Deadline for Applications: 25 February 2026
The application window is now open for the 2026 Karolinska Institutet (KI) Global Master’s Scholarship, designed to support fee-paying international students who plan to pursue their master’s studies in Sweden. This scholarship presents a valuable opportunity for outstanding students admitted to one of KI’s prestigious global master’s programmes. Below, you can find detailed information regarding eligibility, scholarship benefits, the application procedure, and key dates.
About the Scholarship
Karolinska Institutet awards approximately one scholarship per master’s programme each year to highly qualified candidates admitted to its global master’s programmes. As this scholarship is distributed across all such programmes, competition is intense. For example, in 2025, there were 687 applicants vying for only 10 scholarship awards at KI.
Important Dates to Remember
- 2 February 2026: Deadline to submit your CV form via your University Admissions account
- 9 February to 25 February 2026: Scholarship application period
- 27 April 2026: Successful candidates will be notified by email
- 30 April 2026: Deadline to formally accept the scholarship offer
Who Is Eligible to Apply?
To qualify for the KI Global Master’s Scholarship, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Have submitted an application to one of Karolinska Institutet’s global master’s programmes commencing in 2026*
- Have paid the application fee by 2 February 2026
- Be a first-year student in the programme
- Be a tuition-fee paying student (i.e., a non-EU/EEA citizen)
- Meet the entry and documentation requirements for the chosen programme
Note: The KI Global Master’s Scholarship does not cover applicants to the Master’s programmes in Molecular Techniques in Life Science or Biostatistics and Data Science. For students applying to those programmes, consider exploring the KTH scholarship opportunities.
How to Submit Your Application
Applying for the KI Global Master’s Scholarship requires a separate process from your programme application. When the scholarship application period opens, an application link will be made available on the official KI scholarship page. It is crucial that your application is complete and submitted on time; late or incomplete submissions will not be accepted or reviewed.
What Does the Scholarship Provide?
This scholarship fully covers the tuition fees for the duration of the master’s programme at Karolinska Institutet. However, it is important to note that other expenses such as travel, accommodation, living costs, and additional fees are not included and must be financed separately.
Selection Process
The evaluation of candidates is conducted through a thorough review of the submitted CV form and supporting documents uploaded to University Admissions. Academic staff members from each of the global master’s programmes carry out this assessment. Key factors taken into account include previous academic achievements, relevant work and research experience, the applicant’s statement of intent, and an overall merit evaluation.
Some programmes may require additional, specialised criteria that are reflected in the CV form to better assess suitability within their specific field of study.
Selection Principles
For each programme, the student with the highest merit score will be offered the scholarship. In cases where two or more applicants share the same top score, the scholarship recipient will be decided through a random lottery system. If any scholarship winner declines their offer for a given year, KI will award two scholarships for that programme the following year instead of one.
Notification and Acceptance
All applicants will receive an email confirming the outcome of their scholarship application. Those selected will be sent an email containing an acceptance form and must confirm their acceptance before the stated deadline in order to secure their scholarship. Applicants who are not successful will receive an informative email that also includes a link to an evaluation form, allowing them to provide feedback regarding the scholarship application process.
