Answer: The spring 2021 semester will begin as planned on January 18th, meaning you will be able to start your Dalarna University studies as planned this spring. 

Most English language programmes and courses will be taught on campus while adhearing to recommendations regarding public gatherings and social distancing. The courses and programmes listed below will also be taught online during the spring semester, as per a decision from the Vice-Chancellor of Dalarna University.

Dalarna University is working to ensure that we provide an appropriate study environment while retaining the quality of our education for students. Courses listed below that are planned to be taught on campus will have campus-based components that admitted students are expected to participate in. Please contact your programme coordinator if you have questions regarding the teaching approach.

Answer: Yes, students beginning their studies at Dalarna University in the spring semester 2021 will be eligible to receive a full refund regardless of reason as long as they are not registered in any courses more than three weeks after the start of the semester. If your request for a refund is approved, you will receive a refund to the same payment source (bank account, credit card, etc.) from which the original transaction was made.

Read more about our refund policy

Answer: Be sure to stay in contact with your programme coordinator about your situation. Some programmes may be able to accept students arriving slightly late. In the spring semester, most English language programmes and courses will be taught on campus while online study is also available for students who cannot come to Sweden. If you cannot arrive on time, you may be able to begin your studies online and join the class on campus at a later date. 

Answer: If you have been granted a tuition fee waiver (scholarship) from Dalarna University and start your programme as planned (even if it begins online) in spring 2021, then your scholarship will not be affected. The amount that you are awarded is automatically deducted from the tuition fee you need to pay each semester.

If you decide to defer the start of your studies, your scholarship will be cancelled, and you will need to re-apply for the scholarship in the future. Please note that there is no guarantee that you will be awarded a scholarship the next time you apply if you do choose to defer your studies.

Answer:

Dalarna University does not have a formal deadline by which you must notify us of your plans. If you are a fee-paying student, then you still need to pay the tuition fees no later January 13th in order to be able to register in your classes by the start of the semester.

If you are unsure of your study plans, you have three options:

1. You can start your studies as planned in the spring. We will do our best to provide you with the support you need during this period.
2. You can apply to defer your studies. However, travel restrictions and/or the outbreak of the corona virus is not in itself a ground for deferral. There are specific guidelines in Sweden and at Dalarna University regarding grounds for granting a deferral, for example medical reasons or compulsory military service. If you are required to pay tuition fees, these must be paid or your application to defer your studies will automatically not be approved. No refund will be made if you are granted a deferment. Please note Dalarna University must approve your application to defer your studies for you to be able to retain your place in the programme to which you are admitted. You can apply online to defer your studies.
3. If you do not want to study at Dalarna University, you can decline your place so that we can give it to a student on the reserve list. If you have paid your first tuition fee installment, you can apply for a full refund. Please visit the tuition fee webpage for more information about how to apply for a refund.

Answer: Yes, please make sure that you register with Tunabyggen and/or Kopparstaden and that you follow their process to apply and secure student accommodation prior to your arrival in Sweden. You can find more details on their websites: Tunabyggen / Kopparstaden.

As there usually is a shortage of accommodation at the beginning of the semester, we recommend all students who intend on studying on campus to book student accommodation as soon as possible after being admitted.

Answer: As with all places where there are other people, we recommend social distancing for as long as the coronavirus continues to spread. This applies both in student housing and anywhere else where people may gather. Anyone who has any symptoms, such as a cold, fever, cough or respiratory problems, should self-isolate regardless of their living arrangements.

Answer: What we often hear from our students taking our online courses is how interactive they find them. What is more, the fact is that these students, who live in all corners of the world, often “hang out” outside class time. We are preparing for ways to ensure that if you begin studying our English-taught programmes online, you will have regular interaction outside class time with your classmates so that you can still create new friendships and foster your intercultural growth.

Answer: Dalarna University (DU) has invested greatly in online education and is nationally recognised as a pioneer in delivering interactive real-time education online. Even before the current Coronavirus situation, over 60% of DU courses were taught online. The University has well-established teaching methods that ensure interaction both between students, as well as between students and teachers in an online environment. The University also provides extensive digital study tools for online education to help students study successfully online. The support team provides live support weekdays (Monday to Thursday: 08.00 – 22.00, Friday: 08.00 – 16.00 CET) using video and chat. You can also email them if you encounter issues with your online studies. You can read more about online education on the web-based studies webpage.

In addition, education in Sweden is more than just about lectures. Many courses include several interactive seminars, and students are expected to participate actively in group discussions during class time. Our courses also include a significant amount of reading and self-study. Online education is still able to accommodate these.

Answer: Online education allows you to participate in studies from anywhere in the world. You choose the study environment that suits you best. Additionally, some online courses include, for example, pre-recorded lectures that you can watch multiple times, allowing you therefore to review information.

