University of Oslo

Areas of Study: UiO offers a wide selection of courses taught in English, including African Studies, Anthropology, Archaeology, Art History, Asian Studies, Astrophysics, Biology, Chemistry, Conservation Studies, Economics, European Studies, Geography, Geoscience, Health Science, History, Informatics, Law, Linguistics, Math, Media & Communication, Musicology, Nutrition, Philosophy, Physics, Political Science, Psychology, Statistics and more.

Course requirements:
In Europe, full-time course load is typically 30 ECTS (European credits), and exchange students are expected to take 24-30 credits per semester. 6 ECTS = 3 UCalgary units (1 standard semester course). Courses at UiO usually range from 10-30 ECTS, where a higher credit value corresponds to increased workload/contact hours. Please be mindful of this when creating the courselist for your exchange application; for example, if taking courses worth 15 ECTS each, you will only need to take 2 courses per semester to be a full-time student, although you will still get credit for 5 courses at UCalgary. 

The academic year is divided into 2 semesters. The Autumn semester runs from mid-August to late December and the Spring semester runs from mid-January to mid-June. 

Exchange students who apply by the deadline are guaranteed housing at UiO. Housing is arranged by the Foundation for Student Life in Oslo and Akershus. Students will live in residences located either on- or off-campus; most residences consist of private rooms and bath on a student hallway with a shared kitchen, but some are private or semiprivate apartments. Rent depends largely on the type of residence; most fall into a range of NOK 2500-4500 per month although students should expect to pay more for apartments. Additional information can be found online.

Student Tips: "Bring either a router or an ethernet cable if living in student housing. Make sure your phone can take SIM cards from other countries and is unlocked." 

This exchange is open to regular, full-time students in any faculty at UCalgary, who have completed at least 1 full year (10 courses) at the post-secondary level, with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.7 (B-).

Please note that there is limited space available at this institution. Preference is given to students in Law and Astrophysics. 

For applicants from the UCalgary Faculty of Law, an academic reference letter is required. Please click here to view the reference letter guidelines & submission instructions. It must be submitted at the time of your application to UCalgary.

Do I have to speak Norwegian?

No prior knowledge of Norwegian is required for this exchange. UiO offers many courses in English.

How can I learn or improve my Norwegian?

UiO launched a free online 4-week course (click here) to help you learn Norwegian in preparation for your stay, or if you would eventually like to marry a troll and want to be able to speak their language (we hear taking a breath in a tunnel may also help you find your one troll love!). Norwegian can also be found on many other language platforms, such as Duolingo. You are also welcome to enroll in Norwegian courses at UiO during your exchange. 

What's special about Oslo?

Surrounded by dense forest and opening onto the expansive, island-spotted Oslofjord, it's easy to imagine how Norway's capital city has evolved in its 1000+ years of settlement. Here, it's easy to take a brief escape from the urban hum and delve into the natural surroundings. Catch a ferry to explore the fjord's multitude of small islands, travel out of the city to try your hand at climbing and bouldering, or round the corner and spot a waterfall while walking down riverside streets. In Oslo, ski jumping ('ski' is Norwegian for "piece of wood") is a popular sport, with competitions held at Holmenkollen, the world's most modern jump. For more information on life in Norway, please visit the Study In Norway site for their information on "Living in Norway (click here)"

What resources are available for new students?

UiO hosts an Orientation Week at the start of each semester, which has many events to introduce new students to campus and help you get prepared to start classes. There are also buddy groups created from the incoming student pool - a great networking opportunity and a chance to join in on different social activities. Click here for more details.

Student Tips: "The university had a ‘buddy week’ for students to be shown around the city/university at the start of the semester. The faculty of law one was very helpful - and the Erasmus program had a great deal of planned events that were open to other exchange students. There is also a student special events group that organizes free events for students - for example a tour of the opera house, or outdoor movies. You are typically unlikely to make close friends with locals outside buddy week unless you are devoted to a club. The Norwegians are very helpful and friendly if asked/spoken to, but will rarely if ever speak first. The Norwegians most likely to interact or speak first are those who have lived abroad. AllNorwegians that I encountered spoke English, and usually another language or two as well on top of Norwegian. Attitudes were generally quite warm towards Canadians."

What supports or services are available at Oslo?

UiO provides comprehensive support to students with special needs - click here for more information. 

For information on accessibility and support services at campuses across Europe, please check out Inclusive Mobility. For city-specific services and places in Europe, the Jaccede interactive platform (website and/or smartphone app - both Android and iOS) also provides a searchable user-built database to identify important accessibility information of public places and locations.