Education planning and administration handbook - Chapter 11

Last changed: 03 September 2025

Programme offering

11.1 Degree programme objectives and requirements at SLU
11.2 Degree programme size
11.3 Proposing a new degree programme
11.4 Principles for naming degree programmes
11.5 Joint programmes and double/joint degrees at first-cycle and second-cycle level
11.6 Phasing out a degree programme

Shortcuts to other parts of the handbook

11.1 Degree programme objectives and requirements at SLU

11.1.1 Programme profile and place in range of programmes offered

SLU objectives and requirements

All degree programmes at SLU must be connected to the university’s mission statement and areas, in accordance with government assignments. Degree programmes should complement each other and, if necessary, be available on several campuses. Doubling courses and programmes at existing SLU sites may occur if there is:

large student demand;
limited internal competition risk;
a clear labour market with regional connections;
teaching expertise to build on;
sustainable financial prerequisites.

In addition, SLU courses and programmes must relate to the national range of courses and programmes offered. Many of SLU’s areas of expertise compete with other universities and higher education institutions.

The annex to the Ordinance for the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences contains a complete list of all qualifications SLU offers. There are two types of qualifications at SLU: professional and general. SLU may decide the qualification specialisations. General qualification specialisations are decided by the main field of study which offers progressive specialisation within the programme. See Section 2.5 Subject, main field of study, disciplinary domain.

Specific requirements for certain types of programmes:

SLU offers three- and five-year professional programmes (exception: Veterinary Medicine programme – 5.5 years).
Programmes leading to professional qualifications may also provide general qualifications if the requirements in question are met.
Professional qualifications do not always include specialisations.
All professional qualifications at second-cycle level must meet the general entry requirements for third-cycle studies at SLU.
Programmes leading to general qualifications may also provide professional qualifications if the requirements in question are met.

11.1.2 Student demand

SLU objectives and requirements

All SLU courses and programmes must be in demand by the students. Describing and assessing potential student interest is challenging. Student interest applies to both educational content and implementation. A clear educational structure is necessary to communicate SLU’s range of courses and programmes to prospective students. Special attention should be given to programme titles, and preparation must include some form of external perspective.

Students currently studying at SLU have important experiences which should be utilised in the development process. It also important that the university provides current students with clear information on transitional provisions and other practical details.

11.1.3 Labour market demand

SLU objectives and requirements

All degree programmes at SLU should correspond to the needs of the labour market and society in general. SLU students must be prepared for a long professional life on a global labour market.

11.1.4 Resource conditions

SLU objectives and requirements

All degree programmes at SLU must have high teaching expertise. SLU’s degree programme range must be based on and advance teaching expertise at the departments (equivalent). This applies to scientific, artistic, educational and supervision expertise. Professional programmes must also include teachers’ professional expertise.

An advertised programme must be financially durable in accordance with the approved reimbursement model.

The physical and social study environment must enable students to benefit from teaching.

11.1.5 Programme content and design

SLU objectives and requirements

All degree programme at SLU must be designed to provide students with conditions to meet the qualitative targets. There must be a progression between various educational levels: 'Second-cycle courses and study programmes shall involve the acquisition of specialist knowledge, competence and skills in relation to first-cycle courses and study programmes'. (Higher Education Ordinance (1992:1434) Chapter 1)

SLU courses and programmes must focus on student learning. They must have good links to research and society. Sustainable development, gender equality and international perspectives must be integrated in all courses and programmes.

Joint studies of different programmes may have educational and financial advantages, e.g. that students with varying experiences from several different programmes can enrich teaching of a specific course.

All programmes should have a well thought-out concept for collaboration with the sector or businesses targeted by the programme, and discuss how cooperation benefits both the course/programme and students. All degree programmes beginning at first-cycle level should include at least 15 credits (10 weeks) of placement, study trips or activities carried out somewhere other than the campus, or in cooperation with an external party. See Chapter 15. External collaboration.

All degree programmes should include the possibility of exchange studies for a whole semester. Long professional programmes (5 years) must offer exchange studies (exemption: qualifications that include certificates).

