To get into a master's programme in Norway you need a bachelor's degree worth 180 ECTS from a recognised university. That degree also has to contain at least 1.5 years of full-time study in a subject relevant to the master's you want. Some programmes set a minimum grade average on top of that, and those two extra rules are where most international applicants come unstuck.
The three boxes you have to tick
The Study in Norway register states three core requirements for entry to a master's programme. You can treat them as boxes that all have to be ticked.
- Level: an undergraduate or bachelor's degree comparable to a Norwegian bachelor's degree of 180 ECTS.
- Recognition: the degree must be issued by an officially recognised and accredited university.
- Subject depth: your degree must include courses equal to at least 1.5 years of full-time studies in a subject relevant to the master's programme.
That third box is the one people miss. A Norwegian year of full-time study is generally worth 60 ECTS, so 1.5 years works out at roughly 90 ECTS in the right subject. Your overall degree can be in a different field. What matters is that enough of it sits in the subject area the master's builds on.
Subject requirements in practice
Institutions spell out that 1.5-year rule in their own wording, and the detail matters. Take the University of Stavanger's master's in Economics and Business Administration as an example. For applicants with foreign education it asks for a bachelor's degree with a minimum of 90 ECTS in economics and administrative disciplines. Within that, at least 30 ECTS must be in business economics and administrative science and methodology, covering both mathematics and statistics.
So a general business degree with a couple of maths courses may not be enough. Read each programme page with your transcript open and count the ECTS yourself before you spend money on an application. If a programme's subject rule is unclear, ask the admissions office at that institution directly. They decide on admission, not this site.
When a grade average matters
Some study programmes require a minimum grade average. It is not universal, but where it exists it is usually written plainly on the programme page.
Stavanger's Economics and Business Administration listing, for instance, requires a minimum grade average of C on the ECTS scale. That is a specific programme rule, not a national one, so don't assume every master's uses the same threshold.
How your grades get converted depends on the institution. BI Norwegian Business School converts the grades of applicants with international bachelor's degrees to the ECTS scale when it assesses them. Others have their own practice. If your transcript uses a different scale, ask the institution how they will read it rather than trying to convert it yourself.
At UiT, singular courses at master's level carry the same admission requirements as the master's programme they belong to. You must document the bachelor requirement, the special admission requirements and the minimum grade requirement. Taking one master's-level course is not a back door around the degree rules.
Where to apply, and how many choices you get
Postgraduate programmes are not part of the NUCAS coordinated application service. That service handles bachelor's degrees taught in Norwegian. Master's applicants apply through the website of the higher education institution itself.
How many programmes you can put down is set by each institution. At UiO, international master's applicants from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland can apply for up to two programmes or study options, and it is not possible to add or change programmes after the application deadline. Check the equivalent rule at every institution on your list before you submit.
If you are still choosing where to aim, our guide for international students covers the wider picture, and you can browse English-taught programmes to see what is actually on offer. Our catalogue currently lists 353 programmes across 27 Norwegian higher education institutions, imported from the Study in Norway register. It is a starting point, not a substitute for the institution's own page.
Fees, funding and the study permit
Degree-seeking students from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland must normally pay tuition fees at Norwegian institutions, and the fees vary between institutions and study programmes. Students from the EU/EEA and Switzerland are normally exempt from tuition fees at public institutions.
The Norwegian government offers no individual scholarships to degree students, so plan your budget on the assumption that you are funding it yourself. Any fee shown in the Study in Norway register is listed as it appears there, and you should confirm the figure with the institution before you commit.
If you are from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland and want to study in Norway for three months or longer, you must apply for a residence permit for studies, also called a study permit. UDI decides on permits. Check udi.no for the current rules and costs, and check lanekassen.no if you want to understand funding and support rules.
| Requirement | What it means | Where to check |
|---|---|---|
| Degree level | Bachelor's degree comparable to 180 ECTS | Institution and studyinnorway.no |
| Recognition | Degree from an officially recognised, accredited university | Institution and hkdir.no |
| Subject depth | At least 1.5 years of full-time study in a relevant subject | The programme page |
| Grade average | Only if the programme sets one | The programme page |
| Application route | Direct to the institution, not NUCAS | Institution website |
A checklist before you apply
- Count the ECTS in your transcript that fall inside the subject area the master's asks for.
- Confirm your university is officially recognised and accredited.
- Find out whether the programme sets a minimum grade average, and how your grades will be converted.
- Check how many programmes you may apply to and whether you can change them after the deadline.
- Look up the tuition fee for that specific programme and confirm it with the institution.
- Read the study permit rules on udi.no early, because they affect your timeline.
If you are comparing institutions before you shortlist, start with our list of all universities in Norway and then read the admission page for each master's you are considering. Deadlines, fees and programme details on this site are shown as listed in the Study in Norway register, so the institution's own page is always the one that counts.
Sources
- Study in Norway, admission to degree programmes and master's requirements
- Study in Norway, the Norwegian education system and ECTS
- Study in Norway, tuition fees
- Study in Norway, cost and requirements for a study permit
- Study in Norway, scholarships for degree students
- Study in Norway, University of Stavanger Economics and Business Administration master's
- Study in Norway, UiT admission
- Study in Norway, UiO master's admission
- BI Norwegian Business School, master's international scholarship and grade conversion
- Samordna opptak, English home page on postgraduate applications
- This site's catalogue, imported from the Study in Norway register
Frequently asked questions
What degree do I need for a master's in Norway?
You need an undergraduate or bachelor's degree comparable to a Norwegian bachelor's degree of 180 ECTS, issued by an officially recognised and accredited university. Your degree must also include courses equal to at least 1.5 years of full-time study in a subject relevant to the master's programme.
Do Norwegian master's programmes require a minimum grade average?
Some do, but not all. The University of Stavanger's Economics and Business Administration master's, for example, requires a minimum grade average of C on the ECTS scale. Check the individual programme page, and ask the institution how it will convert grades from your own system.
Do I apply through NUCAS for a master's in Norway?
No. Postgraduate programmes are not part of the NUCAS coordinated application service. You apply through the website of the higher education institution itself. How many programmes you may apply to is set by each institution, so check its rules before the deadline.
How many programmes can I apply to at UiO as an international applicant?
At UiO, international master's applicants from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland can apply for up to two programmes or study options. It is not possible to add or change programmes after the application deadline, so choose carefully before you submit.