Admissions - Norwegian for Foreigners
Admission to Norwegian for Foreigners
Spring 2024: New application deadline!
The following Norwegian for Foreigners courses have a new application deadline of 1. December:
Gjøvik Level 1
Gjøvik Level 2
Gjøvik Short Course
Ålesund Level 2
Ålesund Short Course
Trondheim Short Course
You apply for admission in Søknadsweb -> “Norwegian for Foreigners”. If you applied for admission before 1. November for spring 2024, you can change your current application instead if you want to apply for one of the levels mentioned above.
You apply for this course via NTNU's Søknadsweb (registration on Studentweb is not considered an application). Course information is available on the web page of the Department of Language and Literature.
Applicants must fulfill the general entrance requirements (with the exception of the Norwegian language requirement), and have a valid residence permit in Norway. You have to cover the English language requirement to be considered for admission.
Admission for refugees
Refugees who have received collective protection or individual asylum in Norway can apply for courses at NTNU. Information about the admission process for refugees for autumn semester 2023 is available on the NTNU web page for refugees.
Tuition fee
Tuition fees will be charged to international students with citizenship from outside the EU/EEA or Switzerland beginning in the autumn semester of 2023. The fee for the short course (7,5 ECTS) is NOK 16 000, and NOK 32 000 for the other courses (15 ECTS). Information about exemptions is available on NTNU's web page about the tuition fee. For autumn semester 2023: NTNU employees and partners of permanent employees where the department/faculty at NTNU covers the course fee will not be charged with the tuition fee, and they do not have to apply for an exemption from payment.
Admission information
Beginner courses
The beginner courses (level 1 and the short course) are only available for applicants with NTNU affiliation.
The short course
You need to be an employee at NTNU at least half a year to be considered for admission for this course. For NTNU students the requirement is a period of stay of at least 3 months. Partners of permanent academic employees can also be considered for admission.
Level 1
You need to be a student/employee NTNU for at least one year to be considered for admission for this level. Partners of permanent academic employees can also be considered for admission.
Higher levels in Trondheim
Level 2, 3, and 4 in Trondheim are open for all applicant categories.
Higher levels in Ålesund/Gjøvik
Students and employees at NTNU in Ålesund/Gjøvik are prioritised for the level 2 and 3 courses in Ålesund/Gjøvik. Applicants without NTNU affiliation can only be considered for admission if there are available places.
- Applicants with NTNU affiliation
- NTNU employees/partners of permanent employees at NTNU
- Permanent administrative employees
- Academic employees
- PhD candidates/Postdoc
- Partners of permanent academic employees
- NTNU students
- International master's students
- Exchange students
- NTNU employees/partners of permanent employees at NTNU
- Applicants without NTNU affiliation (external applicants)
- Immigrants with a residence permit
- Partners of temporary employees/students at NTNU
- Applicants with an active student status after a completed degree at NTNU
You have to upload the required documents as PDF-files on Søknadsweb.
NTNU employees
- Work contract at NTNU
- Letter from your department confirming that they are willing to cover the course fee
- Possible documentation of Norwegian language skills
Partners of permanent employees at NTNU
- Partner's work contract at NTNU
- Letter from your partner's department confirming they are willing to cover the course fee
- High school and university education, both in the original language and a certified translation to English/a Scandinavian language
- Residence permit
- Marriage certificate or documentation showing that you live with your partner
- Documentation showing that you cover the English language requirement
- Documentation of Norwegian language skills if you have this
NTNU students (international master's students/exchange students)
- You do not need to upload documentation, unless you have documentation of your Norwegian language skills
External applicants
- Diploma and transcripts of records from high school and university education, both in the original language and a certified translation to English/a Scandinavian language
- Residence permit
- Documentation showing that you cover the English language requirement
- Documentation of Norwegian language skills if you have this
Please note that there are additional requirements for educational documents from specific countries.
Information about the course content is available on the web page of the Department of Language and Literature.
Level 2 requirement
- Passed level 1
- Norskprøven (organised by the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills) with a B1 result on the written part of the test, and A2 results on the listening, reading, and oral parts.
Level 3 requirement
- Passed level 2
- Norskprøven (organised by the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills) with a B2 result on the written part of the test, and B1 results on the listening, reading, and oral parts.
Level 4 requirement
- Passed level 3 or an equivalent.
If you have other documentation of your Norwegian language skills for admission to the level 2 or 3 course, we will check if this can cover the requirement.
If you have applied for level 2 and/or 3, and you do not have (sufficient) documentation of your Norwegian language skills, you will be called in for a placement test. This test is not an official exam, but is used to see which level you qualify for. Your placement test result is valid for two semesters.
The test requires physical attendance and will be held on Wednesday 15 November 2023 from 4 to 7 PM. If you need to take the test you will receive information via email about a week beforehand.
Please note that Norwegian for Foreigners students who are currently taking the course and are registered for the regular exam will not be called in for a placement test for the following level. If you are a Norwegian for Foreigners student who already is ineligible for the exam, you will only be called in for the placement test for the following level if you withdraw from the exam on Studentweb within the application deadline (1 June/1 November).
Information about the test is available on the web page of the Department of Language and Literature.
NTNU employees/partners of permanent employees at NTNU
If you are an academic employee/a permanent administrative employee or partner of a permanent employee, you are guaranteed a place on the course if your department/your partner's department is willing to cover the course fee for you.
NTNU students (international master's students/exchange students)
- If you have not yet taken a Norwegian language course at NTNU, you will be prioritised for admission.
- If you have taken a Norwegian language course at NTNU before, you will be ranked according to your grade from a previous course.
- If you apply for a course you have taken before, those who have not yet taken a course will be prioritised.
External applicants
- You are ranked according to the number of credits you have documented from higher education. Only that which is equivalent to higher education in Norway will be included.
- Applicants who have not previously taken the level will be given priority.
Exceptions
- Short course: Students with a period of stay up to 5 months are prioritised.
- Level 1: After students who have not yet taken a Norwegian language course at NTNU, we will prioritise students who passed the short course, and last will be students who have taken a beginners course without a passing grade.
- Level 4: All applicants will be ranked according to their grade for the level 3 course or an equivalent.
Information about ranking is also available in the admission regulations.
Course fee
Only for NTNU employees/partners of permanent employees at NTNU
The course fee is to be paid by your department. This fee is 4000 NOK for each level (level 1, 2, 3) and 2000 NOK for the short course. Please note that you yourself have to pay the semester fee in addition to this.
You cannot receive admission if your department is not willing to cover the course fee for you. If you are a partner of a permanent employee and your partner's department will not cover the course fee for you, you can compete for admission as an external applicant.
Semester fee
All applicants, except exchange students, must pay the semester fee.
Useful links
- Admission regulations (in Norwegian only)
- Course content (Department of Language and Literature)