Study methods and examination

In Sweden, higher education is theory-based and you as a student are responsible for your own studies. Courses are usually a mixture of lectures, seminars, group work, laboratory work and independent studies. They may also consist of fieldwork or training periods arranged by the university. The Swedish university system relies heavily on self-study and you are expected to take an active part in the learning process.

The academic year at Swedish universities usually consists of two semesters, each lasting 20 weeks. The autumn semester runs from the beginning of September to mid-January, and the spring semester runs from mid-January until the beginning of June. There is usually a two-week break in teaching at Christmas.

The credit system at Mid Sweden University corresponds to The European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). 60 credits at Mid Sweden University equal 60 ECTS credits. In ECTS, 60 credits represent the workload of one academic year. In general, one week of full-time study is equivalent to 1.5 credit points.

In addition to written or oral examinations, examination can take the form of continuous assessment, project work, written or oral assignments, or traditional written or oral examinations. The traditional written examination is usually between three and five hours long and takes place on a weekday morning or afternoon. Occasionally, there are examinations on Saturdays. If you would fail an examination, it is possible to re-take the examination.

Mid Sweden University applies a grading scale of seven levels, A–F. Each course is defined in terms of the expected results and abilities (‘intended learning outcomes’) that you should have achieved at the end of the course. This describes the knowledge you are expected to possess at the end of the course in order to pass it. The grades A-E are used to indicate how well you have done regarding the ‘intended learning outcome’.

A  Excellent  
B  Very Good  
C  Good  
D  Satisfactory  
E   Sufficient  
Fx Insufficient  
F   Insufficient