study at university of bergen 2014/15

STUDY AT UNIVERSITY OF BERGEN

A GUIDE FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

2014/ 2015

CONTENTS

About UiB

Welcome � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �7Norway � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �8Bergen � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �9The University of Bergen � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 12Research profile� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 13Global outreach � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 15University of Bergen � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 16Studying at UiB � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 18Student welfare � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 20Student life � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 24Academic system and requirements � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 26Exchange and cooperation programmes � � � � � � � � � � � � � 29Undergraduate and postgraduate courses � � � � � � � � � � � � 30Master’s programmes � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 31Contact information � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 62

Academic guide 2014/2015 � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 33

Interdisciplinary courses 34

Norwegian Language Courses � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 34Education in a Changing Society � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 34Scandinavian Area Studies � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 35

Humanities 36

Digital Culture � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 38Linguistics � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 38Music � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 39English � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 39

Law 40

Energy and the Environment � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 42International Criminal Law � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 42Welfare and Human Rights � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 43

Health sciences 44

Global Health � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 46Medicine � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 46Medical Biology� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 47

Natural sciences and technology 48

Marine Research � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 50Climate Research � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 51Functional Genomic Studies � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 52Energy and Technology � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 52

Psychology 54

Medical Health Psychology � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 56Cognitive Psychology � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 57

Social sciences 58

The Nordic Model � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 60Computer Games and Computer Games Culture � � � � � � 60Development Research � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 61

DAG RUNE OLSEN, RECTOR

WELCOME

Much like the city of Bergen, the University of Bergen has had an international profile since its foundation� We take great pride in this, and we hope you will consider our University and the city of Bergen as a place to evolve academically, culturally and socially�

UiB’s priority areas are marine research and global development research� We are also in the process of making climate change a priority area� We offer research-based teaching in all academic disciplines�

Today we have students from over 100 different countries, and staff from 75 different countries� 30 percent of our PhD candidates are international� We offer a large number of courses taught in English at

both undergraduate and postgraduate level� Over 60 master’s programmes are today open to English- speaking students in areas such as natural sciences and technology, health sciences and social sciences and the humanities�

Bergen is Norway’s second largest city and was found-ed in the year 1070� The University is located at the heart of the city; providing the students with a broad range of opportunities to take part in Bergen’s rich cultural life� Bergen also offers easy access to the beautiful fjords and mountains of Western Norway�

We hope to see you at our University and in our city� You are most welcome� 7

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NORWAYPath to the North

Norway comprises the Western parts of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen and the Arctic Svalbard Archipelago� The name ‘Norway’ is thought to mean ‘Path to the North’, yet despite its far north location, Norway has a surprisingly mild climate in winter, thanks to the Gulf Stream�

Norway is a unitary constitutional monarchy and has a democratic parliamentary system of government� Parlia-mentarism was introduced in 1884� Today the King has little real political power, yet he still serves an important symbolic function as the Head of State�

Norway is a welfare state, and an active policy of social distribution has been implemented as a means of sharing the nation’s wealth� This policy has led to increased income equalisation, irrespective of geography, gender, age or profession, and it has helped to create a more financially and socially cohesive society with very low crime rates� Most Norwegians have a good command of English, so communication is easy even if you do not speak Norwegian�

Official name: The Kingdom of Norway Capital city: Oslo Population: Approximately 5 million Area: The Kingdom of Norway: 385,155 sq� km

Religion: Protestant Christianity Currency: Norwegian kroner, NOK 1 EUR = NOK 8�24 as of January 2014 1 USD = NOK 5�94 as of January 2014

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1� Norway is regarded as the birth place of modern skiing� The word “ski” is Norwegian and simply means “piece of wood” or “cleft piece of wood”�

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BERGENBergen, renowned as “the city between seven mount-ains” and “the gateway to the fjords”, is the second largest city in Norway with about 265,000 inhabitants� Here you find it all: The amenities of urban life, a vibrant cultural scene and breathtaking nature�

Nature and surroundingsLocated on the shores of the Atlantic ocean, the history and development of Bergen is closely linked to the sea, both as a resource in itself and as a means of trade and constant interaction with the outside world� Bergen is ideally located if you would like to explore the natural surroundings in more challenging ways, for example glacier climbing, skiing and kayaking� For those less inclined to extreme ventures there are hiking trails to suit everyone within easy reach of the city centre�

