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Tuition fees - exemption/payment

There are no university tuition fees for students who are citizens of Sweden and the European Union/European Economic Area and Switzerland. However, you do need to cover the cost of your coursebooks and some other expenses. If a course involves abnormally high costs for the student then in some cases the university may be obliged to offer a free alternative. Students from other countries, known as third-country students, must pay tuition fees. The university sets the tuition fees at the start of each academic year. For exchange students there is no tuition fee.

Tuition fee waivers and Scholarships

Third country students (except students from certain countries receiving aid) can apply for tuition fee waivers from the university. Those who are successful in applying for a tuition fee waivers have their tuition fees reduced by the amount awarded. Third country students certain countries can apply for full scholarship from the Swedish Institute. More information can be obtained at www.studyinsweden.se .

Student Union

Membership of the Student Union is voluntary. Joining the Student Union gives you access to extra help and support with regard to various issues during your time as a student. You can also take part in the union's activities and find out about the discounts that the union has negotiated.

Study and careers advice

You can contact the study and careers advisors with questions relating to your study situation and future career. For example, you may have questions about the choice of courses or programmes, how to organise your studies, accreditation of prior studies, taking a break from your studies or general questions about your choice of education and the future labour market.

The advisors also offer a number of study support activities such as study techniques, public speaking courses and CV lectures. Furthermore international students can also get advice fromInternational Office or the international coordinator at their department.

Studies and work experience abroad

University West currently has around 100 bilateral agreements with other educational institutions around the world. This means that as a student with us you will be given opportunities to study or gain work experience abroad as part of your programme. The university participates in various funding programmes regarding studies/work experience abroad, which means that you can get help in the form of scholarships if you wish to study/work abroad. There are opportunities to apply to increase your student grant from CSN to cover some of the costs.

Contact the International Office at the Student Centre for further information.

Student influence

Students are entitled to representation on all decision-making bodies and drafting committees. The Student Union elects these representatives.

Working environment for students

Students and university employees are equally entitled to a healthy working environment. If you have any comments or questions about the working environment at the university, you can contact the Health and Working Environment Committee. Both university employees and students are represented on the committee.

Student health

The Student Health Centre, which is based at the Student Centre, has two counsellors. These people are here to provide help if you need support with a personal problem that may be affecting your studies. They also work with preventive measures in the form of seminars or courses.

Equality/Equal treatment/Diversity

No student or applicant should be subjected to victimisation at University West due to their gender, transgender identity or expression, ethnicity, religion or other belief system, sexual orientation, disability or age. This is regulated under the Discrimination Act. The Act contains regulations stating that within the remit of their activities, universities must pursue focused work to actively promote equal rights for students and applicants.
If you as a student feel that you have been discriminated against, victimised or subjected to harassment, you can contact the Student Ombudsman (who is based at the Student Union), Student Health Centre or Student Centre to get help and support.

Curricula and syllabuses

The content of your programme is regulated in the first instance by the curriculum and the relevant syllabuses for the courses. Curricula and syllabuses are legally binding documents drawn up by the university, and the education you have chosen should be run in accordance with these documents.

Curriculum
Each educational programme has a curriculum. The curriculum sets out, for example, what previous knowledge is required and what courses are included.

Syllabus
Each course has a syllabus. The syllabus provides details of entry requirements, the objectives of the course and how examinations are conducted.

Course memorandum

A course memorandum is published before the start of each course. The memorandum contains detailed information about the design of the course and how examinations are conducted.

Registration

If you are about to begin a new programme or a new independent course you should register according to the information in your welcome letter. If you do not register you will lose your place and it will be offered to another student.

This is why you must register each time you start a new course. Registration is carried out in connection with your first lecture/seminar on each individual course. If you are unable to attend on the first occasion then you need to contact the course administrator for the department in question. Students studying a web-based programme or web-based course will receive information about registration via the course tool Canvas (see below under support system) for each course.

Non-completion

If you leave your studies before the education has finished then you need to inform the university on a special form. If you submit the form no later than three weeks in to the course or programme then you will be given the opportunity to apply again at a later date.