Specific requirements for certain types of programmes:

Coherent, long professional programmes (5 years) consist of a first-cycle and second-cycle level. Students must not have a first-cycle qualification to receive a professional qualification at second-cycle level, but professional qualifications at second-cycle level require that the student has carried out an independent project at first-cycle level (15 credits) and second-cycle level (30 credits) and passed both. Exceptions: Degree of Master of Science in Veterinary Medicine and Degree of Master of Science in Horticulture.
In order to be admitted to a second-cycle programme, students must have a Degree of Bachelor or professional qualification of at least 180 credits, or a foreign qualification.
Long professional programmes (5 years) at the same campus which lead to the same qualifications must be have at least 60 credits of joint content, of which at least 30 credits must be studied at the beginning of the programme.
All programmes which lead to professional qualifications related to the use of natural resources (agronomist, horticulturalist, forester, agricultural manager, forest engineer and horticultural engineer) must contain a minimum of the following:
- 10 social science credits, e.g. economics and community planning
- 10 technology credits, focusing on production and environmental consequences
- 10 general technology credits, focusing on production systems.
First-cycle degree programmes must offer a course of study with a clear progression (progressive specialisation) within the main field of study:
- A Degree of Bachelor requires 90 main field of study credits, including an independent project (15 credits). See Section 2.5 Subject, main field of study, disciplinary domain and SLU’s system of qualifications.
- First-cycle programmes may include second-cycle courses, but only a maximum of 30 Degree of Bachelor credits. See SLU’s examination procedures.
- Degree programmes leading to a Degree of Bachelor in biology, technology, economics or business administration must include reasonable subject-width in order to be compared to corresponding programmes at other Swedish higher education institutions and universities.
- Degree programmes leading to a Degree of Bachelor in biology must include at least 15 credits of diversity of organisms, life processes and ecology.
- First-cycle courses and programmes leading to a Degree of Bachelor in biology must be based on completed upper-secondary natural science education.
Second-cycle degree programmes must offer a course of study with a clear progression (progressive specialisation) within the main field of study:
- A Degree of Master requires 60 main field of study credits, including an independent project (30 credits). See Section 2.5 Subject, main field of study, disciplinary domain and SLU’s system of qualifications.
- Master’s programmes must have a course of study where a minimum of 15 credits are offered during one period without other elective courses.
- It is recommended that Master's programmes have a course of study where a minimum of 15 credits consist of A1F courses within the qualification main field of study (decision by the Board of Education, 11 October 2023, Section 87/23, SLU ID: SLU.ua.2023.1.1.1-3736).
- On Master’s programmes, up to 30 credits may consist of first-cycle courses. See SLU’s system of qualifications.

Instructions

Within the framework of SLU’s quality assurance procedures, follow-up of objectives and requirements is done within individual courses and programmes.

11.2 Degree programme size

The total number of places on a degree programme is primarily determined by the following factors:

SLU’s funding agreement targets
available resources and how these are allocated
the number of new places on a programme
student demand.

Policy

The range of courses and programmes offered must correspond to student demand and the needs of the labour market.

National regulations

SLU must report the assessments, prioritisations and needs analyses that are the basis for all decisions on the course and programme offering. Adjustments of e.g. the allocation between programmes and courses at various levels and different entry requirements, as well as campus and distance learning, must be reported. In addition, SLU must report on how we meet the surrounding society’s need for education.

Who is responsible for what?

The size of a degree programme is decided in several steps:

Programme boards may propose changes to the Board of Education.
The Board of Education proposes allocation of funds and funding agreement targets to the SLU Board through the vice-chancellor.
The SLU Board decides on allocation of funds to education at first- and second-cycle level with funding agreement targets (full-time equivalents and annual performance equivalents for degree programmes and freestanding courses).
The number of new places on a programme are decided within the resource framework established by the SLU Board.
Programme boards can decide to technically admit more students than there are places to degree programmes, within the resource frameworks established by the SLU Board.

Instructions

Annex 2: Annual cycle for course and programme planning lists, among other things, timeframes for planning and deciding the size of degree programmes.

To the start of the chapter

11.3 Proposing a new degree programme

A new degree programme is a big commitment for SLU and a great responsibility, especially for the first programme students. Therefore, great care is required to analyse the conditions for and plan new programmes. Good planning is necessary when preparing and deciding on changes to the range of programmes offered. See Annex 2: Annual cycle for course and programme planning.

