Academic calendar 2001/2002

The academic year in Swedish universities is divided into two semesters: autumn and spring. The autumn semester runs from the beginning of September to mid-January and the spring semester from mid-January to the beginning of June. There are breaks for the Christmas and Easter holidays. The academic semester for foreign students also includes an Orientation Course, completed before the regular courses start. This course provides students with an introduction to practical matters and living and studying in Umea. On the previous page is the time schedule for the academic year of 2001/2002, with dates. Please note that semester dates may vary between departments. It is therefore important to contact the faculty student counsellor as soon as possible. As an exception to the rule of the two-semester system some courses are also held in the summer. These are offered by Umea Summer University from June through August.

Eligibility, Application and Acceptance Procedure

To be admitted to the courses described in this catalogue, you should meet the requirements for basic, general and specific eligibility. Basic: At least one year of previous academic exper­ience is required. General: An adequate knowledge in English. For those who are not native English speakers, an inter­nationally recognised test of English proficiency is required, e.g. TOEFL-test (550 points), IELTS (6.0; no individual score below5.0) orCambridge Certificate of Proficiency (CPE). Pro­ficiency tests are required from all African, Latin American and Asian countries. TOEFL-tests must be sent directly to Umea University from the

TOEFL Center in Princeton, NY, USA (use the Score Report Request Form in the TOEFL Information Bulletin). Proficiency tests are not required if English has been your first foreign language in upper secondary school, as in the EU, North America, Australia and New Zealand. Students are recommended to start practicing their English half a year in advance with special attention to the vocabulary and expressions used in the particular subject.

Specific: (e.g. previous university studies in the special field) see under each course (= prerequisites).

Important notice: most of the courses in this catalog are given in English under the general condition that non-Swedish speakers have been accepted. If, however, no non-Swedish speakers attend a particular course, these courses will be given in Swedish. Students who are part of formal exchange programmes are requested to contact the relevant coordinator at their home university. When applying for courses, the form Application for Cour­ses (not included in this brochure) must be used for the academic year 2001/ 2002.

Your home university must send us official certified transcripts (originals only) of your previous university studies. Certification by non-Swedish Notary Publics is not accepted!

Deadlines: The deadline for students applying within formal exchange programmes is May 15, 2001 for the autumn semester of 2001; and November 15, 2001 for the spring semester of 2002. For students outside formal exchange programmes, the deadline for both semesters is April 15. Free-moving students from Nordic and European countries, though, may apply for spring semester 2002 courses before the October 15, 2001 dead­line (see table above). Please note that you must also return the Housing Application (not included in this brochure). A successful registration and acceptance procedure is verified with a Letter of Acceptance. A Letter of Acceptance will only be sent to students who have applied for, and been admitted to, courses of at least 20 credit points per semester. After that, details regarding the Orientation Course and other important informa­tion will be sent in an Information Package before arrival to Umea. When submitting your application, you must include:

• upper secondary school certificate -such as High School, Abitur, Bacca-laureat, GCE-0/A-levels, etc. (certifi­cates written in English, German, French and from the Scandinavian countries need not be translated). All certificates must be issued by the of­ficial educational authorities of the country. Certification by non-Swedish Notary Publics is not accepted!

• your internationally recognised test of English proficiency (TOEFL, IELTS, CPE).

A general rule is "one application per course", i. e. if you wish to apply for more than one course, you need to complete one separate application per course. Applications without correct documentation will not be processed!

Where to send the forms

The form "Application for Courses" should be returned to:

International Office Mrs Eivor Lundgren Umea University SE-901 87 Umea SWEDEN

The form "Housing Application" should be returned to:

International Housing Office Umea University SE-901 87 Umea SWEDEN

Accommodation

The International Housing Office provides housing for foreign students studying at Umea University. Since student rooms in Umea are at great demand, we recommend you to use this possibility to pre-arrange your housing before arriving here. Priority is given to exchange students in Umea under formal exchange agreements (bilateral, ERASMUS-SOCRATES, NORDPLUS etc). Free-moving stu­dents (students outside formal agree­ments) are placed on a waiting list and are given rooms in case of vacancies.

