Entry requirements for bachelor and master programmes

The requirements vary based on your educational background and what you are applying for.

Interested in pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Norway?

• The Higher Education Entrance Qualification (GSU) is the basic requirement for admission to higher education in Norway.
• What GSU corresponds to in your country can be found in the GSU list.
• Additional requirements may apply in specific academic fields, for instance technical and artistic subjects. Read more on the page for each study programme.
• Most bachelor’s programmes are taught in Norwegian, but some are taught in English. Search for these under Study opportunities.
• Language requirements depend on the language of instruction. Read more about how you can document your language skills.
• Admission to bachelor’s degrees taught in English is done through the institutions’ own systems.
• Admission to bachelor’s degrees taught in Norwegian is done through the Norwegian Universities and Colleges Admission Service (NUCAS).

Interested in pursuing a master’s degree in Norway?

• You must have an undergraduate/bachelor’s degree comparable to a Norwegian bachelor’s degree (180 ECTS).
• Your undergraduate degree must be issued by an officially recognised and accredited university.
• Your undergraduate degree must include courses equal to at least 1½ years of full-time studies in a subject relevant to the master’s programme.
• Some study programmes require a minimum grade average.
• Read more about recognition of foreign education in Norway.

What about the language requirements?

• For all degrees taught in English, you must document your English language skills according to the requirements set by the higher education institution. Be aware that accepted English tests and required scores may vary from institution to institution, and sometimes from study programme to study programme.
• If you want to study in Norwegian, you must document proficiency in Norwegian to be eligible for admission. Learn more about language requirements at bachelor’s level at Krav til norsk og engelsk – Samordna opptak (external link, in Norwegian).
• If you are from Denmark or Sweden, documented Danish or Swedish language skills may be sufficient. Read more about the specific requirements at Utenlandsk utdanning – Samordna opptak (external link, in Norwegian) and choose your country from the list.

Want to learn some Norwegian?

• NoW (external link) is a free online Norwegian course offered by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).
• FutureLearn (external link) is an online Norwegian course offered by the University of Oslo (UiO).
• International Summer School (ISS) (external link) at UiO offers six-week intensive summer courses in Norwegian.
• Some institutions, such as USN, UiT and Volda University College, offer short programmes or one-year programmes in Norwegian or Scandinavian languages.
• Duolingo (external link) is another option for learning some Norwegian.
• The Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir) runs Norwegian language tests for those who are already in Norway.