The Cultural sceneThe cultural scene in Bergen is vibrant and dynamic, and greatly influenced by the large number of students and young people residing in the city� In particular the city’s music scene is well known� Here you can find everything from opera and classical string quartets to late night concerts in what might be Norway’s best rock venue, Hulen� Also, it should not be forgotten that Bergen is regarded as the birthplace of black metal music�

Bergen regularly hosts festivals and popular events for people interested in all kinds of music and for those who like film, theatre, art, food and dance�

Students in BergenBergen is the administrative and educational centre of Western Norway� During the academic year, the city of Bergen is home to about 30,000 students, or about 11 per cent of the city’s population� Around 14,500 of these are students at the University of Bergen (UiB)�

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IMPRESSIONS OF BERGEN

1� The student centre is located at Nygårdshøyden� Here you find many of SiB’s student welfare services as well as the interna-tional help desk�

2� Edvard Grieg is probably Nor-way’s most famous composer through the ages� Both the main concert hall in Bergen and the UiB department of music is named after him�

3� Bergen has plenty of green are-as and parks, suitable for read-ing or relaxation� This picture is taken at Skansen�

4� Bergen seen from Stoltzen� The hiking track leading up to this panorama is very steep and famous amongst locals as a good recreational challenge�

5� Fond of skiing? In Kvamskogen, a short bus ride east of Bergen, you can find several ski resorts and possibilities for both cross country and downhill skiing� Did you know that the word “ski” is Norwegian and simply means “cleft piece of wood”?

6� View towards Mount Ulriken from Lille Lungegårdsvann in the city centre�

7� Koengen, the biggest outdoor concert venue in Bergen can accommodate approx� 23,500 people� World famous artists like the Rolling Stones, Rihan-na and Bruce Springsteen have played here in recent years�

8� The Architecture in Bergen many places includes small wooden houses and narrow streets that contribute to the city’s warm ambience and charm�

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The University of Bergen was established in 1946, but its academic and institutional roots go back to the foun-dation of the University Museum in 1825� The museum remains an important centre for research in the region and is still the main building of the university� As a part of the university’s early history you also find the work of renowned Norwegian pioneers such as the polar explorer and oceanographer Fridtjof Nansen, the inventor of mod-ern meteorology, Vilhelm Bjerknes, and Gerhard Armauer Hansen, who discovered the leprosy bacterium in 1873�

We believe that solid basic research is the most important component for quality in university education, and a pre-requisite for the research community’s ability to provide significant responses to current challenges and to engage in public debate over national and international

issues� The university encourages an environment of free expression and openness, in which men and women can engage in knowledge-based and critical reflection while contributing to the advancement of knowledge�

The University of Bergen has earned a reputation as Norway’s most international university with over 30 years of experience in building relationships and cooperating with universities in many parts of the world, particularly in Europe, North America, Eastern and Southern Africa, and Asia� More than 1,600 international students from all over the world are studying at UiB this year, represent-ing roughly 11 percent of the total student population� In addition, the university sends students to more than 50 different countries each year�

THE UNIVERSITY OF BERGENThe University of Bergen is a research university with an international profile that emphasises basic research, research-based teaching and the continuous development of academic disciplines.

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Marine research

The University of Bergen is a northern cornerstone of European marine science� Situated on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, the university is ideally located to conduct studies in various areas of the marine sciences� The University collaborates closely with other specialised, national marine research institutions located in the Bergen region through the Bergen Marine Research Cluster� Prioritized areas of research is marine biology, the impact of climate change undersea, and the exploration and exploitation of oil and gas�

Read more at bergenmarine.no

Development research

The term ‘development research’ encompasses a broad spectrum of research on local and global challenges affecting development and people’s lives in low-income countries� More defined thematic research areas within the field include for example poverty, governance and human rights, environmental issues and international health studies� Over the past 35 years, UiB has earned a distinguished reputation both in Norway and abroad for solid result-driven collaboration with research partners in developing countries within development research�

Read more at uib.no/research

Climate research

The University of Bergen has a long tradition in interdisciplinary research on climate� The Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research (BCCR) at UiB is the largest climate research centre in the Nordic countries� The centre has an international profile with cutting-edge expertise within climatology, climate modeling and scenarios for future climate changes� BCCR focus mainly on northern Europe and the polar regions, and is a key provider of first-rate knowledge on climate change to policy makers, industry, and the general public�

Read more at uib.no/en/bjerknes

RESEARCH PROFILEThe University of Bergen offers study and research opportunities in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, psychology, medicine, dentistry and law. We have a particularly strong tradition within the fields of marine, climate and development research.

