Admission Procedure for Doctoral Degrees in Norway

The Doctoral Degree is the highest award offered by Norway universities. Doctoral programs are offered by all universities, some university colleges and a few private institutions. The doctoral research degree allows the applicants to discover new knowledge either by the breakthrough of new facts, or the formulation of theories, or the innovative reinterpretation of the conventional ideas. Some higher education institutions offer two types of doctoral degrees:

Organized doctoral degree: This degree is called Ph.D. (philosophiae doctor) and includes compulsory formal training and supervision in addition to the dissertation which is the primary focus of the Ph.D.

Free doctoral degree: This degree is called Dr. Philos. (doctor philosophiae). In this doctoral degree, no formal training or supervision is included, and this is typically not part of the institutions' formal Ph.D. programme or Research schools.

Eligibility Criteria for Admissions in Doctoral Program

In Norway, admission to the Doctoral degree is done on the basis of grade average at Master’s level.  Along with the GPA, specialization and age are also taken into consideration for admittance to a doctoral course of study. English and Norwegian Language are also essential criteria for admissions.

Academic Requirements

For applying to doctoral studies at an institution in Norway, you are required to hold a master's degree or a corresponding degree from a professional training institution such as a school of Dentistry, Medicine, Physiology or Law.

Grade point average: The Universities and University Colleges in Norway use European Credit transfer and Accumulation System grading scale. Students are ranked based on their grade point average from their previous studies. Thus, students must always check with the university or college of their choice about the minimal passing grade point you need to meet.

Other Requirements

Each Education provider will have different entrance requirements such as prior knowledge in certain subject, work or volunteer experience, portfolio, Official academic transcripts, bio-data, and Letters of Recommendation

Bio-data: A bio-data should outline your personal achievements, education details, professional experience, and extracurricular activities.

Letter of Recommendation: A letter of recommendation is the one that depicts the characteristics and capabilities of the applicant. These help build a coherent, personal attitude and picture of the person behind the numbers. Atleast two letters of recommendation are required.

Research Proposal: Students pursuing a doctoral degree need to submit the below documents as well.

Detailed Research Proposal: A description of the project, including a time frame for completion.

Abstracts and Research Publications

Duration
The duration of Doctoral degree program is generally three to four years of full-time study.

Academic Calendar
Doctoral degree program runs from August to December (fall semester) and January to June (spring semester).

Application Procedure
If you are planning to apply to a Norwegian university, then you must start at least a few months in advance i.e. before the commencement of the term. Any queries regarding the details of the course must be put forth during the early stages of applying procedure.

Application Process for Doctoral Program
The applicants seeking admission to a Ph.D. program in English at a higher education institution in Norway need to check and contact each institution separately. Application forms should be requested from the individual institution. You will be required to submit your application directly to the Norwegian university or college of your choice.

Documentation
You will need to prepare supporting documentation to send with your application. The most significant documents include:

• Academic Records: This includes scores and official certificates and transcripts.
• Bachelors or Master's Degree certificates
• School/College leaving certificate
• Work history (for postgraduate and doctorate programs)
• Certificates or documents which verify previous study or work experience if you are seeking course credits.
  

Research Proposal

Education Costs
According to Study in Norway, the state (public) universities and university colleges do not charge tuition fees for doctoral program. But, Students are required to pay a semester fee of 300-600 NOK per semester. This fee grants the students, a membership in the local student welfare organization, which in turn entitles to several other benefits such as campus health services, counselling facility, sports facilities, reduced fares on public transport and cultural activities.

For International Students

The International Students needs to demonstrate their English and Norwegian language proficiency by submitting the scores of the following tests:

English Proficiency

• IELTS: IELTS or International English Language Test.
  
• TOEFL: TOEFL or Test of English as a Foreign Language is an alternative to IELTS.

Norwegian Proficiency

For courses where the language of instruction is Norwegian, proficiency in the Norwegian language is mandatory. The Norwegian language is the foremost language of instruction at Norwegian institutions of higher education.

Bergenstesten: The applicant shall pass test in Norwegian at higher level, 'Bergenstesten' (Advanced level), with a minimum score of 450.

The international students must undertake One Year Programme in Norwegian Language and Civilization.