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Exchange studies at one of Lund University's partner universities

Going abroad as an exchange student means spending part of your studies at one of Lund University's partner universities, which can be found all over the world.

About exchange studies

As an exchange student through Lund University, you can study at one of our 670 partner universities around the world. You don't pay tuition fees, and you may be able to take your student finance with you.

You apply for exchange studies at least six months and up to one year before the start of the exchange.

Partner universities applied to via to which you apply through your faculty

You apply for exchange studies through your current faculty.

Application periods for exchange studies may vary from faculty to faculty. The general application deadline for the autumn semester is always 15 November. Spring application periods are between January and March. 

Check your faculty's website for the relevant dates:

The University of California has a centralised application process with its own application deadlines.

Applying to the University of California

General entry requirements

At the time of application, you must:

  • have completed at least 30 credits at the Bachelor's level at Lund University
  • be registered as a full-time student at Lund University (or have an approved leave of absence from a degree programme at Lund University)
  • be able to show a study plan that includes courses that are equivalent to full-time study and whose credits can be transferred to a degree programme at Lund University
  • have the necessary language skills in the language of instruction.

Faculty-specific entry requirements

You can find the specific entry requirements for each faculty on their websites:

Requirements and conditions specific to the University of California

Requirements and conditions on the University of California page

Partner universities applied to through your faculty

For a list of universities that you can apply to, check the information on your faculty’s website:

University of California

Students from all faculties can apply for exchange studies at the University of California.

Check which UC campuses you can apply to:

University of California

Student finance and fees

If you are nominated for exchange studies, you can study at one of our partner universities without having to pay fees. You may also be able to take your student finance with you.

Depending on where you want to study, you may also be able to apply for grants:

Grant for studies in Europe (within the EU)

If you would like to study at one of our partner universities in the EU, you can apply for the Erasmus+ grant for studies.

Erasmus+ grant for exchange studies

If you would like to study at one of our partner universities in the Nordic countries, you can apply for a study and travel grant through Nordplus.

Nordplus

Grant for studies outside Europe

If you would like to study at one of our partner universities outside the EU, you can apply for a travel grant from the Crafoord Foundation.

Crafoord Foundation travel grant

Other travel scholarships

You can also apply for a travel scholarship for travel in connection with your Bachelor's or Master's studies at Lund University. This could be travel for a degree project/thesis, exchange studies or similar.

Travel scholarships

Typically, exchange studies involve a stay at one of our partner universities for a semester or a full academic year.

If you cannot or do not wish to be abroad for that long, there are other opportunities to go abroad:

How to apply

To be nominated for exchange studies through Lund University, you must be selected by your faculty in competition with other applicants. An application therefore requires time and effort. You should expect to spend about 15–20 hours on it.

Finding suitable courses and putting together a study plan is the most time-consuming part of the application process. You will need to understand another education and university system on your own.

In some countries the university system is national, like in Sweden, but in others, universities may differ within a country. Therefore, do not base your decisions on the structure of the Swedish university system, but instead look for courses that are at the appropriate level and fit in with your current studies.

Deciding which courses are suitable is initially up to your own judgement, but you should find out the following:

  • How many credits are required for full-time studies?
  • Are there any specific entry requirements?
  • Are there any restrictions on which courses you can apply for?

Read the stories written by previous exchange students, or check out our Instagram for tips and inspiration:

The courses you choose in your application are not final. The course offering for the semester or term you are applying for is often not available at the time of your application. Use the available course offering. Often, changes in course offerings between semesters and academic years are not significant.

If you are nominated, your choice of courses may change several times before you start your exchange. The host university makes the final decision on which courses you will be accepted to.

You are still a student at Lund University when you are on an exchange and it should be possible to transfer credits from your studies abroad to complete a degree at Lund University. Contact your faculty or department for more information about credit transfer.

You apply for exchange studies through your current faculty.

You must include at least a Statement of Purpose, a Study Plan and a CV in your application.

Note that there may be other attachments or instructions specific to your faculty. Read more on your faculty’s website about exchange studies:

You can apply for exchange studies at the University of California regardless of which faculty you belong to.

Applying to the University of California

After you have submitted your application

After you have submitted your application, it will be assessed by your faculty.

Places are allocated on the basis of a weighted assessment of all elements of the application, qualifications and the availability of places at the partner university in competition with other applicants.

You will normally be notified as to whether you have been nominated a few weeks after the deadline, but this may vary from faculty to faculty, so check with your faculty.

Student in front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. Photo.

I got to be in the American bubble and inside the walls of American politics.


         Kajsa on her exchange at
         University of California, LA

If you are nominated

If you are nominated for an exchange, you must accept your place. Carefully check the last day for replying. 

You will be assigned a coordinator at your faculty or at External Relations. The coordinator will then contact you with instructions on how to apply to the host university.

Please note: If for any reason you decide that you cannot or do not want to go on the exchange after all, it is very important that you inform your coordinator of your decision as soon as possible.

If you have any questions about your exchange

If you have any questions before or during your exchange, it is important that you know where to turn to get an answer. Read more under the relevant headings below.

If you have any questions about the application process, you should first contact your coordinator at Lund University, who can be found at your faculty or at External Relations. Contact with the host university should be made primarily through the coordinator.

All questions regarding course selection, course changes and credit transfer will be dealt with by your home department/programme, which will transfer credits for your courses abroad within your programme/degree.

Check your host university's website and mailings first. Their International Office can also help you.

After you have been accepted

Once you have been accepted to your host university, it is time to start preparing for your stay abroad. Some things need to be done as soon as you receive your admission notification, while others can wait until your departure is approaching. Although your coordinator will give you most of the information you need, it is still a good idea to visit our tips and advice page here on our website:

Practical information for students going abroad

Your role as a student ambassador

As an exchange student from Lund University, you are also an ambassador for the University. This may mean, for example, that you will be asked to participate in various events or to speak about Lund University in different contexts. You can read more about what being a student ambassador involves:

Being a student ambassador abroad

A mosaic of six pictures with students posing in urban environments abroad.

Follow our students around the world