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How and when to apply

Incoming exchange students

To come to Lund as an exchange student, your home university must have a formal agreement for exchange studies with Lund University. The agreement can be specific to a faculty or department or it can be a university-wide agreement. Check with the International Office at your university to see if there is an agreement with Lund University.

Two university buildings and some green trees. Photo.
The King’s House (Kungshuset) has been the Lund University’s main building and fulfilled that function for 200 years. In the background is the Lund Cathedral. Photo: Petra Francke

Submitting your application


Application periods

The application periods for nominated exchange students are:

  • 1 April – 15 April for autumn (September) semester exchange studies
  • 1 October – 15 October for spring (January) semester exchange studies

Applications are done online in our online application system: Solemove. Exchange students do not apply through the University Admissions in Sweden website.

Application guide for detailed instructions about the application system - lu.se

Nominated students will receive an email containing information and instructions on how to complete the online application prior to the application period opening.

We require you to include the following supporting documents in your online application:

  • Official academic transcript of records (in English) including the courses you are currently taking
  • CV
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Bachelor degree and transcripts, if you are applying to Master-level courses
  • Passport Copy (the page with your personal data and photograph) 

Read about enclosure instructions - lu.se

English language proficiency

It is important that you have sufficient proficiency in the English language to be able to succesffully study the courses open to exchange students. While we do not generally require you to submit a formal English language proficiency test, your level of English should be equivalent to IELTS 6.5/TOEFL 90. Please check with your home university regarding the required levels to be nominated for an exchange to Lund University.

Study plan

You must follow a study plan of 30 credits, which is considered a full-time study pace. Exchange students coming on an agreement through the Faculty of Social Sciences, or one of the Faculty of Social Sciences' departments, are required to take at least half of their courses (15 credits) within the Social Sciences. While you may include courses that are offered outside of our faculty in your application, you will not be prioritized or guaranteed admission to these courses. 

Please think carefully when preparing your study plan and choosing courses – remember to select at least one alternative for each course as dropping and adding courses after the application deadline may not be possibe. The courses listed in your application, both main choices and alternatives, should be pre-approved by your home university.

The academic year is divided into two semesters, with each semester consisting of two equal periods (periods 1 & 2 during the fall semester and periods 3 & 4 in the spring). When selecting courses, try to distribute the courses/credits evenly throughout the semester so as to avoid too many schedule clashes. The ideal study plan will have a total of 15 credits in period 1 & 15 credits in period 2 during the fall, and/or a total of 15 credits in period 3 & 15 credits in period 4 in the spring.        

Courses


Faculty courses for exchange students

In our course guide, you will find an overview of all English-taught courses offered by the various departments within the Faculty of Social Sciences at Lund University.

Course guide

Special Area Studies - SAS courses

Exchange students can apply for “Special Area Study” (SAS) courses in subjects such as Swedish culture and society, European studies, regional courses and global issues of contemporary interest. The SAS courses are regular academic courses, taught by several departments across Lund University.  All the courses are worth 7.5 ECTS credits and include both exams and assignments.  

Special Area Studies courses - lu.se

University courses

Courses at other Lund University faculties - lu.se

Swedish language courses

As an added value to the student exchange programme and to awaken an interest in the language and culture of the host country as well as to facilitate communication, Lund University offers Swedish Language courses to exchange students. There are several study options for exchange students to get an introduction to the Swedish language.

Swedish language courses for exchange students - lu.se

Contact

Lu Yi Nilsson
Phone: +46 46 222 48 31
E-mail: incoming [at] sam [dot] lu [dot] se
Visiting hours: by appointment

Visiting address: Sandgatan 13A, Building R, Gamla Kirurgen, Lund (map)