Credit transfers doctoral education

What is credit transfer?

A credit transfer is a decision regulated by the Higher Education Ordinance. Within doctoral education, a credit transfer means that one of the credit-bearing courses or knowledge requirements of the general syllabus is replaced by studies completed before the start of the doctoral education or by courses outside KI.

What credits may be transferred?

Doctoral students may apply to have the following credited toward their doctoral education:

• Courses from Swedish or foreign higher education institution
• Other courses, including those offered by Region Stockholm
• Knowledge and skills acquired in a vocational or professional capacity

Credit transfer from previous studies

To transfer credits from previous studies is only possible for doctoral students who have earned more credits than what was required for general eligibility to doctoral education (i.e. 240 credits whereof 60 credits at advanced level). This means that a doctoral student who has not earned more than 240 hp before admission cannot transfer any credits from previous studies.

It is usually an advantage for the doctoral student to take courses during the doctoral education rather than transferring from previous studies. Taking courses provides an opportunity to lift questions related to the research project and to network with other doctoral students. A recent course is also more likely to be updated with recent research findings.

Credit transfer from course outside KI

A doctoral student can take courses at other universities and courses arranged by other course organisers, but these courses must be transferred into the doctoral education at KI, see Application for credit transfer below.

Note that there is no point in transferring more courses than required by the general syllabus. 

Planned courses should be expressed in the individual study plan. 

Learning activities other than courses

Participation in credit-bearing learning activities other than courses (e.g. seminars, international congresses with own presentation, or visits to another research group) must be reported by the student to the department using form 16 if they are to be registered in Ladok. Do not confuse this administrative routine with credit transfer decisions.

These learning experiences are an integral part of being a doctoral student at KI, and they cannot be substituted with anything completed prior to admission to doctoral education.

Credit transfer of knowledge and skills from work experience 

Under the Higher Education Ordinance, a doctoral student may apply to have knowledge and skills acquired through professional experience credited toward their doctoral degree. In practice, this is most likely only relevant in relation to mandatory courses, for example statistics. 

The doctoral student must provide documentation to corroborate the skills and knowledge cited in his/her application. 

Application for a credit transfer

Students are to complete form 13 and hand it in to the departmental doctoral education administrator. Only one transfer may be applied for per application form. 

Applications must include the following supporting documentation:

• A description of the content of the course 
• Proof of participation and a passing grade

It is the responsibility of the doctoral student to submit sufficient documentation so that an assessment of relevance, level and scope of the course is possible. Without sufficient documentation a decision cannot be made. If a course has been completed abroad, information must be provided on the credit system in effect in that country/university (as an appendix to the application).

Assessment of application

The director of doctoral studies judges the quality and scope of the course in terms of the requirements of the general syllabus and of what is relevant to the student in question. 

Sometimes there is a specific course at KI that the credit transfer is intended to replace. In such cases, the assessment should be based on that KI course syllabus. This is usually most relevant for obligatory courses.

Accreditation decisions

The departmental director of doctoral studies is the person delegated by the head of department to decide on credit transfers. In the event of a conflict of interest (e.g. if the director of studies is the student’s supervisor), the decision is taken by the co-director of doctoral studies, head of department or another delegee.

Credit transfer decisions may be appealed. Such appeals are to be made in writing and sent to the Karolinska Institutet registrar (registrator@ki.se) within three weeks of the decision announcement. In the appeal it should be stated which decision it concerns and the desired changes. The decision can either be changed completely, partly changed or prevail. Information on appeals.

Importance for the degree certificate

All approved credit transfers as stated on the credit transfer application form will appear in the degree certificate. It is therefore important that titles and course names are reproduced correctly in both English and Swedish. 

Please note that if a doctoral student takes a course at the undergraduate or advanced/master’s level, it will not be counted as part of the doctoral education, unless it is formally transferred. This applies even if the course was taken during doctoral studies.

Courses from a previous licentiate education

Everything completed within a licentiate education at KI will automatically follow the doctoral student if he/she is admitted to the “latter part” of doctoral education. No accreditation decisions are necessary.