Regulations Relating to Admission to Studies at OsloMet

Section 1. Scope

These Regulations apply to admission to credit-bearing studies at OsloMet. The Regulations also apply to admission to the access course for engineering studies.

The rules for admission to doctoral degree programmes are set out in the Regulations relating to the PhD Degree at OsloMet.

Admission to first degree programmes is regulated by the Regulations concerning Admission to Higher Education.

Section 2. Minimum admission requirements

(1) For study programmes regulated by a national curriculum, the admission requirements are set out in regulations relating to the curriculum and in the programme description.

(2) For study programmes not regulated by a national curriculum, the admission requirements are set out in the programme description. Requirements relating to academic qualifications pursuant to Sections 3 and 5 of the Regulations concerning Requirements for Master’s Degrees must also be set out in the programme description.

(3) Applicants who have taken education outside the Nordic countries must document that they meet the requirements for Norwegian and English language proficiency set out in the Regulations concerning Admission to Higher Education. The requirements for Norwegian language proficiency do not apply if both the compulsory parts of the programme and the specialisation in question are taught entirely in English.

(4) Applicants who are 25 years or older in the year of admission and whose formal education does not meet the admission requirement, can have their qualifications for a study programme assessed on the basis of prior learning and work experience.

 Prior learning and work experience can be recognised based on knowledge that the applicant has acquired through paid and unpaid work, organisation work, education or other activities.

Special admission requirements set out in the regulations, national curriculum or programme description that regulates admission to the programme in question also apply to applicants who qualify for admission on the basis of prior learning and work experience.

Guidelines for the assessment of prior learning and work experience must be defined in the programme description.

(5) The grades awarded for the individual courses in the academic qualifications, weighted in relation to the number of credits each course is worth, are used to calculate the academic qualifications for admission to master’s degree programmes. The academic qualifications are defined in the programme description.

Other relevant education can be included in the academic qualifications. The programme description shall define the principles for what constitutes relevant education.

(6) For admission to master’s degree programmes, the applicant must have an average grade of C or better in the academic qualifications for admission.

   a. For applicants with letter grades, the minimum academic requirement for admission is 2.5, cf. Section 10.

  b. If the academic qualifications have been assessed using both numerical grades and letter grades and one of these  qualification bases does not meet the grade requirement, a discretionary assessment must be made of whether the minimum academic requirement is met.

  c.  If points cannot be calculated for the academic qualifications, a discretionary assessment must be made of whether the minimum academic requirement is met.

(7) For admission to experience-based master’s degree programmes in accordance with the Regulations concerning Requirements for Master’s Degrees Section 5, at least two years of relevant work experience are also required. The programme description defines what constitutes relevant work experience. The programme description may stipulate a requirement for more than two years’ work experience. The work experience must be gained after completion of the first degree programme.

(8) Applicants for master’s degree programmes taught in English must document a level of proficiency in English corresponding to level 1 English from a Norwegian upper secondary school (140 annual hours) with the grade 4 or better. English language skills can also be documented by means of an English language test corresponding to this level.

Other documentation can be approved following an individual assessment.

Section 3. Deadlines

(1) The ordinary application deadline is 15 April for the autumn semester and 1 September for the spring semester. The deadline for early admission is 1 March.

The University can set other application deadlines for individual programmes in special cases.

(2) The application deadline for applicants from countries outside the EU/EEA with education from countries outside the Nordic countries is 15 December for master’s degree programmes starting in the autumn semester and 1 August for master's degree programmes starting in the spring semester.

(3) All education, work experience and other factors that form the basis for admission must be documented by the application deadline. Results that are significant to the processing of the application but do not become available until after the application deadline, can be submitted by stipulated deadlines.

(4) Insofar as this is practically possible, documentation of exams taken or practical training taken after the application deadline shall be taken into consideration in the processing of applications.

Section 4. Reserving places on programmes

Places on programmes can be reserved until the next admission round if weighty reasons exist, such as serious illness, call-up for compulsory national service, childbirth, adoption, unexpected care responsibilities or similar.

Section 5. Conditional offer

For admission to further education programmes, the university can, following a thorough assessment, issue a conditional offer to an applicant who does not meet a part or parts of the admissions criteria. This offer is made on the condition that the applicant gains the qualifications in question before starting the programme.

Section 6. Withdrawal of programme

A programme can be withdrawn even though there are qualified applicants if there are not enough applicants or sufficient academic or financial resources to be able to provide a satisfactory programme. The programme must be withdrawn no later than before offers of a place on the programme are sent to the applicants.

Section 7. Individual courses

For admission to individual courses, the general requirements for admission to the programme the course is part of apply. For courses that are not part of a programme or courses subject to different admission requirements, separate requirements must be defined in the programme or course description.

Section 8. Admission on the basis of spesific recognition

(1) The faculties can use admission on the basis of specific recognition in the following cases:

                a.From and including the second year of first degree programmes with vacant places.

                b. For applicants who have passed parts of the master’s programme to which they apply for admission.

(2) Applicants who apply for admission on the basis of specific recognition must meet any special admission requirements and additional requirements that apply to the programme.

(3) The programme description for the programme in question must set out guidelines for admission on the basis of specific recognition. The guidelines must define which parts of the programme must be completed in order to qualify for admission to the relevant year of the programme on the basis of specific recognition and how applicants will be ranked.

