Higher Education in Sweden
Why Sweden
Sweden is a small nation in a big country - just over nine million inhabitants in an area larger than California and nearly as large as France or Spain. Sweden is also a young civilization in an old country. In past centuries, the country was mainly known for its constant wars. In the 17th century, Sweden was a Great Power in Europe, with a territory that extended almost all the way around the Baltic Sea.
Since 1814, however, Sweden has lived in peace, which has been the most important prerequisite for the build-up of the modern Swedish welfare state. During the 20th century, Sweden evolved quickly from a poor agrarian country to one of the world's strongest industrial nations. The point of departure for this "Swedish industrial miracle" was the country's natural wealth of forests and ore, as well as a long series of ingenious inventions and an entrepreneurial tradition.
The transformation Sweden has undergone during the past century has been extremely radical. Sweden today is a modern, sophisticated, internationalized society which is very much part of a globalized world. The simple origins of the Swedes are clearly apparent, however, in our proud but low-key disposition, close contact with our cultural heritage, popular customs and traditions and, not least, intensive love of our magnificent, challenging but lavishly rich Nordic nature.
Swedish Higher Education System
The principle of access to free (tax-financed) education for the whole population, throughout the life, is among the pillars of the Swedish welfare state. Education begins in day care centres and preschools, which an overwhelming majority of all Swedish children attend, then continues with the nine-year compulsory school and the voluntary upper secondary school, to which practically all Swedish youngsters continue nowadays.
Graduate Education
In a highly developed industrial nation like Sweden, research plays a key role as an investment in the future.
More remarkable in an international perspective is that university and college education in Sweden is also heavily tax-financed and thus more or less free, as well as supported by a generous system of study loans and grants that makes higher education accessible to people from all social classes. During the past decade, large investments have been made in higher education and the number of students has risen by 50 percent.
Also characteristic of the Swedish educational ethos are extensive publicly subsidized systems of further education, retraining, adult schools and study circles. In addition, the private business sector offers a well-developed system of further education and self-improvement. Sweden has a long history of ambitious research and development programs, both in the private business sector and the public sector - and often including collaboration between the two. Sweden tops European comparative statistics both in terms of research investments as a percentage of GDP and in the number of published scientific works per capita.
Some 450 Master's programmes at Swedish universities are taught in English. Before you can apply to a Master's programme, you need to have completed studies leading to a degree or diploma equivalent to 180 ECTS credit points (or three years of full-time study).
The decision on whether to accept an applicant rests with the institutions themselves. In addition, some programmes have specific entry requirements which applicants also need to satisfy.
As of the 2007-2008 academic year, there are two kinds of master's programmes leading to two different kinds of degrees, as recognized by the Swedish National Agency for Higher Education.
The Degree of Master (Two Years), "masterexamen" in Swedish, takes two years to complete (120 ECTS). Authorisation to award “masterexamen” is given to state universities and other higher education institutions that are approved for research in one or more disciplinary domains, and to private education providers that are authorised to award doctorates and licentiates in a disciplinary domain.
The Degree of Master (One Year), "magisterexamen" in Swedish, is for one-year study programmes (60 ECTS).
Following are the some of the Swedish universities to name for in Sweden
Visa Requirements
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Life in Sweden
In terms of area Sweden is similar to Spain, Thailand or California. It is characterised by its long coastlines, large forests and numerous lakes. In the north, winters are long, cold and snowbound and summers are short. In the south, winters are considerably milder and summers longer.
This extended country has a small population of about 9 million, similar to Belgium, Bolivia or New Jersey. Some 85 per cent of its inhabitants live in the southern half of Sweden, with the capital city of Stockholm as the major urban centre. Linköping and Norrköping are situated 200/160 kilometres south of Stockholm, in the county of Östergötland.
Currency
The Swedish krona (plural kronor) is denoted by the international currency symbol SEK. One krona contains 100 öre. Bank notes are available in denominations of 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1,000 kronor, coins in 50 öre, 1, 5 and 10 kronor.
All major bank and credit cards are widely accepted throughout Sweden.
In May 2008, 1 Euro equalled approximately 9.35 SEK and 1 US dollar approximately 6 SEK.
Climate
The climate in Sweden is very mild compared to other places at similar latitudes thanks to the Gulf Stream.
Sweden has four distinct seasons. Winter temperatures vary greatly between north and south. In the Linköping area, in January, the normal temperature range is -15 to 0°c and snowfall is moderate. In April, the temperature range is 0 to +10°c and the weather is capricious. July is mostly sunny with occasional showers and the temperature range is +10 to +25°c. October can be windy and rainy with temperatures from 0 to +10°c.
It might be consoling to know that even if the temperature drops outside, at least you will not be cold inside. Buildings in Sweden are well insulated and Swedes are used to being able to wear t-shirts indoors, even if it is -20°c outside.
One effect of Sweden’s northerly latitude is the length of the days and nights. In the Swedish Arctic, for a few weeks each summer, the sun never sets and for a similar period in the winter, it never rises.
In southern Sweden, the summer months are characterised by long, light days and short nights whilst a reversal of these conditions is experienced in the winter.
