This information is for those who have foreign educational qualifications and who wish to apply for a place on a bachelor’s or master’s degree programme in Norway. You will find information about the different degrees, the requirements you must satisfy in order to apply, and where you should send your application.
> Admission to bachelor’s degree programmes (first cycle or undergraduate degrees) in Norway
The first degree you take at a university or university college in Norway, also known as a first cycle or undergraduate degree, is called a bachelor’s degree.
The application process and the financial conditions for your studies depend on your connection to Norway:
International students with no connection to Norway
If you are an international student without a Norwegian citizenship or a residence permit, you have to apply to the specific university or university college offering the study programme you are interested in. Universities and university colleges offer some bachelor’s programmes for international students. Admission to these programmes does not require proficiency in Norwegian. Some universities and university colleges have bachelor’s programmes with a one-year course in Norwegian in the first year. Others offer English-language bachelor’s programmes.
For information on programmes for international students, see www.studyinnorway.no under the title ”What can I study?” in the left menu on the website. If you wish to apply to these programmes, you have to apply directly to the institutions. Please contact them directly for all matters concerning your eligibility for their study programmes.
Quota Scheme
The Norwegian government provides scholarships for students from developing countries and countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia through the Quota Scheme. The scheme normally includes courses taught in English at Master’s and PhD level, in addition to certain professional degrees, such as psychologist, dentist, teacher among others. In order to find out which courses are available under the scheme, please contact the institutions directly.
The application deadline varies depending on course and institution. To learn more about the Quota Scheme and find out if you are eligible to apply, please visit the website of The Norwegian Centre for International Cooperation in Higher Education (SIU).
Acceptance letter and study permit
The competition for the places on the English-language programmes for international students is high. Your documented academic results and extra-curricular activities sent to the specific university will rank you among the applicants. If you are offered a place on the study programme, the university will send you the acceptance letter and arrange for a study permit. Keep in mind that an economic guarantee for your stay is an absolute requirement for getting a study permit. In other words, you will be a so-called self-financing student. Please read more about this topic on the website of the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration
Applicants with a connection to Norway
If you are a Norwegian citizen, or you hold a permanent or renewable residence permit for Norway, you must apply for admission through NUCAS, the Norwegian Universities and Colleges Admission Service (in Norwegian: Samordna opptak). In order to be eligible for admission, documented proficiency in both English and Norwegian is required from these applicants to all first cycle studies.
The admission to all first cycle studies in Norway is centralized. NUCAS deals with applications to all state higher education institutions’ first cycle studies (bachelor’s studies). Applying to Norwegian universities and colleges is free of charge.
To be admitted to first cycle/undergraduate (or bachelor’s) studies at a Norwegian university or university college, you normally need to have an education that you find in this list (please choose your country listed in the pdf). This Higher Education Entrance Qualification is called “generell studiekompetanse” (GSK) in Norwegian. Keep in mind that some programmes may have specific admission requirements beyond the requirement for ”generell studiekompetanse”.
All applications are processed online by NUCAS/Samordna opptak. You will find detailed information in English about the process including the deadlines on their website. Please consult their list of higher education institutions and their study offer in their course overview for 2010 online (in Norwegian: Søkerhandboka).
Documented proficiency in both English and Norwegian is also required from applicants to all first cycle studies in Norway. Please consult NUCAS' website for further information.
For further clarifications please refer to NUCAS' contact address: sokerinfo@samordnaopptak.no
Private vs. state-owned educational institutions
Most higher education institutions in Norway are owned by the state. Studying at these is tuition free. We have, however, some private higher education institutions, like for example The Norwegian School of Management. They charge tuition fees, and deal with applications from international students themselves. Contact their international office for more information (see list below).
Quota Programme
For information on available study programs and application procedures within the framework of the Quota Program (a Scholarship Program for Students from Eastern Europe and Developing Countries), you must contact the particular higher educational institution itself.
In the following links you can find a list of all accredited higher education institutions in Norway: Universities, University Colleges, Specialised University Colleges
Checklist: Application for bachelor’s degree programme
> Admission to master’s degree programme (second cycle or postgraduate degree courses) in Norway
A master’s degree, also known as a second cycle or post-graduate degree, consists of further studies that can be taken after a bachelor’s degree at a university or university college.
Minimum requirements for admission to a master’s degree programme
You must have graduated with a bachelor’s degree in order to apply for admission to a master’s degree programme. Foreign bachelor’s degrees are not always recognised as Norwegian bachelor’s degrees. Because of differences in the educational system, you may be required to take more higher education before you can apply for admission to a master’s degree programme in Norway, even if you have obtained a bachelor’s degree in another country. You can find out whether this is the case by checking Country-specific information on NOKUT’s website.
Where do I send my application?
If you have some years of higher education or a full degree from abroad and wish to seek admission to a master’s degree programme, you should send your application direct to the higher education institution where you wish to study.
The institution will compare the academic level and content of your foreign education with the course of study you wish to apply for. On this basis, the institution will consider whether it can accredit some or all of your foreign education and determine at what level you can enter the study programme in Norway. Accreditation demands exhaustive documentation of the scope and content of your foreign education.