General information for applicants outside the EU/EEA

Programmes taught in English

The following programmes are taught entirely in English, and are offered to applicants outside and inside the EU/EEA:

Study programmes

Application period

• Applicants from countries outside the EU/EEA: currently 1 November- 1 December (the dates are subject to change for the 2024/25 intake).
• Applicants to music performance programmes: 1 November – 15 December.

Application requirements for bachelor's programmes and Educational requirements 

Higher Education Entrance Qualification

The general basis for admission to universities and university colleges in Norway is called Higher Education Entrance Qualification. You may find what is considered university entrance qualifications from your country in the 'GSU' list. This list states the basic requirements for admission to higher education in Norway. Please find the latest version of the 'GSU' list here.

There are additional requirements for admission to Music Performance.

Document requirements        

Officially issued transcripts and diplomas must be uploaded to the online application portal when you apply. 

Translation and original documentation

All documents must be translated into English, Norwegian, Swedish or Danish, if the original documents are not in any of these languages. The translation must be carried out by a government authorised or official translator. You must upload scanned versions of the original documents accompanied by the translations.

Admission requirements for master's programmes

Educational requirements 

The basis for admission to all master's programmes is a bachelor's degree (the equivalent of 180 ECTS) from a recognised institution. Check the required length of study depending on which country you come from (three to five years of higher education) and which education documents are required in the Country list. 

You must have completed your degree in order to be eligible for admission to master's programmes. 

Academic basis

Applicants will not be considered unless they meet the academic requirements specified for each programme. Please see the specific academic requirements for your programme here.  

Minimum grade requirement 

A grade point average (GPA) equal to a C or better within the Norwegian grading system is required. The grade requirement is calculated from the university/college degree which forms the basis of admission. 

Document requirements        

Officially issued transcripts and diplomas must be uploaded to the online application portal when you apply. There are certain documentation requirements, such as verification reports, for applicants from some countries. See if this applies to you in the country list.

Course descriptions

In some cases you might be asked to provide course descriptions in order to evaluate if the specific requirements are met. If you have been asked to provide course descriptions and fail to do so, your application will not be processed.

Translation and original documentation

All documents must be translated into English, Norwegian, Swedish or Danish, if the original documents are not in any of these languages. The translation must be carried out by a government authorised or official translator. You must upload scanned versions of the original documents accompanied by the translations.

Language requirements for English taught bachelor's programmes

Bachelor's programmes taught exclusively in English do not have Norwegian language requirements. 

Please note that the University of Agder does not offer any of the following tests/subjects:

You may be exempt from taking an English language test/subject if you: 

• are exempted according to the GSU-list and/or your country specific webpage. 
• have completed a university degree in English language and literature, where the subject English comprised the main component of the course of study.
• have completed at least one-year studies at high school or in higher education in the United States, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia or New Zealand. The place of instruction must have been in one of these countries and the language of instruction must have been English.
• have completed a bachelor's or master's degree with English as the language of instruction in one of the Nordic countries.

Language requirements for English taught master's programmes

Norwegian language proficiency not required. 

Applicants can meet the English language requirement by completing one of the following tests/subjects below.

Please note that the University of Agder does not offer any of the following tests/subjects.

You may be exempt from taking an English language test if you: 

• are exempted according to your country specific webpage. 
• have a minimum of one year's university studies in academic subjects with English as the language of instruction in the UK, USA, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand or Australia.
• have completed a bachelor's or master's degree with English as the language of instruction in one of the Nordic countries.
• meet the Higher Education Entrance Qualification (generell studiekompetanse) with Nordic secondary education. 

Language requirements for Norwegian taught programmes

Bachelor's and master's programmes taught in Norwegian have both Norwegian and English language requirements as listed below. 

Please note that the University of Agder does not offer any of the following tests/subjects.

You may be exempt from taking an English language test if you: 

• are exempted according to the GSU-list and/or your country specific webpage. 
• have completed a university degree in English language and literature, where the subject English has a scope of at least 60 ECTS or equivalent.
• have completed at least one-year studies at high school or in higher education in the United States, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia or New Zealand. The place of instruction must have been in one of these countries and the language of instruction must have been English.
• have completed a master's degree where the language of instruction was English. 

Required financial means

Scholarships

The University of Agder does not offer any grants or scholarships.

Tuition fees

Students with citizenship from countries outside of the EU/EEA and Switzerland must pay a tuition fee. Please read more about the tuition fees here.

Funds for living expenses

In addition to tuition fees, applicants from countries outside EU/EEA must provide proof of funding in accordance with the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration's requirements. Applicants must be able to sustain themselves while studying in Norway. 

Upload proof of funds for living expenses when submitting your application. The required amount documents your financial ability, which is necessary for applying for a study permit. 

The amount you must provide is currently 137 907 NOK for one academic year (subject to change).

