Masters Scholarships

Masters in Norway? What you should know

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Uche Chidera
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One of the simplest things about studying for a Masters in Norway is its welcoming attitude to overseas students and an egalitarian approach to education. All Masters programs in Norway are free from tuition fees and lots of are delivered in English. It’s for these reasons that the country already hosts around 8,000 foreign students at various levels of study.

This page covers everything you would like to understand about postgraduate study abroad in Norway, with information on universities and courses and advice on applications, visas, and funding. We’re also keeping an eye fixed on the effect of coronavirus on students in Norway.

Postgraduate Opportunities in Norway

Norway’s location translates into some unique research opportunities and experiences. a part of the country’s territory is found within the Arctic, with several of Norway’s top universities collaborating on pioneering research project projects.

If your research interests are more geared towards the humanities, you will be uniquely placed to study the history and culture of exploration and survival within the far north, with archives and heritage materials starting from Viking settlement to early polar voyages.

These are a number of the foremost compelling reasons to study for a Masters in Norway:

  • No tuition fees – Norway’s Master’s programs are liberal to all – including nationals from outside the EEA.
  • High quality of life – Consistently ranked near the highest quality of life tables, Norway may be a fantastic place to measure, work, and study.
  • Beautiful landscape – Nature lovers will find that there’s nowhere else quite like Norway, with its pristine fjords, atmospheric phenomenon, and Arctic tundra.
  • Language – English is widely spoken to a superb standard as a second language, so you won’t necessarily need to worry about learning Norwegian – although doing so might be rewarding!

Basic information about Masters in Norway

  • Universities- 40
  • Oldest University- University of Oslo (1811)
  • International Students- 8,955
  • Course Length   – 2 years
  • Academic Year- August to June

Recommended: 25 Things You Did Not Know About Studying In Norway

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Norwegian Universities

Norwegian education providers could also be either public or private, but most are state-run. In total, there are seven state universities in Norway and 22 state university colleges. These institutions each provide a comparatively comprehensive range of subjects and research diverse kinds of fields. There also are nine specialized universities and two national art colleges, plus a good number of private institutions offering accredited courses.

The majority of scholars in Norway (around 85%) study at state institutions and these are where you’re presumably to seek out yourself whilst studying for a Master’s degree in Norway. Subject coverage is probably going to be broadest at state universities, where Masters programmes are often in departments pursuing active research agendas in relevant subject areas. University colleges tend to specialize in professional Bachelor’s programs but also offer some taught postgraduate degrees.

Higher education in Norway follows the standards established by the Bologna process, with the ‘first cycle’ Bachelor’s programs followed successively by ‘second cycle’ Master’s degrees and ‘third cycle’ Ph.D. qualifications. this suggests that a Norwegian Masters program will provide you with a qualification that will be recognized internationally and meet the conditions for further postgraduate study in other countries.

Norwegian University Ranking

Despite the relatively small size of its education system, Norway punches well above its weight in international ranking leagues.

As you’ll see in the table below, a couple of Norwegian institutions feature among the highest 300 across the globe on each major ranking system.

Top 5 Norwegian Universities

  • University of Oslo
  • University of Bergen
  • The Arctic University of Norway
  • Norwegian University of Science and Technology
  • Norwegian University of Life Sciences

Information in this table is put together based on the latest Times Higher Education World University Rankings, QS World University Rankings, and Academic Ranking of World Universities.

Assessment of a Norwegian Masters Thesis

The assessment of a Norwegian Master’s thesis may involve an oral examination to add up to the written examination. this is often referred to as the ‘final Masters degree examination’ and involves two components. you’ll first be required to offer a presentation of your work to an open audience. you’ll not usually be questioned at this stage, but will instead proceed to an executive session together with your examiners who will assess you orally for some hours.

