Teaching methods and examination

Teaching methods

The relations between students and lecturers may seem informal to foreign students. You are encouraged to ask questions about things you do not understand and comment on things you disagree with.

Teaching is conducted in various forms such as lectures, seminars, group work and independent study. The scheduled hours vary from subject to subject. A full-time course with a few scheduled hours normally requires a great deal of individual studies. Group work is common as well as essay-writing. Attendance is expected and sometimes mandatory.

Examination

All courses include written and/or oral examination. A common form of examination is paper assignments. Students present their papers in seminars where other students and the instructor discuss and evaluate them.

There are no set examination periods, and generally no final exam at the end of a semester, an academic year, or a complete degree programme. Examination usually takes place at the end of each course, module, or unit.

If a student fails an examination, there is an opportunity to re-sit it later in the semester. The instructor will inform the student about the re-sit date. Only successfully completed courses are recorded on the student’s official transcript.

Swedish universities apply very strict rules with regard to plagiarism and cheating. Copying material from books or the Internet is strictly forbidden. Quotations and paraphrases with clear references to the sources are allowed. Failure to reference properly as well as cheating in examinations will result in disciplinary measures.