Study in Norway: Education in Norway

Norway prides itself on delivering high-quality, affordable higher education to its citizens and students from all over the world.

A brief history of the Norwegian education system

The University of Oslo was founded in 1811 - three years before the Norwegian constitution was signed - making the country's higher education system older than modern Norway itself. Before this, Norwegians who wished to study at the university level had to travel to Denmark - or other countries - for higher education. After gaining its independence from Sweden in 1905, Norway established more national institutes of higher education.

🎓Fun fact: Norway is well known for its russefeiring, or celebration of high school graduation, which is a month-long party culminating on May 17, Norway's national day. But the tradition has its origins in celebrations for entering university dating back to the establishment of the University of Oslo.

The academic and grading system in Norway

Norway is part of the Bologna Process. This means its higher education system conforms to that of other countries in the Process, and its system is split into three levels, called tiers. These tiers are:

First Tier

This is the undergraduate level. Bachelor's degrees normally take three years to complete. Specialized subjects, like medicine and engineering, might require an extra year of study.

Second Tier

This is the graduate/postgraduate level. Master's degrees normally take two years to complete. Some qualifications, like teaching certificates, only take one year.

Third Tier

This is the doctoral level. PhDs normally take three to five years to complete. Some students choose to teach while researching, so this takes PhD qualifications up to five years.

Norway also uses the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS), allowing students to move freely between countries and institutions. This includes the grading system in Norway, which operates on an A-F scale, with A as the highest and F as the lowest grade. Norway is also part of Erasmus. This means that you can take part of your qualification, or even an internship, outside of Norway. You can even get a bursary while you study or work. 

Types of education institutions in Norway

Norway has four types of higher education institutions:

• Universities: Accredited bodies that can offer degrees at any level
• Specialized Universities: Accredited bodies that can offer Bachelor's degrees in any subject and higher degrees they have been authorized to offer
• University colleges: Accredited bodies that can offer degrees at any level within their subject/specialty
• University colleges with accredited study programs: Unaccredited bodies that must apply for accreditation of their programs

Norway currently has forty-seven higher education institutions, thirty-three of which are members of Universities Norway (UHR), a governing body for higher education and research in Norway. In addition to these institutions, students at Norwegian higher education institutions can also study or complete research at the University Center at Svalbard, the northernmost higher education institution in the world.

Bachelor's studies in Norway

Bachelor's degrees are offered at universities, specialty universities, and university colleges throughout Norway. A Bachelor's degree typically takes three years to complete and is the equivalent of 180 ECTS credits.

Most undergraduate programs in Norway are taught in Norwegian, so international students wishing to complete a Bachelor's degree in Norway may need to demonstrate Norwegian proficiency. Additionally, some programs require international students to complete some higher education before enrollment.

How long is a Master's degree in Norway?

It typically takes students two years to complete a Master's degree in Norway. Norwegian Master's programs are the equivalent of 120 ECTS credits, and students need to have completed a Bachelor's or undergraduate degree before enrollment.

Some professional graduate programs, like medicine and law, can take up to six years to complete.

Doctoral studies in Norway

A doctoral degree (PhD) in Norway takes at least three years of full-time study plus 2.5 years of thesis work. Norwegian doctoral programs require applicants to hold a Master's degree (or equivalent five-year degree).

As with many other countries, Norwegian doctoral degrees require students to demonstrate original research in a specific subject. In Norway, PhD candidates present their research in a public defense.

In Norway, PhD candidates don't have student status and are not eligible for state-supported student loans or student housing. Therefore, PhD candidates must also have sufficient financial support for their studies. In Norway, many PhD candidates work as doctoral research fellows within their academic departments. Others seek outside funding in the form of grants or research fellowships.

Can I study in English in Norway?

Norwegian and English are widely used across all three tiers of higher education in Norway. In fact, you can even study other languages, like German and Russian.

Graduate and doctoral programs are more likely to be taught in English than undergraduate programs, which makes them popular with and accessible to international students.

If your chosen program is taught in English, you must demonstrate English-language proficiency in your application. If your program is taught in Norwegian, you'll need to demonstrate Norwegian-language proficiency before enrolling. Some international students choose to do an intensive Norwegian course before their studies to gain competency.