Doctoral education and research schools

The University of Bergen offers doctoral programmes in all its faculties� Both interdisciplinary and discipli-nary doctoral-level studies are offered�

The doctoral programmes are conducted in active research environments in the UiB departments or at our partner institutions� The research environment may be organised as a research group, a research school or a combination of the two� Doctoral training in Norway is stipulated to last three years, comprising one semester of coursework and five semesters of research during which the PhD candidate writes a dissertation�

International recruitment of scientists is a high priority at UiB� Roughly 30 Percent of our PhD students come from abroad, and the percentage is even higher for post-doctoral positions� Also worth mentioning, is the fact that more than half of our PhD students are women� The university runs a targeted recruitment programme at postdoctoral level through four-year grants aimed at developing young research leaders for the future�

For more information see uib.no/phd/en

1. The Centre for Cancer Biomarkers (CCBIO) con-centrates on the identification of new biomarkers (cancer markers) as a tool in personalised patient treatment� They study how cancer cells are affected by the supporting tissue in tumours�

2. The Centre for Intervention Science in Maternal and Child Health (CISMAC) will estimate the effects of interventions intended to improve the health and survival of mothers and children in low and middle income countries�

3. The Centre for Geobiology (CGB) is also a designated centre, focusing on the extreme environments found in the deep seafloor, deep biosphere, and the roots of life�

4. The Birkeland Centre for Space Sciences (BCSS) brings together an internationally leading group of scientists from the fields of atmospheric, ionospheric and magnetospheric research, in order to make progress on scientific gaps in our under-standing of how Earth is coupled to Space�

National Centres of Excellence

The University of Bergen currently has four national Research Centres of Excellence�

International networks and relationsThe University of Bergen has partnerships with some of the most prestigious universities in the world and is a member of several university networks and inter-national organisations, such as the Coimbra Group, the Utrecht Network and the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN), comprising 17 research-intensive institutions spanning six continents, a network were UiB Rector Dag Rune Olsen currently holds a position at the steering board� The university is also an active member of Nordic University Centres in Shanghai, Delhi, and Cape town�

An obligation to developmentUiB has a special commitment to cooperation with developing countries and has established several exchange programmes and joint degrees with uni-versities in low-income areas, particularly with focus on the areas of health, poverty and resource manage-ment� Examples are the NOMA programme and the SANORD network�

Student mobility and exchange cooperationStudent exchange programmes such as LLP-ERASMUS, NORDPLUS and more than one hundred bilateral agreements with non-European universities resulted in 850 incoming international exchange students in 2013, 650 of whom were Erasmus students� The propor-tion of incoming and outgoing international students makes UiB the most international university in Norway�

Student mobility is an integral part of both our under-graduate and postgraduate study programmes�

The Bergen Summer Research SchoolThe Bergen Summer Research School is an opportunity for PhD candidates from around the world to meet across their respective disciplines, to discuss, and ex-change ideas� The initiative is a joint venture between the University of Bergen and other institutions of research and higher education in the region� In 2014, the theme is “Governance to Meet Global Challenges”�

For more information see uib.no/rs/bsrs

GLOBAL OUTREACH

Hubro is the University of Bergen’s annual research and

education magazine�

To read and subscribe, please visit

hubro.uib.no

The University of Bergen is heavily involved in international cooperation in research and education with universities, research institutions and academic centres of excellence in all parts of the world. We see international cooperation as an important resource for our academic environments at all levels.

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EDUCATION• 63 bachelor’s degree programmes • 92 master’s and professional study programmes • More than 1,900 courses • Approx� 250 doctorates are conferred every year • 29 Research schools on PhD level

ORGANISATION AND LOCATIONThe university`s 14,450 students and 3,500 staff, across 6 faculties, 39 departments and centres, the Bergen Museum and the University Library, combine to form a broad and diverse organisation in which each group supports and complements the others�

The University of Bergen is Norway’s urban university, intricately woven into the geographical, historical and cultural framework of the city� Most of the university premises are concentrated on Nygårdshøyden, in the heart of the city centre�

The exception is the university health campus which is situated on Årstadvollen, right outside the city centre, and close by the Haukeland University Hospital�

UNIVERSITY OF BERGEN

STUDENTS BY GENDERNorway is considered to be one of the world’s most gender equal countries� This is reflected also in the higher education� In 2013 more than 60 percent of our student population were women� Of 265 new PhDs graduated, 140 were women�

