Tertiary vocational education
What is tertiary vocational education?
Tertiary vocational programmes are short programmes of vocational study that build on upper secondary education or equivalent prior learning and work experience. No higher education entrance qualification is required. Tertiary vocational programmes vary in length from six months to two years of study.
Tertiary vocational education is intended as an alternative to higher education that imparts knowledge and skills that are directly applicable in the workplace.
There are both public and private vocational schools that offer a wide range of programmes in many areas, for example technical, maritime, health, social work, creative, multimedia and more.
Tertiary vocational programmes must be accredited by NOKUT. Such approval entitles students to financial support from the Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund (Lånekassen).
How do I apply?
The Norwegian Universities and Colleges Admission Service (NUCAS) administers admission for some of the programmes, but certain vocational schools have their own admission procedures. In these cases, applications must be sent directly to the institution.
For more information about the application process, you can contact the institution to which you wish to apply.
How can I find programmes in English?
On this page you can search for information about programmes and vocational schools. It is only available in Norwegian. The database does not specify which vocational programmes are in English.
For an english overview of tertiary vocational schools in Norway, you can visit the website of the Vocational Student Survey (Studiebarometeret).
For more information regarding the different programmes, contact the school directly.