Study abroad

Global and cross-cultural awareness and experiences are essential skills in today’s global society and is something we would like our graduates to attain while studying at Stockholm Business School. One way of acquiring such skills is by participating in an international educational activity during your time as a student.

Students at Stockholm Business School have different options to acquire an international experience during their studies at the university.

Stockholm Business School has cooperation agreements with more than 100 prestigious universities and business schools worldwide. These agreements make it possible for roughly 250-300+ students to study abroad on exchange annually.

Exchange studies are not subject to tuition fees, but additional administrative fees and living costs may apply.

Application period
The application for student exchange for spring semester 2025 is open: August 15th – September 15th 2024

 

We are partnered with universities in Europe, Asia, North America, South America and Oceania. Stockholm Business School offers two types of exchange agreements:

Link to our partner universities

Please note that we do not send students to all our partners each semester, so be sure to check the placement list for your specific semester before you apply!
The available exchange placements for outgoing students vary and the list of partners above is for reference only.

A list of available vacancies at partner universities is published on this website before each application period and is based on the number of incoming and outgoing students to each partner university.

 

Application for exchange studies

Please carefully read through all the instructions and requirements for the Stockholm Business School exchange programme below.

Students who want to study abroad through the Stockholm Business School exchange programme need to fulfil the below general requirements:

  • You will be on exchange for 1 semester and be enrolled as a full-time student at one of our partner universities.
  • You must be enrolled at a course or programme at Stockholm Business School at the time of application. Students taking free standing courses can also have been enrolled the previous semester.
  • You must have enough credits left in the study programme to be able to transfer 30 credits from the exchange semester

Please note that students that have previously applied and been accepted to Stockholm Business School exchange programme and then declined the placement after the host university has contacted the student are not allowed to apply again.
Students who have already received a placement on a university-wide central exchange agreement for the same semester are not eligible.

Each programme has additional specific requirements:
Bachelor's programme in Business Administration
Bachelor's programme in International Business and Politics
Bachelor’s programme in Business, Ethics and Sustainability
Bachelor's programme in Market Communication
Master's programmes
Free standing courses

Bachelor's programme in Business Administration and IT and Bachelor’s Programme in Market Communication and IT should apply through the Department of Computer and Systems Sciences or university-wide central agreements and networks.

Department of Computer and Systems Sciences

Central agreements and networks

International students who are studying at Stockholm Business School with a scholarship from the Swedish Institute (SI) must contact the Swedish Institute and get permission to apply for exchange studies before submitting an application.

You are responsible for contacting the authorities of the host country to find out what is required for a stay in that country e.g. visa. If you are a Non-EU/EEA citizen  you must also contact the unit at the Swedish Migration Agency that granted your residence permit to notify them of your exchange term.

You can select up to 5 partner universities in your online application. You should rank them according to where you most want to go.

It’s important that you check the available partner universities before you apply:

  • Is there a grade (GPA) or language requirement?
  • When does the semester start and end at the partner university? Please ensure that there is no schedule conflict with your studies at Stockholm Business School.
  • Does the partner university offer courses you want to take? Are exchange students at the partner university allowed to choose courses in all subjects, only courses in business or is there a specific course package for exchange students?
  • Is there university housing or do you have to organise it by yourself?
  • Can you choose between multiple campuses? Are certain campuses restricted to bachelor/master level or only certain subjects?

There are no statistics available regarding what partner is most popular or how easy/hard it is to get a certain placement as it varies greatly from year to year.

Before starting your application please make sure to read through all the application instructions thoroughly and make sure you are eligible to apply.

Apply online here

Link to bachelor application - Spring 2025

Please note:
All visible agreements might not be available for the current application period. Please check the relevant placement list for available spots.

The link will be available August 15th - September 15th for spring semester and January 15th - February 15th for fall semester.

Your online application has to include the following:

1. Letter of motivation (in English)
The letter of motivation should be 300-500 words explaining why you are applying for the exchange programme. You only need to motivate your first-hand choice. This letter will be read by the International Office staff and will not be sent to the host university.
Please include the following details in the letter:

  • Personal introduction
  • Describe why you chose to apply to the exchange programme
  • Explain how the exchange will benefit your personal development and prepare you for your professional career.

Save the file as "last name_ first name_letter" before uploading it to the application.

2. Proof of language profiency – only if applicable
Please check the specified information for each university. The required proof of language proficiency can be an IELTS or TOEFL test, a Swedish "gymnasiebetyg" or another form of certificate.