A new degree programme must meet the requirements in Section 12.1 Degree programme objectives and requirements at SLU. New programme proposals must describe, analyse and assess the aspects below as bases for a decision to create a new programme.

The items below can be used as support when developing new programmes, and for decision-making. The proposal must describe the aspects concisely, and the scope of various parts may vary depending on specific needs and prerequisites. A preliminary programme syllabus must exist when establishing a new programme.

SLU may be jointly responsible for a programme with other higher education institutions, and create joint examinations. There are specific guidelines for joint programmes and joint degrees, which state the exceptions and agreements required in such cases. See Links below.

11.3.1 Programme profile and place in range of programmes offered

What must the proposal include?

Which SLU field(s) are affected and how? How is the programme’s unique profile expressed?
Are other SLU programmes or courses related to the field? Justify why the programme is needed in relation to SLU’s joint range of programmes offered. Report any overlaps with other SLU programmes or courses and possible risks of competition with other programmes. Clarify if another programme will be phased out if the proposed programme is approved.
Are there similar, competing programmes at other higher education institutions? Benchmark the programme in question against these programmes. Justify why the degree programme is necessary in relation to the national range of courses and programmes offered. Do other countries have similar programmes?
Which qualification does the programme provide, and what other qualifications must students have to study the programme in question? If related to general qualifications, the analysis must be connected to a main field of study. If an existing main field of study will be used, justify why. If so, also state the other programmes using the main field of study in question, and how the programmes will complement, not compete with, each other. If a new main field of study will be used, justify why. See Section 2.5 Subject, main field of study, disciplinary domain.
UHR approves entry requirements for professional programmes.
If the Board of Education must create a new qualification descriptor, a proposal description must be included in the report. In addition, the SLU programme syllabus template must be used.

11.3.2 Student demand

What must the proposal include?

What is the programme student target group? Does the programme correspond to their areas of interest?
Does the programme title correspond to its content, and is the title relevant to the target group?
Report how demand has been met, implemented and planned target groups analyses, focus groups, benchmarking against other programmes, etc.
What are the planned programme entry requirements? How do they affect the potential target group scope?
How will the programme be marketed? Report completed and/or planned information and marketing initiatives. In addition, how will student recruitment be designed?
Report how student influence has been implemented and utilised in the development work.

11.3.3 Labour market demand

What must the proposal include?

Which type of labour market does the programme lead to? Report an analysis of current and future societal needs for persons with the proposed type of education. The analysis must be as quantitative as possible.
Which skills relevant to a national and international labour market will students develop during their studies?
Report how viewpoints, requests and proposals from labour market stakeholders within related business and public sectors have been collected and utilised in the development work.
Report how consumer viewpoints on the programme will be utilised in future programme development and when dimensioning the programme.

11.3.4 Resource conditions

What must the proposal include?

Which teaching resources are available on the programme? Report access to those employed for an indefinite period (stability and long-term sustainability), scientifically/artistically skilled persons, persons with higher education and experienced teachers as well as other employees who will take part of the programme in some way.
Are programme needs relating to subject and educational teaching expertise covered at SLU, or do new teachers need to be recruited or is cooperation with other higher education institutions necessary? Where applicable, report which parts of SLU or other higher education institutions will take part of the programme, and how. Report if future, planned external partners have been contacted.
The necessary planned programme infrastructure must also be described and assessed in relation to existing resources. Describe if necessary premises or equipment are needed – both joint and programme-specific infrastructure.
Is it possible to make resources more effective through joint studying or other joint resource usage, e.g. with the aid of digitalisation and distance learning? If so, how and how much?

11.3.5 Programme content and design

What must the proposal include?

Degree outcomes and progression

Enclose a preliminary course schedule describing the programme’s basic design and content.
Describe how the programme’s design and examinations contribute to student learning.
Describe how students are ensured to meet the qualitative targets. The matrix model below can be used to describe how programme courses relate to qualitative targets and how a programme is planned to ensure student progression in regard to subject-specific and general skills.
Report and justify possible joint studies with existing programmes/courses.
Describe how students will be able to subsequently study at second- or third-cycle level after completing the programme.
If a new main field of study is needed, see Section 2.5 Subject, main field of study, disciplinary domain.

