Norway : Postgraduate study

How does the higher education system work?

Norway is one of the countries taking part in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) . This means their higher education system follows the structure of the Bachelors degree, Masters and PhD, which helps with the transferability of qualifications between those countries involved in the process. In Norway, Bachelors degrees typically take three years, Masters take two and PhDs take three years. 

Full information about the Norwegian education system is available at Study in Norway and the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research.

Information about Norway's policy regarding the internationalisation of education can be found at Norwegian Centre for International Co-operation in Higher Education (SIU).

What courses are available?

Norwegian postgraduate study offers many of the same subjects as in the UK, as well as an interesting choice of agricultural science and natural science courses. An online catalogue of courses is available at Study in Norway.

While the main language of teaching is Norwegian, there are an increasing number of Masters courses being offered in English. If you do opt for a Norwegian-based course but have little or no prior knowledge of the language, you will need to spend the first year learning Norwegian. Alternatively, summer schools also offer language courses specifically aimed at exchange students. 

Where can I study?

There are seven universities in Norway, all state-run:

• Norwegian University of Life Sciences (UMB)
• Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)
• University of Agder 
• University of Bergen 
• University of Oslo (the oldest and largest) 
• University of Tromsø 
• University of Stavanger 

There are also nine specialised university institutions, 23 state university colleges and a number of private colleges.

Links to all the Norwegian universities and institutions of higher education are available at Study in Norway.

Applying for postgraduate study

Application criteria are set by each individual institution but in general it is similar to that found in the UK. Applicants usually must have completed a three year degree, part of which should be relevant to the selected Masters.

Most courses start in August but some do begin in January. Individual institutions should be contacted to find out specific application deadlines. Typically for foreign students deadlines are between January and March for courses starting in the following autumn.

Fees and scholarships

Norwegian institutions are publicly funded and as such there are no tuition fees, even for foreign students. A registration fee of around NOK300-600 per semester is required however. This grants membership to the student welfare organisation and provides a student card which can be used to obtain discounts in a variety of areas.

You should bear in mind the high cost of living in Norway and the fact that international students must prove they have sufficient funding for one year.

Information on scholarships is available from:

• Research Council of Norway 
• Study in Norway 

Are there any exchange programmes?

UK students on undergraduate degree programmes or postgraduate Masters and some PhD programmes may be interested in spending time studying in Norway through the Erasmus scheme. This programme is open to all subject areas, but check with your institution's Erasmus coordinator first (usually based in the international office) to see which countries they have links with and in what subject areas.

See Norwegian Centre for International Co-operation in Higher Education (SIU) for more possibilities.

Will my qualifications be recognised?

As Norway is a member state of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) , qualifications will be transferable to the UK. You can also refer to the UK NARIC (National Recognition Information Centre for the United Kingdom)  for information on comparing international qualifications.