Support system

Ladok

LADOK is a national database for university study documentation. LADOK contains students' personal data, details of their qualifications, admissions, course registrations, results, credits, study breaks, studies abroad and degrees. The information in LADOK enables you to follow your studies. You can view your registrations and results via LADOK's online services. Read more and login to Ladok.

Where does the information in LADOK come from?
The information in the system comes from several sources. For example, Admissions enters personal details and information about the qualifications of students who have been offered a place. Details about admissions and qualifications are also transferred to LADOK from the Swedish Agency for Higher Education Services' admissions system, NyA. The course administrators enter registration details and results, and the examination officers report the degrees awarded. Students' registered addresses are taken from SPAR, the Swedish population register, a few times a year. You can also submit changes of address to the Student Centre yourself.

What if there's an error in LADOK?
A considerable amount of the information in LADOK is entered manually. It is important that students check all the information carefully. If you discover an error, contact the course administrator at the department in question and request that the information be rectified.

KursInfo

KursInfo is University West's educational database. It contains information about syllabuses (including reading lists), curricula and basic details of planned and advertised courses and programmes offered by University West.

Canvas

Canvas is the university's educational learning platform. You can find course material, discussion platforms etc. here for most courses, and you can also contact your teachers via Canvas.

Study break

If you are pursuing studies at University West you can, if you have special reasons, be granted a study break with your place guaranteed. Special reasons may include social, medical or other particular circumstances, such as caring for a child, military or civil service or student union assignments.

If your place is not guaranteed then the decision can be appealed against at the Higher Education Appeals Board.

Individual study plan

If for some reason you need to deviate from the normal study plan it may be appropriate to set up an individual study plan. The plan states which courses you need to study in order to graduate from the education for which you have a place. Individual study plans can for example be appropriate following a study break.

Accreditation

Accreditation means that you can use approved courses completed at another educational institution towards your degree. The same also applies if you have attained the knowledge and skills required for those courses for which you are seeking accreditation via a different route, for instance studies abroad. Students registered at University West will receive recognition of approved courses from Higher Education Institutions (HEI) abroad towards their degree. Recognition is done in accordance with the Learning Agreement and transcript of records and entered in the study documentation system LADOK. If the host HEI uses ECTS credits this will always be accepted as the mutual conversion factor. If not, there are documented regulations for transforming credits to our system. Credits can only be acknowledged for the same course once. For traineeships a signed agreement with the enterprise is needed. Transcript of records achieved at University West will be sent to the International Office of the partner institutions for all incoming students after the mobility. If your application for accreditation is rejected you can appeal against the decision at the Higher Education Appeals Board.

Timetabling

The university uses a central system for timetabling. Teaching during the day is conducted Monday ? Friday, 8.00 a.m. ? 6.00 p.m. The timetable is published online, www.schema.hv.se, two weeks prior to the start of the course. The timetable can be amended, for example there may be room changes at short notice. You should therefore keep yourself informed via the website and by consulting the timetables displayed at the university entrances.

Exemption from compulsory parts of the course

If for religious, ethical or other reasons you find yourself unable to participate in a compulsory aspect of the course, you may apply for exemption.

If your application is rejected, the decision can be appealed against at the Higher Education Appeals Board.

Examination

Grading system

The grading system is related to goals. There are four different grading scales at University West. The grading system that applies to your course is detailed in your course syllabus.

Written examinations

University West coordinates written examinations centrally. The examination timetable is usually presented in connection with the start of the course. Any written examinations appear in the course schedule. There is also a complete examination timetable for the entire term on the website. Examinations can take place during the day and in the evening, Monday ? Saturday. For more detailed information about how the examination periods are allocated across the year, see under academic year planning.

Please note that registration is compulsory for written examinations taken on University West campus. You can register from between 25 and 8 days before the examination. If you have not registered the only possibility to take the exam is if there are seats and examination theses available at the time for examination.

The course supervisor will inform you of the result after your exam paper has been marked. You can then collect your written, marked exam paper from the Student Centre. You must show a valid form of ID when you collect your exam paper.
Please note that any exam papers not collected after two years are destroyed.
For more detailed information about procedures with regard to written examinations, see instructions for examinations, distance examinations, examinations at another location and return of exam papers.

