Basic Information about Norway

  Norway is the northernmost country of Europe and part of Scandinavia. It is a constitutional monarchy famous for its natural beauty, the midnight sun and northern lights. Traditionally, Norway has been known for its maritime and offshore industries, but heavy investments in ICT and technology have resulted in a diverse and innovative economy. Norway can offer a vast range of experiences and activities for everyone. In the summer, students may enjoy sailing in the fjords and hiking in beautiful forests and mountains. It is also the peak season for music festivals which attract many world-class performers. In the winter, the snowy landscape provides heaps of opportunities for people with all sets of risk appetite. Future students may enjoy skiing and snowboarding at a number of resorts that are often located in close proximity to urban areas providing urban dwellers with an active lifestyle, both summer- and wintertime. Also, Norwegians enjoy an extensive café culture and an exciting nightlife. The official language is Norwegian, but nearly everyone speaks English. Thus, International students should not experience significant barriers to an active social life in a modern country rich on history, nature, culture and all sorts of interesting activities.

Norway offers a unique experience for students. Norwegian institutions of higher education welcome applications from qualified students from all over the world.

Internationalization is a priority for all sectors of the Norwegian education system, and universities and university colleges are working to make their routines and facilities suit international students. Nearly 11 000 such students are currently enrolled at Norwegian institutions of higher education.

All over Norway

Higher education institutions are located all over Norway. The major cities have both a university and various university colleges. Therefore there is a wide range of programmes of study available in the humanities, the social sciences and natural sciences; in addition, most of these institutions have their own specialty areas. This means that an international student can combine academic interests with an exciting geographical location.

International students

International students can apply for admission to a variety of undergraduate and graduate degree programmes. European students can come to Norway through established exchange programmes, institutional agreements, or as “free movers”, and arrange their stay themselves (type of study, length and financing)

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Bilateral exchange agreements

Many Norwegian institutions have bilateral exchange agreements with universities and university colleges in other countries. Most of these agreements mean that a student studies for one or two semesters at the institution in Norway as part of a degree from the home university or college. In addition, there are some exchange programmes on a national level. Depending on where a student is enrolled there is also the possibility of coming to Norway via existing mobility programmes or institutional agreements.

Norwegian Centre for International Cooperation in Higher Education (SIU)

Norway’s official agency for international programmes and measures related to higher education is the Norwegian Centre for International Cooperation in Higher Education (SIU). SIU deals with three different aspects of organizing international educational and research cooperation: programmes, fellowships and auditing arrangements. SIU is the largest international programme office in Norway and manages programmes based on agreements between the Norwegian Association of Higher Education Institutions and several national and international public organizations.

Controlling quality in tertiary vocational education

NOKUT is the controlling authority for all tertiary vocational education. NOKUT’s mechanisms include controls of the institutions’ internal quality assurance systems and all educational provision for compliance with national quality standards.

Only institutions that have had a broad discipline area recognized by NOKUT can label themselves ‘college of tertiary vocational education’.

The Higher Education System

Norway hosts a large number of higher educational institutions. These institutions provide a vast range of options from which students may choose. In Norway, higher education requires students to have completed an internationally recognized upper secondary education equivalent to the upper secondary education in Norway. Please refer to NOKUT for more
information,www.nokut.no/en/Foreign-education. The structure of Norwegian higher education consists of a three-year bachelor’s degree, two-year master’s degree and three-year doctorate degree, each with minimum requirements for entry. This conforms to the Bologna Process which effectively implements a common term and credit structure across Europe. As a result, studies in Norway may open an endless range of opportunities for students who are eager to pursue a further academic, or professional, career in Europe.

Tuition Fees, living costs and scholarships

Norwegian universities and state university colleges are mainly public institutions that do not charge tuition fees for international students. These institutions are complemented by a number of private institutions that do charge tuition. Please refer to the individual institutions’ websites for more details. Living costs in Norway are rather high compared to most countries in Europe. Thus, students must carefully assess whether they can cover these before pursuing an academic degree in Norway. . If you are interested in studying in Norway and if you are looking for financial support/Schalorship, we strongly recommend that you reach our counselor who would assist you to find all the information on available scholarships