Direction Decision Regarding the Structure of KTH’s Educational Offerings (ref. no. V-2024-0331 1.2)
Read the Direction Decision on the Structure of KTH’s Educational Offerings, which forms part of the operational planning for the period 2024–2028. The accompanying appendix contains six guiding positions intended to support a continuous renewal process of the educational offerings, along with specific provisions for each type of qualification. The decision was made in April 2024 by President Anders Söderholm, following a presentation by Per Fagrell (Programme Coordinator for Future Education at KTH).
Date of decision: 2024-04-10
Registration number: V-2024-0331 1.2
The Decision
The President of KTH establishes the attached Direction Decision regarding the Structure of KTH’s Educational Offerings, see Appendix 1. The decision forms part of KTH’s operational planning for the period 2024–2028.
The Matter
This document aims to strengthen the connection between KTH’s vision and overarching goals and the reform agendas that the schools and university management are to develop as part of KTH’s operational planning. By clarifying the direction for the development of KTH’s educational offerings in relation to the principles of Future Education at KTH, the document is intended to facilitate the formulation of more detailed objectives and specific positions for each school's development efforts within their respective reform agendas.
The document is based on a joint discussion involving KTH’s Extended Management Group, Directors of First and Second Cycle Education and Deputy Directors at the schools, student representatives, and the Head of the University Administration (VS/EDO). The discussion was facilitated by Future Education at KTH. The wording of the document has subsequently been refined through discussions with, among others, the First and Second Cycle Education Committee (GU), the Faculty Council (FR), and the KTH Management Group (KTH LG).
This decision was made by President Anders Söderholm following a presentation by Project Manager Per Fagrell. Present at the decision were University Director Kerstin Jacobsson, President of the Student Union at KTH Niklas Carlbaum, and meeting secretary Anna Aminoff.
Appendix 1 to Decision V-2024-0331 1.2
This appendix (1 of 1) contains goals for KTH’s education, six guiding positions for KTH’s educational offerings, and provisions for each qualification type.
Direction Decision Regarding the Structure of KTH’s Educational Offerings
This document is intended to strengthen the connection between KTH’s overarching goals and the reform agendas developed by the schools and university management. In KTH’s current governance structure, the Vision and Overarching Goals provide the foundation for a rolling three-year operational plan. The reform agendas of the management and operations result in commitments, assignments, and measures in the day-to-day activities.
By clarifying the direction for the development of KTH’s educational offerings in relation to the principles of Future Education at KTH, this document aims to support the formulation of more detailed goals and specific positions for the schools’ development work within their respective reform agendas.
Goals for Education at KTH
The overarching goal for our education is that it shall be of the highest quality and internationally competitive.
“KTH shall educate a broad spectrum of engineers, architects, teachers, and researchers capable of leading the transition towards a sustainable and gender-equal world. Our programmes shall advance knowledge in society and meet the labour market’s need for highly qualified professionals and flexible lifelong learning.
Our education shall be relevant in a rapidly changing world and characterised by pedagogical renewal, student-centred learning, research-based knowledge, and flexible study paths. There shall be a close link between education and research, with teachers who both teach and conduct research. We shall develop students’ practical professional skills and capacity for innovation through interactive learning activities, open experimental environments, and close collaboration with industry and other societal stakeholders. Through our programmes, students shall develop critical thinking and collaborative abilities in order to responsibly address complex challenges. We shall foster responsible entrepreneurship among our students and provide the conditions necessary to turn ideas into reality. We shall offer rich opportunities for student exchange to promote international perspectives.”
In addition, KTH’s working and study environment shall be attractive, inclusive, and gender equal, and our ways of working shall be effective, sustainable, and forward-looking.*
To realise this vision, we must continuously review the balance within our educational portfolio. This means we must constantly strengthen our capacity for educational renewal—both in terms of content and format.
* Vision and overarching goals KTH (Registration number: V-2023-0668)
Guiding Positions for KTH’s Educational Offerings
To support the continuous renewal of KTH’s educational offerings, a set of guiding positions has been established to steer the development of our programmes.
In addition to these six guiding positions, which are intended to inform the development of the various reform agendas and, in particular, the educational portfolios at all levels across KTH, there are also 13 principles within the programme Future Education at KTH that support the development of content, structure, and format for our educational offerings.
KTH’s Educational Offerings for a Sustainable Future Society
KTH shall offer a broad range of educational programmes as well as stand-alone courses primarily for lifelong learning aimed at practicing engineers, architects, and teachers. For these, we shall apply a planning framework that defines the scope of our course and programme offerings. This framework is set long-term by KTH’s Management Group but is discussed and revised annually during the operational dialogues. A long-term ambition is that the majority of education be conducted at the second-cycle level, where KTH has the greatest capacity and impact.
KTH shall take the lead in the transition to a sustainable society. This should have implications for our educational offerings, where informed choices that take the broader context into account are prioritised. The long-term ambition to strengthen the core funding for KTH’s academic positions should also influence the structure of our course and programme offerings-particularly if external grants for research and education do not increase. These are essential questions to consider when shaping the long-term reform agendas.
Each school must analyse its current offerings and how these should evolve in the long term to align with KTH’s vision, goals, and the principles of Future Education at KTH. Below are the provisions for each qualification type at KTH.
Master of Science in Engineering Programmes
KTH shall offer a stable and broad portfolio of Master of Science in Engineering programmes with strong demand from both students and the labour market. These programmes shall be clearly structured in a three-plus-two-year model, where the first three years build a solid disciplinary and professional foundation, followed by specialisations in the form of master's programmes. Each engineering programme is linked to several different master's programmes, enabling students to gain both disciplinary depth and interdisciplinary competence. Recruitment is primarily national, and the programme offerings shall remain stable over time with larger, cohesive student groups. KTH’s engineering degrees are designed for clear progression in knowledge, skills, abilities, judgement, and professional attitudes to address complex challenges. KTH shall remain the national leader in engineering education and thereby take significant responsibility for meeting society’s need for engineers.
Engineering and Teacher Education
KTH shall offer the combined degree of Master of Science in Engineering and Teaching—an educational format that KTH is particularly well-positioned to provide. The programme shall be organised in collaboration with other higher education institutions to the extent possible.
Master’s Programmes
Master’s programmes shall be specialised and offered within areas where KTH conducts successful research. These programmes shall recruit both nationally and internationally, be competitive, and in high demand in the labour market. The offerings shall be dynamic and able to evolve in line with developments in research or market needs. Programmes shall offer disciplinary progression through their structure and/or through elective opportunities for students. Each master's programme shall normally serve as a specialisation option within several Master of Science in Engineering programmes or within the Architecture programme.
Architecture Programme
KTH shall offer an architecture programme with a unique learning environment, grounded in both artistic and scientific foundations, and with significant elements of practical and experimental learning in studios and workshops. KTH’s architecture education shall remain the national leader, assuming major responsibility for educating future architects. The architecture degree at KTH includes clear progression in knowledge, skills, abilities, critical judgement, and design-based approaches to explore and address multiple possible solutions to complex challenges.
Bachelor of Science in Engineering Programmes
The Bachelor of Science in Engineering programmes shall be regarded as professional qualifications designed to make graduates employable immediately after graduation. KTH shall offer a limited number of such programmes in high demand, in areas where there is institutional expertise and societal need. These programmes shall have a practice-oriented character with strong links to the labour market. The Bachelor of Science in Engineering programmes at KTH are distinct from bachelor’s programmes and are not designed to lead directly to admission to a master's programme at KTH.
Bachelor’s Programmes
KTH shall offer a very limited number of bachelor’s programmes in areas where the university possesses expertise that is not primarily within engineering. While these programmes may prepare students for a specific profession, they may also lead to further study in a master's programme at KTH.
One-Year Master's Programmes (Magister)
Where appropriate, one-year master's programmes (magisterutbildningar) shall be developed to meet needs within lifelong learning, with options for alternative formats beyond full-time, campus-based studies. These programmes shall have a clear professional orientation and be designed primarily for students in lifelong learning.
Lifelong Learning
KTH shall continue to develop a competitive offering for its primary target group: practising engineers, architects, and teachers. These offerings shall enable professionals to update or complement their subject-specific or educational background, or acquire new skills for a different professional role. These may include courses or course packages/programmes delivered in various formats, from microcredentials to magister degrees.
Bridging/Foundation Education
KTH shall, as the only higher education institution in the region, offer bridging programmes such as the foundation year or foundation semester (tekniskt basår/bastermin). Various pedagogical formats and modes of delivery shall be available. The purpose of foundation education at KTH is to provide students who do not meet the general entry requirements from upper secondary school with the opportunity to acquire eligibility. Foundation programmes shall therefore play an important role in widening participation in KTH’s other educational programmes.