Planning your courses
In many countries, it is common to take several courses simultaneously during the entire semester. At Mid Sweden University, it is most common to take courses consecutively, i.e., one course after the other during the semester.
Understanding the Swedish study system
The academic year at Mid Sweden University is divided into two semesters. Each semester is 20 weeks. The semester is divided into four periods of 5 weeks each. Exams are not given at the end of the semester, but rather at the end of each course.Full-time studies during one semester equals 30 credits in Sweden. Courses are given at different study pace at Mid Sweden University. Our courses run in a certain study period over a certain period of time, at a certain pace. Some courses are given as full-time studies (100 % study pace) and some as half-time (50 % study pace) and part-time (25 % study pace).
Östersund campus and Sundsvall campus are located 180 kilometres apart. Therefore, it is important that you select courses at one campus only, and make sure that you have a sufficient number of courses for the duration of the semester. Full-time studies at Mid Sweden University are 30 credits per semester. You may enroll in courses of a total of 30 credits during one semester. The exception is the Swedish Language course, which you may enroll in on top of a full course load since this course is pre-university level and scheduled as a part-time course.
There are several aspects to consider before choosing courses e.g., study pace, workload, and period. By doing so, the student is more likely to achieve a satisfactory study load and suitable course selection during the exchange. Therefore, it is important to understand the study system and how to choose between courses when planning for the exchange.
Full-time course (100 % study pace)
Full-time courses are usually taken one after the other (consecutive scheduling). It means that a course on 7,5 credits will run for five weeks during the semester including examination, and a 15-credit course will run for a full study period of 10 weeks including examination. If you study full-time you are supposed to spend approximately 40 hours a week on your studies. A full-time course with a study pace of 100 %, should not be combined with other courses scheduled in the same period (it can be combined with the Swedish language course for beginners as this is a part -time pre-university level course)
Half-time courses (50 % study pace)
In some subjects it is more common to study two courses simultaneously for ten weeks (parallel scheduling). This means that during these ten weeks you will also do the examination of the same two courses without ending up with a too heavy workload or schedule conflicts. If you take a course which has a study pace of 50 %, it means that you are expected to spend approximately 20 hours a week on your studies
Part-time (25 % study pace)
A 7,5 credit course running at 25% will run during the whole semester (20 weeks). Part-time studies at 25 % study pace means that you should spend approximately 10 hours a week on your studies.
Avoid schedule conflicts
It is common to experience schedule conflicts when choosing courses given at different departments. One way to avoid schedule clashes is to study the majority of your courses at one main department.
Change of courses
Changes to courses should only be made due to conflicting schedules. Please note that changes are subject to availability, so make sure to select your courses carefully during the regular application period.
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