Recognition of external education

If you have an equivalent examination in a subject which is included in your current study program from The University of Bergen or other norwegian education institutions, you may apply for exemption.

The academic requirements defined by your programme will determine whether the courses you apply for will be eligible. You can find the academic requirements under "construction" on the programme page. Please notice that recognition is attached to your programme. If you change your study programme, you have to apply for a new recognition even though your new and old study programme have overlapping subjects.

Each application is considered individually, and there is no guarantee that you will be granted an exemption. To consider your exemption from lectures/exams your credits can not be older than 5 years (this does not include Ex.phil. or Medical nomenclature). This is to ensure that our students academic level is up to date.

Please note that applying for exemption from an exam may affect the financial support you are eligible to recieve from the Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund (Lånekassen). Lånekassen calculates your support based on the number of credits you take, and exemption from an exam reduces the number of credits you recieve. This is a matter between you and Lånekassen.

To maintain a normal study progression, you may take open subjects at other faculties at the University of Bergen. Remember the deadline for semester registration is 1th of september in the autumn semester, and 1th of february in the spring semester. 

Exemption for an exam in a single subject or a whole academic year does not automatically form the basis of transfer to higher classes, that is dependent on avaliable student places.

If you have foreign higher education, you may apply for credit transfer.

You have to prove your education with a diploma and a transcript of records which shows the extent, level and content of your education. Programme description or curriculum must be confirmed by the current institution, or be avaliable as an official study guide/university catalog or web page.

Own procedures for exemption/recognition of a part of a programme of study (taken abroad).

Ex.phil. from UiB

Do you have ex.phil. from the University of Bergen we will give you an exemption from the subject automatically, and you don't have to apply for recognition.

Ex.phil. from other educational institutions

In case your ex.phil. exam is taken at another norwegian education institution, you have to apply for recognition and exemption. Use the same application form as by exemption of other subjects in a degree (Look "application procedure"). You have to prove your education with an original diploma or a transcript of records to the Information Centre in Armauer Hansens house to complete your application.

Please note that ex.phil. is 10 credits at the University of Bergen. Do you have an ex.phil version who has fever credits, for example 7,5 credits at NTNU, you will get short of credits in your degree. A solution to this is to take external subjects at UiB, or search for recognition of 2,5 credits from an earlier education.

Completed degree

Exemption from ex.phil. can also be given on behalf of a completed degree. Diploma/transcript of records has to be shown in original at the Information centre in Armauer Hansens House.

In order to apply for exemption/recognition of earlier Norwegian or foreign education in your degree at the Faculty of Medicine: please fill in Application for recognition of higher education.

The required documents are listed in the application form.

It's necessary to follow mandatory lessons in the subject(s) you apply for exemption from until your application has been approved. If your application is rejected,  you may fail or be moved down to a lower class if you don't follow your class's mandatory lessons.