Recognition of prior learning

Recognition of prior learning for admission

Suppose you entirely or partially lack a formal requirement for a course or programme, but you believe you have the necessary knowledge to meet the requirement. In that case, you can apply for recognition of prior learning. The following may be applicable if you have:

• Relevant work experience or other professional experience.
• Incomplete academic studies in combination with relevant work experience or other professional experience.
• A qualified vocational education in combination with relevant work experience or professional experience.
• A relevant education that is either formal or informal.

To qualify for recognition of prior learning, you must be able to prove your knowledge with formal documentation, for example, a certificate from an employer. The document should validate which skills you have acquired or demonstrated in your professional role.

You apply by uploading your application and the documents that you will claim to your account on University Admissions  under “My Pages”. You must upload the documents by the application deadline for the programme. 

For students living in Sweden

If you do not have formal documents to show that you have the knowledge equivalent to a high-school course (eg. Physics 1), in Sweden you can, in most cases, take a test in the particular subject in order to get a formal grade. Contact “Komvux” (adult education) in your municipality if this applies to you.  

Preliminary decision on recognition of prior learning for admission

KTH processes applications for a preliminary decision during specific periods throughout the year. You should therefore make your application in a timely manner and allow for processing time. To apply for a preliminary decision, you should follow the instructions for recognition of prior learning and e-mail your application and the documents that you will claim to info@kth.se .

Preliminary decision on credit transfer

If you have merits that are relevant for a course or programme you want to apply for and want to know if you can shorten the time it will take to complete the programme you can apply for a preliminary decision on credit transfer.

The first step is to make a self-assessment of your qualifications in comparison to the programme based on the learning objectives set out in the course or programme syllabus .

If you want to receive a credit transfer for parts of a programme, you will need to write a description of the following as clear as you can in relation to the learning objectives and/or course elements.

• What knowledge do you have? Provide a detailed description of your knowledge and in what way you meet the learning objectives described in the course or programme syllabus.
• When and where did you gain this knowledge? For example in the workplace during a certain period.

If you have formal documents that support your claim, e-mail your letter and include these documents to info@kth.se .

Studies and documents from higher education institutions in other countries

Find out what academic documents are required from the country where you studied.

Bachelor’s level studies (University Admissions)

Master’s level studies (University Admissions)

Read more

Information in Swedish (Information på svenska)