Having to present a lecture and undertake an oral defense of your Master’s thesis could seem somewhat daunting initially, but it is a great opportunity to call on some friends and family to require pride in your success (and show them what life in Norway is like). Plus, success in these examinations will look great on your CV whether you’re applying for a Ph.D. program or seeking professional employment together with your Master’s degree.

Masters Fees and Funding in Norway

The best news about tuition fees in Norway is that, technically, there aren’t any! As a part of the country’s commitment to education for all people, university study at Bachelor’s, Masters, and Ph.D. level is free. This also applies to international students. a little semester fee between approximately €30 and €60 may apply to postgraduate students, but this also grants you membership to your university’s student welfare organization and provides various associated benefits including reduced prices on conveyance.

Though you will not normally pay tuition fees on a Norwegian Master’s degree, you’ll find that the value of living in Norway is comparatively high. For this reason, it’s desirable to secure some sort of external funding to hide maintenance costs during some time studying in Norway. variety of funding and scholarship packages exist to assist you, many of which may be found on the official Study in Norway’s website.

EEA Grants/Norway Grants help scholars from 16 different countries within the Baltic region and Central/Southern Europe study in Norway, providing a monthly grant of between €600 and €1,200.

Nordplus education supports students from Nordic or Baltic countries to study in other Nordic or Baltic countries and their funding could also be accessible to certain postgraduate students in Norway.

The High North Fellowship Programme is specifically designed to support students from Canada, the USA, Russia, Japan, and South Korea, who want to study somewhere in the northern part of Norway. it’s funded through the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and offers travel grants also and a monthly stipend of around €970.

The Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund is primarily intended for Norwegian citizens (but it is comparatively some foreign citizens counting on their country of residence and their connection to Norway). This fund offers repayable loans and non-repayable grants to hide the value of studying in Norway.

You might be eligible to receive support through the Erasmus+ scheme, which provides funding for selected programs like Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters, and the Erasmus loans for college kids who want to study abroad.

Applying for a Masters in Norway

Admission into a Master’s program in Norway often requires a Bachelors’s degree in a subject area related to what you would be studying. Beyond this higher education, providers will state their criteria for applicants. As the usual way, you should be able to provide certification of previous qualifications and be prepared to give a statement of your interest in the course and its suitability to your experience and career goals. International students will also need to prove that they are financially capable of funding their education in Norway during their course of study (this is done either through external funding or through personal resources).

Recognition of Qualifications

Being a member of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) as well as a participant in the Bologna process, Norway is often able to recognize foreign qualifications (particularly the ones from within Europe) with relatively little difficulty. Your prospective institution should be able to alert you if there would be any form of difficulty in your case. You can as well contact the Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education for more information about the recognition of your qualifications.

Masters Student Visas in Norway

As a Master’s student in Norway, you’ll most likely need to acquire a dormitory permit from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration to stay in the country for over three months. A resident permit isn’t needed for college kids from Nordic countries (Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland).

Applications for a residence permit should be made to a Norwegian Foreign Mission in your home country. you’ll use Norway’s official web portal to locate your nearest mission or embassy.

It is possible to arrive in Norway without a pre-approved residence permit, but you’ll have to make sure you can acquire one within three months if so.

The documents required for a residence permit application will usually include:

  • A completed form with the attached passport photograph.
  • Proof of acceptance at a recognized learning institution.
  • A statement proving that you simply possess sufficient maintenance funds.
  • Proof of valid insurance, either through a personal policy or reciprocal scheme.

If you’re a resident outside the EU, EEA, and Switzerland you’ll also get to provide:

  • Documentation of accommodation.
  • An outline of your proposed studies.

There is a processing fee for permit applications, but this is often waived for citizens of the EU, EEA, and EFTA countries.

Studying a Masters in Norway will provide you with top quality, internationally recognized qualification which will support you in future career goals, whether you plan to continue to Ph.D. level research or take up employment outside the academy. additionally, Norway offers several opportunities that will still enhance your CV long after you graduate.

This post was last modified on December 10, 2020 2:54 pm

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