How to apply and entry requirements

Here we guide you through the application process, explain the entry requirements, admissions and other important things that you need to know when applying to our programmes and courses.

Step-by-step guide

Here we explain all the different steps you need to go through when applying to a course or programme. Please read the instructions carefully.

The Swedish Defence University offers four Master’s programmes and single courses with English as the language of instruction. A full list of all courses and programmes at SEDU is available via the search courses-page.

In order to be qualified for the courses and programmes you apply for, you must meet the entry requirements. The requirements are a form of quality assurance that ensures that you will be able to benefit from the education that you have applied for.

There are both general entry requirements that are the same for all programmes and courses of a certain level, and specific entry requirements that may vary between different courses and programmes. Please see the specific entry requirements to the right column on each course or programme description.

Create an account and submit your online application via the central Swedish application site universityadmissions.se and pay the application fee/document fee exemption.

Read more about the application process on universityadmissions.se.

Prospective students apply by first creating a user account on www.universityadmissions.se to which Swedish Defence University is connected. Applicants create their accounts, apply to courses and programmes and submit their supporting documents for both eligibility and selection in the portal. Please note that all documents should be uploaded under your account or if requested, sent to University Admissions Sweden. No documents should be sent to the Swedish Defence University directly.

In order to document your eligibility, you must provide University Admissions in Sweden with copies of your previous study information and document your English proficiency. It is important that you submit all the required documents with your application. All documents should be submitted to the central Swedish system universityadmissions.se.

It is important that you read the instructions on how to document your eligibility. Be sure to read about what you need to submit, and how your documents must be submitted. Provide application documents

Additional documents
Whether or not you need to submit additional documents to those stated at universityadmissions.se is decided by the individual department responsible for the course or programme. If additional documentation is needed it will be stated on the course or programme webpage.

If the number of eligible applicants exceeds the number of places available, there is a selection among the applicants. Applicants are grouped into categories and then ranked on the basis of their qualifications. The highest ranked candidates are offered a place.

The selection is based on a cumulative assessment of one or more of the following factors: number of Higher Education Credits, grades of academic courses, the quality/subject of the Bachelor's Thesis, relevant work and/or research experience, motivation letter and the relevance of previous studies in relation to the programme in question. The selection criteria for each course or programme are specified on the course or programme webpage

After the selection is processed, results are posted on Universityadmissions.se, both in the 'Applications' tab and in the pdf document Notification of Selection Results. This is the official document in which you will see whether:

You have been admitted – This means that you have been offered a place in the course or study programme.
- Information for admitted students
- Conditionally admitted applicants
Your application has been deleted – This means that you did not meet the entry requirements. The term 'Deleted' may also mean that you have been offered a place in a course or study programme you gave higher priority to in your application.
You have been placed on a waiting/reserve list – This means you have been placed on a waiting list.
- Information for students on the Waiting/reserve list

Please note that if you applied to the Second round autumn or spring semester (15 April and 15 October application deadlines), you must reply to your first Notification of Selection Results in order to keep the places you've been offered, or to be placed on the reserve/waiting list for the second selection round.

You can find more information about the Notification of selection results here

Entry requirements

It is important that you submit all the required documents with your application. Read more about the application process on universityadmissions.se.

In order to be offered a place in Bachelor's (first cycle or undergraduate) courses taught in English, you must first meet certain general and specific entry requirements. If you meet these requirements, you are eligible for our the courses in mind.

If there are more eligible candidates than there are places on the course or programme, you will compete with those applicants with merits outlined in the description of the selection criteria, shown right under each course's specific requirement information.

General entry requirements (Bachelor's level)
In order to meet the general entry requirements for bachelor's level studies, all students must:

Have successfully completed their upper secondary (high school) education (post-16)
Be able to demonstrate proficiency in English by means such as internationally recognised test, e.g. TOEFL, IELTS or the equivalent. The English requirement for studies at Bachelor's and Master's level in Sweden is the equivalent of the Swedish upper secondary course English 6/English B
For students who received their final school grades after 31 December 2009, there is an additional entry requirement for mathematics as follows:

The student must have successfully completed courses in mathematics to reach the level of the Swedish courses Mathematics 1a, 1b or 1c / Mathematics A (approximately 10 years of mathematics studies).

In order to be offered a place in Master's (second cycle or graduate) courses and programmes taught in English, you must first meet certain general and specific entry requirements.

General entry requirements (Master's level)
To meet the entry requirements for Master's level (second cycle or graduate) studies, you must:

Have been awarded a Bachelor's degree from an internationally recognised university
Be able to demonstrate proficiency in English by means such as internationally recognised test, e. g. TOEFL, IELTS or the equivalent.

In addition to general entry requirements, there may be specific entry requirements for courses or programmes at the SEDU. These specific requirements are outlined in the individual course or programme descriptions.

Find programmes and courses

If you do not yet hold the required degree when applying, but are registered for the last term of a programme leading to such a degree, you may be accepted with condition.

An official document stating that you are likely to be awarded the degree by the start of the Swedish programme must be sent in with your application.

The document must be issued through and certified by a representative of the Academic Registrar's Office, the Degree Office or equivalent of the institution. Certification from other staff members, such as faculty or college staff members, will not be accepted.

Students who are conditionally admitted, must provide us with proof of their finished Bachelor's Degree by the course start latest. This is mandatory in order to change the conditional status to fully admitted. Students who fail to prove their Bachelor's Degree will lose their place on the course or programme, unless they get an approval or deferral from the Swedish Defence University.

Conditionally admitted students can always contact our Master Coordinator for more information: masterprogramme@fhs.se

If you do not meet the entry requirements that are outlined in the individual course or programme, but think you possess equivalent knowledge, you can apply for assessment of prior learning.

Prior learning can be practical experience, work experience or previous studies that you think enables you to benefit from the course or programme that you have applied for.

Contact the Student and Education Department for more information: fus@fhs.se

How can I meet the English language requirement?

All courses and programmes at the Swedish Defence University require proof of proficiency in English equivalent to the Swedish upper secondary school course English 6.

You can demonstrate that you meet the English language requirement through certain upper secondary (high school) studies, certain university studies, or an internationally recognised English test. See how you can meet the requirement on Universityadmissions.se

Questions on admission and entry requirements

For questions regarding admission and entry requirements to our English-taught Master's Programmes, please contact masterprogramme@fhs.se

For questions regarding admission and entry requirements to our free-standing English-taught courses, please contact the Student and Education Department at antagning@fhs.se.

Admission procedure valid from autumn semester 22 including attachments in Swedish Pdf, 358.4 kB.

Costs, fees and scholarships

Individuals who are citizens of countries outside of the European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland are required to pay application and tuition fees. There are some exceptions to this general rule.

If you have applied for a course at the Swedish Defence University, which requires the payment of fees, there are several scholarships which you can apply for.

Important dates

Application dates for courses and programmes for international students applying through universityadmissions.se, not for exchange students from partner universities.

Semester dates

The academic year at the Swedish Defence University starts in late August and ends in early June. Semester dates

Sweden’s higher education system

Sweden has adopted the Bologna System which standardises qualifications across Europe. The national system of credits (HP or “högskolepoäng”) is equivalent to ECTS credits.

Information about study levels and degrees from the Swedish Council for Higher Education

For further information or questions contact:

masterprogramme@fhs.se