Higher education and research take place at 14 state universities
universitet and 22 state university colleges
högskolor. There are also independently run higher education institutions with the right to award degrees.
Higher
education is organized as courses that can be combined into study
programmes, leading to the general university degrees. There are a
number of tertiary study programmes leading to vocational
qualifications.
Mainly as a result of the Bologna process,
legislation for a three-cycle structure of higher education has been
adopted and is applied since 1 July 2007. The new structure replaced
the former system and is the only structure for all higher education
(HEIs). This improves international comparability of Swedish education
in accordance with the Bologna process. The former degree system has
been reformed and structured to fit the new three-cycle system.
Higher
education is financed through state grants to the individual
institutions based on the number of students and their achievements
with varying amounts of remuneration for the various educational areas.
Parallel with the state-funded institutions for higher education there
are a number of independent institutes, of which some are not
grant-aided and charge fees.
The Swedish National Agency for
Higher Education (Högskoleverket) evaluates the higher education
institutions. Evaluations of subjects and programmes leading to a
general or vocational qualification and postgraduate programmes are
evaluated every six years. The authority decides on rights to award
degrees.
Institutions:
Högskoleverket (The Swedish National Agency
for Higher Education) Box 7851 Box 7851, S-103 99 STOCKHOLM Sweden Tel.:+46-8-563 085 00 Fax:+46-8-563 085 50 E-mail:hvs@hvs.se Website: http://www.hsv.se