Answer: No, your tuition fee will remain the same. Dalarna University has a very generous refund policy: you can apply for a full refund of your tuition fees up to 3 weeks after the start of the semester. Please note that this is the case even if you register in your courses and begin studying so long as you cancel your registration online by February 6th.

Answer: Swedish law requires Swedish universities to charge tuition fees that cover the full cost of education and support for fee-paying students. Although the courses will be taught online, our costs remain the same. It is our staff and not our facilities that cost the most. Currently, our staff are working hard to adapt courses so that they can be delivered online. We provide live online support during the hours courses are being taught, and all our campus support services (such as student counseling, language support and library services) are also available when studying online.

Dalarna University remains open, and if you need to use its facilities (for example, computer rooms, study rooms or the campus library facilities), you can still access these.

It is important for you to know that the quality of our education is just as high regardless of whether it is delivered on campus or online.  

Answer: This will vary from programme to programme (for those programmes that have practical elements). In some cases, these can be done online as the laboratory is software-based or can be done through computer simulations. In some situations, labs will be recorded and you will receive data to analyse, often with another student. We also will have situations where you will be connected to a classmate or tutor who is on campus so that you can work together using video conferencing. When you arrive at Dalarna University, you will be able to familiarise yourself with the lab equipment. Specific information about how online studies will be conducted in your programme will be provided by the programme coordinator closer to the start of the spring semester.

Answer: If you have been admitted to a programme that is “campus based” then we are not currently planning on offering the autumn 2021 semester online.

Answer: Yes, once you are registered as a Dalarna University student, you will get access to the online/digital study tools (such as Office 365, Learn, Video Chat, Zoom and a DU user account). Note that some tools have limited usage in certain countries. For example, Zoom cannot be accessed in certain countries due to regulatory reasons (read more on the Zoom website).

As a registered student, you will also have access through our library to an extensive database of academic articles, theses and other material in digital format. Since much of our education is already conducted online, our library has a wealth of resources available to support online studies.

Answer: If you require testing for covid-19, then you need to contact healthcare services. You can find information for your region on 1177.se.

Answer: If you have symptoms of covid-19, you can make an appointment for testing.

Falun: Britsarvet Vårdcentral 023-49 16 01
Borlänge: Vårdcentral Jakobsgårdarna 0243-49 77 00

If you need to pay for the test, save the receipt and follow the instructions about insurance. If you think that you are sick and that this will affect your studies, contact the programme or course coordinator.

Answer: According to the Communicable Diseases Act, a person who has communicable disease (coronavirus) must do what is required to protect others from infection (the so called duty to protect). You need to follow your healthcare provider's instructions and recommendations to this end. This for example entails informing the people you have been in contact with that you are infected.

Answer: If a student, a group of students or a staff member  is diagnosed with having covid-19, then they will receive special instructions from a doctor/healthcare services. The information will state what the individual needs to do to take sick leave, to sit in quarantine and to track infection. The University cannot and may not be involved in these matters.  

Answer: It is the responsibility of us all to stay at home if it feels like we have a cold. This is according to general FHM advice. It is good that you remind fellow students of our individual responsibility.

Remember that symptoms that resemble the cold may be due to other health conditions, such as allergies.

Answer: The total number of individuals who have tested positive for the coronavirus in Sweden is being tracked, with the information available on the website of the Public Health Agency of Sweden. This is updated on a daily basis. Numbers change every day as testing continues and new cases are reported. Due to strict patient confidentiality laws in Sweden, the exact number of confirmed cases at Dalarna University is unknown.

Visit the website of the Public Health Agency of Sweden for information about the spread of the Coronavirus

Answer: Dalarna University complies with the recommendations of the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs  regarding travel abroad and the Swedish Government’s decision to halt all non-essential travel to Sweden.

The Swedish Migration Agency published an updated Frequently Asked Questions regarding studying in Sweden. On the same day, the Swedish government announced that previous recommendations that ALL higher education be conducted remotely will be updated, allowing for campus-based education.

Since Dalarna University is planning for our degree programmes to be taught on campus with compulsary campus based moments we recommend those students who are able to come to Sweden to apply for a residence permit. Please note that the decision on residence permits remains with the Migration Agency.

Answer: Swedish authorities are closely following the spread of the coronavirus and are working continuously to keep Sweden and its residents safe. The best way to follow developments regarding the coronavirus is to refer to the WHO website and the ECDC website. There are currently travel restrictions in place for foreign nationals travelling to Sweden, however students are exempt from these travel restrictions. We will keep you updated regarding changes to these in the pre-arrival phase. Please also stay updated by checking emergency information from Swedish authorities.

Visit the WHO website
Visit the ECDC website
Visit krisinformation.se for official information from Swedish authorities