FAQ on exchange studies

You can apply for exchange studies during year 2 of your bachelor studies, but you can't conduct exchange studies until the earliest during year 3. You need to meet the eligibility requirements found on Requirements and selection for exchange studies .

To go on exchange studies in year 3 of your bachelor studies, you should not have more than two uncompleted courses. This requirement applies to courses finalised during study period 1 in the academic year when you submit the exchange studies application.

If you go on exchange studies in year 4 or 5 at KTH, you can not have more than three uncompleted courses. This requirement applies to courses finalised during study period 1 in the academic year when you submit the exchange studies application.

Suppose you study a master's programme at KTH and have a bachelor's degree from another university than KTH. In that case, you must have obtained at least 30 ECTS credits at KTH in the academic year you submit the application for exchange studies finalised during study period 2. 

You will find all information regarding the eligibility requirements on Requirements and selection for exchange studies .

The requirement is regardless of the sizes of the courses. I.e. it is the number of courses and not the number of credits that are referred to.

Yes, if you have courses recognised within your current programme, these will be included in the eligibility assessment.

When you should apply depends on whether you study your entire education at KTH or only study a master's programme at KTH.

If you are only studying a master's programme at KTH, you apply for exchange studies for the next academic year in February.

If you study your entire education at KTH, you apply for exchange studies for the next academic year in November.

You can find the link to the application system Mobility Online on Application for exchange studies  when the application is open.

The application for any unused places opens in September. Find more information on .

You need to read about the universities you are interested in to see if they have courses you can recognise into your programme. You need to fill in a course selection form with the courses you intend to follow during the exchange studies in the application. This should be done for each of the universities that you choose in your application.

You also need to attach a photo to the application. If you have participated in the Student Union's reception activities for international students, you should upload a certificate for the reception in the application.

We recommend that you start your application well in advance of the deadline. Once you have started your application, you can work on it until the last application date.

You have the opportunity to apply to a maximum of five different universities. You must state in which order of priority you wish to apply to each university.

Yes, if you want to go with a friend, ask the international coordinator at your school to make a manual note that you have a request for this, as it is not possible to do this in the Mobility Online application system.

Please note that the lowest GPA of the two applicants will be the one used at the allocation of places. If there are not enough places at a specific university, none of you will get a place there.

KTH usually sends out a notice of allocated places in early February, if you study your entire education at KTH and have applied in November, and in March if you only study a master's programme and have applied in February.

Make the course selection for the programme or track you are likely to select. However, we recommend that you check that courses are also relevant to your alternative programmes and tracks.

Possibly. Not all destinations offer courses that are relevant to all master's programmes or specific tracks.

The main source of information about courses is the universities' websites, which you can find on each university's page on the KTH website . Other sources of information may be written travel reports and recommendations from students who have previously studied at that university.

If you still have problems finding information, do not hesitate to ask a KTH student who has previously studied abroad. More details on Ask a student about studies abroad .

If you do not find courses for the coming year, it is more likely that the current or previous year's information is the available source of information. If you do not find a list of courses, check if there is a relevant programme and what courses are offered within that programme.

If you do not find any programmes or study areas relevant to you, don't hesitate to contact your international coordinator .

If you cannot find enough courses that can be recognised within your education, you run the risk of not taking your degree in time. It is then best to consider other alternatives and not make an application to that university. There are always alternatives at other different destinations and universities.

You should list courses that correspond to full-time studies. What corresponds to full-time studies is stated on each university's page on kth.se .

Yes. You must check your options for all alternatives you are looking for.

Yes. List the courses you want to study, and indicate that they are optional courses. For example, a course may not be recognised as an optional course if it overlaps with another course already taken in your study programme. It may also be the case that the courses you have listed are not possible to study at that university.

Your international coordinator can give you more information during the application process.

If you are applying for different semesters, you should at least see if your second option can work. The semester dates may differ from KTH's, or few courses may be offered in your subject area during the second semester. Having a second option that works is a way to avoid getting a place that turns out not to work when making a definitive study plan.

