Stockholm university

north2north – student exchange with a scholarship

north2north is a network within the University of the Arctic, where universities and colleges around the Arctic Circle cooperate.

För mer information på svenska, klicka här

The student exchange programme offers scholarships and placements for one or two semesters at one of the program's partner universities in the United States (Alaska), Canada, Iceland, Finland and Norway. As of this year, new universities have joined the partnership, in France and Scotland. Please note: You may be required to pay tuition fees for studies in the UK (Scotland).

Students can apply for a north2north scholarship through the Swedish Institute. 

All students at Stockholm University, regardless of subject, can apply to north2north. However, students who study courses with emphasis on the Northern and Arctic regions are prioritised.

Information sessions about studying abroad

 

Students can apply to universities within the north2north student mobility network available in the Stockholm University agreement portal, by choosing "program" north2north Student. The North American higher education institutions participating in north2north allocate a number of places each year, which means that as a student, you do not need to pay tuition fee (tuition fee waivers). Note that other costs such as insurance or administrative costs may occur. See section ‘Places to study at a North American university’ for further information. 

Further information about the north2north network within the ‘University of the Arctics’ is found here

In your application, you can select up to five partner universities that you rank as first, second, third choice, etc.

Participating north2north universities (excluding Denmark)

Waiver of North American universities

The north2north student mobility program has at its disposal a number of north2north tuition fee waivers from North American partner universities. The study places of the partner universities in Canada and the United States (Alaska) are guaranteed and distributed among applicants from the four Swedish universities participating in the north2north program. The participating Swedish universities are Stockholm University, Mid University, Luleå University of Technology and Umeå University.

Please note that the waivers may vary from year to year and is updated after notification form the north2north network.

Additional fees

Some institutions require administrative fees/additional insurance fees which are not covered by the scholarship. It is important to research these fees prior to the exchange. The scholarship can sometimes cover the fees but is not guaranteed

Information for students with a citizenship from outside the EU/EEA or Switzerland.

If you are an international student currently studying in Sweden and looking at studying abroad, please read through this FAQ (the section for Exchange studies) before you apply. Applying for an exchange may affect your residence permit in Sweden. 

FAQ about Costs, fees and scholarships

 

The Swedish Institute offers scholarships which are coordinated through Stockholm University. Stockholm University can hand out a maximum of five (5) scholarships per application round. Stockholm University can hand out seats to a partner university without a scholarship, this depends on how much funding the university receive as well as how many students that are nominated for a seat (if more than five). The scholarship is not guaranteed.

The scholarship varies from year to year, however it has previously been around SEK 19,000 – 22,000 SEK per student (including a travel grant). north2north priorities cooperation with North American universities, and students that study courses with emphasis on the Northern and Arctic regions, but can grant scholarships to all countries (though with smaller scholarship sums). The scholarship will be distributed according to a selection list (see selection criteria below). 

 

To be able to participate in a north2north exchange and eligible to apply for a scholarship you have to fulfill the below criteria (both the general eligibility requirements and the special eligibility requirements for the north2north programme). 

General eligibility requirements

General admission requirements 

Special eligibility requirements for the north2north-programme

  • Study at bachelors or masters level.
  • Completed your first year of study (60 ECTS) before departure to the partner university.
  • Study at least three months, but no more than ten months at the host university (1-2 semesters).
  • Hand in a travel report after exchange studies.

*Note for previous applicants through university-wide agreements and networks. Applicants that have accepted a nomination and have cancelled the nomination after contact has been established with partner university is not eligible to apply again.

 

The application period for the north2north network is done once per year, please find the below dates. Please note that the locations available for exchange will vary from year to year.

north2north

Exchange period                                    Application period
Autumn semester, academic year or Spring semester    1 Dec – 15 Jan

Note: The application deadline is at 23:59.

Fill out the application form in Stockholm University's student exchange portal (must be in English):

Link to the application

Please note that the application form is only available during the application periods. Your SU-ID is your login to the application portal, and you can save and return to your initiated application during the entire application period.

In your application you can choose up to five universities, you have to prioritise them in first, second, third choice, etc.

The following documents should be attached in your application (in English):

  • Personal/motivation letter. This document must be no more than one (1) page. The letter replaces a personal interview. Think about what you would tell us in an interview. We want to know why you want to apply and why you should go abroad on exchange and tell us if you have done anything in particular that makes you a suitable candidate.
  • Preliminary course selection approved by your departments Exchange Coordinator (use this template:  Preliminary Course Selection N2N (59 Kb)  ). Please find further details about your course selection under the below heading “Course selection”.
 

How do I find courses on the host university websites? 

Use the UArctic Studies Catalogue for information about courses and programs in order to learn more about the institutions: education.uarctic.org/studies/

The Student Service do not have the capacity to look for courses for individual students. It is recommended that you look for courses at the host institutions website under “courses” or “faculties” to find the course catalogue. You can always contact the host institutions International Coordinator if you do not find any course catalogue. It is part of the challenge in the application process to find your courses. 

north2north Institutional Contacts

How do I know how many credits equal to 30 credits (högskolepoäng) at Stockholm University? 

You should apply for courses at the host university where the credits correspond to one fulltime semester at Stockholm University, 30 credits (högskolepoäng). Please note that it is only a recommendation and you should always consult with your home department (student counsellor, or exchange coordinator) or the Degree Office about the exact number of credits they approve for transferring of credits to Stockholm University. Your department need to approve your preliminary course selection in the application.

Who approves my course selection?

