Guide · Sweden
How to write a motivation letter for a Swedish university
In Sweden, you apply for Master's programmes through one national site, universityadmissions.se, and upload your documents there. Not every programme asks for a letter — but many do, and each programme sets its own rules. Lund University calls it a statement of purpose, letter of intent or personal statement; KTH calls it a letter of motivation.
Swedish letters are short. KTH asks for less than 500 words, and some Lund programmes give a hard limit and the exact questions to answer. Read your programme's page before you write a word.
Checked against official sources: October 2026
- 15 Jan
- 2027 deadline, first admissions round
- < 500
- words for a letter of motivation at KTH
- 900 SEK
- application fee outside the EU/EEA/Switzerland
Your first letter is free — no credit card needed.
At a glance
- Is a letter required?
Depends on the programme
Lund University says many Master's programmes require a statement of purpose, sometimes with a template; some also ask for a CV, letters of recommendation or a writing sample. Check the list of documents on your programme page.
- Length
Often under 500 words
KTH: less than 500 words, in English. Lund's Master in Social Anthropology: at most 350 words, answering the programme's own questions. Your programme's limit always counts.
- One letter per programme
Name it at the top
At KTH, if you apply to several programmes that require a letter, you write one for each and state the programme at the top of the page.
- What KTH wants
Why, what, how
Why you chose the programme at KTH, what you hope to gain and how your interests and skills will help you succeed — plus a short “autobiography” of your academic and professional development and related experience.
- Dates for autumn 2027
15 January
On universityadmissions.se, the first round opens on 16 October 2026; the application deadline is 15 January 2027, fee and documents are due by 1 February, and results come on 1 April.
- Application fee
900 SEK
Applicants from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland pay 900 SEK — one fee per semester you apply for, not per programme.
How to structure it
Why this programme
Put the programme's name at the top — KTH asks for it, and Lund's Social Anthropology programme wants it in capitals. Then give your main reason, tied to a concrete experience. If the programme lists questions, answer them in its order.
Your background
Your degree, your grade on its original scale, your thesis and the experience that matters for this programme — the short “autobiography” KTH asks for.
What you hope to gain
What you want to learn and how your skills will help you succeed in the programme.
Your goal
Where the degree leads you, in one or two realistic sentences.
Example: letter of motivation for KTH
Excerpt from a sample letter for a fictional applicant with a Computer Science degree. KTH's limit for the whole letter is less than 500 words. The numbers in the margin match the steps above.
Letter of motivation — Master's Programme in Sustainable Technology
I am applying for the Master's Programme in Sustainable Technology at KTH because I want to measure what my work as a data analyst kept missing. During my internship at a logistics company, I built Python dashboards that cut the weekly reporting time from six hours to one. They showed delivery times and costs in detail — but nothing about the emissions of the trucks behind them.
My Bachelor's in Computer Science, completed with a GPA of 3.6 out of 4.0, gave me a solid base in programming, databases and statistics. In my thesis, I predicted delivery delays from 50,000 shipment records. Outside my studies, I volunteered in a student group that tracked the energy use of our campus buildings, which first showed me how much data can say about environmental impact.
[…]
Alex Weber
Common mistakes
Ignoring the programme's questions
A general letter for a programme with three set questions
Three answers, in the programme's order
When a programme lists questions, the committee reads your letter against them. A general letter leaves them unanswered.
Going over the limit
A 600-word letter for KTH
480 words, counted before uploading
350 words means 350 words. A letter that ignores the limit shows you didn't read the instructions.
One letter for every programme
One letter uploaded for three programmes
Three letters, each named at the top
KTH asks for a separate letter per programme, with its name at the top. A shared letter can't explain why you chose each one.
Converting your grades yourself
“My GPA of 3.6 is equivalent to an A.”
“I completed my Bachelor's with a GPA of 3.6 out of 4.0.”
Give your grade on its original scale. The university assesses it itself, and your own conversion may contradict your transcripts.
Empty praise
“KTH is one of the best technical universities in Europe.”
“I want to measure what my dashboards kept missing.”
“A world-leading university in a beautiful city” fits every university in Sweden. Name what this programme gives you.
Uploading after the deadline
Writing the letter on 31 January
Letter ready before the 15 January deadline
On universityadmissions.se, documents and the fee have their own deadline — 1 February for autumn 2027. A letter written on the last evening is a risk.
Questions
How long should a motivation letter for Sweden be?
As long as your programme says — less than 500 words at KTH, at most 350 words for some Lund programmes. Without a limit, keep it to about one page.
Is a statement of purpose the same as a motivation letter?
In Sweden, mostly yes. Lund University uses statement of purpose, letter of intent and personal statement for the same document; KTH calls it a letter of motivation. Follow the instructions of your programme.
Where do I upload the letter?
On universityadmissions.se, together with your other documents, unless your programme's page says otherwise. Documents are due by 1 February for autumn 2027.
Is it OK to use AI for a motivation letter?
Rules differ between universities. Use an AI draft as a starting point: check every fact, change anything that doesn't sound like you, and follow your university's rules.
Sources
Documents checklist
Documents you need to study in Sweden