Guidelines - General recognition of foreign education
General recognition of foreign higher education qualifications as equivalent to accredited Norwegian higher education qualifications is regulated by the Act relating to universities and university colleges § 3-4 (“University and university colleges act”) and the Regulations concerning quality assurance and quality development in higher education and tertiary vocational education § 6-1 (“Regulations on quality assurance”).
Recently edited : 2. November 2023As a basis for case processing, the provisions in law and regulations are operationalised in guidelines. The foreign education must meet the requirements in the guidelines to be granted general approval. The guiding principle in the guidelines is that an education must be approved unless there are significant differences in line with the guidelines of the Lisbon Convention, cf. Regulations on quality assurance§ 6-1 (5).
1. Requirements for applications and documentation
The qualification must be sufficiently documented from the educational institution or education authorities in the country of origin, cf. Regulations on quality assurance § 6-1 (2). The Directorate for Higher Education and Skills sets requirements for documentation.
2. Requirements for general recognition of higher education qualifications
In order for a foreign education to be given general approval as equivalent to accredited Norwegian higher education, it must meet the following requirements:
2.1 Requirements for accreditation or official recognition
The education must be accredited or officially recognised as higher education, cf. the Study Quality Regulations § 6-1 (3).
The educational programme leading to the qualification must fulfil one of the following requirements:
- The education/degree must be part of the education's higher education system in the country.
- The educational institution must be officially recognised as having self-accrediting rights on the relevant level or the educational programme must be officially recognised/accredited as higher education.
The Directorate for Higher Education and Skills can make exceptions from the requirement of accreditation or official recognition in special cases where recognition clearly should be granted, cf. Regulations on quality assurance § 6-1 (3), government circular F-2010-8.
2.2 Level Requirements
The qualification must be on the level of Norwegian higher education. To assess whether a foreign qualification is on the level of Norwegian higher education, the education system in the country of origin is compared with the Norwegian education system, cf. Regulations on quality assurance § 6-1 (1).
If there are substantial differences between the education systems in Norway and the country of origin, the foreign qualification will not be fully recognised. Only higher education qualifications above the requirement in the list of Higher Education Entrance Qualification for Persons with Foreign Education (the GSU list) can normally be recognised as higher education.
2.3 Scope Requirements
The qualification is normally recognised based on the principle that a full year of study or its equivalent in the country of origin equals a full year of study in Norway, cf. University and University Colleges Act § 3-4, 3-8 (1), comments to Regulations concerning Supervision of the Educational Quality in Higher Education § 2-2 (3) and the ECTS Users’ Guide (external PDF; ehea.info).
2.4 Interrupted Education
Only completed semesters can be recognised. A qualification is recognised in full and half academic years where equivalence of degrees cannot be granted, cf. Regulations on quality assurance § 6-1.
3. Additional requirements for general recognition
Additional requirements for general recognition of degrees as equivalent to Norwegian degrees come in addition to requirements for general recognition. All requirements must be fulfilled to be granted equivalence of degree, cf. Regulations on quality assurance § 6-1 (1) and University and University Colleges Act § 3-2.
University college candidate degree
Requirements for equivalence
Scope: minimum 2 years that can be recognised as higher education.
Must be a completed degree or study programme.
Bachelor’s degree
Requirements for equivalence
Scope: minimum 3 years that can be recognised as higher education.
Must be a completed degree.
Should normally give access to second cycle studies in the country of origin.
Shorter master’s degree
Requirements for equivalence
Scope: minimum 1 year.
Must be a completed degree.
Should normally be based on a completed bachelor’s degree or comparable degree, and has a minimum of three years full time study as admission requirement.
Can give access to third cycle studies in the country of origin.
One-and-a-half-year master’s degree
Requirements for equivalence
Scope: 1,5 year
Must be a completed degree.
Should normally be based on a completed a bachelor’s degree or comparable degree, and has a minimum of three years full time study as admission requirement.
Can give access to third cycle studies in the country of origin.
Must comprise a piece of independent work.
Two-year master’s degree
Requirements for equivalence
Scope: 2 years
Must be a completed degree.
Should normally be based on a completed a bachelor’s degree or comparable degree, and has a minimum of three years full time study as admission requirement.
