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Learning or improving your Swedish

Students at Lund University who wish to learn or improve their Swedish have a number of different options. These depend on whether you are an exchange student or a degree student, the length of your studies and the availability of places.

SUSA is offered during the Orientation Weeks before the start of each semester.

It is available at beginner and intermediate levels and is worth 3 ECTS credits.

SUSA: a short introduction – Centre for Languages and Literature website

You can take SVEE courses as part of your study plan, or in addition to it, with the agreement of your international coordinator and your home university.

There are eight different levels, each worth 7.5 ECTS credits.

SVEE: Swedish language courses – Centre for Languages and Literature website

As a student at Lund University, you can also apply for freestanding beginners' and continuation courses worth 7.5 ECTS each.

Applications are open during the regular application periods for Swedish students:

  • 15 March–15 April for studies commencing in autumn
  • 15 September–15 October for studies commencing in spring

Freestanding short courses in Swedish – Centre for Languages and Literature website

If you are studying a one-year degree programme, you are eligible for an introductory Swedish course that runs for 2–3 weeks. If you have been admitted to such a programme, you will receive a link to sign up for this course in June.

Please note that places are limited. Students who pay tuition fees (non-EU/EEA students) are given preference.

If you are studying a degree programme that takes longer than one year to complete, you are eligible for so-called 'Swedish for Immigrants' (SFI) courses. These are offered by a school for adult education, 'Komvux', in your city of residence.

Note that you need a Swedish personal identity number ('personnummer') in order to be able to apply for these courses. After you have arrived in Sweden, you should apply for this number from the Swedish Tax Agency ('Skatteverket') as soon as possible.

Once you have received the personal identity number, you can apply for SFI courses. These are free of charge. Be aware that there may be long waiting lists, however. There are often many applicants and a limited number of places.

The University offers Swedish for university staff (SFU) at five different levels.

At Lund University, doctoral/PhD students and postdoctoral fellows are considered to be employees.

Discuss this option with your supervisor and find more information by clicking the link below.

Swedish for university staff – Lund University Staff Pages

Folkuniversitetet (a local provider of adult education) offers Swedish language courses for beginners, intermediate learners and advanced learners. Courses are available in Lund, Malmö and online.

You can take Folkuniversitetet's online language test to determine your current level. This will help you choose the right course for you.

These courses involve costs.

Paid Swedish language courses – Folkuniversitetet website

Advanced Swedish courses

Even if you are already proficient in the Swedish language, it may still present particular challenges.

Below you will find courses that will help you further improve your Swedish. For some of them, you need to be eligible for Swedish-taught studies at Swedish higher education institutions in Sweden.

If you are already proficient and would like to learn more specifically about academic writing in Swedish, you can enrol in the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) 'Akademiskt skrivande' offered by Lund University via coursera.org.

Note that you do not earn credits for a MOOC, nor can you count it towards your final degree.

Folkuniversitetet (a local provider of adult education) offers Swedish language courses for beginners, intermediate learners and advanced learners. Courses are available in Lund, Malmö and online. 

You can take Folkuniversitetet's online language test to determine your current level. This will help you choose the right course for you.

These courses involve costs.

Paid Swedish language courses – folkuniversitetet.se

If you have already reached an advanced level in Swedish but want to improve your academic writing or skills in another aspect or aspects of the language, you can have a look at the courses below.  

These courses require eligibility for Swedish-taught studies at Swedish higher education institutions.

There are different ways to prove your eligibility, for example through a pass grade on the Test in Swedish for University Studies (TISUS), or equivalent. Completing the final level of the full-time Study Abroad Swedish language programme described below is another possibility.

Learn more about eligibility in Swedish and the Study Abroad Swedish language programme:

See the course presentation for each course below.


Academic writing course

Svenska: Akademiskt skrivande (7.5 ECTS credits)

This course is intended for those who want to improve their ability to write academic Swedish, for example in preparation for a major essay assignment or degree project. You can study this course once you have made some headway in your studies.

The course is offered every semester as a distance learning course at a rate of 25% of full-time study.

Svenska: Akademiskt skrivande – course presentation on lu.se (in Swedish)


Other advanced proficiency courses (7.5 ECTS credits each)

The Centre for Languages and Literature offers advanced proficiency courses specifically for students with a foreign background. If you have reached an advanced level of Swedish but want to improve your skills in a certain aspect or aspects of the language, these courses may be relevant to you.

They each cover different aspects of the Swedish language:

  • practical Swedish grammar
  • written language skills
  • phonetics and pronunciation, and
  • vocabulary and oral language skills.

You can learn more about these courses on our Swedish website lu.se.

Advanced Swedish proficiency courses for students with a foreign background – lu.se (in Swedish)

If you would like to develop a profound knowledge of the Swedish language and/or achieve a formal qualification in Swedish, the full-time Study Abroad Swedish Language Programme could be for you.

There are two application periods for this programme each year:

  • Mid-October to 15 January for studies starting in autumn (September)
  • Early June to 15 August for studies starting in spring (January)

Study Abroad Swedish Language Course Package

Practising Swedish outside the classroom: language cafés

For those who want to improve their Swedish in a more informal way, while enjoying a fika, there are a couple of language cafés to choose from.

Find information about the language cafés on the organisers' Facebook pages:

Contact information

If you have any questions about Swedish courses at Lund University, please contact:

Peter Marthinsson, study advisor
peter [dot] marthinsson [at] sol [dot] lu [dot] se (peter[dot]marthinsson[at]sol[dot]lu[dot]se)
+46 (0)46 222 34 48