Rooms are rented for the full acade­mic semester, with a maximum period of tenancy of one academic year. The current rent for a student room (fall semester 2000) is approximately SEK 1900 per month. Students are required to pay two months rent in advance. In addition to the first rent there is a non-refundable Housing Service Fee of SEK 350 and a deposit of SEK 500. Cleaning, meals and home insurance are not included in the rent.

The rooms are situated in student housing complexes on corridors where 6-12 rooms share a common kitchen with all cooking facilities needed. The rooms are fully furnished with a bed, mattress, pillow, blanket, desk, chairs

etc and a private toilet. Most rooms have a private shower as well. Kitchen utensils, sheets and towels are not provided for.

Housing application: you should have received housing information with this catalog. If not, you can download it from the Housing Office homepage at

www.umu.se/international_office/ forstud/housing.html

or you can request one from the Housing Office at

housing@adm.umu.se

Remember to write your full postal address in the e-mail. Notice: housing applications must be turned in to the International Housing Office on the following dates:
May 15th 2001 for students who are studying during the fall semester; No­vember 15th 2001 for students who are studying during the spring semester.
Applications received after these dates will not be processed. Do not wait to turn in your Housing Application. As soon as you have been accepted the International Housing Office will begin to process your application.
The form "Housing Application" must be used to apply for accommo­dation. This should be submitted at least two months prior to arrival in Umea.

International Housing Office Jason Damewood Phone +46 90 786 57 72 Fax +46 90 786 96 71 housing@adm.umu.se

Basic Swedish - intensive course and language requirements

Foreign students studying within any of our exchange programmes are offe­red an intensive course in basic Swedish. This course is free of charge for students from our partner universities and students enrolled in the ERAS­MUS-SOCRATES  programme. Knowledge of Swedish is not an admission requirement for the cour­ses offered in this brochure as they are given in English. However, it is essential that students have a very good command of English.

Students who intend to pursue degree studies in Umea but have no previous knowledge in the Swedish language can apply for undergraduate studies including a three semester Foundation Course in Swedish. The Foundation Course starts in January every year (spring semester). To fulfil the gene­ral admission requirements you must submit documents from a secondary school education with a diploma 11 to 12 years) corresponding to a Swedish education of the same level. Application deadline for the Foundation Course in 2002 is April 15, 2001. More in­formation, application form, and a list of programmes/courses can be obtained from

Lena Safsten
Phone +46 90 786 53 28
Fax +46 90 786 57 46
lena.safsten@adm.umu.se
www2.umu.se/studadm/

Umea University has assigned the responsibility for student health care to the Student Health Care Center, an independent unit controlled by the student unions, supporting health and medical treatment for students. In principle, all students receive free medical treatment, however, there is a small charge for visiting the doctor.

Some faculties have international stu­dent counsellors who can provide you with detailed information about cour­ses in the specific faculty. These counsellors are:

Faculty of Social Sciences

faculty collaboration: Asa Persson Phone +46 90 786 68 63 Fax +46 90 786 66 75 asa.perssson@adm.umu.se

Faculty of Medicine and Odontology

Anita Elmqvist
Phone+46 90 786 71 82
Fax +46 90 786 71 65
anita.elmqvist@adm.umu.se

School of Business and Economics

Tone Hostman
Phone +46 90 786 63 32
Fax +46 90 786 97 20
tone.hostman@hhu.umu.se

Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine

Birgitta Astrom
Phone+46 90 785 12 06
Birgitta.Astrom@epiph.umu.se

Institute of Design

Susanne Sandberg
Phone +46 90 786 76 99
Susanne.Sandberg@dh.umu.se

International Office

The International Office of Umea University is responsible for the strategy for international activities at the university level. This involves, among other things, the development of exchange agreements and other forms of co-operation, the support for and coordination of the Euro­pean Community programmes SOCRATES-ERASMUS, TEMPUS, NORDPLUS, LEONARDO as well as the Fifth Framework Programme in European research collaboration and advice in regard to various inter­national issues. The personnel at the International Office are:

