For students attending the Master's Programme in Toxicology Eligibility, selection and nomination

Eligibility for exchange studies

In order to be eligible for exchange studies in semester 4

• you must have passed all the courses from semester 1 and 2
• and be registered at the relevant course(s) at semester 3, on September 15.

You can carry out a 30 ECTS degree project abroad in semester 4 or a 37,5 ECTS degree project in semester 4 but already start in the end of semester 3 (i.e. from December).

Is it difficult to be selected for exchange studies?

You must comply with a number of basic requirements:

• Study results: your competence to continue your studies at KI at the time of your departure.
• If you wish to depart as early as term 2, you must have completed all of term 1 except for the final exam in the master’s programme in biomedicine.
• Language skills: your mastery of the language of instruction at the foreign university or how you plan to acquire the necessary language skills.
• Good ambassador: your fitness to be a good ambassador for KI. As an exchange student from KI, you will be representing KI at the host university. You will be a small part of the image the host university has of Karolinska Institutet, and furthermore a guarantee of continued student exchange. You should therefore enclose a letter of reference from a person who has links with KI. If you have no referee, you may be summoned for interview instead.
• Statement of motivation: your statement should demonstrate that you are motivated to study abroad, and if applicable provide evidence of interest in a particular course, university, country etc.
• Erasmus rules: as an Erasmus student you must also comply with the requirements posed by the EU Commission in Brussels – you must have studied at a college/university for at least one year and remain away for at least three and not more than 12 months. You must be an EU citizen or be entitled to reside in Sweden on a permanent basis.

Assuming you fulfill the basic requirements, you will then be accorded priority after consideration of the following criteria:

• Study results: better study results give higher priority. (0-5 points)
• Research experience in relevant fields. If you are claiming research credentials, you must enclose certification from your research supervisor or the equivalent with the application. (0-5 points)
• Active participation in any of KI’s associations such as MF, Global Friends or BUS. (0-2 points)
• Letter of motivation. (0-1 point)
• Overall assessment: special interest in a particular course or university will be considered in the event of otherwise equal credentials: other activities and credentials of interest, for example activity in other relevant associations. (0-4 points)
• Interview or decision by lot: if it is difficult to distinguish between applicants, BIONK may call applicants for interview or decide priority by the drawing of lots.

NB: an overall assessment, incorporating all the above criteria, is always performed.

How is the choice made?

Once the application period has expired, BIONK will make its choice in accordance with the above rules and put the students in order of preference. The places will then be allocated in turn – when it is your turn on the list you will be nominated for the university you have accorded the highest priority and where vacant places are still available. Unfortunately it sometimes happens that all places are taken, in which case you will be allotted a reserve place. The agreed exchange places will be distributed in proportion to the quantity (number of training places) on the various programmes.

Nomination

As soon as a decision has been taken you will be informed that you have been nominated for exchange studies and will then receive further information and directions from the international coordinator. You yourself will have to apply to the foreign university with a recommendation from KI. You should also contact the relevant study rector for further information and to discuss a draft plan for your studies.

Revision of guidelines for nomination (from May 2020 and onwards)
If a student defies his/her nominated place and applies instead for an exchange place in the second nomination round, he/she will be placed last in the list of applicants.

It is important that you realise that you have not under any circumstances been accepted for exchange studies until you have had definitive notice (Letter of Acceptance) from the foreign university!