STUDENTS PER FACULTY

Faculty of Social Sciences 3,063

Faculty of Psychology 1,690

Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry 1,835

Faculty of Humanities

3,408

Faculty of Law 2,151

Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences

2,737

Total 14,452

60% 40%

Students:

Bachelor’s Degree

5,724

Master’s Degree 4,875

Professional Degree

1,375

International Students

1,676

RENOWNED SCOLARSINTERNATIONAL RANKINGThe University of Bergen has climbed on international ranking lists during the last couple of years and is now considered the 151st best university in the world, according to the QS World University Ranking�

2013Rank 151

2005Rank 320

Gerhard Armauer HansenThis physician discovered the bacterium that causes leprosy in 1873 and put Bergen on the world map of science�

Vilhelm BjerknesPhysicist and meteorologist who is considered the founder of modern weather forecasting�

Knut FægriOne of the world’s leading botanists in the twentieth century, he received the Millennium Botany Award in 1999�

Stein RokkanLeading researcher, organiser and administrator in national and inter-national organisations in the political and social sciences�

Ida BlomPioneer in women and gender studies and founder of Europe’s first centre for gender studies in the humanities in 1985�

Fredrik BarthFounder of the Department of Social Anthropology at UiB and known for his study of microeconomics and entrepreneurship�

TOP 10 NATIONALITIES

1. Germany (157)

2. Spain (93)

3. France (64)

4. Sweden (58)

5. Denmark (44)

6. Italy (43)

7. United States (41)

8=. United Kingdom (40)

8=. Netherlands (40)

10. Iran (39)

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The Introductory Programme

The aim of the Introductory Programme is to give all new international students an introduction to various aspects of student life in Bergen and Norway� During the first week you will be guided through all the formalities and practical aspects pertaining to your studies in Norway� You will receive a personal ‘welcome information’ enve-lope and a detailed ‘Semester Start’ brochure� The intro-ductory programme is also an excellent opportunity to meet other newly arrived international students�

Tandem Language Learning

Tandem language learning simply reflects language exchange through communication and interaction between two students speaking different languages� The programme is open to both Norwegians and inter-national students alike� The Tandem partners will decide themselves where they will meet and how they wish to practise their languages� After the registration deadline we will go through the registration forms and match Tandem partners in their preferred languages�

The Mentor Week

The Mentor Week is only held during the autumn semester� It is arranged by the students at each faculty and aims to include all new students in the social life and cultural environment of the university� You will meet both Norwegian students and foreign students during a fun-filled week of get-togethers and activities�

Learning environment

We put great emphasis on the principle of academic autonomy, critical reflection, creativity and personal development for the individual student� Teaching is research-based, which means that you will meet profes-sors who are active researchers, som of them at the fore-front of international research in their respective fields� As egalitarian values are a cornerstone of Norwegian cul-ture, the relationship between lecturers and students is informal and defined by mutual respect, not by distance� It is not uncommon for students to address professors by their first names, and students are generally encouraged to raise critical questions during lectures�

STUDYING AT UiBThe University of Bergen is proud of its inclusive and supportive learning environment, where opinions can be freely shared, and where students can engage in unbiased and open debate.

1. A warm welcome During the Introductory week, your mentor will provide you with all the information you need to find your feet in Bergen�

2. bioCEED In 2013, bioCEED, the institute of biology at UiB, was recognized as a national Centre of Excellence in Education, as the third centre of its kind in Norway�

3. Research-based teaching Our lecturers are not only teachers, but also active researchers, in tune with recent developments within their fields�

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Computer and internet access

We provide public computers so that when you’re on campus you’ll always have access to the internet, the University’s network and a range of software and public printers� We strive to use technology to make information resources such as academic journals and e-literature as easily accessible to our students as possible� The most important channels of information between you and the university are your UiB e-mail account, your personal pages ‘My Space’, and the web� More information will be provided in the Introductory Programme and the ‘Semester Start’ brochure�

The University Library (UB)

The University Library (UB) a large collection of printed materials and extensive digital services� The printed collec-tions include about 1�8 million volumes of books and period-icals, as well as newspapers, photographs, maps and other documents� A large number of information databases and more than 19,000 full-text online journals are also available� The library also runs Bergen Open Research Archive (BORA), the digital repository for registration and dissemination of scientific and research-related material from the University of Bergen� There are branch libraries at all faculties�

STUDENT WELFARE

We know that being a student involves infinitely more than merely reading and pursuing academic achieve-ments� We care about your well-being, and we cooperate with student organizations - in particular with the Student Welfare Organisation in Bergen (SiB) - to make sure that you have access to the help and support you need as an international student at the University of Bergen� As a member of SiB, you have access to a broad range of free or subsidized welfare services, such as health care, counselling, child care, student housing and various sports activities�

! You automatically become a member of SiB when you pay the semester registration fee (NOK 470) at the beginning of the semester� Erasmus, Nordplus and bilateral exchange students, are automatically members through their exchange agreement and do not have to pay the fee�

HEALTH CAREThe Student Medical Centre “Legene på Høyden” is located at Vektertorget in the city centre� The doctors there are general practitioners and also offer emergency treatment to students who do not have a family doctor in Bergen� The three practitioners at the centre speak Norwegian, Hindi, Urdu, English, French and German� SiB also organises a dentist service, a health care centre and mental health service�

It is important that EEA/EU students bring a European Health Insurance Card that is valid for their entire period of study in Norway� If this document is not available, you must present alternative documentation proving that you have adequate medical insurance in your home country� International students from non-EEA/EU countries who register at the University of Bergen and plan to study for a period of between three and twelve months may apply for health insurance at their local Norwegian Labour and Welfare Service (NAV) office�

STAY IN SHAPESiB runs six sports centres in Bergen� For a very low fee, you have access to a swimming pool, modern training equipment, climbing walls, bouldering rooms, spinning, various aerobic and dance lessons and changing rooms with saunas and solariums – and all in good condition� The student sports club Bergenstudentenes Idrettslag (BSI) also has a lot to offer students who like to stay active� Scuba diving, dance, football, badminton, handball, sailing, basketball and fencing are only a few of the activities BSI offers�

For more information, please visit the

Bergen Student Welfare Organisation homepage:

sib.no/en

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FOOD, BEVERAGES AND LITERATUREThere are several cafeterias on campus offering hot and cold meals� Some of them serve dinner� The SiB cafés feature student-friendly prices and a varied selection of menus, including hot meals, vegetarian and healthy food on campus� The necessary books and study materials can be bought at Studia, the academic bookstore, also located in the student centre�

COUNSELLINGAs a student you may encounter different challenges in your everyday life� To be able to focus on your studies, you may need someone to talk to� SiB offers individual counselling regarding any matter you would like to discuss� All counsellors have secrecy duty of confidentiality, and the service is free of charge�

COST OF LIVINGForeigners may find Norway expensive, especially when it comes to food prices� However, it is possible to make do on a relatively modest student budget� The rent for the student hostels is inexpensive compared with many private alternatives and students under 30 years of age are entitled to reduced fares on public transport� Most museums are free of charge and most social events on campus are either free of charge or offered at student-friendly prices� The average university student’s budget for 2014/2015 is estimated to be NOK 9,440 per month� This amount should be anough to cover all monthly expenses, including housing, food, clothing, study materials/books, transpor-tation and social activities�

There are no tuition fees at the University of Bergen, except from the semester fee of NOK 470� Please note that the University of Bergen provides no direct student funding and cannot assist students financially�

STUDENT RIGHTSStudent democracy at the University of Bergen is organised at all levels of the organi-sation, from members of the Student Parliament to student representatives at institute level� Norwegian law ensures students 20 % of the members on boards and committees� The International Student Union (ISU) also has a local branch in Bergen�

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Most international students, representing some 80 nationalities, live at Fantoft. Fantoft is located right outside the city centre and the newly built Bergen Light Rail has a designated stop for this student housing complex, making transportation both convenient and affordable.

ACCOMODATIONA safe and decent place to live is important if you are to enjoy life as a student� All registered students can apply for student housing, which is owned and operated by SiB Bolig� SiB guarantees accommodation for international students provided you apply for a room within the application period using the reservation code issued by UiB, and you intend to occupy student housing for a minimum of one semester�

SiB has more than 4,300 accommodation units� The units are mainly single or double rooms with a shared bath-room and kitchen� The housing is comfortable and conveniently near the campus� It is usually less expensive to rent a unit from SiB than on the private market� The monthly rent for a room vary from NOK 2,000–3,900�

You can find more information about student accommodation in Bergen and application procedures by visiting sib.no/housing

Application

deadlines for housing:

15 May autumn semester

1 November spring semester

The university boasts a truly vibrant student life with more than 160 student organisations, societies, clubs and associations covering all interest fields, from politics to underwater rugby.