We only accept the following documentation:

• An original bank statement in your name (stamped, signed and dated by a bank official). The statement must have been issued within the last 3 months. 
• A confirmation letter from your sponsor and an original bank statement in your sponsor's name (stamped, signed and dated by a bank official). The confirmation letter and bank statement must have been issued within the last 3 months.  

Pay slips will not be accepted as proof of funding.

Admitted students must be prepared to transfer the required amount to a deposit account set up by the university. Failing to do so will result in withdrawal of the offer of admission to UiA. 

The funds will be transferred back to you when you have set up a Norwegian bank account. As the Visa application process may take some time, it is important that you have access to additional funds to pay for accommodation expenses for the first two months of your stay. 

Please note that for the Master's programme in Global Development, Crisis and Change, funds for living expenses is only required for the “campus based” option and not the “online” option. 

Application process

1. Check the admission requirements

Check the application period and if the programme you want to apply for is open to applicants outside of the EU/EEA. Read the admission requirements carefully (including the country specific requirements) and make sure you satisfy all requirements for your chosen study programme.

2. Prepare the required documents and print out the Enclosure form

We recommend that you prepare all your documents prior to submitting your application.

The University of Agder will not contact applicants in the case of an incomplete application, and the application as such will not be processed.

Do not submit non-essential documents such as recommendation letters, work experience or non-credit courses.

The Enclosure form is a self-declaration confirming that your application is complete, that the documents are authentic, and that the University of Agder is permitted to verify your documents. 

Please read about valid documentation to ensure that you have the correct documents.

Required documents:

• Print out, fill in, sign, scan and save this document as PDF: Enclosure form 2024
• Diploma and transcripts from high school/secondary school 
• Diploma and transcripts from university education
• English language requirement (if applicable - check the section Language requirements above)
• Proof of funding
• Copy of passport
• Documentation of name change (if applicable)

Special document requirements for certain countries:

• In addition to the uploaded educational documents, China must provide CHSI, Pakistan HEC, certain countries in Africa must provide scratch cards, and original documents must be sent directly from universities/colleges in Canada, Cameroon, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Nigeria, Philippines, Sudan and USA. See details for your country in the section Admission requirements above.

3. Register your application at the Application Web

4. Submit documents within the deadline

Once logged on to the online application portal Application Web, navigate to the page “My documents”. Upload all your documents prior to submitting the application.

When uploading, choose the type of document according to content (such as “diploma”, “transcript” etc). Do not send any documents by e-mail.

If you are instructed in the section Admission requirements above that certain documents must be sent by post, please note that the final post mark date is 1 December (15 December for music performance). There are no exemptions to the deadlines.

5. Receiving the results of your application 

The results of your application will be published in the Application web by the end of April. You will be notified by e-mail when the results are available. The outcome of your application will either be “Admission offered” or “Not admitted”. There are no waiting lists.

Those who receive an offer of admission have 5 days to respond to the offer. If you do not register your response in Application web within the given deadline, the offer will be withdrawn.

The letter of admission (PDF) published in Application web is the only confirmation of admission that will be issued. Admitted students will receive additional information after accepting the offer.

Selection process

Admission to UiA is highly competitive. Consequently, not all qualified applicants will be admitted, only the ones with the best academic results. Admission is offered based on eligible applicants' academic results. 

Bachelor's programmes

If you are qualified for admission to a bachelor's programme, you will compete against the other qualified applicants with a score based on the results from your secondary education and additional points according to the regulations and guidelines set by the Norwegian Universities and Colleges Admission Service (NUCAS).

The Admissions office will calculate and convert the grade point average (GPA) from your secondary education into the grading scale used in the Norwegian secondary education system. Additional points are added to the score based on subjects from secondary education, age and credits from accredited higher education exceeding the admission requirement.

Master's programmes

If you are qualified for admission to a master's programme, you will compete against the other applicants based on your academic results. The Admissions office will calculate your grade point average (GPA) from your university/college education which forms the basis of admission. UiA uses the ECTS grading scale when calculating GPAs. Diplomas and transcripts using other grading scales will be converted to the ECTS grading scale before the GPA is assessed on an individual basis.

Applicants who have been granted admission

The autumn semester starts in mid-August. 

Applying for a study permit

If you are accepted to a programme, you must submit your study permit application. More about the study permit process. 

When you have transferred the deposit amount required by the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration, the international office will send you a "statement of deposit" that must be included in the application for a study permit.

After arriving at the university, you need to complete the following steps to transfer the deposit to your private bank account:

1. Attend the registration appoint at the police station.
2. acquire a Norwegian ID number
3. open a bank account in a Norwegian bank

Inspection of original documents  

It is important that you bring your original educational documents to Norway. You are required to present your original diplomas and transcripts for inspection. You will receive details about the inspection from the Admissions office. Students are required to submit the original documents upon request. Document forgery is subject to the Penal Code § 361 and will be reported to the police.