Nursing Schools and Programs in Norway

Nursing Studies in Norway

Skyscrapers in Oslo

In Norway, nurses are trained at universities and university colleges in a three-year bachelor's degree that combines theory and long clinical placements. Graduates have the right to apply for authorisation as a nurse (sykepleier) from the Norwegian Directorate of Health (Helsedirektoratet), which everyone needs to work as a health professional in Norway. Specialist nursing, such as intensive care or anaesthesia, is studied afterwards at master's level.

SpainExchange lists 1 school in Norway that teaches nursing: OsloMet - Oslo Metropolitan University, in Oslo. OsloMet traces its history back more than 200 years and has about 24,000 students; health and social care is one of its main fields.

How the nursing degree is organised

The bachelor's programme in nursing (Bachelor i sykepleie) at OsloMet is worth 180 ECTS credits and starts in August. It is offered at two campuses, Pilestredet in central Oslo and Kjeller in Lillestrøm, with places for 580 and 200 full-time students, and there is also a part-time version at Kjeller that takes 4 to 6 years.

• Duration: 3 years full-time
• Balance: 50% theory and 50% practice
• Clinical placements: 50 weeks in health services, mostly in Oslo and Akershus, following the shift rota of the workplace
• First-year courses include Foundations of Nursing and Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry (15 ECTS each)
• Teaching: lectures, seminars, simulation and skills training, group work and written assignments
• Exchange: full-time students can spend a spring semester abroad in the second or third year

After the bachelor's, OsloMet offers master's programmes in specialist nursing (anaesthesia, emergency, paediatric, intensive care and operating theatre nursing, 5 semesters each) and master's programmes in health sciences such as public health nursing (helsesykepleie) and cancer nursing, as well as a two-year master's in midwifery.

Admission and language

Applicants need the general university admission certificate, called the Higher Education Entrance Qualification (generell studiekompetanse, GSU); for foreign diplomas, the requirements per country are set out in the GSU list. Applications for the bachelor's go through Samordna opptak, the national admissions service, with an ordinary deadline of 15 April (1 March for some applicants). Places are competitive: at the last intake the cut-off in the ordinary quota at Pilestredet was 46.5 points.

The bachelor's is taught in Norwegian. According to Study in Norway, the official portal, programmes taught in Norwegian require documented proficiency in a Nordic language. Nursing students must also provide a police certificate and take part in a suitability assessment during the programme.

Fees, permit and living costs

Students from the EU/EEA and Switzerland pay no tuition at public institutions such as OsloMet, only a semester fee to the student welfare organisation of about NOK 1,000 per semester. Students from outside the EU/EEA must pay tuition: at OsloMet, the new rates for bachelor's programmes in 2026-27 are between NOK 67,000 and NOK 95,000 per year. OsloMet does not offer scholarships or loans.

Non-EU/EEA students need a study permit, which requires admission as a full-time student and proof of funds. Study in Norway estimates student living costs at NOK 15,488 per month, or NOK 170,368 per year, for 2026-27. With a study permit, students may work up to 20 hours a week during term and full-time in holidays. EU/EEA citizens register with the local police within three months of arrival.

Authorisation and careers

OsloMet lists hospitals, ambulance services, offshore work, nursing homes, rehabilitation, home nursing, occupational health, international aid and the armed forces among the workplaces open to nursing graduates.

Nurses trained outside the EU/EEA who want to work in Norway face extra requirements before Helsedirektoratet grants authorisation, and must complete them within three years:

• Norwegian at level B2 (CEFR), for example through an approved Norwegian test
• A course in national subjects on the Norwegian health and care system, law and culture, with a course in medication management
• A practical, oral and written professional test (fagprøve)

A 60-credit complementary programme for nurses at NTNU, HVL, OsloMet or VID also meets the language requirement.

Frequently asked questions

Can I study nursing in English in Norway?

The nursing bachelor's at OsloMet is taught in Norwegian, and Norwegian-taught programmes require documented proficiency in a Nordic language.

Is nursing free in Norway for international students?

Only for students from the EU/EEA and Switzerland, who pay a semester fee of about NOK 1,000. Students from other countries pay tuition, at OsloMet between NOK 67,000 and NOK 95,000 a year for bachelor's programmes in 2026-27.

How long does it take to become a nurse in Norway?

The full-time bachelor's takes 3 years (180 ECTS), with 50 weeks of clinical placements. Graduates then apply to Helsedirektoratet for authorisation as a nurse.

I am a nurse from outside Europe. Can I work in Norway?

Yes, but after your education has been assessed you must pass Norwegian at B2 level, a course in national subjects and a professional test before you receive Norwegian authorisation.