Entry requirements for Software Engineering of Distributed Systems
To be eligible for the master's programme in Software Engineering of Distributed Systems, you must meet the listed admission requirements and submit the documents required in your application. We will assess your application according to the selection criteria set for the programme. The same process applies to students with a bachelor's degree from a Swedish university.
Admission requirements
Bachelor's degree
Academic qualifications from an internationally recognised university equivalent to a Swedish bachelor's degree.
Students in their final year of bachelor's studies can meet the requirement if they follow the
instructions from University Admissions
.
Final-year students at Swedish universities
must have completed 150 ECTS credits in their programme by 3 February.
English proficiency
English proficiency equivalent to the Swedish upper secondary course English 6.
You can meet the requirement with an English test, for example an overall IELTS score of 6.5 or a TOEFL score of 90. Depending on your country of previuous studies you could also meet the requirement through completed upper secondary or university studies. Visit
University Admissions
to see all recognised English tests and what applies to your country of previous studies.
Specific requirements for Software Engineering of Distributed Systems
A bachelor's degree in computer science or equivalent degree, corresponding to at least 180 ECTS credits, including courses in mathematics, information technology or computer science equivalent to at least 90 ECTS credits.
Application documents
You need to submit all of the following documents according to the instructions from
University Admissions
.
General document
Degree certificates
Official certificates of your completed degrees. The documentation requirements vary between countries. Visit
University Admissions
to see what applies to your country.
General document
Transcript
Official transcript of courses and grades completed in your degree. Students from Swedish universities that use Ladok do not need to submit degree certificates or transcripts.
General document
Proof of English proficiency
What proof you need depends on whether you meet the requirement through a test or previous studies. Visit
University Admissions
to see what applies to you.
General document
Identification
A copy of passport with personal data and photograph, or other identification document.
Programme document
CV
KTH does not require a standard template, but the CV should clearly and concisely outline your education, work experience, computer literacy, qualifications and achievements (awards, publications, expertise knowledge and skills, etc.). It must be written in English.
Programme document
Letter of motivation
The letter of motivation explains why you have chosen this programme at KTH, what you hope to gain from it and how your interests and skills will help you succeed in your studies. Include an autobiography with the development and relevance of your academic and professional pursuits, extra-curricular activities and related experiences. KTH does not require a standard template, but it must be in English and less than 500 words. If you apply to multiple programmes that require a letter of motivation, you should submit one for each and state which programme each letter applies to at the top of the page.
Programme document
Letters of recommendation
Two letters of recommendation describing why you are the right choice for admission. Preferably, have one referee from an academic environment and one from a professional setting. If you apply for multiple programmes at KTH that request letters of recommendation, you may use the same letters for several programmes. You must provide an English translation if the letters are in a different language. The letters must have the referees' full contact details. If your referee wants to submit the letter themselves, they must send it by post to
University Admissions
and state your name and application number. They can not submit the letter via email.
Selection criteria
The selection process is based on the following criteria: study results (grades, relevant subjects), motivation for studies (motivation letter, programme priority, CV, references, relevant working experience) and prior education.
Prior education is evaluated based on the quality and suitability of the subjects that are relevant for the programme applied to. For international prior education, university ranking is also part of the merit rating. The merit rating is carried out on a scale of 1-75.
Acceptance rate
The acceptance rate for the master's programme in Software Engineering of Distributed Systems for 2024 was 18 %. We admitted 66 students out of the 366 applicants that met the admission requirements. To increase your chances of getting admitted to KTH, we advise you to select more than one programme when applying. You can apply for up to four programmes and rank them in your order of preference.
Recognition of prior learning
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
.
