Decision documents

Last changed: 27 November 2020

Main fields of study, progression, prior knowledge and degree requirements

On 16 May 2019, the Board of Education approved the principles for managing a number of issues concerning degree requirements and placements, qualification titles, main fields of study and specialisations, double classification and entry requirements.

On 19 June 2019, the SLU Board decided to establish sustainable development and environmental psychology as main fields of study. Additionally, agroecology will be a specialisation for a degree in agricultural science.

”Skogsbruk med många mål” (multi-purpose forest management) in collaboration with the Linnaeus University

For the 2020/21 academic year, a new distance Master's programme, “Skogsbruk med många mål” will be launched. This programme was developed and will run jointly with the Linnaeus University. The boards of both universities have supported the new Master’s programme.

Decision regarding funding

On 16 May 2019, the Board of Education approved a total use of resources of SEK 56.7 million for the period 2019–2021, of which SEK 37 million will be used in 2020 and during the remainder of 2019. New funding will be needed to cover close to 20 million in 2021.

In addition, the Board of Education will be required to provide additional funding to support the development of new courses in new degree programmes. A decision on such funding will be taken in connection with a decision to establish/to continue development of specific programmes. Additional resources will be needed to develop and strengthen student support activities.

Support for special teaching posts

To boost teaching resources, the Board of Education will provide a setting-up aid (50 per cent) for five senior lecturers during two years within prioritised areas.

The Board of Education will also fund five adjunct teaching posts (up to 20 per cent within SLU) during two years, with a focus on competencies in sectors that are new to SLU, or sectors where we are already active but where collaboration needs strengthening.

The faculty boards have submitted applications for setting-up aid for a total of seven senior lecturers and nine adjunct teaching posts. On 16 May 2019, the Board of Education decided how to prioritise these applications.

Adapting professional programmes to the Bologna principles

Given the comments from the consultation round, the structural changes to the forest and agricultural science programmes will be postponed one year compared to the original plan.

On 14 February 2019, the Board of Education decided that the 5-year programmes in forest science and agricultural science will be replaced by 3-year Bachelor’s programmes and 2-year Master’s programmes:

  • This change will come into effect by the 2021 admission the latest.
  • Both programmes, Bachelor’s and Master’s, will be offered as of the 2021 admission.
  • For those who fulfil the degree requirements, it will still be possible to obtain a forester or agronomist degree.
  • The issue of guaranteed admission will be further investigated.

The decision also included drafting a project plan for an investigation into possibly adapting the landscape architecture programmes to the Bologna principles. This has already been done for the horticultural science programme, which is now 3 + 2 years, whereas the veterinary medicine programme is exempt from this change.

The Board of Education is expected to make the formal decision to adapt professional programmes to the Bologna principles in June 2020, in connection with approving the programme offering for the academic year 2021/22.

SLU Board’s decision on the 2021/22 programme offering

As part of its decision in June on SLU’s programme offering, the SLU Board decided that degree programmes aiming at a Master of Science in agriculture or forestry will be adapted to the Bologna model. This means that they will become three-year undergraduate programmes which can then be supplemented with two-year Master’s programmes.

In addition, it was decided to offer a Master’s programme focusing on the importance of landscape for the production and consumption of food, as well as an undergraduate programme in political science, the latter a first for SLU.