Matrix model: A matrix is made for each programme, displaying how qualitative targets will be met through the planned programme courses. The matrix includes the qualitative targets on one axis and included courses on the other axis. The interface lists relevant intended course learning outcomes that contribute to meeting the qualitative targets in question. The model clarifies how a programme is designed and how it will progress in a clear way, and must take both subject-specific and general skills into consideration.

Programme	Degree outcome 1	Degree outcome 2	Degree outcome 3, etc.
Course code: Course title A		Intended learning outcome 1 + 3
Course code: Course title B	Intended learning outcome 3		Intended learning outcome 2
Course code: Course title C	Intended learning outcome 4	Intended learning outcome 1 + 6
Course code: Course title D etc.			Intended learning outcome 5, etc.

Research connection

Describe how the programme will achieve a good research basis.
Describe how students will take part of research-connected activities which enable a scientific approach.

Societal and professional connection

Describe how and when during their studies that students will develop skills relevant to a national and international labour market.
Report any planned labour market participation and the forms for such cooperation during the programme period. This may for example include placements, field studies, visiting lecturers an independent projects. See Chapter 15. External collaboration. If placement is compulsory, describe how students are assured to get access to it.

Sustainable development perspective

Describe how the programme provides students with a solid foundation for managing all perspectives (financial, social, environmental) of sustainability in their future professional life.

Gender equality perspective

Describe how the programme includes a gender and gender equality perspective in its content and implementation.

International perspective

Describe how the programme includes international relationships in its content and implementation. Are student and teacher exchanges possible?

11.3.6 Consequence summary

What must the proposal include?

Describe the expected consequences for stakeholders if the new degree programme proposal is approved.
Summarise possible adjustments to the various objectives that are the bases for the proposal.
Describe how many students can take the programme and how many students are necessary for the programme to meet its resource needs.
Enclose a programme syllabus proposal. See Section 6.2 Course syllabuses.

Who is responsible for what?

Activity	Degree programme
Proposal	Department, programme board or faculty board
Approve/reject	Programme board, faculty board and Board of Education
Decision to set up	Vice-Chancellor
Decision on programme syllabus	Board of Education

Instructions

Annex 2: Annual cycle for course and programme planning includes, among other things, joint timeframes for planning and decisions on range of programmes and courses offered. Changes to the range of programmes and courses offered should be prepared in parallel at faculty and university level. When developing a new programme, relevant programme syllabus information is compiled during various preparation phases. This means that a programme syllabus can be established in connection with the vice-chancellor’s decision to implement a new programme.

11.4 Principles for naming degree programmes

Policy

An important detail for SLU as a university is clarity regarding what our courses and programmes involve. The most important thing is to highlight what subject expertise each course/programme provides, but also, in some cases, which profession the course/programme can lead to.

In order for the university to meet the SLU strategy objectives and in accordance with the public service agreement, the naming of SLU degree programmes is one of the most basic success factors from both a clarity and recruitment perspective.

At SLU, the naming principles below apply to new programmes or when changing the name of an already established programme.

Programme title principles

The programme title should be simple, communicative and preferably be based on the idea which is or will become the most common usage of the title, e.g. biology and environmental science. In this example, the programme should be called just that, not biology and environmental science – Bachelor’s programme.
From a brand and communication perspective, it is recommended that the programme title is no longer than five syllables, or a maximum of three words.
A degree programme must always have a Swedish title (official language of public authorities).
There must always be an English translation of the programme title.
In programmes taught in English, the English title must always be used in the following contexts:
- both in Swedish and English descriptions;
- tables or other compilations;
- communication with systems that gather SLU data, e.g. universityadmissions.se, studera.nu;
- exemption: the programme syllabus must be in Swedish.
In general, programme titles should always signal what the student will study. The title must state what the main programme subject is, e.g. Ethology and Animal Welfare or Sustainable Food Systems.
The titles of programmes leading to a professional qualification are based on the qualification title, e.g. forest engineer.
Supplements are primarily used for clarification in cases where further definition is needed, e.g. campus (landscape engineer – Uppsala).
The qualification type should be made clear through credits and supplementary texts as well as fact squares online or in print. Also see the instructions below.

