How to Get Admission in Karolinska Institutet

About Karolinska Institutet

Karolinska Institutet (KI) is a public medical university in Stockholm, Sweden, focused on medicine and the health sciences. It offers programmes and courses in areas such as biomedicine, public health, and global health, including options taught in English.

This guide covers only the admission process — how to apply and what the university asks for. It does not give medical, clinical, or health guidance. Programme availability, requirements, fees, and deadlines change each cycle, so confirm the current details on the official KI education pages before applying.

Find your programme on the official education site

Start on Karolinska Institutet's official education site, where you can browse programmes and courses and filter for those taught in English. KI offers global master's programmes and some English-taught options at other levels, each with its own admission requirements.

Select a specific programme first, because the entry requirements, required documents, and any selection criteria are defined per programme. Read the programme page itself rather than relying on general summaries.

Apply through the Swedish national admissions portal

Like other Swedish universities, KI takes most degree applications through Sweden's national admissions service, University Admissions (universityadmissions.se). You create an account, search for the KI programme, rank your choices, upload your documents, and submit within the application period.

The portal manages the application, document submission, and (where applicable) the application fee. Always check the KI programme page alongside the portal, since KI publishes programme-specific instructions and selection details there.

• Browse and choose a programme on the official KI education site
• Apply through universityadmissions.se within the application period
• Rank your choices and upload the required documents

Entry requirements and selection

Admission requirements vary by programme. A master's programme generally requires a relevant bachelor's degree, and specific programmes may expect particular prior subjects or a related background. Selection methods (for example, how applicants are ranked) are defined for each programme.

Because KI is a health-sciences university, individual programmes can have additional academic prerequisites. Read the exact requirements and selection criteria on the official programme page, and make sure your qualification matches before you apply.

English proficiency, fees, and deadlines

For English-taught programmes you usually need to show English proficiency through an accepted test such as IELTS or TOEFL, unless you qualify for an exemption defined by the admissions process. Whether an application fee and tuition apply depends on your citizenship category as defined by the Swedish authorities.

Deadlines for applying, paying, and submitting documents are set centrally and are strict. Confirm the current accepted tests, fee categories, and dates on University Admissions and the KI site, and submit everything on time.

Funding and scholarships

For tuition-paying applicants, KI and external bodies offer some scholarships, and broader Swedish scholarship options also exist. Each scheme sets its own eligibility, amount, and deadline, and these change every year.

Review the official KI scholarship pages and recognised Swedish scholarship sources for the current options, and apply early because scholarship deadlines can fall before the admission deadline.