Must give access to third cycle studies in the country of origin.
Must comprise a piece of independent work.
Longer integrated master’s degrees
Requirements for equivalence
Scope: minimum 4,5 years*
Must be a completed degree.
Must give access to third cycle studies in the country of origin.
Must comprise a piece of independent work.
*For Pre-Bologna degrees with a minimum of 4 years full time studies: general recognition as equivalent to master’s degree can be granted on individual assessment.
4. Doctoral degree (PhD) – Minimum requirements recognition and criteria equivalency
4.1 Requirements for accreditation or official recognition / Level Requirements
The education must be a completed and officially recognised doctoral degree from an officially recognised/accredited institution accredited to offer doctoral degrees within the specific field of study. A doctoral degree is defined as research education in the educational system in the country of origin (third level in the degree structure).
4.2 Scope requirements
Standard duration of study should be a minimum of three (3) years.
4.3. Requirements for independent research work
The main component of the doctoral degree is an independent research, carried out under academic supervision, and which leads to an approved scientific doctoral thesis. The duration of the work on the doctoral thesis must be minimum (2) years.
4.4 Requirements for expert committee
The doctoral dissertation must be assessed and approved by an expert committee.
5. Criteria for equivalency to a Norwegian PhD, in addition to the minimum criteria
5.1. For countries with a qualification framework
- Doctoral degrees from countries with QF-EHEA/EQF: The education must be on level eight (8) in EQF.
- Doctoral degrees from countries with a qualification framework comparable to EQF: The education must be on a level equivalent to level eight (8) in EQF.
- Doctoral degrees from the countries mentioned above, from the time before the framework was introduced: The doctoral degree, together with prior higher education, must have a total course of study of preferably eight (8) years, in some cases seven (7) years.
5.2. For countries without a qualification framework and without GSU-requirements of either one (1) or two (2) years of higher education in addition to upper secondary school
- The doctoral degree must have a total course of study of eight (8) years, including the years of prior higher education.
5.3. For countries with centrally regulated doctoral degrees and alternative admission requirements for the doctoral degree
- The doctoral degree together with prior higher education must have a total course of study of eight (8) years.
5.4. For countries where the GSU-requirements are one (1) or two (2) years of higher education in addition to upper secondary school
- The doctoral degree is assessed individually
5.5. For countries with doctoral degrees where the nominal length of study is not regulated
- The doctoral degree is assessed individually.
5.6. For countries that do not fall under categories B.1–5
- The doctoral degree is assessed individually.
5.7 Recognition procedure for completed and approvable doctoral degrees that do not meet the requirements for degree equivalency.
- The doctoral degree can be recognised in full and half academic years.
5.8 Recognition procedure for incomplete doctoral degrees
We can only assess incomplete doctoral degrees which contain successfully completed credit awarding courses. These courses can be recognised in full and half academic years.
6. Explanation of terms
QF-EHEA: Qualifications Frameworks in the European Higher Education Area, the Bologna framework, describes the three cycles: bachelor, master and PhD.
EQF: European Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learning
GSU: Higher Education Entrance Qualification for Persons with Foreign Education
7. Recognition of specific educational programmes
7.1 Postgraduate studies
We can grant recognition of foreign postgraduate studies as long as they are a part of the system of academic higher education in the country of origin.
7.2 Distance learning and internet-based education
We can recognise a foreign qualification achieved through distance learning/internet-based education, provided that:
- it is awarded by an accredited/recognised institution of higher education.
- it is a part of the country’s educational system.
- it has the same admission requirements, and grants the holder the same rights as campus-based qualifications.
- it is subject to satisfactory quality assurance.
7.3 Transnational Education
Transnational education is a type of education where the student spends large parts of the stipulated study time in a country other than that which awards the degree. The Directorate for Higher Education and Skills can recognize this type of education when the institution awarding the degree is an accredited or officially recognised institution of higher education, and the transnational education is subject to satisfactory quality assurance, cf. Code of good practice in the provision of transnational education, UNESCO/European Council 2001.
7.4 Special cooperation agreements between recognised and non-recognised institutions
We can determine specific guidelines for evaluation of education given by special cooperation agreements between accredited or officially recognised and non-recognised educational institutions, cf. criterion 1.2.