All courses should be transferred to Stockholm University after the exchange. It is important that you have talked to your department about credit transfer before the exchange takes place, particularly if the courses should be transferred within your study program. 

  • Your home department at Stockholm University: approves courses within a programme and free standing courses within the subject area. The department approves course choices for transferring to Stockholm University before departure.
    List of departmental exchange coordinators
  • The Degree Office: Approves credit transfers of courses that any department is not able to approve and if courses are given within many different subject areas.
    Please find further information about the Degree Office.

Can I change the course selection after nomination to a host university?

The course selection in your application is preliminary. A new course selection can be done when you apply to the host university. Your new course selection should also be approved by your home department or the Degree Office.

 

The application will be assessed according to the selection criteria below (both the general selection criteria and the north2north selection criteria). 

General selection criteria

General selection criteria

north2north selection criteria

Tuition waivers to the North American universities is decided in a selection among the four participating Swedish universities: Stockholm University, Mid University, Luleå University of Technology and Umeå University. Each university has its own list of applicants. The tuition fee waivers are handed out through a lottery.

In case of competition with more applicants than available places the selection is made primarily by priorities:

  1. Students with focus on programs and courses, such as Thematic Network activities and Circumpolar Studies (courses with emphasis on the Northern and Arctic regions) and secondly by
  2. Number of Higher Education Credits at Stockholm University taken and registered at Stockholm University documented in Ladok. Transferred credits are not taken into account.

An applicant cannot accept a nomination through both a university-wide agreement and a network agreement (i.e. north2north, Nordlys, Civis). The applicant can only go through with one nomination/seat.

 

Where can I go as an north2north-student?

You can find in which institutions you can go to the next semester via our Mobility Online-portal. You can also find a list of all the universities participating in north2north (marked with a blue north2north banner) on this page.

How many exchange spots are available for each university?

This cannot be answered as the allocation of spots happens within a common selection process with all four Swedish institutions. In some cases the number of available places for the n2n network per academic year is listed in the Stockholm University agreement portal.

What attachments should be included in the application?

  • Personal letter (Letter of Motivation) - see application instructions for more information. Should be written in English.
  • Preliminary course selection.

When will I receive information whether I have been nominated or not?

The response to applications is usually sent out at the end of February. Your decision will be sent via email through the online system MoveOn. We recommend you to check your spam folder regularly. All students that applied will be notified of the result, both if you received a seat for nomination or not. Please make sure that you notify the Student Services if you change your email address after you submit your application.

Note: That you have received an exchange place at a partner university does not mean that you have received a scholarship. 

Will there be a second application round with spare seats?

No. When the selection is complete and if there are places left, a draw will be held between the Swedish higher education institutions. Then those who applied in this round and did not get a place are offered to participate in the draw. The draw takes place between the four Swedish higher education institutions: Umeå University, Stockholm University, Mid Sweden University and Luleå University of Technology.

Can I apply again if I did not receive a seat (was not nominated)?

Yes, you can apply again in the next application round.

If I say no to my place, what happens then? 

The place will be handed out to the next student on the list from the lottery. If you say no to your place you can apply again in the next application round.

Is there a chance I won’t be admitted to a partner university (if I get nominated)?

There is always a risk. Stockholm University cannot guarantee that you get admitted to the host university since only they can admit you. However, it rarely happens that students don’t get admitted once they are nominated.

Can one get help finding courses? 

Unfortunately, the International Office does not have the ability to assist all students in searching for courses. The easiest way is usually to go to the university's websites and search for "courses" or "faculties" to access the course catalogs. In some cases, it may seem like universities only offer predetermined programs and not standalone courses, but exchange students usually have the freedom to choose from a range of courses and generally do not need to follow a specific program. Also, check with your institution/program regarding your course selection and do not forget to write a Learning Agreement before going on exchange

 

Dennis Besseling, a Master's student at the Department of political science
Participant of the Korea Arctic Academy 2017

"I study political science and I am very interested in the Arctic and its future. The main reason why the Arctic is an interesting region is its great importance for the regional and global climate. The Arctic is also interesting because of the impact the melting ice has on regional and global politics and economy."

Read more about what students say about their north2north exchange:

Student reports - Shared Voices - UArctic´s annual print magazine 

Shared Voices - UArctic´s annual print magazine 

 

February: 

  • Announcement of allocation of exchange places through Stockholm University (via email). This is a confirmation that you meet the eligibility requirements and in the selection process have been given a place to be nominated to the partner university. 
  • You accept or decline the place for nomination.

March - April:

Once you have accepted your place, Stockholm University will nominate you for your exchange to the host university.

April - May:

You apply to the partner university according to their application instructions. If you are going to travel during the spring semester, you may apply already now but most likely during the autumn. You will receive more information and help from the partner university's international coordinator when it is your turn.

Once you have received confirmation that you have been accepted from the partner university, it is confirmed that you can carry out your exchange. It is at this stage that you get more information if you receive a north2north scholarship via Stockholm University. More information about scholarships can be found under the heading "Scholarships from the Swedish Institute".

Below you will find useful information if your application for exchange studies has been accepted. Please note, the information is for all outbound exchange students at Stockholm University, there are a few differences for you as a north2north student (i.e. to apply for your scholarship).

Useful information for outgoing exchange students

 

Contact

If you have any questions regarding the north2north scholarship programme, please contact Student Services' via studentutbyte@su.se (write “north2north” in the subject line). 

If you have questions concerning approval of courses within your degree, please contact the exchange coordinator at your department.

Departmental international coordinators

Please contact the Degree Office for courses that your department are not able to approve:

Please find further information about the Degree Office

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