Save the file with your "last name_ first name_language" before uploading it into the application.

3. Certificate from Föreningen Ekonomerna - only if applicable
Save the file with your "last name_ first name_ekonomerna" before uploading it into the application.

4. CV in English and/or employer’s certificate - only if applicable
Only applies to master students applying to an MBA exchange semester. he certificate should contain the following:

  • Name of company/organization where you worked
  • Specific dates of employment
  • Your responsibilities
  • Should indicate that it was a full-time job
  • The certificate must be written on official letterhead and signed by the employer
  • Include contact information for the employer.

Save the file with your "last name_ first name_cv" before uploading it into the application.  

Please observe that once you have submitted your application, you will not able to make any changes, so be sure to read through it carefully and submit the required documents for your choices. If you forget to upload a document, you will need to submit a new application before the deadline.

  • Late applications will not be accepted, no exceptions will be made.
  • If the application is incomplete, the application will not be considered (for example, if the letter of motivation has not been submitted).
  • If the application does not fulfill the requirements, for example: not submitting language requirements or a work experience certificate for a specific school you have applied for, the application for that school will not be considered.
  • No individual feedback will be provided.

 

Selection for the exchange programme is based on grades for courses taken at Stockholm Business School in addition to the letter of motivation. Skills in other languages than Swedish and English as well as extra-curricular activities with the student association Föreningen Ekonomerna may also factor into the overall placement of students at partner universities.

The International Office bases the selection of students to the exchange programme on the following criteria:

1. Priority groups
Students on a programme at Stockholm Business School are placed in priority group 1. Free standing students are placed in priority group 2.

2. Points for grades
The first deciding selection factor are your grades. Points are awarded as following: A= 5, B= 4, C= 3, D= 2, E= 1

You only receive points for the required courses to be eligible to go on exchange, maximum 8 courses for bachelor students and 4 courses for master students.

Students who have taken the required courses outside Stockholm Business School and transferred the credits will receive 3 points per course.

3. Certificate from Föreningen Ekonomerna
Certain extracurricular activities at the Stockholm Business School’s student association Föreningen Ekonomerna awards up to three (3) extra points when applying for the student exchange program.

The student association has established guidelines in conjunction with the International Office about the requirements for acquiring extra points.

Policy for Commitment and Bonus Points

4. Letter of Motivation
If two students' total points are equal the letter of motivation is the second factor taken into consideration. The motivation letter should emphasise why you want to go abroad, personal/academic/professional goals, and/or your first-hand choice.

 

  • Step 1. Visit the Study Abroad website for more information about the Stockholm Business School exchange programme (you are here!)
     
  • Step 2. Read through the eligibility requirements thoroughly and check that you can go on an exchange.
     
  • Step 3. Check the partner universities available. Please note that some of our partners have grade or language requirements, these are listed on the placement list. Ensure the semester dates at the schools you are interested in do not conflict with your studies at Stockholm Business School.
     
  • Step 4. Select up to five (5) universities and submit your application online together with any necessary documents.
     
  • Step 5. Once you have been selected as a nominee to one of our partner universities and you have accepted the placement we will nominate you as an exchange student from Stockholm Business School.  
     
  • Step 6. Apply to the partner university! You will receive application instructions directly from your host university.
    Be sure to apply on time and check your email and junk mail regularly. Your host university will contact you by email throughout the application process.
     
  • Step 7. Once you have been admitted to the partner university, accept your placement, select courses, apply for housing, visa (if applicable), fill out your Learning Agreement, apply for any applicable scholarships (Erasmus+).
     
  • Step 8. Upon your return to Stockholm Business School, submit an exchange report of your semester abroad and apply for credit transfer.

 

Practical information for outgoing exchange students

Below you will find useful information if your application for exchange studies has been accepted.

Practical information for outgoing exchange students

 

 

Before departing on your study abroad semester you need to complete a Learning Agreement which is an agreement ensuring that the courses you take during your exchange will be transferred to Stockholm Business School. After the completion of your exchange semester you need to apply for a credit transfer.

Read more about What courses are approved, Learning agreement, Credit conversion, Credit transfer and Grades

 

 

Contact

Course approval and learning agreements

Please contact the Learning Agreement Advisor if you have questions about course approval and learning agreements: learningagreement@sbs.su.se

 

 

 

International Coordinator
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