Reduced range of programmes and courses in 2026
Next autumn, no new students will be admitted to three of the University’s programmes, and in the spring semester of 2027 one more programme will also have no admissions. There will also be fewer courses. This decision has been made by the Vice-Chancellor for the academic year 26/27. The reason is that the University has to achieve a balanced budget by 2026 and the fact that the government now reduces the funding cap in the coming year, i.e. the maximum sum that the University can receive for its educational provision each year.
“We are a university with many good and popular programmes, and it is of course sad not to be able to continue to offer some of the programmes.”
Susanna Öhman, Vice-Chancellor
It has been decided that the Construction and Real Estate Business Programme ,180 credits, Sociology for Social Sustainability, 180 credits, and the Master’s Programme in Digital Service Innovation, 120 credits will not admit any new students in the autumn semester of 2026 and that the the Pre-School Teacher Education, 210 credits, will not admit new students to the spring semester of 2027, which also applies for the spring semester of 2026. In addition, the total number of freestanding courses will be reduced.
Already admitted students are not affected
Students who have already been admitted and are attending one of the four programmes are not affected by the decision and will continue to follow their programme syllabus with the courses included. The decision only applies to the admission of new students.
The decision currently only applies to the academic year 26/27, but the long-term planning does not seem to allow for reopening admissions to these four programmes.
Certain areas of education need to be prioritised
The reason for the decision is that Halmstad University, like other higher education institutions, has seen a sharp increase in costs in recent years, and the funding cap, the total sum that the University receives to conduct education, is being reduced.
At the same time as the total amount for education is decreasing, the Government is investing in certain areas of education that are to be prioritised and receive higher compensation than before. This means that larger sums need to be invested in the areas prioritised by the Government, while the total amount of education provided needs to be reduced by approximately SEK 26 million by 2027.
“It is clear that the government wants to invest in improved quality, especially in technology and science, while at the same time reducing the total funding cap. Therefore, we need to reduce areas of education that are not as prioritised by the government”, says Vice-Chancellor Susanna Öhman.
Thorough analysis has led to the decision
In addition to the Government’s signals, the drafting group that has worked on the range of programmes and courses has based its analysis on both financial and quality perspectives. In the analysis prior to the decision the group has reviewed, for example, the number of applications, how many complete their entire education and how many graduate, as well as the demand in the labour market, connection to research within the programmes and competence in the collegium at each School.
Documentation from the University’s quality system, such as programme reports, has also been included in the analysis. An important part has also been student course evaluations and student final-year surveys.
The analysis prior to the decision has been carried out together with the Schools’ managements. During the whole process student representatives have taken part and has had the opportunity to influence.
“We are a university with many good and popular programmes, and it is of course sad not to be able to continue to offer some of the programmes – both for future students who will no longer be able to apply to them, and for the teachers who are passionate about their programmes. Teachers will be able to continue teaching in other programmes or courses, and the students will hopefully find other programmes that can provide similar competence, with us or at other universities”, says Vice-Chancellor Susanna Öhman.
Text: Selma Sedelius
Photo: Joachim Brink
