Transfer of credits

What transfer of credits is

If you have completed academic studies from a Swedish or foreign institution of higher education, other relevant studies or occupational work experience, you can apply to have it credited to a course or part of a course at Umeå University. You may also need to apply for transfer of credits to fulfil the requirements for your intended degree. A decision approving a transfer of credits means that you do not have to study the corresponding course or part of course twice.

Before you apply

How do I get help if I have questions about what I should apply for?

Contact a study counsellor if you need help with your study planning and what transfer of credits you should apply for. You can choose to contact a study counsellor at your department, your programme or a general study counsellor at the Student Services Office.

Find a study counsellor

If you need your transfer of credits to fulfill the requirements for your intended degree, we recommend that you find out what is required for that degree. You will find the degree requirements in the relevant local qualification descriptor.

Find the local qualification descriptors (in Swedish)

What is required for me to be able to apply?

• You must be admitted to and pursue academic studies at Umeå University.
• Your previous academic studies (courses or part of a course or module) must be completed, that is to say, have been awarded a grade.
• Your previous academic studies or occupational work experience must substantially correspond to the course, or part of the course, you want to receive equivalent credits for.

Keep in mind that it is required that your submitted application is complete with the necessary documents in order for us to assess it.

When can I apply?

You have to be admitted to and registered for studies at Umeå University to apply for transfer of credits. Apply well in advance before the course starts, but not earlier than the semester before the course starts that you want to receive a transfer of credits for.

The processing time is normally within 60 days, and varies depending on how extensive the particular case is. The processing time is estimated from when your application is complete with the necessary documents.

What can I apply for?

As a student at Umeå University, you can apply for transfer of credits to a course or part of a course based on relevant studies or occupational work experience. You can also have previously completed academic courses assessed to another main field of study, which is established at Umeå University, or as studies abroad.

Find a list of main fields of study at Umeå University

If you want to get a credit transfer for parts of a programme, you need to know which courses are included in the programme. You will find that in the programme syllabus.

Find your course or programme syllabus

What do I need to apply for transfer of credits for?

You must apply for a transfer of credits if you

• want to earn a particular degree where some courses are required that you have not taken, but you have previous experience that you think corresponds to the course(s);
• have studied courses at another educational institution which has been classified as courses within a particular main field of study, but which you think correspond to the main field of study established at Umeå University in which you desire to graduate; and
• have completed academic studies abroad that you want included in your upcoming degree.

Find a list of main fields of study at Umeå University

What should I NOT apply for transfer of credits for?

You should not apply for a transfer of credits if you

• have completed courses from a recognised Swedish educational institution and your planned degree has space for elective courses. You choose which elective courses you want to include when applying for a degree. NOTE! A transfer of credits must always be made from academic studies abroad, even if they are to be used as optional elective studies;
• have completed courses from another recognised Swedish university that belongs to the same main field of study as you want to include in your degree. Instead, you specify these courses when you apply for the degree;
• are applying for a later part of an educational programme. However, you may need to apply for transfer of credits if you are admitted and commence your academic studies. Contact the study counsellor or the person in charge of the relevant study programme if you have questions about the application for a later part of the educational programme.

Will my student grants and loans for studies from CSN be affected if I have my application for transfer of credits granted?

If your application for transfer of credits is granted, it may have an impact on your student grants and loans for studies from CSN. Contact CSN for questions concerning student grants and loans for studies.

Learn more about student finance or contact CSN on csn.se

Transfer of credits and guaranteed admission, grades and getting a degree

• A credit transfer decision does not mean that you have a guaranteed place on a course, part of a course or study programme.
• You will not get a grade on the course or course module since there has been no new assessment of your knowledge.
• A course or part of a course that you have been approved transfer of credits for, cannot be included in your degree together with the course that has ben accredited. The credits cannot be counted twice and the degree must only be based on courses that do not overlap.
• A decision on transfer of credits is not a decision on what courses may be included in a degree.

What is required for your intended degree is stated in the local qualification descriptors.

Find the local qualification descriptors (in Swedish)

Apply for transfer of credits

What documents for previous studies do I need to send with my application?

When you apply for transfer of credits and want to base your application on previous relevant studies, you need to attach documents that confirm your knowledge.

We accept documents issued in Swedish or English. If your documents are issued in languages other than these, you must make sure that they are translated by an authorised translation agency. Please note that you must be able to show original documents if we request it.

For previous academic studies, you need to enclose:

• Syllabi for your completed previous academic studies, which are relevant for the semesters you studied the courses.
• Your previously completed thesis/degree project (if it will be the basis for your application).
• Laboratory reports (if laborations will be the basis of your application).
• Certificate of education other than at Swedish higher education institution.