Other examinations

In some cases it may be compulsory to register for another type of examination, for example a home examination. This could apply to both students studying on campus and those on distance learning courses, for example a web-based course. In such cases the teacher responsible will inform the student group. You will also find these examination times on Min Sida.

Registration of study results

After you have taken the examination on a course the results are entered into the LADOK database. When the examiner has signed the list of records then you will be able to view your results in the Student Portal.
If the course is divided up into several modules, all modules must be reported with a pass in order for a grade to be reported for the entire course.

Examination review

If you are dissatisfied with the assessment of an examination you can request that the results be reviewed by an examiner. Objections to the results should be submitted in writing with an explanation to the examiner.

Right to retake exams

The basic principle is that you can take an exam an unlimited number of times, as long as the course is offered at University West. You are entitled to be examined according to the syllabus for the course on which you are enrolled on one standard occasion and on an additional occasion in connection with the course (re-examination) while the course is ongoing. Additional opportunities for retakes are made available in cases where the course is resumed at University West, but in such cases the examination takes place in accordance with the current syllabus for the course. It is your responsibility to keep up to date about changes in the course.

When the courses is discontinued, there are three additional opportunities for retakes during a period of at least one year following the final exam for the course.

Restrictions to the number of examination opportunities

It is possible to restrict the number of examinations. If this is the case it should be stated in the syllabus. However, the total number of examination opportunities for a course should never be less than five.

The syllabus should clearly state if there is a restricted number of opportunities for work experience or equivalent training periods, however there should be at least two opportunities for work experience or equivalent training periods.

Disciplinary measures

A student who deliberately misleads during an examination (cheats), or disrupts teaching or examination procedures can be excluded from the studies by the Disciplinary Board for a limited period of time, or be issued with a warning. The Disciplinary Board makes decisions in such cases on behalf of the university. The Board consists of the Vice-Chancellor, a lawyer and representatives from among the teaching staff and students. The same applies for any student who prevents or disrupts activities at the university, or who subjects an employee or other student at the university to harassment. Decisions made by the Disciplinary Board can be appealed against at an administrative court. You find more information at the page about examinations.

Suspension

If a student who is suffering from a mental disorder, or who has committed a serious crime or is abusing alcohol or drugs is considered to be a danger to other people or to property during their education, the student may be suspended from the studies. Such cases are investigated and a decision is made by the Higher Education Suspensions Board, which is a national board for all Swedish universities.

Course evaluations

A course evaluation is carried out at the end of each course. The purpose is to gather students' views in order to further develop the course and make improvements. From the autumn term 2011 we will be using the electronic course evaluation system EvaSys. The results will be compiled in a course evaluation report, which is available to all students.

Course certificate

When you have been accepted onto a course you are entitled to a course certificate. In order to receive your course certificate you need to contact the Student Centre via e-mail; studentcentrum@hv.se. You will need to state your personal identity number, address and the name of the course in question, and we will send your course certificate to your home address. If the university rejects your request you can appeal against the decision at the Higher Education Appeals Board.

Thesis

All degrees require you to write a thesis. The length of the thesis varies depending on the degree. The general principle is that the bulk of your studies should have been completed before work on your thesis begins. A thesis includes planning, implementing and reporting a study, defending it during a seminar and critically examining and discussing the content of a thesis that has been written by one or more students at the same level. The thesis is written by an individual, or a maximum of two students together. The overarching goal of the thesis is for the student to adopt a scientific approach, which involves the ability to assess information independently and critically, the ability to resolve a problem independently, to follow knowledge trends and exchange knowledge at a scientific level.

System of qualifications

The university's regulations for issuing degrees are set out in the university's system of qualifications. Section A contains general rules on degrees and section B details which degrees are issued at University West. The appendix to the system of qualifications states which majors and specialization there are for each degree.

Degree certificate

After completing your education you must apply to receive your degree certificate. In order to receive a degree certificate you must satisfy the requirements stated in the system of qualifications and/or curriculum. If the university rejects your request you can appeal against the decision at the Higher Education Appeals Board.

Updates

Changes may be made to the handbook during the year. The current version is always available on the university website.

 

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