Carefully read the programme syllabus for your programme. The idea is that you should find equivalents to your compulsory courses the semester you are on exchange studies. After your nomination, you will submit a preliminary study plan for recognition of your exchange studies. The programme director then evaluates your proposal and makes an assessment of what can be recognised.

Find the programme syllabus for your programme on Courses part of programme .

Maybe. At some universities, you can do the corresponding degree project, but you must check if it is possible before making an application. Often you must also have found a supervisor before you go.

It is possible to do a degree project abroad. You can read more about how to proceed on Degree project abroad .

Usually not, but the course selection form is used to check that there is a reasonable possibility that the exchange universities you have chosen can work for you. You will make a study plan after you have been nominated. However, this form is important for making a better application and being ready for the next step.

Your international coordinator will only guide you through finding courses. The coordinator will not find the courses for you. It is your responsibility to find relevant courses at the universities you want to study.

No, not at this stage. The course selection form is a way for yourself and your international coordinator to see that your choices of exchange university can work.

Contact your international coordinator  if you still have questions.

European Student Identifier (ESI)

ESI is a unique attribute used in the administration of European student exchanges, for example, within the Erasmus+ program, to facilitate the correct transfer of personal data and study results between the institutions involved.

You can find your ESI in Mobility Online. Log in to Mobility Online and go to your application.

You will find your ESI under "Complete Personal Data". See the image below.

The semester before you go, you will have to make a study plan that clarifies which courses you plan to follow during the exchange period and how they will be recognised within the programme you study at KTH. The programme director will review this study plan, and give you feedback on whether the courses are suitable for your programme and whether they can correspond to full-time studies.

In this way, the programme director can provide you with a notice in advance regarding whether you can credit the courses within your programme. You can read more about the studyplanning on Study plan on kth.se .

If you do not take all credits (equivalent to 30 ECTS credits per semester) during the exchange period, you risk to extending your study time at KTH. You risk being liable to repay the study finance from CSN.

If you are a fee paying student, please find information on FAQ tuition fees .

After the exchange studies, you need to apply for a credit transfer; it does not happen automatically. Find the form for credit transfer and instructions on Coming back to KTH .

Usually not. You are at risk of extending your study time at KTH if you cannot take all credits (equivalent to 30 ECTS credits per semester) during the exchange period or if you were to take courses that cannot be recognised within your programme. You will need to make up for the course or courses you missed afterwards.

What applies to changing courses looks different at different universities. It is usually possible to change course at the beginning of a semester.

It is important to keep in mind that if you change a course during the exchange, you need to inform both your programme director and the international coordinator about this so the course you change to can be recognised into your programme at KTH.

Exchange studies means that you are expected to study full-time at the host university.

Students who are awarded an exchange place within the EU can apply for an Erasmus+ scholarship. The scholarship is calculated per day and given for the study time at the host university. It is also given for the time you need to be at the host university before starting studies if this is mandatory, for example, intensive courses and introduction.

Some of KTH's schools offer students who are to study outside Europe to apply for a travel scholarship and/or language course grant.

More on funding and scholarships available on Funding for exchange studies .

During the exchange studies, you can keep study finance from the Swedish Board of Student Finance, CSN with the same amount of grants as for studies in Sweden. It may also be possible to apply for additional loans. Find more information on CSN's website csn.se .

Nomination points, which you can find on each exchange university's KTH webpage , is the average grade for the student who received the last place at a host university.

Some universities require language tests. For example, exchange students may, in some cases, need to write a Test of English as a Foreign Language, TOEFL. If a language test is required, it is stated on the respective exchange university's KTH webpage.

You need to inform yourself even before you specify the specific university in your university choices if a result from Test of English as a Foreign Language, TOEFL, (or other tests) is required, as both booking time and results often take a long time to get.

You must submit the results together with other requested documents before the last application date at the host university for which you have been offered a place.

The first thing you should do before any exchange studies is:

• to find the courses you want to follow at a university to be able to make a study plan
• you will need to apply to the university you have been nominated for
• you need to review what to do with your regular student finance and whether you can apply for a scholarship
• you need to check if and how to apply for a visa
• you need to check how it works with housing, insurance, etc.

You can read more on Preparations for nominated exchange students on kth.se .