Study in Europe › Sweden › Lund University

Development Studies – Bachelor of Science Programme

Lund University (Faculty of Social Sciences) · Lund, Sweden

100% taught in EnglishApply direct to the university, not the CAOLimited placesTuition-freeRanked on final gradesNo maths requirement
Duration3 years
StartsAutumn 2027
EntryLimited places
Deadline (EU)15 Jan 2027
EU fee 2027/28No tuition fee

About the course

A three-year, 180-credit interdisciplinary degree on global development at Lund University, taught in English. It draws on economic history, human geography, political science and sociology. You take core development courses plus specialised courses in the subject you choose as your major. The final semester can include an internship, fieldwork abroad or desk-based research.

Entry requirements for Irish students

  • University Admissions in Sweden accepts the Leaving Certificate for general entry if you took at least six subjects, with at least two at Higher Level. Predicted grades are not accepted, so most Irish students apply after receiving their results (for example in a gap year). In the international round, places are ranked entirely on your school grades (GPA).
  • Specific requirements (Swedish courses): English 6 and Social Studies 1b or 1a1+1a2. There is no specific maths requirement. University Admissions decides whether your Leaving Cert subjects meet these.
  • English: Leaving Cert English at Ordinary Level grade 6 (or D) or better meets the English requirement.

How to apply

  1. Check the requirementsRead the Lund programme page to confirm an autumn 2027 intake, and check that your Leaving Cert can meet the English 6 and Social Studies 1b requirements.
  2. Apply onlineApply at universityadmissions.se between 16 October 2026 and 15 January 2027, ranking this programme among your choices.
  3. Upload documentsBy 1 February 2027 upload your final Leaving Certificate results and a copy of your passport or ID card as proof of EU citizenship.
  4. Get your resultsFirst-round results are published on 8 April 2027. If you get an offer, accept it and arrange accommodation in Lund before the autumn start.
Deadline for Irish/EU applicants: International (first) admissions round for autumn 2027: applications open 16 October 2026 and close 15 January 2027. Documents are due by 1 February 2027 and results are published on 8 April 2027. A second round runs from 15 March to 15 April 2027, but it is mainly for applicants in Sweden and places are partly allocated on the Swedish aptitude test. Lund had not yet listed an autumn 2027 intake for this programme in September 2026, so check the programme page before applying..

Costs

  • Irish and other EU citizens pay no tuition fee. You must upload a copy of your passport (personal data and photo page) or a similar ID document as proof of citizenship with your application documents (the first-round document deadline is 1 February 2027).
Predicted grades are not accepted and international-round places are ranked on final grades, so in practice you apply in the January round after you have your results, usually in a gap year.

At a glance

CountrySweden
CityLund
LanguageEnglish
Apply viaUniversity Admissions in Sweden (universityadmissions.se)
PlacesNot published
EntryLimited places
Programme page ↗University Admissions: Ireland ↗Autumn 2027 key dates ↗← Back to all European courses

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Checked 27 September 2026 against the Lund programme page and University Admissions in Sweden (2027 entry). The programme page still showed only the autumn 2026 intake (closed). Always confirm details with the university before applying.