Who is responsible for what?

In short, the following process applies when naming new or renaming previous programme titles:

The responsible project group/programme board submits a short description and a few title proposals to the Division of Communication.
The Division of Communication processes the proposals, and they are then tested on one or several focus groups, preferably the intended target groups. A concrete title proposal is then submitted to the Board of Education, and feedback is also given to the responsible programme board.
SLU’s language coordinator should be consulted in order for the programme titles to be as correct and uniform as possible.
The Board of Education processes submitted programme and title proposals and compiles a joint proposal to the vice-chancellor for approval.

Instructions

It is important that programme titles are uniform. However, to avoid ponderous formulations in text, the following approach is recommended for official documents:

The established and complete programme title is used the first time the programme is mentioned in e.g. programme syllabuses.
If the programme title is long or difficult to use in texts and headers for other reasons, the recommendation is to use a more flexible and consistent formulation.
In texts, the programme title may need a supplement that describes which qualification it leads to.
Programme titles are written with capital letters. However, “programme” is always in lowercase. Examples:
- “This programme syllabus concerns the professional programme Veterinary Nursing – Bachelor’s programme.”
- “Students from the Veterinary Nursing programme study 180 credits.”
- “The Bachelor’s programme Biology and Environmental Science is taught at SLU’s Uppsala campus.”
- “Students taking the Biology and Environmental Science – Bachelor’s programme…”
Remember that when writing programme titles in English, all nouns are written in capital letters, but conjunctions are not. See above.
In order to clarify programme titles in English, it is recommended that you add the qualification to the title, e.g. MSc or BSc.

It is important to use the full official name for SLU when discussing the university in educational contexts, primarily when other systems gather data from SLU’s course and programme database or from Ladok. The following two names are official and registered:

SLU, Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet (Swedish sites)
The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SLU (international sites).

Note that these sites are e.g. antagning.se, studera.nu and universityadmissions.se – proven important tools when selecting a course or programme.

Links

To the start of the chapter

11.5 Joint programmes and double/joint degrees at first-cycle and second-cycle level

Cooperation with other higher education institutions (HEIs), nationally and internationally, can contribute to increased education quality. In some cases, it may be necessary to formalise cooperation in joint programmes and offer students the option of a double or joint degree.

Important concepts

Joint degree programmes

Joint degree programmes are designed, established and implemented jointly by two or more HEIs. Each HEI concerned decides on the joint programme in accordance with their procedure for establishing programmes. Legally, each HEI is responsible for their part of the degree programme. For the parts offered at SLU, the Swedish Higher Education Act and Higher Education Ordinance apply, as do the university’s local regulations. A joint programme at SLU can be a specialisation within an existing programme or a separate programme. A joint programme may lead to a double degree, where each HEI awards a degree, or a joint degree, exclusive to the specific joint programme.

Double degree (also known as dual degree)

A double degree means two degrees, based on one and the same degree programme, are awarded. A double degree can be obtained by studying a programme offered by two higher education institutions in one or more countries. A double degree can also consist of two degrees awarded by the same HEI, for example, a professional degree and a general degree based on the same degree programme. Each higher education institution follows its procedures for awarding the degree for which the student has qualified through the joint degree programme.

When a joint degree programme offers the opportunity to be awarded a degree from more than two HEIs, the term used is multiple degree, following the same logic as for a double degree.

Joint degrees

The Swedish Higher Education Act (HEA) allows Swedish universities and university colleges to award joint degrees together with foreign or other Swedish HEIs. Two or more HEIs are therefore allowed to organise and implement a joint degree programme resulting in a joint degree of the same type that they are otherwise entitled to award separately, in accordance with their respective national legislation.

Policy

The purpose of joint degree programmes leading to joint or double degrees is to improve the quality of the programme through cooperation compared to if each HEI were to carry out the programme on its own. This cooperation benefits students and the universities and makes it easier for students to study at several HEIs as part of their studies. Courses included in the programmes are credited upon the student's application without special assessment.

