For students attending the Bachelor's Programme in Biomedicine Bachelor's Programme in Biomedicine: Study abroad

Within the bachelor's programme of Biomedicine there is an opportunity for you to spend part of your studies abroad, for example during your degree project. Here you can find information about the application process for exchange studies, our partner universities and more.

General information

In the field of Biomedicine you have the opportunity to spend part of your studies abroad. Completing a course or doing your degree project in another country is a unique experience compared to studying in Sweden. Experiencing another culture from the inside is a fantastic way of learning more about yourself and your field of study.

Studying abroad not only means academic development, it also provides insights and experiences you will profit from in your future life - both professionally and personally. You may also make lifelong friends and many other interesting contacts. If you are considering studying abroad, it is important that you consider how you will deal with unforeseen events. An exchange student should be flexible and able to take initiative.

For general information on exchange studies through KI, read more on Studies and traineeships abroad.

Exchange programmes and scholarships

Karolinska Institutet has established exchange agreements with many universities around the world. The exchanges are carried out within different exchange programmes. Read more on Exchange programmes and scholarships.

Exchange reports

The exchange reports are a great source of information where previous exchange students write about their experiences abroad.

Best exchange report

Every student going abroad as officially nominated is requested to write an exchange report. All students allowing us to publish their exchange reports with their name and email address compete for the Best Exchange Report of the Year award which includes a money prize. To learn more, visit the page Award-winning travel reports.

Exchange study opportunities

If you want to go on exchange to take courses, you have the possibility to apply for exchange at Universiteit Leiden (LUMC), where you take a full semester of courses. Here you can find out more about Universiteit Leiden and the courses you can take and when to apply.

Courses at University of Leiden

During semester 3 or semester 4 you can go on exchange studies to Universiteit Leiden (LUMC), where you take a full semester of courses. Hand in your application during semester 2.

Please see all our deadlines in the main section of the Study Abroad pages.

On YouTube you can find out more about Universiteit Leiden:

Read the exchange reports from previous exchange students to learn more about studying abroad at Universiteit Leiden.

Eligibility for exchange studies during semester 3

In order to be eligible for exchange in semester 3, you must have passed all your courses from semester 1, as well as Medical Biochemistry from semester 2 at the latest on April 15.

The courses our students follow in the Autumn semester in Leiden are:

Design and Analysis of Biomedical Sciences, 6 ECTS
Introduction to the Neurosciences, 6 ECTS
Infectious Agents and Immunity, 6 ECTS
Immunology, 9 ECTS
Communication in Science for Exchange Students, 2 ECTS
The course 1BI040 Tissue Biology (4 ECTS) taught at KI needs to be taken remotely.

The courses our students follow in the Spring semester in Leiden are:

Physiology, Advanced Concepts 300, 4 ECTS
Human Pathology 300, 7 ECS
Physiology, Basic Concepts 300, 8 ECTS
Hormones and the Nervous System 300, 8 ECTS
Other Communication in Science for Exchange Students 300, 2 ECTS
Discovering Life Science Companies, 2 ECTS

In semester 6 you have the opportunity to go abroad to collect data for your degree project. See list of universities and further down on this page.

For information regarding the degree project course, please read more at the course web page. Please contact the course organizer if you have questions regarding the degree project.

Eligibility for exchange studies during semester 6

In order to be eligible for exchange in semester 6, you must have passed all the courses from semester 1-4 on September 15. Moreover, you must have passed Part 1 on the course Molecular Medicine – Oncology, and have participated in the obligatory sessions of Molecular Medicine – Cardiometabolic and Infectious Diseases before you go on the exchange.
Additional rules and conditions may apply for students going abroad on their own (freemovers). Please check with your study programme at Karolinska Institutet.

Deadlines 2025/2026

Exchange studies in semester 3 or 4 (courses):

Application Deadline for exchange studies at Leiden University for courses

Autumn semester 2025: February 7th, 2025 at 11am. The application is now closed.
Spring semester 2026: August 22nd, 2025 at 11am.

The outcome of our assessment will be sent out the following week. If nominated, you will have until April 1st to apply to the University of Leiden (studies starting in September) and October 15th (studies starting in February).

Exchange studies in semester 6 (degree project):

Application Deadline for exchange for your degree project

Spring semester 2026:
- 1st round: January 31st, 2025. The application is now closed.
- 2nd round: Friday May 30th, 2025 at 11am. The application is now open.

NEWS

Second round of application now open

Deadline: May 30th, 2025

You can now apply to the exchange places that are left after the first round of application.

Application

Link to Online Application

List of available places (number of places in parenteses):

Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen, Erasmus (Studies) (2)
King's College London, Erasmus (Traineeship, (1)
Kobenhavns universitet, Erasmus (Studies) (1)
Nanyang Technological University, Bilateral/INK (Studies) (2)
Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Erasmus (Studies) (1)
Sorbonne Université, Erasmus (Studies) (1)
Syddansk Universitet, Erasmus (Studies) (1)
The University of Newcastle, Bilateral/INK (Studies) (1)
Universidade de São Paulo, Bilateral/INK (Studies) (2)
Università Degli Studi di Milano, Erasmus (Studies) (1)

For more information about each partner university, please see the list of partner universities on this webpage.

Students who did not participate in the first application round can apply in the second round, and exchange study places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

After acceptance from partner university

Once you have received confirmation of acceptance from the host university, you will have taken your biggest step towards an exchange adventure. Now it is time to sort out the other preparations to make your studies abroad a reality.

As soon as you have received your Letter of Acceptance, please upload it to Mobility Online and inform your international coordinator.

They will then send you the travel grant application, your travel insurance (valid 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after your exchange) as well as the Code of Conduct, which you need to read through, sign and mail back to her.

For further information on the coming steps please read Before, During and After your stay abroad.

Eurolife grantee stories

On the Eurolife's webpage you can read the stories of studies who have been granted a Eurolife stipends. Here you can also find our own students' Fahrsan Rahman and Tetiana Poliakova's stories.

Accreditation

Applications for accreditation of whole course or part of course should be handed in to the course leader via the Course administration; the exception being accreditation for elective courses or exchange studies comprising multiple courses (e.g. exchange of semester 3 in Leiden), where the application should be sent to the programme officer.

Information about accreditation/transfer of credits.

The International Committee of the Biomedicine Programmes (BIONK)

The International Committee of the Biomedicine Programmes (BIONK) is responsible for exchange studies in the biomedicine programmes. BIONK consists of teachers, international coordinators, the programme administrator, and student representatives. BIONK signs exchange agreements with partner universities, decides about rules for participation and selection of students for the exchange programmes, etc.

Members of BIONK: