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Entry requirements for Sustainable Urban Planning and Design

To be eligible for the master's programme in Sustainable Urban Planning and Design, 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

Academic qualifications from an internationally recognised university equivalent to a Swedish bachelor's degree.

You can meet the requirement if you are in the final year of your bachelor's studies. Students at universities abroad must submit documents according to the instructions from University Admissions . Students at Swedish universities must have completed 150 credits in their programme by 3 February per the instructions from KTH .

English proficiency

English proficiency equivalent to the Swedish upper secondary course English 6.

You can meet the requirement with an English test, for example an overall IELTS score of 6.5 or a TOEFL score of 90. Depending on your country of previuous studies you could also meet the requirement through completed upper secondary or university studies. Visit University Admissions  to see all recognised English tests and what applies to your country of previous studies.

Specific requirements for Sustainable Urban Planning and Design

A Bachelor’s degree, corresponding to at least 180 ECTS credits, in architecture or landscape architecture, physical planning, civil engineering in the built environment, energy and environment or equivalent, urban and regional planning, social or natural sciences relevant to the scope of the programme.

Previous studies must include at least 30 ECTS in the field of urban design, urban, transport or regional planning, national/regional economy or environmental sciences.

Admission to the programme does not guarantee that all students are eligible to register for all courses within the programme. Some of the courses have specific prerequisites which either relate to other courses within the master's programme or to the student's previous studies. However, all students are offered different combinations of courses whithin the programme that correspond to full-time studies in each semester.

Application documents

You need to submit all of the following documents according to the instructions from University Admissions .

General document

Degree certificates

Official certificates of your completed degrees. The documentation requirements vary between countries. Visit University Admissions  to see what applies to your country.

General document

Transcript

Official transcript of courses and grades completed in your degree. Students from Swedish universities that use Ladok do not need to submit degree certificates or transcripts. 

General document

Proof of English proficiency

What proof you need depends on whether you meet the requirement through a test or previous studies. Visit University Admissions  to see what applies to you.

General document

Identification

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

Programme document

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.

Programme document

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.

programme document

Portfolio

Portfolio (for students with a degree in architecture, landscape architecture and physical planning). The portfolio should contain three to five projects showing design processes from research/ fieldwork/ analysis to conclusion; an interest in sustainability questions; an engagement with architecture + urbanism; personality, curiosity, motivation; design- and representation skills. The student should certify that the portfolio only contains own work or contributions to group work.

Upload your portfolio to KTH by Sharepoint . To make the evaluation as objective as possible, please write your application number on the front page and in the file name, but do not include your name or photographs of yourself in the portfolio.

Selection criteria 

The selection process is based on study results (grades and relevant subjects), motivation for studies and any professional experience or experience from other activities alongside the studies.

Prior education is evaluated based on the quality and suitability of the subjects that are relevant for the programme applied to. Prior education is evaluated based on the Swedish Higher Education Authority´s standards for Swedish higher education institutions. For international higher education institutions, university rankings are used. The merit rating is carried out on a scale of 1-75.

Acceptance rate

The acceptance rate for the master's programme in Sustainable Urban Planning and Design for 2024 was 25 %. We admitted 143 students out of the 566 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 .