Umea University
SE-901 87 UMEA
Phone +46 90 786 68 75
Fax +46 90 786 64 62
international.office@adm.umu.se

Lars Lustig
Acting Head of International Office
Phone +46 90 786 97 97
Fax +46 90 786 64 62
lars.lustig@adm.umu.se

Britt-Marie Nordgren
NORDPLUS co-ordinator
Phone +46 90 786 68 75
Fax +46 90 786 64 62
britt-marie.nordgren@adm.umu.se

Jenny Ahlinder
SOCRATES co-ordinator
Phone +46 90 786 60 87
Fax +46 90 786 64 62
jenny.ahlinder@adm.umu.se

Eivor Lundgren
Bilateral exchange co-ordinator
Phone +46 90 786 97 41
Fax +46 90 786 64 62
eivor.lundgren@adm.umu.se

Jason Damewood
International Housing Office
Phone +46 90 786 57 72
Fax +46 90 786 96 71
jason.damewood@adm.umu.se

Karl-Erik Renhorn
EU Collaboration co-ordinator,
Research Internationalisation
Phone +46 90 786 97 54
Fax +46 90 786 64 62
karl-erik.renhorn@adm.umu.se

Student Co-ordinator
Phone +46 90 786 65 27
Fax +46 90 786 64 62
int.stud@adm.umu.se

Student Unions

There are three student unions at Umea University. The student unions look after student interests and are represented in decision-making bodies at all levels throughout the university. They also help with several practical matters. In Sweden, membership of a Student Union is compulsory. The receipt for payment of membership dues is an important document pro­ving your student status, for example at examinations, and your access to student benefits.

Coming to a foreign country can be both exciting and difficult. In order to help you to settle down and get to know student life, you may apply for a mentor. The Student Unions at Umea University, and the International Office, is responsible for the mentor program. The application form is en­closed in the Information Package. The student unions can be contacted at:

Corpus (Faculty of Medicine and Odontology)
Villan, Klintvagen 55, SE-90737 Umea, Sweden
Phone+46 90 13 51 35
off ice hours 10-14 daily
kansli@corpus.umu.se

Umea Studentkar (Faculties of Arts and Social Science, College of Teacher Education)
P. 0. Box 7652, SE-907 13 Umea, Sweden
Office hours Mon-TuelO-11,12-17

Wed-FrilO-11,12-15
Phone +46 90 786 90 00
Fax+46 90 13 09 28
expen@us.umu.se
www.usunion.umu.se

NTK (Faculty of Science and Technology)
Umea University,
MIT Building, SE-901 87 Umea, Sweden
Phone +46 90 786 92 90
Fax +46 90 786 97 85
expen@ntk.mu.se
www.ntk.umu.se

The city of Umea Described as the capital of northern Sweden, Umea is one of the fastest growing cities in Sweden. At the end of 1999 Umea had a population of 104,000 with, thanks to the university, a very high propor­tion of young people.

The city, founded in 1622 by King Gustav II Adolf, was largely destroyed by fire in 1888. During rebuilding thousands of birch trees were planted to prevent future fires from spreading. The birch population has been main­tained ever since, earning Umea the nickname Town of Silver Birches, in Swedish "Bjorkarnas stad".

Today, Umea is a dynamic centre for both learning and work, with the university as the biggest employer. Umea also has the Swedish Univer­sity of Agricultural Sciences, the Na­tional NBC Defence School, and the National Defence Research Institute. Larger industries areVolvo Umeverken manufacturing truck parts, Partek Forest AB producing forest industry machines and ALO-maskiner manu­facturing agricultural machinery.