There are approximately 30 000 students in Bergen� They are a familiar feature of the urban landscape, and contribute greatly to the cultural life in the city�

We strongly encourage our students to be actively involved in student culture� Regardless of whether you’re interested in the arts, sports, volunteering for student media or student politics, our experience is that students who also set aside time for leisure activities are happier, less stressed and oftentimes even do better on their exams than those who merely study contantly�

Student venuesDet Akademiske Kvarter, or “Kvarteret”, is the epicentre of student culture in Bergen, hosting over 2200 events every year� Kvarteret functions as a meeting space, cinema, concert venue, debate scene, theatre, bar, gallery and much more� Everything is organized and run by students for students� At any given time about 400 students work as volunteers at Kvarteret�

Another important arena for student life in Bergen is the concert venue Hulen� Hulen translates as “the Cave” and is located in an old bunker close to the Student Centre� Hulen is one of the oldest concert scenes in Bergen and portrays itself as a “cultural shelter” for students, hosting concerts several nights a week�

STUDENT LIFE24

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International student organisationsSome of the student organisations in Bergen are spesifically aimed at international students or run by international students themselves� The following are a few examples:

The International Student Union (ISU) has as its main objective to help foreign students acclimatise in a new environment� ISU also works to foster better under-standing between Norwegian and foreign students and arranges various cultural and social events throughout the year�

Erasmus Student Network (ESN) The Erasmus Student Network in Bergen arranges parties, trips and activities for exchange students in Bergen�

Buddy Bergen is a six week program that seeks to better integrate international students in Norwegian student society� As a participant in the program you will be paired with a Norwegian student who can answer your questions about everyday life and help you get acquainted with Bergen�

Study Bergen is not a student organisation in the strict sense, but a joint initiative from the institutions of higher education in Bergen� Study Bergen host a number of subsidised events for students in Bergen every semester, including skiing trips, a student fjord cruise, classical concerts and excursions to museums and other worthwhile destinations in the Bergen area�

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PhD

B M

The degree system

Norway follows the guidelines from the Bologna Process in European higher education and the system based on bachelor’s (3 years), master’s (2 years) and PhD degrees (3 years) as well as the ECTS credits system� Adapting to the European standard has made it easier for students attending Norwegian institutions to obtain recognized equivalency for their qualifications achieved in other countries�

Academic calendar

The academic year is divided into two semesters, and one semester’s full workload amounts to 30 ECTS credits�

Autumn semester: Mid August–late December Spring semester: Early January–late June

Working methods and assessment

The University of Bergen offers a variety of courses, involving different working methods and means of assessment� Some courses have compulsory assignments and attendance while others have a freer structure� In any case, attending lectures is an excellent way of becoming familiar with the course ma-terial� Some courses also offer lab work, field trips, seminars and discussions which put knowledge and understanding into practice� Detailed course information, schedules and curriculum will be published at uib.no/education

Students admitted to a study programme will receive regular guidance and monitoring as well as an Individual Education Plan to which both parties must agree, detailing the student and the institution’s mutual commitments�

ACADEMIC SYSTEM AND REQUIREMENTS

For more general information about

studying in Norway and the Norwegian system of higher

education, please visit studyinnorway.no

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GRADING SCALE

Rights and obligations

The legal rules and regulations and the University of Bergen’s service statement are available on UiB’s website�

Course numbering

Each of our courses is assigned a three-digit number:

• 100-courses are introduction courses and may only be included at undergraduate level�

• 200-courses involve some specialisation, and in some cases may be included at both undergraduate level and post graduate level�

• 300-courses involve a higher level of specialisation�

Grading scale

Grades are typically awarded according to a graded scale from A (highest) to F (lowest), with E as the minimum pass grade� Some examinations are assigned simply a pass/fail mark�

Language requirements

We offer a wide variety of courses in English as well as language and literature courses in Spanish, German, French and Italian� The courses offered in English are for the most part aimed at our international students�

Please note however, that the main teaching language at the University of Bergen (UiB) is Norwegian, and that good command of Norwegian or another Scandinavian language therefore is a prerequisite for most of our undergraduate study programmes�

Residence permit

All international students from outside the EU/EEA need a residence permit during their stay in Norway� The process of being granted a residence permit/visa for study purposes may take 8-12 weeks if all necessary documents are enclosed in the application�

