Australians - Study in Europe

 
 

 
 

This website is dedicated to making it easier for Australians to embark on postgraduate study in Europe.

As well as providing a host of links to relevant websites in Europe and Australia ASiE also undertakes research and consultation with the EU Commission, European governments and a great number of universities and foundations. The aim is to produce and update as much as possible all information concerning grants and scholarships available to Australian students seeking to pursue doctoral studies in Europe.

 
 

Higher Education in Norway

Overview

The Norwegian higher education system should look reasonably familiar to Australians not least because Norway has fully implemented many of the principles of the Bologna process meaning it has a degree system based on the Bachelor's, Masters and Ph.D. structure.

Norway has six accredited universities, six accredited specialized university institutions, 25 accredited university colleges, two accredited national colleges of the arts and 29 private institutions of higher education with either institutional- or programme accreditation.
The Norwegian system of higher education comprises all the institutions and/or programmes that are accredited. With the exception of some private university colleges, all higher education institutions are state-run. In general, tuition fees are not required for study at Norwegian higher education institutions, although fees may be imposed for certain professional education programmes, further and special education programmes and studies at private institutions.

As in Australia all the higher learning institutions, and particularly the universities, are responsible for conducting basic research as well as researcher training, primarily by means of graduate-level studies and doctoral degree, in addition to their teaching activities.


Transfer of Credits and Degrees

When transferring degrees and credits from a foreign institution the recognition process is normally performed by the Norwegian institution to which you are applying. If you would like a general assessment of your academic qualifications, you can contact the Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education (NOKUT). Recognition of foreign higher education qualifications in Norway
The International Recognitions Unit at NOKUT is responsible for dealing with applications for general recognition of foreign qualifications. NOKUT handles applications for general recognition of foreign qualifications and awards a number of general ECTS credits. They also states whether the level and scope/duration of the course is equivalent to a Norwegian degree.

Higher education institutions decide applications for specific recognition, i.e. whether a foreign qualification is academically equivalent to a degree, part of a degree or other qualification awarded by the institution concerned.
For further information about the recognition requirements see this site


Degrees Masters Programmes

More and more students are pursuing a Masters degree. Norwegian institutions are constantly working to design Masters programmes that will give students in-depth knowledge, research experience and an attractive degree for future employers.
A Masters degree is awarded by the universities, specialised university institutions, several university colleges and some private institutions. The degree is normally obtained after 1 ½ -2 years of study and typically consists of 120 "studiepoeng"/ECTS.
An important part of this degree is independent research work of between 30-60 “studiepoeng”/ECTS credits leading to a Thesis.

Admission to a Masters degree programme is usually based on a completed Bachelor's degree. However, in special cases admission may grant based on other criteria. The basic admission requirements may vary depending on institution and course.

An increasing number of Norwegian institutions are offering Masters programmes where the language of instruction is English. Currently there are over 170 courses available in our online catalogue.
Masters programmes where the language of instruction is English database.

 


 

Degree deposit required for all hats, any lost hats results in lost degreesPhD Programmes

The Doctoral Degree (Ph.D.) is awarded after three years of study following completion of a Masters degree or a professional degree/programme. Doctoral programmes, which are essentially research programmes, are offered by all university-level institutions, some state university colleges and a few private institutions.
The degree is made up of a training component equivalent to no less than 30 "studiepoeng"/ECTS (1 semester of full-time study) and a dissertation. The dissertation is an independent piece of scientific work that meets international standards within its subject area. If the dissertation is approved, it has to be defended at a public disputation.
The formal entrance qualification for the Ph.D. study is a Master-degree (2 years research master), or a corresponding degree from professional training schools (e.g. psychology, dentistry, medicine, law), or equivalent qualifications.
A number of Ph.D. programmes are designed as a four-year programme where 25 per cent of the time is reserved for teaching at lower level courses.
Some institutions offer two types of doctoral degrees: The “organised” doctoral degree is called Ph.D. (philosophiae doctor). This degree includes obligatory formal training and supervision in addition to the dissertation which is the main focus of the Ph.D.
The second type is a “free” doctoral degree which is called Dr. philos. (doctor philosophiae). No formal training or supervision is included in this degree, and this is typically not part of the institutions' formal Ph.D. programme or Research schools. The scientific status of the two degrees is the same.
More and more Ph.D. programmes in English are being offered at Norwegian institutions. You need to contact each institution individually for more information as there is no central register at present.

 

Application and Admission Requirements

In order to obtain the necessary application forms and information about the application deadlines you will have to contact each university or university college. In general the application deadline for foreign students is between January 15 to March 15 for courses starting the following autumn (August). Please note that some institutions have separate
"pre-qualification" deadlines that are earlier than this.

Masters

Admission requirements are decided by each university and University College based on an academic evaluation of the applicants. Applicants for Masters programmes have normally obtained an undergraduate/Bachelor's degree or equivalent of at least 3 years' duration. The degree must include courses equal to at least 1 1/2 years of full-time studies in a subject relevant to that of the programme applied for. In special cases, the first (and sometimes the second) year of study at a foreign higher education institution will not be recognised as higher education in Norway. For further information contact relevant institution in Norway.

PhD programmes
Admission requirements for PhD studies is at least a master level qualification.

Further information
Each institution is responsible for admission, and further information about entrance qualifications, supplementary tests, and the possibilities of transfer of credits can be obtained from the admission offices at the institutions.


Erasmus Mundus

The European Union’s Erasmus Mundus program, whereby you may complete a nominated Erasmus Mundus Master’s degree by coursework at two or three different institutions, does include Norway. You should go to our Erasmus Mundus pages to pursue more details. In 2007 there were 11 Erasmus Mundus courses being offered across 8 Norwegian institutions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
This website is an initiative of the Contemporary Europe Research Centre (CERC) at the University of Melbourne and has received funding and support from the Australian Commonwealth Department of Education, Science and Training, The Delegation of the European Commission to Australia and New Zealand and The National Europe Centre at the Australian National University.
 
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