Second cycle education

Through the programme Second cycle education, the Knowledge Foundation wants to give the universities the opportunity to develop or further develop degree programmes at second cycle level together with the business sector. Starting in 2025, this programme will replace the former Avans programme.

Background and objectives

For Sweden to continue being a competitive country with a strong capacity for innovation, the educational offering at the country’s universities must be of high quality, have a clear connection to the knowledge frontier, and also be relevant to labour market needs. To ensure this, universities and the business sector need to engage, through collaboration, to analyse needs and develop relevant educational activities. By matching the subject areas of expertise of the universities with competence needs in the business sector, the relevance of the educational offering to the labour market can be ensured, and the Knowledge Foundation therefore offers the programme Second cycle education.

The objective of the programme Second cycle education is that the applicant research and education environment together with business partners develop or further develop second cycle study programmes that address the competence needs of the business sector. This strengthens both the educational offering at the universities and contributes to the provision of competence in the business sector. The purpose is to enhance Sweden’s competitiveness by ensuring that the business sector has access to graduates at the advanced level with relevant and in-demand competences.