Symbol Description General, qualitative description of evaluation criteria

A Excellent The candidate demonstrates excellent judgement and a high degree of independent thinking

B Very good The candidate demonstrates sound judgement and a very good degree of independent thinking

C Good The candidate demonstrates a reasonable degree of judgement and independent thinking in the most important areas

D Satisfactory The candidate demonstrates a limited degree of judgement and independent thinking

E Sufficient The candidate demonstrates a very limited degree of judgement and independent thinking

F Fail The candidate demonstrates an absence of both judgement and independent thinking

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in Eastern and Southern Europe� Students who have been granted a scholarship through the EEA Grants/Norway Grants programme and whose home institu-tion has entered into an exchange agreement with UiB may apply for an exchange stay at UiB� The scholarships are administered by local authorities in each eligible country, and application processes differ� To find out if you can apply for an EEA scholarship, please contact the international office at your home institution�

The NOMA ProgrammeThrough the NOMA programme, we cooperate with universities in Nepal, Bangladesh, Malawi, Mozambique, Sudan and Tanzania� This programme allows students to take a master’s degree at their home university through a twinning scheme with the University of Bergen�

The Fulbright programmeThe Fulbright Foundation for Educational Exchange offers study grants for graduate students from the USA who wishes to study in Norway� Projects can be either full-time study or a combination of independent research and advanced courses or seminars�

Science without Borders (SwB)The Science without Borders (SwB) programme offers study abroad scholarships for one or two semesters for students from Brazil� The scholarship is funded by the Brazilian government and mainly covers fields within science, technology, mathematics and engineering�

EXCHANGE AND COOPERATION PROGRAMMES

The Erasmus ProgrammeThe Erasmus Life-long Learning programme offers student exchange opportunities within the European Union and the EEA area� European students have left their mark on university life and the city of Bergen since the 1990s� In the early years, there were more outgoing than incoming Erasmus students, but this has changed, and we now receive far more students than we send out�

UiB also participates in four joint Erasmus Mundus master’s programmes�

Bilateral exchange agreementsThe University of Bergen has bilateral exchange agree-ments with more than 400 universities worldwide, covering both undergraduate and postgraduate level� Depending on the specifics of the agreement, bilateral exchange students may spend one or two semesters at the University of Bergen as part of their degree�

Nordplus/NordlysNordplus is a mobility programme for students at institutions of higher education in the Baltic and Nordic regions� Students from Nordic institutions that do not have a Nordplus agreement with a counterpart at the University of Bergen may apply through the Nordlys exchange network�

EEA and Norwegian Grants ProgrammeThe EEA Financial Mechanisms Programme offers study-abroad scholarships for students from selected countries

The University of Bergen participates in a broad range of bilateral exchange agreements and international cooperation programmes and continuously work to strengthen our agreement portofolio to make it as easy and safe as possible for our students to study abroad and for students from other countries to come to Bergen.

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As an exchange student at the University of Bergen, you may choose among around 400 different courses taught in English. We also offer Norwegian language courses and courses within the field of Scandinavian Area Studies.

International exchange students

In this context, ‘exchange students’ are individuals who reside permanently outside Norway and who are admitted to the University of Bergen through an exchange agreement, network or programme� Exchange students are given limit-ed admission for a maximum period of one academic year�

Exchange students admitted through the following agree-ments and programmed are given limited admission:

• Bilateral exchange agreements

• The Nordplus programme

• The Erasmus programme

APPLICATION DEADLINES

Erasmus, Nordplus and other bilateral exchange students: 15 May: autumn semester 15 October: spring semester Please note that students from countries outside the EU/EEA area should apply well before the deadline in order to allow sufficient time for visa processing�

Norwegian language courses for bilateral and Erasmus exchange students: 15 May: autumn semester 15 October: spring semester More information is available here: uib.no/education/ admission/norwegian-as-a-second-language


Even though we offer individual courses taught in English both at Bachelor’s and Master’s degree levels, we currently do not offer any Bachelor’s programmes taught in English� Please note that all full Bachelor’s programmes at UiB require a very good command of the Norwegian language, and that documentation of proficiency in Norwegian (or Danish/Swedish) and English is required for direct admission�

Nordic citizens

Nordic students who speak a Scandinavian language may apply for courses from the University’s entire course catalogue� Students from the Nordic countries may be admitted to the University of Bergen as exchange students (Nordplus or Erasmus), or they may apply for admission to regular undergraduate studies through the Norwegian Uni-versities and Colleges Admission Service, ‘Samordna opptak’: samordnaopptak.no/info/english

