled for full-time
studies of 30 ECTS per term.

In the Swedish system the students usually only take one course at a time. Students select cour-
ses so that they make up a full term study - see the example below.

The important thing to remember is to choose courses that are given at different times during
the term so that you do not end up with four courses that all start in the middle of October. See
the model below.

Important! International students must be admitted to full-time studies, or at least 30 ECTS

per term, in order to obtain a residence permit for studies in Sweden by the Swedish Migration
Agency (Migrationsverket).

Students in degree programmes do not need to be concerned with the credit system, as each
programme includes 30 ECTS per term.

In the Swedish study system we have a 3-level grading scale (with a few exceptions at some de-
partments) comprising:

"VG" = Pass with distinction

"G" = Pass
"U" = Fail

No overall grade is given for a degree.

If you are an exchange student and will transfer have your credits transferred, your home uni-
versity is responsible for any translation of Swedish grades into your home country's specific
grading system. It may be helpful if you present the course work and exams you complete at
Umeå University to your home university when you return.

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To support the translation of grades, the ECTS grading table is used at Umeå University. The
grading table shows the distribution of awarded grades since the course was established with
the current course code, until the date when you have completed your course. It will not show
for courses established less than two years before the date you completed the course.

The academic year in Swedish universities is divided into two terms (or semesters): autumn
and spring.

Autumn: End of August/Beginning of September to the middle of January.

Spring: Middle of January to the beginning of June.

There are breaks for Christmas and Easter. Please note that academic term dates may vary be-
tween different departments.

The exception to the two-term system are summer courses, which offers a selected number of
courses with English language instruction that are given from June through to August.
Academic calendar

The teaching methods are based on the student's responsibility and individual performance.
Students are expected not only to remember the facts from a lecture, but also to summarise,
evaluate and analyse them in order to draw their own conclusions. Examinations seldom re-
quire that students reproduce exactly the material presented during the lectures.

Exams are not given at the end of the term, but rather at the end of each course, as explained
above. The exam can be in the form of a written test or you may be asked to hand in an assign-
ment, participate in a seminar, or do a "home exam". When taking a Home Exam you are given
a number of days to answer a set of questions. You may use your books, but the questions gen-
erally require you to have your own opinions and are more essay-like in character.

The academic lifestyle of Umeå University is relaxed and friendly. The dress code is informal
and the staff/student relationship is non-authoritarian and democratic.

The teacher/professor is addressed by his or her given name and questions and debate are en-
couraged in the classroom. Another aspect of this democratic attitude is the emphasis that is

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placed on the students being independent in their work and taking responsibility for the quality
of their learning.

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