For previously completed studies abroad, you must also enclose the Official Transcript of Records:

• The Official Transcript of Records must be issued by the university (or other academic institution) you have studied at. The Official Transcript of Records must be digitally signed or verifiable, e.g. via link or QR code. If your Official Transcript of Records lacks this possibility for verification, it must be sent directly from the host university to Umeå University.
• The Official Transcript of Records must state the name of the educational institution, name of the course, date of completion of academic studies, academic level and the credits earned, along with the grades received.
• Enclose all pages of the Official Transcript of Records along with information about the university (or other higher education institution) and its educational and grading system.

What documents for occupational work experience do I need to send with my application?

When you apply for transfer of credits and want to base your application on relevant occupational work experience, you need to attach documents that confirm your knowledge and skills.

We accept documents issued in Swedish or English. If your documents are issued in languages other than these, you must make sure that they are translated by an authorised translation agency. Please note that you must be able to show original documents if we request it.

For previously completed occupational work experience, you need to enclose a certificate from the employer (not salary specification or employment contract).

The employer's certificate must state:

• Relevant work tasks you had during your employment. Your work tasks must be stated extensively.
• The extent of the work (% of full time or number of hours if you have been employed by the hour).
• Period of employment (YYYY-MM-DD-YYYY-MM-DD).
• Information about any leave of absence (YYYY-MM-DD-YYYY-MM-DD).
• Date, signature and contact details for the employer.

"Relevant work tasks" means something that corresponds to the course objectives and the content of the course or part of the course that you want transferred to credits.

The decision will be based on how well your documented experiences correspond to the course content, objectives and expected study results. You will find the syllabus for the current course among the University's syllabi.

Find your course or programme syllabus

If you have other documentation that proves your knowledge and skills and that may have a bearing on the decision on transfer of credits, you should enclose that documentation when you apply.

Apply here

Make your transfer of credits application

Check your email address in Ladok
In Ladok for students, your email address is normally already registered and it is automatically included when you apply for transfer of credits. Notifications concerning your application and the decision will be sent to that email address. If you want to use a different email address, you must submit your email when you make your application. It is also possible to change your email address under "My pages" in Ladok for students.

Go to Ladok for students

Once you have submitted your application

Confirmation that your application has been received

You can see your submitted application under "Credit transfer" if you have logged into Ladok for students. Your application can be found under the heading "Current cases" where you can see, for example, the case number of the application.

Any messages and the decision regarding your transfer of credits will be sent to the email address you have registered in Ladok. Please note that the email may end up in your spam folder.

Go to Ladok for students

How your application is processed

Once you have submitted your application, it will be processed by the Student Service Office's Degree Evaluation Office who will grant or reject your application.

Umeå University will make an assessment of the contents and level of the studies or occupational work experience you want to transfer credits for. We assess what knowledge you have gained from this and compare it to the content of the course at Umeå University that you want to transfer credits to. After the assessment, you will receive a notification of your application being granted (approved), partially granted​ or rejected. The decision​ will be sent to you via email.

How can I add information or change my application?

If you have already submitted the application and want to supplement it with additional information or attachments, you must not submit a new application, but instead notify Infocenter via the contact form. Remember to also enter your case number or Swedish personal identity number and to attach any documents, when contacting Infocenter. Your message will be forwarded to the person processing your application.

Contact Infocenter

If the course starts before you have received a decision

If the course you have applied for transfer of credits for starts before you have received your notification, our recommendation is that you commence studies on the course until you have received notification.

If you choose to complete the course and no longer wish to apply for transfer of credits, you must withdraw your application before a decision has been made. You can do this by sending a message to the Student Service Office's Degree Evaluation Office via the Infocenter contact form.

Contact Infocenter

We will contact you via email

If we need additional information or documents from you, we will send you an email to the email address you registered in Ladok when you started your application for transfer of credits. When the decision has been made, you will receive a notification to that email address.

Please note that the email may end up in your spam folder.

Your application will normally be processed within 60 days

The Student Service Office's Degree Evaluation Office will make a decision concerning transfer of credits as soon as possible and then send the decision to you via email. Please note that the email with the decision may end up in your spam folder. 

Your application will normally be processed within 60 days. However, this may vary during the year depending on how many applications have been received and on how extensive your particular case is. The processing time will not start until your application is complete with the necessary documents.

You can appeal if your application is rejected

If all or part of your application has been rejected, you have the right to appeal the decision. Information on how to appeal is included in your rejection notice. You need to submitt your appeal writing. The Registry and Archives at Umeå University must have received your appeal within three weeks from the day you were informed of the decision.

Please note that you can only appeal decisions that have been based on the qualifications and the supporting documents you provided at the time of your application. If you disagree with the rejection of an application and want to attach additional qualifications, you should not appeal the decision you have received. Instead, submit a new application, attaching all the qualifications and documents you want your application to be based on.

Learn more about how to appeal

If you pay tuition fees, you can have the tuition fee refunded if your application for transfer of credits is granted

If you pay tuition fees, study within a study programme and have had your application for transfer of credits granted, you may be entitled to a reimbursement of the tuition fee.

More information on tuition fees can be found in the Rules for tuition fees