How SLU is organised – from the board to departments

SLU falls under the Ministry of Rural Affairs and Infrastructure. The SLU Board is responsible for the overall direction and budget of the university. The senior management team – comprising the vice-chancellor, deans and chief operating officer – leads strategic development and ensures the quality of operations.

The four faculties consist of departments that conduct research and education in their respective fields. The university administration provides operational support and services in areas such as finance, HR, communications and infrastructure.

The internal audit contributes to quality assurance, and SLU Holding AB contributes to knowledge dissemination and innovation activities.

SLU's governance structure for education involves all parts of the university to ensure quality and relevance.

Read more below about how SLU is organised:

Ministry
SLU Board
University management
Faculties and departments
University administration & library
Internal audit
SLU Holding
Educational bodies

Governance structure

Ministry

Since its foundation in 1977, SLU has fallen under the Ministry of Agriculture, now the Ministry of Rural Affairs and Infrastructure. Other universities and university colleges in Sweden fall under the Ministry of Education.

• Ministry of Rural Affairs and Infrastructure
• Public service agreement, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences 2026 (in Swedish)

SLU Board

The SLU Board has overall responsibility for the university’s strategic direction and budget. In addition to the chair of the board and the vice-chancellor, it comprises representatives of the university's teaching staff and students, as well as representatives from the business community and public organisations.

• SLU Board
• The SLU Board’s delegation of authority (in Swedish)

University management

The university management consists of the vice-chancellor, the deputy vice-chancellor and the pro vice-chancellors, the deans and the chief operating officer. They are responsible for ensuring that SLU is a successful and attractive university for students, researchers and other staff. This includes developing visions and plans to guide SLU's development, ensuring high quality in education and research and using the university's resources in the best possible way.

• University management
• About the university management on the external website
• The vice-chancellor’s delegation of authority (in Swedish)

Faculties and departments

A faculty is responsible for the activities of a particular scientific field. Its highest decision-making body is the faculty board, chaired by the dean. SLU has four faculties. Each faculty has an office that provides administrative support. This is headed by the head of faculty administration.

Each faculty consists of a number of departments, where education and research are conducted in specific subject areas. Each faculty, and several departments, also carry out environmental monitoring and assessment. Each department is headed by a head of department.

Faculty of Landscape Architecture, Horticultural and Plant Production Sciences (LTV)

• The LTV Faculty on the staff web
• The LTV Faculty’s delegation of authority (in Swedish)

Faculty of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences (NJ)

• The NJ Faculty on the staff web
• The NJ Faculty’s delegation of authority (in Swedish)

Faculty of Forest Sciences (S)

• The S Faculty on the staff web
• The S Faculty’s delegation of authority (in Swedish)

Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science (VH)

• The VH Faculty on the staff web
• The VH Faculty’s delegation of authority (in Swedish)

Departments

• List of departments on the external web

University administration/Operational support

The university administration consists of a number of central administrative divisions that support academic activities in areas such as finance, communication and infrastructure. The chief operating officer heads the university administration.

• University administration
• The chief operating officer's delegation of authority (in Swedish)

The SLU Library

As of 2026, the library is part of the university administration. The library provides support for research, studies and knowledge dissemination.

• SLU Library – management and organisation

Internal audit

Through auditing and advisory work, the Internal Audit Unit supports SLU in conducting the best operations possible. The results of the audits are reported to the SLU Board.

• Internal audit

SLU Holding

SLU Holding AB is a state-owned company managed by SLU, which runs the university's innovation office on behalf of SLU.

• SLU Holding AB

Educational bodies

“As the accountable authority, the Government shall establish higher education institutions for the provision of courses and study programmes based on scholarship or artistic practice and on proven experience". (Higher Education Act (1992:1434) Chapter 1).

Responsibility for SLU's education at undergraduate and Master’s level is shared between the SLU Board, the vice-chancellor, the Board of Education, faculties, programme boards and departments.

These educational bodies constitute the university's governing and decision-making structure for education, and include the Board of Education, the programme boards, programme directors of study, joint councils and the students’ unions.

The delegations of authority describe how responsibilities and powers are distributed between the different bodies responsible for education governance.

The financial framework for education is described in the allocation of funds for SLU as a whole and for each faculty, as well as the university administration and the library.