Section 9. Calculation of grade points and additional points on the basis of upper secondary school

For programmes where the admission requirement is the Higher Education Entrance Qualification, grade points and additional points are calculated on the basis of the rules set out in the Regulations concerning Admission to Higher Education.

Section 10. Calculation of grade points on the basis of higher education

(1) The following numerical values are used for letter grades: A = 5 points, B = 4 points, C = 3 points, D = 2 points, E = 1 points.

(2) The following numerical value is used for applicants who only have a pass grade: 3 points.

(3) The Director of Academic Affairs can stipulate other conversion tables for other grading systems.

Section 11. Ranking

(1) If the number of qualified applicants exceeds the number of places on the programme, the applicants will be ranked in the following manner:

1. Applicants competing for admission on the basis of grade points without additional points are ranked pursuant to their grade point average from the academic qualifications.
2. Applicants competing for admission with additional points are ranked pursuant to their grade point average from the academic qualifications plus additional points earned.

(2) Applicants with a high number of points are ranked ahead of applicants with a low number of points. If two applicants have the same number of points, the following applies:

1. If the number of points is otherwise equal, older applicants are ranked ahead of younger applicants.
2. The programme description can stipulate that the under-represented sex shall be given priority.

(3) The grade points of applicants who can be ranked in several ways must be calculated in the manner that gives the most favourable result for the applicant.

(4) For specially commissioned study programmes, the faculty can stipulate other rules for ranking applicants for admission in the programme or course description.

(5) Special ranking rules can be stipulated in the programme description for admission through quotas for international applicants, cf. Section 15 third paragraph, irrespective of other rules set out in these regulations.

(6) The programme description can stipulate that applicants shall be ranked solely on the basis of the entrance test in programmes where passing such a test is a requirement for qualifying for admission. Rules and guidelines for ranking of applicants shall be stipulated in the programme descriptions.

(7) Qualified applicants for whom points cannot be calculated pursuant to these regulations and applicants whose prior learning and work experience is approved as part of the basis for admission shall be ranked following a comprehensive discretionary assessment of whether their qualifications are equivalent to those of applicants admitted on the basis of calculated points.

(8) If it proves impossible to fill all places in a programme, vacant places can be offered to qualified applicants after the ordinary application deadline without considering the ranking rules.

Section 12. Calculation of additional points for admission to master’s degree programmes

(1) Additional points (education points) can be awarded for relevant education over and above the academic qualifications in the following manner: 0.25 points per 30 credits, maximum 1 point. The programme description for each programme must stipulate what constitutes relevant education.

(2) Additional points (practical training points) can be awarded for relevant work experience in the following manner: 0.25 points per half-year up to two years, maximum 1 point. The programme description for each programme must stipulate what constitutes relevant work experience. For admission to experience-based master’s degree programmes in accordance with the Regulations concerning Requirements for Master’s Degrees Section 5, additional points are only awarded for work experience over and above the academic qualifications. The work experience must be gained after completion of the first degree programme.

(3) In exceptional circumstances, the programme description can stipulate that up to 1 additional point (bonus point) can be awarded for special work experience, education or other activity.

Section 13. Calculation of additional points for admission to further education and educational theory and practice (PPU)

(1) Additional points (education points) can be awarded for relevant education over and above the academic qualifications in the following manner: 0.25 points per 30 credits, maximum 1.5 points. The programme or course description for each programme must stipulate what constitutes relevant education.

(2) Additional points (practical training points) can be awarded for relevant work experience over and above the academic qualifications in the following manner: 0.25 points per half-year for up to five years, maximum 2.5 points. The programme or course description for each programme must stipulate what constitutes relevant work experience. The work experience must be gained after completion of the first degree programme.

(3) If special reasons so indicate, other additional points can be stipulated in the programme or course description.

Section 14. Calculation of grade points and additional points for admission to introductory courses

The rules for grade points and additional points for admission to introductory courses are stipulated in the programme description.

Section 15. Quotas

(1) For admission to further education programmes, up to 50% of the places may be reserved for applicants competing for admission on the basis of their grade point average alone. The percentage must be stipulated in the programme or course description.

(2) For admission to master’s degree programmes pursuant to Section 3 of the Regulations concerning Requirements for Master’s Degrees, applicants will compete in up to two quotas if additional points are awarded for relevant work experience and/or additional education pursuant to Section 13. If such additional points are stipulated in the programme description, the programme description must also stipulate the percentage.

(3) For admission to master’s degree programmes taught in English pursuant to Section 3 of the Regulations concerning Admission to Higher Education, it may be stipulated in the programme description that up to 50% of the places are reserved for either international applicants and/or Norwegian applicants.

(4) Separate quotas can be stipulated in the programme description for admission to introductory courses.

(5) Admission to master's degree programmes shall first be offered to the quota for applicants competing for admission on the basis of their grade point average. For quota-based admission to other study programmes, the smallest quota shall be offered admission first.

Section 16. Entry into force

These Regulations will enter into force on 1 January 2016 and apply to admissions from and including the 2016-2017 academic year. At the same time, the Regulations of 8 December 2011 No 1215 relating to Admission to Master's Degree Programmes at HiOA and the Regulations of 8 December 2011 No 1216 relating to Admission to Studies at HiOA will be repealed.