High standards should be set for potential cooperation partners. As far as possible, only equal and reputable HEIs should be considered, offering relevant subject expertise and reliable quality assurance systems.

In practice, it is often difficult to reach an agreement on a programme leading to a joint degree with foreign HEIs, as national laws and regulations governing education are often incompatible. In addition, a new programme must be set up as part of SLU’s offering (see 11.3). For this reason, SLU only offers double degrees as part of international cooperation. Deviations from this policy can only be approved by the Board of Education if there are special reasons.

Cooperation leading to a double degree can be based on existing programmes at the respective HEIs, or on the creation of a new programme. A specially drafted agreement is drawn up between the HEIs regulating the arrangements, detailing the study plan that can lead to a double degree.

When developing a joint degree programme, HEIs must keep fairness and legal certainty firmly in mind. The same rights and obligations must apply to students on a joint degree programme as to all other students at the HEIs concerned. The written agreement should therefore regulate, in a precise and unambiguous manner, everything that may affect the students' ability to achieve their degree.

National rules

Double degrees

No specific national rules apply to the award of a double degree; instead, the HEI must ensure that the student has achieved the relevant degree objectives before awarding the degree in question. At SLU, this means a degree is only awarded after the student has applied for it in accordance with the local system of qualifications.

Joint degrees

According to the Higher Education Ordinance, SLU may only award a joint degree if:

'… this cooperation is based on a written agreement' (Chapter 6, Section 11a);
'the student has completed a programme subject to an agreement under the same paragraph and fulfilled the requirements for the award of a qualification at the higher education institution and at least one other higher education institution that has provided a programme component' (Chap 6 Section 11e 1);
'each higher education institution awarding a qualification included in the joint degree may confer the degree awarded by the higher education institution' (Chapter 6 Section 11e 2);
'each qualification included in the joint degree and which is awarded by a higher education institution subject to the Higher Education Act (1992:1434) or by an independent course provider refers to the same qualification as that of the higher education institution, and every qualification included in the joint degree and which is awarded by a foreign higher education institution is at the same cycle as at the higher education institution' (Chapter 6, Section 11e 3–4).

The award of a joint degree based on a joint degree programme is a complex process, especially when education systems and legislation in two or more countries have to be merged and complied with. The Higher Education Act and the Higher Education Ordinance therefore regulate, in detail, the criteria that must be met for joint degrees to be awarded by Swedish HEIs (HEA Chapter 1, Sections 17-18; HEO Chapter 6, Section 11).

The Higher Education Ordinance also requires a detailed written agreement to be drawn up between HEIs that will cooperate on a joint degree.

SLU rules

Cooperating on programmes leading to a joint degree is a complex and time-consuming process. International educational cooperation at SLU should therefore aim at double degrees.

Educational cooperation must have the support of the relevant departments and programme board. The annual planning cycle for courses and programmes sets out, among other things, the timeframes for planning and deciding on the programme offering.

Who is responsible for what?

The initiator of the cooperation, and the relevant programme director of studies, ensure support for the plans for a joint degree programme at the department and programme board level.

The programme board concerned is responsible for getting the approval of the Board of Education, and for writing a letter of intent with the partners as early as possible in the process. This is signed by the vice-chancellor or someone appointed by them.

Staff handling admission, agreement and qualification issues at the Division of Educational Affairs and the faculty offices concerned, as well as the legal counsel at the Vice-Chancellor's Office, must always be consulted when planning cooperation on a programme. The head of the Division of Educational Affairs appoints an administrative officer responsible for following up the letter of intent.

On request, the Division of Educational Affairs can offer support in drawing up agreements.

Links

Double degree and joint degree (only in Swedish)

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11.6 Phasing out a degree programme (when the programme syllabus is not replaced by a new syllabus with a new programme code)

Policy

Degree programmes which no longer meet labour market needs, do not attract enough students or do not meet quality requirements must either be developed or phased out. Before deciding whether to phase out (discontinue) a programme, the programme board must draw up measures which enable students who have already been admitted to complete their studies.

If a degree programme gets a new programme syllabus and a new programme code, it is decided that the previous programme syllabus will be phased out in accordance with applicable parts of the regulations concerning the phase-out of a programme.

