During your studies
Here we have gathered information for current students at the Department of English.
This is practical information that will be useful to know during your studies with us.
Administrative matters
Below you will find answers to some common questions. When you contact us, always provide your full name and personal identity number if you have questions about your studies so we can find your study records in Ladok and give you relevant information.
Registration
As a student, you need to register for courses that you are admitted to ahead of each term. Registration dates for each course will be on the course page. You need to register on time to keep your place and note that registration takes place before the start of term. You register through Ladok for students. Read the specific information for your course ahead of each term on the course or programme page.
If you have questions or need assistance, it is important that you contact our Student Affairs Office in good time before the start of term and before registration closes.
Cancelling your studies
If you are not able to continue your studies after having registered, it is important that you notify our Student Affairs Office quickly and at the start of term.
If you are de-registered within three weeks from the start of the study period (see Ladok), your registration will not remain in the system. You can then apply for the course again at a later time. However, remember that unless you de-register at the start of the course, your place cannot be offered to another student.
If you de-register later than three weeks after the start of the course, you cannot apply for the course again. If you want to take the same course later, you can contact the Student Affairs Office to see if there are available places for you to re-register.
Re-registration
Re-registration for a course another term is subject to available places. You need to be re-registered to sign up for written exams.
If you only need to re-register to participate in a re-examination, contact our Student Affairs Office when the course has started. We will not re-register students for re-examinations before the start of term. Participation in larger lectures in order to prepare for a re-examination is usually not a problem.
If you would like to participate in a course again or need to be placed in a smaller seminar group for re-examination, this is subject to available places. Contact our Student Affairs Office at the start of term and we will follow it up.
Course information and course plans
Courses that are currently offered can be found in the course catalogue. We have gathered information on our current and courses on our web.
Each course has a course page with information ahead of each term, such as schedule, course literature and how and when to register. Before the course starts you will get access to course material on the learning platform Athena after you have registered.
If you took a course that is not offered and you cannot access course material on Athena, you can contact our Student Affairs Office.
Term dates
The academic year is divided into two semesters, an autumn semester and a spring semester, and in four periods which are relevant for some courses. Remember that registration for courses takes place before the start of term!
Exemption application
Eligibility requirements and exemptions
All courses have eligibility requirements that are stipulated in the course syllabus, which can be found on each course page. For courses given by the Department of English, an exemption from these requirements may be granted if you have other documented qualifications that can compensate for the requirements you are missing. The department then makes the assessment whether these are sufficient for granting an exemption and for you to be admitted to the course you have applied to.
When you apply for a course, you can be conditionally admitted if you have the possibility to meet the admission requirements before the start of the course. Check your admission statement for the course for information on what is required from you.
Please note that you should not apply for an exemption if you are waiting for credits to be reported for courses that are part of the eligibility requirements and that you have taken in close conjunction to the course you have applied to. Instead, when the credits have been reported, you are responsible for contacting our Student Affairs Office so that they can assist with registration. Note, however, that the credits have to be available and reported in Ladok before the start of the course.
Application for an exemption from the eligibility requirements
If you apply for an exemption, we will consider whether you have other qualifications that will allow you to complete the course even though you do not meet the admission requirements (“Högskoleförordningen 7 kap. 3 §). The decision on whether to grant an exemption is taken by the department who is responsible for the course. On the course page you can see which department is responsible for the course in question.
To apply for an exemption you need to fill in our application form.
Exemption application (pdf) (157 Kb)
- The application must be submitted at least three weeks before the start of the course.
- The completed and signed application should be sent to:
Scanned and sent via email to: dispens@english.su.se, OR
Via mail to: Department of English, attn: Director of Studies (UGA), Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm. Mark the envelope: Application for exemption.
Note: If you do not have the possibility to print out and sign the application, you can email the PDF to us unsigned or you can sign it electronically. Send the application from the same email address that you have registered in Ladok.
Questions?
If you have questions about applying for an exemption for a course given by us, you contact the Director of Studies at dispens@english.su.se.
If you have questions about the admission requirements for one of our courses, you can contact our study counsellor. Ensure that you first read the information on the course page (including the course syllabus, which can be found on each course page).
Credit transfers in the subject English
Students who are enrolled to study at Stockholm University can apply for an evaluation of previous studies at universities elsewhere in Sweden or abroad. Previous studies in the subject English are evaluated by the Department of English.
Previously completed courses are evaluated for equivalence by comparing the content, learning outcomes, level and number of credits, to a course or a module given at the Department of English. Students can also seek to transfer courses as complementary studies in English depending on the courses studied and the requirements of the degree they are aiming for.
If the studies are approved for credit transfer, they can be included in a degree from Stockholm University.
Note that a credit transfer decision can take up to two months.
Applying for a credit transfer
Log in with your university account, click on Apply for and Crediting.
In your application, you must:
Provide the name and course code of the course(s) you have already studied, and the name and course code of the course(s) you want it/them to be credited for.
Attach the following supporting documents as PDF-files:
- Official Transcript of Records in the original language and an authorized English translation. The transcript must show your grades and information on grading scales.
- Detailed course syllabus or equivalent detailed course description from the term when the course was taken. Information on the level and extent of the studies as well as forms of examination should be included, and a reading list if available.
If you wish to transfer credits from exchange studies, enclose your Learning Agreement (pdf format) from Stockholm University only. You do not need to include course syllabi.
If you are applying to transfer credits among courses taken at our department, you do not need to include course syllabi in your application.
Further information
A course cannot be included twice in a degree, so if a course is transferred and used in a degree, the original course cannot be used again within that same degree.
Please note that CSN will not approve funding for credits that have been transferred.
A credit transfer decision can take up to two months. Once a decision has been made, applicants will be informed in writing. A rejection decision can be appealed. An approved decision will be documented in Ladok and cannot be changed.
If you have questions about your application process, please contact: tillgodo@su.se.
If you have questions about planning your credit transfers, please contact our study counsellor: studievagledning@english.su.se.
Examination
The forms of examination for each course and module are specified in the course syllabus and the course or module description. If you have questions about an examination, ask your teacher but make sure you have read the information in the module description first. Also remember that you are expected to attend teaching for the course.
When a course or module is given, there are two opportunities each term for every examination.
For written seated exams, you must sign up in advance in Ladok. If you do not sign up in advance you cannot participate.
Written seated exams
Sign-up in Ladok is mandatory and required when taking a written seated exam or re-examination ("re-take"). If you do not sign up in advance and on time you cannot participate. The dates for signing up are visible in Ladok but you must sign up in Ladok no later than ten days before the exam.
Sign-up for re-examinations usually opens the day after the first exam. Do not sign-up until you know your results from the first exam.
If you took a course with us a previous term but did not finish all exams, you can only sign up for exams in Ladok if you are re-registered for the course. See information on re-registration in the above section about "Administrative matters".
Written seated exams are managed centrally by the Examination Services. Make sure you read their instructions on how to find your place and the venue for an exam, as well as the rules in the examination halls. To participate in the exam, you must also be able to present an approved ID document at the exam.
Examination results
Results
Results are usually available within 15 work days after an examination. When results have been reported, grades will be available in Ladok, but only provided that you have done all the examination assignments for the course or module in order to receive a final grade.
Many courses or modules have more than one form of examination, as specified in the course or module description.
Your exam from a written seated exam will be available for collection at the Student Affairs Office when results are ready. If you have not picked up your exam within two years, it will be discarded.
If you have not participated in all forms of examination you cannot receive a final grade and therefore you cannot see your results in Ladok. For a written seated exam, you must pick up your exam to find out your result.
Contact your teacher if you have any questions on why you cannot see a grade on Ladok or about your result.
If you receive a failing grade (F or Fx) for a written seated exam, you must take the whole exam again and not only parts of it, unless otherwise specified in the course or module description.
If you receive a passing grade on any form of examination (Pass / E or higher), you cannot do the examination again to get a higher grade.
Grade review
As stipulated in the Higher Education Ordinance, you cannot appeal a grade (HF 12 kap, 2 and 4§§). However, if there has been a clear mistake in grading in relation to the grading criteria and/or exam key, you may request the examiner to do a review of your grade. In order to do that, fill in the grade review request form and return to the Director of Studies (see form for contact details).
Request for a review of grade (pdf) (125 Kb)
Change of examiner
Students who receive a failing grade (Fx or F, or U where applicable) twice by the same examiner can request another examiner for the next examination, unless there are special reasons to the contrary.
Such a request must be submitted to the Director of Studies at least five days before the date of the next examination that you will participate in.
Re-examinations
Current courses
When a course or module is given, there are two opportunities each term for every examination.
For written seated exams, you must sign up in Ladok in advance. If you do not sign up on time you cannot participate and have to do the re-examination. Equally, written assignments not submitted on time will not be graded. You will be referred to the next examination opportunity.
If you took a course a previous term but did not complete all the examinations, you must re-register for the course to sign up and participate in examinations another term. See information on re-registration the above section about "Administrative matters".
If you receive a failing grade (F or Fx) for a written seated exam, you must take the whole exam again and not only parts of it, unless otherwise specified in the course or module description.
If you receive a passing grade on any form of examination (E or higher), you cannot do the examination again to get a higher grade.
Courses or modules currently not offered
Some courses or modules are not given each term (such as MA courses, optional modules within English 3 and the BA courses, and part-time courses). If you did not complete an assignment during one term and the course or module is not given, we have set re-submission dates at the Department of English: 15 April and 15 November.
Always contact your teacher for confirmation that you can submit course work from a previous term and for instructions on how and when to do so. If the teacher no longer works at our department, contact the Director of Studies. Note that it can take up to 15 work days before you will receive your grade.
Discontinued courses
A course can be discontinued, or its contents substantially altered. In such cases you can be examined according to the syllabus for the term you were registered once per term for three consecutive terms following the discontinuation of the course.
If it has been a while since you took a course, contact the Student Affairs Office to ask if you can complete the course or module. In some cases where courses are no longer offered, you will need to speak to our study counsellor for information on how to complete your studies by taking other courses.
Old English 1 and 2 courses
Older English 1 and 2 courses have been discontinued. Spring term 2022 was the last term we offered examinations, including submission of course work, for these courses. However, it may be possible to complete the parts you are missing by taking one or more modules from the new courses. Please contact our study counsellor if you need guidance.
Plagiarism
It is important that you are aware of what plagiarism means in order to avoid it. As a student you must be conscientious about clearly accounting for the material used in the texts that you submit for examination.
Plagiarism is copying someone else’s text and / or ideas and pretending that they are your own, or re-using your own work written for some other occasion, and pretending it is new (self-plagiarism).
Plagiarism is considered cheating and is a serious offence. It may lead to suspension. A failure to use proper referencing, omitting sources used in the text or in the reference list, and/or quoting or paraphrasing without referencing the source used may result in a suspicion of plagiarism regardless of whether this omission is intended or not. Any such suspicions must be reported to the Vice-Chancellor's Office and the Stockholm University Disciplinary Board who will decide on possible disciplinary measures.
Information about plagiarism, and how to use and cite sources correctly, is available on Athena for your course. If you have any questions, always ask your teacher in good time before submitting an examination assignment.
Uploading essays to DiVA
Once you have completed your BA, MA or Magister essay, you should register this in DiVA, a repository for research publications and student theses from universities and research institutions across Sweden. Click on the file below for instructions on how to do so (instructions are in Swedish only).
Lathund registrera uppsats i DiVA (909 Kb)
Studying with a disability
Stockholm University provides targeted study support to students with long-term disabilities.
If you have a disability or special needs that affect your studies with us in some way, you need to:
1. Apply for support in the NAIS system through the university's central services.
2. When you have received a NAIS certificate detailing the support measures recommended for you, contact our study counsellor who will help you get relevant support and information for your specific course. Always contact our study counsellor with your certificate (attached in an email) at the start of the course, or no later than two weeks after it has started. Otherwise we cannot guarantee that there will be time to set up support measures ahead of examinations.
Student Unions and Student Council
The Student Unions are membership organisations with the purpose to represent the common interests of students. There are also Faculty Clubs that organise arrange social activities and other activities.
The Student Council of the English Department is part of the student union. The council functions as an important link between students and our department. It has a representative on the department board and on our UGA committee. This gives students a voice in decisions taken at the department, for example regarding course development or course literature.
All students at the department are welcome to join the Council! Do you want to join? Or do you have suggestions on how to improve your studies at our department or ideas for fun events? Contact our Director of Studies at studierektor@english.su.se.
Student support
As a student of languages, there are some student support services that you may find helpful during your studies:
Academic Writing Service
The Academic Writing Service provides English-language support for writing and study skills.
Språkstudion
Språkstudion is the place for students interested in languages. It has resource rooms and material, and organises various events for learning languages.
Other student support
Stockholm University has gathered information on other useful support or services throughout your studies.
During your studies (central web)
Last updated: April 12, 2024
Source: Department name