Short facts about north2north
You can apply for exchange studies via north2north (university-wide exchange places) between 15 December and 15 January for the coming academic year. It is possible to receive a scholarship.
Through north2north, you can go to partner universities that are part of the University of the Arctic (UArctic) network. The institutions you can apply to may vary between academic years. For example, there are universities in the northern United States, Canada, Tasmania, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Norway, Finland, France and the United Kingdom.
If you have questions about exchange studies via north2north, contact the International Office!
Eligibility and language requirements
Eligibility criteria
To be eligible for north2north you must:
- be a registered student at Umeå University at the time of your application or have an approved leave of absence from studies the year you apply;
- study at undergraduate or graduate level;
- have completed at least 15 ECTS at Umeå University when you submit your application to the International Office;
- have completed at least 60 ECTS at Umeå University before departure;
- go for exchange during a period of 3–10 months (shorter exchanges can be granted in exceptional cases);
- have a study performance over 75% at Umeå University, i.e. no more than 25% unfinished courses. (Registered interruptions in courses are not included in the calculation as long as there are no grades for the module or course.);
- have documented language skills in the language of instruction such as an upper-secondary school diploma. Read more below, under Language requirements; and
- and accept to submit a post-evaluation survey after the exchange, if you are offered an exchange place through north2north.
If you are studying courses or a programme with emphasis on the Northern and Arctic regions, you will have priority.
Language requirements
There are no language requirements in order to apply for an exchange place through the university-wide agreements through north2north.
Your chosen partner university, however, may have their own language requirements. Some universities require English tests in order to be admitted. This information is found on Solemove.
If you intend to study in a language other than English, please see the university’s page on Solemove.
More about the selection process
More information about the North2north programme and the selection process can be found on University of the Arctic's web.
Application step by step
1. Choose which universities you want to apply to
You can apply for up to four universities that you list in order of preference (first, second, third and fourth choice).
To find out which universities you can apply to within North2north, follow these steps:
- Go to Solemove (opens in a new browser window).
- Choose "Destination search" in the left hand menu.
- Click on the arrow next to "Advanced search".
- Under "Application period", choose "Exchange studies within north2north 2027-2028 15.10.2026-15.11.2026".
- Click "search" to see available universities.
The universities that are part of the North2north network are also listed on the UArctic website.
Note! Which universities you can apply to as a student at Umeå University can vary from year to year. It is only when the application period opens that you can see at which universities there are available places.
2. Select courses
In your application, you must also indicate your choice of courses. You must do this to demonstrate that there are courses for you to study at each chosen university. Please write four courses for each chosen university in the study plan. You can find more information about courses and the universities in the UArctic Study Catalogue.
3. Present your course choice to your study counsellor
All courses must be credited after the exchange and it is important that you have had your courses approved by your department before submitting your application for an exchange place. Present your course choices to all the universities you want to apply to, to your study counsellor and talk about which semester is the most suitable for you to study abroad.
Please note that the course selections are preliminary. Nominated students will possibly make new course choices in a later application to the host university.
In your application, you are asked to confirm that you have discussed this with your study counsellor and also state the name of that person.
4. Mandatory attachment in the application
In your application, you must include a study plan, including a Letter of Motivation.
A Letter of Motivation is a personal letter in which you can motivate why you are applying for a North2north exchange place. Describe your academic connection to the northern/arctic or any other connection such as motivation or interest.
Selection Criteria can be found here
Please use this template for your study plan and Letter of Motivation:
Letter of motivation and study plan - Template.docx (49 kB)
5. Apply through Solemove
Step by step manual for applying for exchange studies
Submit your application via Solemove (between 15th of October and 15th of November).
Make sure all enclosures are included:
- Study plan, including Letter of motivation (see above).
- A completed language test, if required by your host university (please see the university's page on Solemove).
The last submitted application applies
If you have submitted several applications, it is the latest version that will be taken into consideration, unless you have notified us otherwise. Contact the International Office.
After the application
After the application deadline, a selection takes place among all the applicants from all the universities participating in the North2north programme. All applicants will be notified of the decision via email when the selection is completed at the end of February.