National regulations

Established programme syllabuses are legally binding, and a higher education institution is obligated to follow them. A student who has been admitted and subsequently registered on a programme has long-term rights when it comes to the possibility to complete their studies.

Transitional provisions must be established in connection with the decision to phase out a degree programme. Such provisions must be documented in the programme syllabus that is being withdrawn, see Section 12.1 Programme syllabuses and 12.4 Withdrawing a programme syllabus.

SLU rules

A decision to phase out a degree programme also means that the corresponding syllabus and programme code are withdrawn, and a decision taken on transitional provisions, including a final date for the phase-out (see Section 12.4 Withdrawing a programme syllabus). The phase-out decision must state as of which academic year the programme will no longer be part of SLU’s programme offering.

During the phase-out period, the university’s obligations under the programme syllabus to offer the courses that make up the programme will gradually cease. However, phasing out a degree programme does not mean that the courses on the programme are automatically discontinued, see Section 6.7 Discontinuing a course. If the courses are to be discontinued, this must be done in a particular order, and the decisions to do so must be comply with the applicable delegation of authority.

Section 6.7 Discontinuing a course, 8.4 Compulsory components and 8.9 Resits describe how students can complete courses they have already started. In addition, a student who has been admitted to and registered on a programme at SLU has the right to apply to have their credits transferred and apply for a degree. This will be possible even after the programme has been phased out.

A degree programme where a freeze on admissions has been in place for five years must be phased out.

When taking a decision to phase out a programme, transitional provisions must be established.

Once a phase-out decision has been taken, no further admission to year 1 is allowed. Students may be admitted to later years as long as these are offered according to the programme’s course schedule.

The students concerned must be informed of all changes.

The responsible programme board must report on measures that enable students already admitted to the programme to complete their studies. The programme board is responsible for students who study a programme at a normal pace of study. In addition, the needs of the following groups must be taken into account: students who have taken leave from their studies with a guaranteed place as well as students with disabilities, who may have the right to have their study rate adapted.

Who is responsible for what?

The programme board or the Board of Education proposes the phasing out of a programme at the initiative of a department, programme director of studies or faculty board.
Faculty boards and programme boards submit opinons on the proposal.
The vice-chancellor decides to phase out a degree programme.
The Board of Education takes the decision to withdraw the programme syllabus.

The responsible programme board decides who is responsible for informing the students concerned, normally the programme’s director of studies.

Instructions

Phase-out decision

The supporting documents when phasing out and discontinuing a degree programme must include the following:

The reason for phasing out the programme, e.g. strategic concerns, low number of applicants, quality shortcomings that cannot be remedied under current conditions or an uncertain labour market.
Draft transitional provisions stating how active programme students and students who have been granted leave from studies, as well as students entitled to an adapted pace of study, can fulfil the qualification requirements.
A short impact assessment, e.g. how other programmes and the departments involved will be affected if the programme is discontinued.

The decision to phase out a degree programme must state the reason(s) for doing so.

Information to the students concerned

Students must be informed in writing, and the information must also be published on the programmes page on the student web. The following must be included:

The end date for the phase-out period and date as of which the programme syllabus will cease to apply.
When the final course instances will be offered under the existing programme syllabus.
Students who are not actively taking the programme but who wish to start studying again should be encouraged to contact the programme director of studies or a study advisor. This is done to, if necessary, set up an individual study plan and/or apply for exam resits (equivalent).
Information explaining that students risk missing the opportunity to complete the programme and fulfil the qualification requirements if they contact the university too late.

If it is not possible to offer programme courses to students who return from approved leave from studies, or students granted an adapted study pace, they must be offered either an individual study plan or another way of fulfilling the qualification requirements.

'Students concerned' means:

active programme students (registered in of the programme courses during the current academic year)
programme students who have been granted deferment of studies or approved leave from studies (with a guaranteed place)
programme students who have been registered on a programme course in the past five academic years (including the current academic year) without having applied for non-completion and who have not completed their degree

Study advisors can also help other students, e.g. students with longer periods of approved leave from studies without special reasons. They can be offered individual study planning in order to complete their degrees.

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