FAQ about credit transfer

You do not need to transfer credits for courses completed at other Swedish universities if you are enrolled in a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree programme. Read more about different degrees INSERT LINK. When you apply for your degree, you can choose to include courses from other Swedish higher education institutions in your application.

Please note that you should always apply for credit transfer when you want to include studies from a university outside Sweden, or if you have been on exchange studies.

You can typically expect a decision on your credit transfer within six to eight weeks. The processing time begins once your application is complete. Please review the documentation requirements carefully to ensure you attach all necessary files. Apply for your credit transfer in good time prior to graduation. If you are requesting credit for all or part of a course within your programme, apply at least eight weeks before the course begins to ensure you receive a decision before the start date.

You can apply online in Ladok for students. Watch this step-by-step video to learn how to submit your application. Under the heading ’Documents to attach to your application’  you can see what documents  you need to in your application.

You can apply for credit transfer online in Ladok for students.

1. After submitting the application in Ladok, you will receive a case number.
2. The case officer checks your application. If your application is incomplete, your case officer will contact you to request the missing information.
3. Once your application is complete, the case officer will send your application to a subject expert for a formal opinion.
4. Once the subject-matter expert provides their opinion, the case officer will issue a final decision.
5. The decision is registered in Ladok. A notification is then sent to the email address you registered in Ladok Student. Make sure your contact details in Ladok are up to date.

NB: Transferred courses or course modules will not be assigned a grade, as no new examination has taken place

Please note that the standard processing time (six to eight weeks) begins only once your application is complete.

Yes. The right to credit transfer is regulated in the Higher Education Ordinance, Chapter 6 Sections 6-8. You can only apply for credit transfer if you have been admitted to SLU and are studying here. A credit transfer decision is valid at the higher education institution where the decision was taken.

The study counsellors or your programme director of studies can assist with study planning and identify which courses are eligible for credit transfer.

Yes. You must have successfully completed the courses or modules you wish to transfer before submitting your credit transfer application. 

To determine if your previous credits can be transferred, we assess the programme's equivalence to Swedish higher education, the number of credits, the level (undergraduate or Master's), the content, and any overlap with courses you have already completed. The higher education institution where you studied must be recognised by the national education authority or equivalent organisation. Only courses with a pass grade are eligible for credit transfer.

If you are studying on a professional programme, all courses that are not programme courses must be credited in order to be included in a professional degree from SLU. 

If you will be applying for a general degree, such as a Bachelor's degree, you do not need to apply for credit transfer for courses you have taken at another Swedish higher education institution.

You can only include courses from higher education institutions in other countries if your application fo a credit transfer has been approved.

Course modules can also be credited.

The case officer will contact you if any additional information is needed. It is important that your contact details in Ladok are correct - check that you have registered the correct email address. 

Yes, but you may want to discuss your plans with your programme director of studies before choosing which courses to take at another university. 

If you will be applying for a general degree (i.e. a Bachelor's or Master's degree), you do not need to apply for credit transfer for courses taken at Swedish higher education institutions. You can choose to include courses from other higher education institutions in Ladok when you apply for your degree. However, courses taken at higher education institutions outside Sweden must be credited if you want to include them in a general degree. 

Contact your programme director of studies to discuss which courses can be credited.

If you are taking free-standing courses, you can discuss credit transfer with the course coordinator or examiner.

If you log in to Ladok, you will see your cases and your case number on the start page.

If you want to credit part of a course/course module taken at SLU, the course objectives of the relevant courses will be assessed. The examiner on the course gives their opinion before the case officer makes a decision on credit transfer.

Apply for credit transfer of part of a course in Ladok for students.

Crediting of courses is not automatic and you have to apply for it. Please submit your credit transfer application well in advance of applying for a degree, as processing times may vary.

You must contact the institution you studied at yourself.

Transcript of records

If you have studied at a foreign higher education  institution, you must attach an official certificate or transcript of your completed studies to the application. The certificate must state the title of the course, the grade, the date of the grade and the scope of the course (points, credits, hours, etc.). The original must be presented if requested.

Course syllabuses

These should show the content of the course(s), any entry requirements and the level. The syllabus must be from the semester in which the course was taken. Additional course descriptions may be required in some cases, e.g. reading lists, assignments, etc.

Study plan, if any, learning agreement and/or advance notice

Where applicable, you must attach your individual study plan (courses you want to include in your degree), learning agreement (for exchange studies), and/or any advance notice of credit transfer from your programme director or department.

Description of the education system if outside the EU/EEA

Please note that this is not necessary if the studies were completed at a higher education institution with which SLU has an exchange agreement. Because education systems vary, please attach a description of your studies to your application. This should include details on how the academic year is structured, what constitutes full-time study, and how studies are organised.

Authorised translation

Required if the documents are in a language other than Swedish, English, Danish or Norwegian.

Original documents and any additional documentation

These must be available for presentation at the request of the university, if necessary for further processing of your case.

For all scanned documents:

• They must be originals.
• Front and back must be scanned.
• All pages, i.e. the entire original document, must be scanned (including informative text on certificates).
• Documents that are in colour must be scanned in colour.
• The scan must be clear and legible.
• Files must be in PDF format.

Yes. When applying for credit transfer, you must always attach the syllabuses of the courses you want assessed. Please ensure the syllabus is from the same semester you took the course. If you are currently studying abroad, we recommend collecting these documents before you leave. They can be much more difficult to obtain once you have returned home.

You can add additional documents  to your application in Ladok for students. You can only upload files in PDF format.

An advance notice is not a credit transfer decision and therefore not legally binding.

The SLU unit that handles credit transfer cannot issue advance notices. Even though you may have received an advance notice from the programme director/department, you must apply for credit transfer once you have passed the course.

When you apply for a credit transfer from a foreign higher education institution, you must always attach an official transcript of records (also known as a study certificate or certificate of results).

If you have been on an exchange abroad, your exchange university will usually send you an official transcript of records with your study results. The transcript of records is the basis for the recognition of your courses abroad. If the university does not send this certificate automatically, you must order it yourself.

You do not normally need to apply for a credit transfer for courses completed at other Swedish higher education institutions if you intend to include them in a general degree.

When you apply for a degree in Ladok for students, you select the courses you want to include in your degree, in addition to the courses you have studied at SLU.

You do not need to apply for a credit transfer for courses taken at Swedish higher education institutions.

If you have studied courses abroad and want to include them in a general degree, apply for credit transfer of studies in Ladok for students.