Entry requirements for Computer Science
To be eligible for the master's programme in Computer Science, 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 Computer Science
A bachelor’s degree corresponding to 180 ECTS credits, or equivalent, including courses in:
- Mathematics: four different subjects with a total of 28.5 ECTS credits. These subjects must include a course in Calculus in one variable, a course in Linear Algebra, a course in Probability Theory and Statistics, and a course in Discrete Mathematics.
- Computer technology/Computer science and engineering/Computer science/Information technology: three different subjects with a total of 22.5 ECTS credits. These subjects must include a course in Object Oriented Programming, a course in Algorithms and Data Structures and an in-depth course in Algorithmic Complexity.
Within the programme track, there may be courses with additional requirements for special qualifications. The requirements are stated under the heading "Special eligibility" in the syllabus. Examples include the following:
• Multivariable analysis is a special eligibility requirement for compulsory courses within the tracks Data analysis and Cognitive systems.
• Human-computer interaction is a special entry requirement for compulsory courses within the Interaction Design track.
• Additional prerequisites may exist for some conditionally elective or recommended courses within the tracks.
Application documents
You need to submit all of the following documents according to the instructions from
University Admissions
.
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.
programme document
Summary sheet
Submit the
summary sheet for Computer Science
, available via the link when the application is open. If you do not submit a complete summary sheet, it will negatively affect your evaluation score. Fill out all of the required information before submitting the form. For questions regarding the summary sheet, please contact the
programme coordinator
directly.
Selection criteria
The selection process is based on the following criteria: study results (grades from previous studies), motivation for the studies (awards, prizes and publications) and previous education.
Previous education is assessed on the quality that the previous education is considered to have in the subjects that are relevant to the education applied for. To assess this, UKÄ's quality review for Swedish higher education institutions is used. For foreign institutions of higher learning, university ranking is used. The merit evaluation is done on a scale of 1-75.
Acceptance rate
The acceptance rate for the master's programme in Computer Science for 2024 was 10 %. We admitted 82 students out of the 799 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
.
