Degree requirements and main fields of study

Degree requirements

SLU awards both professional and general degrees. You can find detailed descriptions of all the degree requirements in SLU’s system of qualifications.

Professional degrees (e.g., veterinary surgeon, forester, agronomist): These require you to complete specific courses to fulfil the degree requirements.
General degrees (Bachelor’s, 1-year Master’s and 2-year Master’s): These requirements primarily focus on the total number of credits earned within your main field of study at the appropriate level.

A single programme can lead to a professional degree, one or more general degrees, or both. To see which qualification(s) your specific programme leads to, check your programme syllabus on the student web.

The sections below outline the requirements for general degrees issued by SLU.

General degrees

All higher education involves courses that you can combine towards a degree. A general degree often requires a set number of credits and specialisation in a main field of study, as well as credits earned from elective courses.

Your main field of study will be your degree subject, and the title of your degree will match your main field of study (rather than the programme name). Check the programme syllabus to find out a course’s main field of study and its level.

General degrees at undergraduate and Master’s level

There are two types of undergraduate (first cycle) general degrees: the Degree of Bachelor and the Higher Education Diploma. There are also two types of Master's (second cycle) general degrees: the 60-credit and 120-credit Master’s degrees.

To be awarded a Master’s degree, you must have successfully completed a minimum of 180 credits at the undergraduate level or hold an equivalent degree from abroad.

If you are a student on a degree programme, check your programme syllabus to see which degree(s) you will be awarded upon completion of your studies. Programme syllabuses can be found on the student web.

Degree from freestanding courses or a programme?

You can either take courses included in a programme, or combine freestanding courses to make up a degree. A degree made up of freestanding courses is worth just as much as a programme-based degree. However, combining freestanding courses into a degree requires slightly more planning to ensure that you will be able to meet the qualification requirements. If you choose to compile your own degree, you can include courses from other higher education institutions. However, for certain main fields of study at SLU it won’t be possible for you to create your own degree by combining freestanding courses. Courses that have been included in first-cycle (bachelor’s) degrees cannot be included in second-cycle (master’s) degrees.

Credit transfer for general qualifications

For general qualifications, you will need to apply for a credit transfer for any courses you may have taken at a higher education institution abroad. You do not need to apply for a credit transfer for courses taken at Swedish higher education institutions. Read more about credit transfer here. If you are a student on a degree programme, check your programme syllabus to see which degree(s) you will be awarded on completion of your studies. Programme syllabuses can be found on the student web.

The following main fields of study have been approved for SLU's general degrees: