Degrees
Here you can find information about degree requirements and how you apply for a degree. Further down you can find information about degree projects and how to include courses you have taken at another university.
When you have finished your studies you should apply to receive a degree certificate (diploma). To receive the degree certificate you must have fulfilled all of the requirements, but you also need to apply for the degree certificate, it will not be issued automatically.
Degree requirements
If you began your studies in your main field of study in the autumn semester 2016 or later, the "local qualification descriptors" state which courses are required for a bachelor's or master's degree in that field of study.
or Local qualification descriptors (in Swedish)
The local qualification descriptors are only available in Swedish, but if you are aiming for a master's degree from the Department of Mathematics you essentially need to follow the corresponding master's programme (even if you are not actually enrolled in the programme but only taking separate courses) to meet the requirements for the degree. For more information or translation of the local qualification descriptors, please contact the Department of Mathematics, see contact details at the bottom of the page.
Did you begin your studies (in your main field of study) before the autumn semester 2016?
Degree requirements according to the Qualifications Ordinance of 2007
Elective courses and freely chosen courses
For a degree you are typically required to have, besides the mandatory courses, some elective courses (sometimes called optional; "valbara" in Swedish) and some freely chosen courses (unhelpfully also sometimes called optional; "valfria" in Swedish). The elective courses should be relevant to your field of study, and you can see a list below of such courses for the master's degree in mathematical statistics.
For bachelor's degrees and the master's degree in actuarial mathematics, see the Swedish page
Course list overview, showing our active courses and when they are usually given
Freely chosen courses
Freely chosen courses don't need to be in your main field of study, they can (but don't have to) be in a completely different subject. There are a few restrictions following from the general degree requirements, for instance you can't have two overlapping courses in the same degree, and most of the courses have to be at the same level as the degree (you can include at most 30 credits of first cycle courses in a master's degree). Also, if you want to apply for a degree from Stockholm University then the last course that you take (and intend to include in your degree) should be from Stockholm University.
Stockholm University offers some courses in Swedish for international students, and these can typically not be included in any degree, even as freely chosen courses.
How to apply for a degree certificate (diploma)
You apply for a degree certificate through the Degree Office. Information on how to apply:
Degree projects
In both a Bachelor's Degree and a Master's Degree there is a mandatory degree project (or independent project) included. For a Bachelor's Degree the degree project should cover 15 higher education credits (first cycle), and for a Master's Degree if should cover 30 credits (second cycle).
You apply for degree projects through Universityadmissions.se, like other courses. You can find more information about degree projects in different subjects below.
Some advice
In October 2011 Tom Britton gave a seminar on writing and presenting degree projects in mathematics and mathematical statistics. You can find the slides here:
Credit transfer and courses from other universities
If you have studied at other universities before it is possible that you can make use of your previous credits. You can include (fully completed) courses from other Swedish universities directly in a degree at Stockholm University, either if they can replace one of our courses that you would otherwise have needed, or if there is room in your degree for some courses in subjects that are not related to the main subject of the degree.
Please note that courses that are included in your Bachelor's Degree cannot be a part of your Master's Degree.
If, however, you wish to include courses from foreign universities in your degree, you will need a credit transfer.
More information about credit transfer and how to apply
Contact
Last updated: 2026-05-20
Source: Department of Mathematics