Time table and deadlines

Note! The Swedish Agency for Higher Education Services has launched a new website for students who want to apply for higher education studies in Sweden, www.universityadmissions.se.

The application process will already start in October 17, 2011, for master programmes given autumn 2012, check here. The deadline for the application process will still be in January, more precisely January 16, 2012. The application procedure will thus be similar to previous years but conducted via www.universityadmissions.se.

Follow the general instructions presented on the web pages, overview and Master documentation page. Fill in the application form on-line, submit your application and print out the cover sheet. Do not forget to prioritize the programmes you apply for before submitting your application! Sign the cover sheet, attach all required documentation according to the general requirements as well as the specific requirements stated below and send it in by post to the address given on the cover sheet (and on the web pages). The application will not be valid unless all the required documents have reached the National Admissions Office before February 1. Note that it is your own responsibility to send the documents in time, so as to allow enough time for the documents to arrive before February 1, 2012.

Note! Deadline April 15, 2012! For Swedish and Nordic students as well as EU/EEA citizens and international students with a permanent residence permit valid for Sweden, application deadline to master programmes is April 15. These applications are also handled by the Swedish Agency for Higher Education Services but only through their pages in Swedish at the website www.antagning.se. Note! EU/EEA citizens! It is prefered (recommended) that you apply already for the January 16 deadline, since the handling of your application in that case is simplified and moreover conducted via the English pages, i.e. www.universityadmissions.se.

General entrance requirements

There are basically two alternatives for how to fulfil the general requirements with regard to academic studies. In both cases the university has to be listed in the latest edition of the International Handbook of Universities.

1) You already hold a University Degree

You hold a Bachelor's degree (equivalent to a Swedish “Kandidatexamen” 180 credits, i.e. approximately equivalent to a bachelor’s degree at a British University) from an internationally recognised University.

2) Conditional Admission

If you have not completed all of the requirements for your degree on the last application date, January 16, you must submit 1) documentation of your studies confirming that you have fulfilled at least 75% of your degree requirements, 2) a document confirming registration and what you are studying in your last semester plus 3) a certificate from the issuing University (signed by Director of studies or equivalent) stating exactly when the final degree will be issued. Note again that all supporting documentation needs to be posted well in time so as to safely arrive before February 1.

If you are an EU/EEA citizen or a citizen outside EU/EEA, with a conditional admission notification, you must be able to present the final degree when registering for the programme - at the programme start in late August.

If you have obtained a conditional admission and you are a citizen outside EU/EEA, and thus require a study visa to enter Sweden, you should start applying for a visa immediately after receiving the conditional admission notification which is issued as a pdf via your personal pages at Universityadmissions.se. in the middle of March. More information can be found at the Swedish Migration Board ("Migrationsverket"). Then click Studying in Sweden > University & College in the left side menu. All admitted students will also get further e-mail information directly from us as soon as the admission process is finished.

Documents required

The application is done on-line via the direct link above. After you have filled in the on-line application form you must also print it out, sign the application, attach all required documentation and send it in by post to the address stated on the cover sheet. The application will not be valid until all the required documents have reached the National Admission Office before February 1. The documentation required is:

• Signed cover sheet.
• Certificates and diplomas from previous university education according to either of the two alternatives above.
• Transcripts of records including course lists (sorted in reverse chronological order) as well as a registration record for the courses remaining during the last semester, if you are aiming for conditional admission.
• Proof of English skills (see further below).
• The above documentation, provided in a form described here, should clearly show that you satisfy the specific requirements of the programme chosen. See the specific requirements for Applied Biotechnology here, for Bioinformatics here, for Biology here and for Molecular Biotechnology here. Please be sure to study the admission requirements, the programme curricula, etc. in detail before applying for a specific programme! To access summaries and overviews about all of the programmes, go to this page!
• A copy of your passport or some other document of identification.
• CV (curriculum vitae) or resumé, including educational background, work experience and any other relevant information about languages or other skills.
• Statement of Intent (approx. 1 page) explaining why you wish to study at the programme. This statement plays an important part in the evaluation of applicants. It can highlight important experiences mentioned above, and/or include other thoughts and goals not mentioned elsewhere in the application. The key is to be specific about your own personal experiences, your background, your values and goals.
• We do not strictly require letters of recommendation. However, if you wish to enclose such letters we will of course consider them in the process of evaluating your educational achievements.
• A 1-2 pages written summary of your Bachelor´s degree project (if you already hold a degree).

Sort all documents according to the rules given here - i.e. the same order as given in the above list.

Furthermore, all documents, copies and scanned documents supporting the application must be stamped and signed by the issuing institution, or a notary public.

Please note that applications not supported by officially certified documents will not be processed.

Please note also that the National Admissions Office checks the authenticity of your documents with the issuing institution. Applications with unauthentic documents will invariably be rejected.

All documentation should be sent to the address you get on your cover sheet during the on line application procedure - nothing should go directly to the University, thanks!

Proficiency in English

Also required is proof of skills in English, by one of the following internationally recognised tests:

• TOEFL-test (Test of English as a Foreign Language). Minimum scores are mark 4.5 in the written test and a total score of 575 for the paper-based test, and mark 20 in the written test and a total score of 90 for the Internet-based test.
• IELTS (International English Language Testing Service). Minimum overall score 6.5 and no band lower than 5.5
• Cambridge CAE (Certificate in Advanced English) or CPE (Certificate of Proficiency in English), grades A or B.

The language test results should reach the National Admissions Office at the same time as the rest of the documentation, i.e. no later than February 1. In the case of the TOEFL test, the results should be sent directly to the National Admissions Office from the test centre. The TOEFL code for the National Admissions Office is 9520.

Selection of applicants

Selection of applicants is done by Uppsala University and will be based on previous academic studies and degrees, statement of intent, recommendation letter(s) if provided, work experience (if any) in research or research-related areas and degree project (if you hold a degree). Proficiency in English above the basic admission requirements is also considered, but to a lesser extent.