Umea is also a center for leisure and pleasure, with a wide and varied range of cultural and sporting activities on offer. The Norrland Opera is known nationwide for its unusual and un­conventional performances of classical and modern opera. The town has a very lively jazz and pop music scene, and boasts the world renowned Umea Jazz Festival and Chamber Music Fes­tival. There are also festivals of Folk Music, Film, Pop music, and a Ballad festival. Several permanent theaters, concerts, cinemas, pubs, and night­clubs, add to the choice of enter­tainment all the year round.

In the IKSU Sports Center students can choose from activities like swimming, cross-country skiing, floorball, volleyball, different forms of workout training, rock climbing etc. Umea has teams in the first and second divisions of the national leauges in volleyball, soccer, icehockey, and basketball, and every year in May the world's largest rounders tournament is played on campus.

Umea lies in the far north of Sweden, 800 kilometers north of Stockholm, 600 kilometers south of the Arctic Circle and close enough to the Gulf Stream to feel its benefits. Thus, the climate offers fairly warm summers when the sun hardly sets, and snowy winters ideal for cross-country and downhill skiing. A few hours away by bus there are mountains with chal­lenging skiing in winter and adven­turous hiking and canoeing in the summer and autumn. The north of Sweden offers a rich array of unexp­lored rivers and streams with great fishing, and a beautiful countryside with extensive forests interspersed with farmland.

You will also become acquainted with the Scandinavian rule of "Public Right of Access". This rule gives Swe­dish citizens and their guests the right of access to privately owned land — provided they abide by the country code -and thus to the pleasures of the forests and countryside from one end of Sweden to the other. A clean and unspoilt environment characterises the city ofUmea and its surroundings. In Umea, opportunities for excursions, recreation and silence are only a short bikeride away.

Practical matters

The total living cost per month in­cluding student room and food range between SEK 4 000-6 000 but varies greatly, of course, depending on indi­vidual life style. Students can manage on a food budget of SEK 2 000 per month. Meals are not included in the rent. Students usually prepare their own meals in the common kitchen. All student housing areas have super­markets close by. There are also cafeterias and restaurants at the campus where the price of a mid-day meal is approximately SEK 55.

Umea can easily be reached by air or by train. The flying time from Stock­holm to Umea is 50—60 minutes. Umea Airport lies only a few kilo­metres from the city center, and buses will take you to the city and on to the University Campus in about 20 minu­tes. If you go by train the journey from Stockholm takes about 12 hours. Umea railway station is in the center of the town.

Passport and Visa

You will need a valid passport for entry into Sweden. In some cases, a visa is also required. For the visa application, the Letter of Acceptance from Umea University is required. For further in-formation, please contact the Swedish Embassy or Consulate in your home country. Students who come to Sweden as free-movers must show that they have SEK 60 000 in guaranteed financing if staying for an entire year. This require­ment does not apply to exchange students.

When you spend a period studying at Umea University you must have a private insurance from your home country to cover your journey and illness/accident. Some countries have mutual agreements with Sweden regarding health insurance, so you should check with the national insurance authority in your home country whether there is such an agreement and what it will cover while you are in Sweden. Citizens from EU/ EEA countries must show that they are covered by an insurance from their home country (a completed El 11 S form). Residence permit Citizens of EU/EEA countries (except Switzer­land) can travel to Sweden and apply for a residence permit for studies after arrival (within 3 months) from the Swedish Immigration Board. Students who are not citizens of EU/EEA countries must apply for a residence permit at the Swedish Embassy/ Consulate in their home country before departure.

We refer to the brochure "Study in Sweden. A Guide for Foreign Students" by the Swedish Institute which can be accessed at Sl's website

www.si.se/e_studiersverig/1147.cs?dirid=1304

or ordered from:
Svenska Institute! (Swedish Institute)
Box 7434
SE-10391 Stockholm, Sweden
Phone +46 8 789 20 00
Fax +46 8 20 72 48
si@si.se

Useful information can also be downloaded from Sl's website at

www.si.se/e_studiersverig/1164.cs?dirid=1307