Startpage for Swedish National Agency for Higher Education

 
 

2004-04-06

Academic Introduction Studies in Sweden: the First Few Years

Academic introduction studies (pre-foundation courses or ‘college programmes’), i.e. courses bridging the gap between upper-secondary and tertiary education, are a relatively new phenomenon in Swedish higher education. True, such education has been provided at a couple of Swedish institutions under special permits since 1997–98. But it started on a large scale only in response to the Government Bill Reforms in Higher Education ? A More Open System (Govt. Bill 2001/02:15), and as subsequently prescribed in the Ordinance on Academic Introduction Studies (SFS 2002:763).

This report is a partial account of a major ongoing evaluation that is to be completed in 2006. It investigates the scope of academic introduction studies (AIS) in Sweden and the students’ background and study performance. The results show that a total of 1,307 students were registered in AIS at the country’s 18 higher education institutions during the period from Autumn Term 2002 to January 2004 inclusive.

The prevalent arrangement for AIS is that a student first attends a one-term pre-foundation course in adult education that confers eligibility for an undergraduate study programme. In the following term, the student then attends an academic introduction course at the higher education institution concerned. However, numerous alternative arrangements are available. Some involve short courses ? such as a single AIS term, joint study programmes that alternate various (upper-secondary and tertiary) components, and courses held solely under the institution’s aegis.

An analysis of student categories shows that AIS students are largely (two-thirds) women; that their age is above the average for students embarking on higher education; and that the extent to which they have not been gainfully employed, and/or have been unemployed, exceeds the average in the general population.

The survey assignment did not include any investigation of the students’ social and ethnic background.
The majority of AIS students have either left school with a compulsory-school leaving certificate only, dropped out of upper-secondary school or completed a practical upper-secondary course programme. A substantial number of students also complete pre-foundation upper-secondary courses before embarking on their AIS. However, in recent terms this proportion has decreased.

Most higher education institutions offer applicants some form of study-place guarantee or completion of their pre-foundation studies. According to several institutions this is a key incentive for students. Some 60 per cent complete their AIS and most then embark on studies in higher education in some form.
Some students choose to attend only the part of AIS that confers eligibility, and then proceed straight to some other study programme in higher education. There is some variation among the institutions in terms of the transition to higher education. No detailed analysis of the causes of this variation has been performed.

Academic introduction studies are still at an experimental stage in Sweden, and many different models for arranging them are being tested. Some institutions have had to restructure their AIS to bring about less uniform, more flexible courses. Others are planning to step up their recruitment measures. Where the future of AIS is concerned, some institutions plan to give their courses a distinctive profile.

Five of the Swedish higher education institutions concerned are planning to expand their range of courses in this category. Most of them (ten) have not, however, commented on the future of AIS under their own aegis. Two predict cutbacks.

Swedish National Agency for Higher Education  Visting address: Luntmakargatan 13  Box 7851, 103 99 Stockholm
Phone: 08-563 085 00  Fax: 08-563 085 50  Email: hsv@hsv.se