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Entry requirements for Computer Science

To be eligible for the master's programme in Computer Science, you must meet the listed admission requirements and submit the documents required in your application. We will assess your application according to the selection criteria set for the programme. The same process applies to students with a bachelor's degree from a Swedish university.

Admission requirements

Bachelor's degree

You need a bachelor's degree or comparable qualification equivalent to a Swedish bachelor's degree from an internationally recognised university. Students following longer programmes that have completed courses equivalent to a bachelor's degree are considered on a case-by-case basis.

Students in the final year of undergraduate studies may apply and, if qualified, be conditionally admitted. These applicants must include a written statement according to the instructions given by University Admissions . Students in the final year of a bachelor's programme at a Swedish university do not have to provide a written statement to, if qualified, be conditionally admitted. However, students at Swedish universities must have completed 150 ECTS credits in their programme by 1 February.

English proficiency

You need English language proficiency equivalent to the Swedish upper secondary course English 6. You can meet the requirement by achieving the minimum required score in the following internationally recognised English tests:

  • IELTS Academic or IELTS UKVI Online: Overall score of 6.5, no section lower than 5.5
  • TOEFL iBT, TOEFL iBT Home Edition or TOEFL iBT Paper Edition: Score of 20 (scale 0-30) in written test, total score of 90. We do not accept TOEFL ITP, TOEFL iBT MyBest, Institutional TOEFL, TOEFL Essentials, or the revised TOEFL Paper-delivered Test.
  • Cambridge Michigan Language Assessments: University of Michigan, Examination for the Certificate of Proficiency in English (ECPE)
  • Pearson PTE Academic or PTE Academic Online: Score of 62 (writing 61)
  • Cambridge ESOL: C1 Advanced (CAE), minimum overall score 180 (points awarded since 2015), or Cambridge English certificate level C1, minimum score 180, or Cambridge English: Advanced

Completed upper secondary and university studies in some countries can also fulfil the requirement. Detailed information on how you can meet the language requirement is provided by University Admissions .

​Specific requirements for Computer Science

A bachelor’s degree corresponding to 180 ECTS credits, or equivalent, including courses in:

  • Mathematics: four different subjects with a total of 28.5 ECTS credits. These subjects must include a course in Calculus in one variable, a course in Linear Algebra, a course in Probability Theory and Statistics, and a course in Discrete Mathematics.
  • Computer technology/Computer science and engineering/Computer science/Information technology: three different subjects with a total of 22.5 ECTS credits. These subjects must include a course in Object Oriented Programming, a course in Algorithms and Data Structures and an in-depth course in Algorithmic Complexity.

Within the programme track, there may be courses with additional requirements for special qualifications. The requirements are stated under the heading "Special eligibility" in the syllabus. Examples include the following:

• Multivariable analysis is a special eligibility requirement for compulsory courses within the tracks Data analysis and Cognitive systems.

• Human-computer interaction is a special entry requirement for compulsory courses within the Interaction Design track.

• Additional prerequisites may exist for some conditionally elective or recommended courses within the tracks.

Application documents

Your application is not complete without the required documents. Some documents are required for all programmes, while some are programme specific. Only submit documents requested below. For example, if a summary sheet is not requested below, you should not submit one. Unless otherwise is specified, all documents should be uploaded to your application at University Admissions and not sent to KTH. We may verify your documents' authenticity with the issuing institution. Applications made with fraudulent documents will be rejected, and legal action may be taken. Incomplete applications are not processed.

General documents for all programmes

1. Certificates and diplomas of your completed degree(s)

Certificates and diplomas must be officially issued by the Academic Registrar's Office, the Examinations Office, or the equivalent office that issues official transcripts of records at your university. The documentation requirements differ between countries; find out what is required for your country at University Admissions .

Applicants who already study at a Swedish university that use Ladok do not need to submit certificates and transcripts. Just make sure the same personal identity number is used in Ladok at the university and your application at University Admissions.

2. Transcript of completed courses and grades included in your degree

Transcript of completed courses and grades included in your degree must be officially issued as per the certificates and diplomas. If you have had courses credited and/or transferred from previous studies, you must also submit official transcripts for those.

3. Proof of English proficiency

Proof of English proficiency required depends on your country of study and if you meet the English requirements through a test or previous studies. Most English test scores must be verifiable online. Find out what proof you need at University Admissions .

4. Identification

A copy of passport with personal data and photograph, or other identification document.

Specific documents for Computer Science

5. CV

KTH does not require a standard template, but the CV should clearly and concisely outline your education, work experience, computer literacy, qualifications and achievements (awards, publications, expertise knowledge and skills, etc.). It must be written in English.

6. Letter of motivation

The letter of motivation explains why you have chosen this programme at KTH, what you hope to gain from it and how your interests and skills will help you succeed in your studies. Include an autobiography with the development and relevance of your academic and professional pursuits, extra-curricular activities and related experiences. KTH does not require a standard template, but it must be in English and less than 500 words. If you apply to multiple programmes that require a letter of motivation, you should submit one for each and state which programme each letter applies to at the top of the page.

7. Letters of recommendation

The two letters of recommendations explicitly describe why you are the right choice for admission. If possible, have one referee from an academic environment and one from a professional setting. The letters must have the referees' full contact details. You must provide an English translation if the letters are in a different language. If your referee wants to submit the letter themselves they must sent it by post to University Admissions  and state your full name and application number. You, and your referee, can not submit via email. 

8. Summary sheet

Submit the summary sheet for Computer Science . If you do not submit a complete summary sheet, it will negatively affect your evaluation score. Fill out all of the required information before submitting the form. For questions regarding the summary sheet, please contact the programme coordinator  directly.

Selection criteria

The selection process is based on the following criteria: study results (grades from previous studies), motivation for the studies (awards, prizes and publications) and previous education.

Previous education is assessed on the quality that the previous education is considered to have in the subjects that are relevant to the education applied for. To assess this, UKÄ's quality review for Swedish higher education institutions is used. For foreign institutions of higher learning, university ranking is used. The merit evaluation is done on a scale of 1-75.

Acceptance rate

The acceptance rate for the master's programme in Computer Science for 2023 was 8 %. We admitted 62 students out of the 748 applicants that met the admission requirements. To increase your chances of getting admitted to KTH, we advise you to select more than one programme when applying. You can apply for up to four programmes and rank them in your order of preference.

Recognition of prior learning

Suppose you entirely or partially lack a formal requirement for a course or programme, but you believe you have the necessary knowledge to meet the requirement. In that case, you can apply for recognition of prior learning .