Regular undergraduate studies*: 1 March: for applicants with foreign secondary education outside the Nordic region� 15 April: for applicants with secondary education from the Nordic countries�

* Proficiency in Norwegian (or Danish/Swedish) and English is required�

UNDERGRADUATE AND POSTGRADUATE COURSES

30

The University of Bergen offers more than 30 Master’s pro-grammes taught in English and also participate in several international joint degrees. In general, most of these pro-grammes are open to all applicants who meet the admis-sion requirements. However, a few programmes are only open to students who are eligible for the Quota Scheme.

The Quota Scheme

The Quota Scheme is a funding scheme offered by the Norwegian Government to students from developing countries and countries in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia for studies at institutions of higher education in Norway� The objective of the Quota Scheme is to provide relevant education that will benefit the students’ home countries� The students are therefore expected to return home after completion of their studies in Norway�

The Quota Scheme provides funding for 1,100 students at different institutions in Norway and covers living expenses during the academic year� UiB currently has 154 (2014) study places at Master’s and PhD level financed by this scheme� As a rule, the applicants must come from institutions with for-mal collaboration agreements with the University of Bergen�

Joint degrees/joint study programmes

In addition to regular Master’s programmes taught in English, the University of Bergen participates in several joint degrees/joint study programmes where students can follow an organised study plan that involves studying at several different international institutions� UiB participates in programmes in the fields of international health, chemis-try, geography, geoscience, climate, religion and music�

These programmes are run by a consortium of institutions, and admissions are through the consortium directly� Admis-sion requirements and deadlines vary� An overview can be found at uib.no/international/programmes/joint-degrees

Admission requirements

Normally, applicants from countries outside Europe must have a first degree/ Bachelor’s degree of four years’ dura-

tion or the equivalent� The degree must include courses equalling approx� 1-1½ years of full-time study in a subject relevant to the programme applied for� Please note that the number of study places is limited at Master’s level� The competition for admission to study places financed through the Quota Scheme is particularly keen, and at least a B+ average or equivalent is normally required to be considered for admission to most programmes�

Please note that some Master’s degree programmes may have additional admission requirements� Please refer to the website of each programme for more information�

European citizens

Applicants from the EU/EEA-area and Switzerland may apply for regular admission, together with Nordic applicants and applicants with a valid residence permit in Norway�


Proficiency in the English language is required for admission to the programmes offered to international students� We refer to our web site for information about different ways of meeting the language requirements� The required minimum scores for the most frequently used English language tests are currently (as of March 2014) TOEFL 550/213/80 and IELTS band 6�0� These requirements may change before the next admission round�

Documentation of finances

If you are covering your own living expenses, please be aware that you need to document access to sufficient funding in order to obtain a student residence permit in Norway� It is critical that you provide proof of your financial means when you submit your application�

MASTER’S PROGRAMMES

APPLICATION DEADLINES

Applicants from the EU/EEA-area and Switzerland - 15 April

All other international applicants - 1 December

Application forms are available from 1 October at uib.no/education

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ACADEMIC GUIDE 2014/2015

The University of Bergen offer more than 400 courses in English within a broad range of subjects, from Medical Cell Biology to Electronic Literature and Oceanography. On the following pages you will find an introduction to the main academic fields at the University of Bergen and selected areas of study.

For a full list and description of the courses available, please visit uib.no/en/education

We offer Norwegian language courses for international students at various levels.

Levels 1, 2 and 3 of the Norwegian Language courses are equivalent to half a semester’s workload(15 ECTS)� Alterna-tively, you can take an accelerated progress course, which combines either level 1+2 or 2+3 (total of 30 ECTS per semes-ter) or a smaller “Introductory course in Norwegian”course of 10 ECTS� In spring, an additional level 4 course (10 ECTS) is offered� Application deadlines are 15 May and 15 October�

Please note that there is limited admission to all Norwegian courses� Students who apply after the deadline cannot expect to be admitted�

More information: [email protected]/education

What are the challenges to education in our contemporary society? How can we understand the relationship between global and national/Norwegian educational policies?

Education in a changing society focuses on the function and role of educational institutions in a contemporary context� The course provides different perspectives, both historical and sociological, on the relationship between educational institutions and society� An important theme is how societal changes influence both educational policy and educational practice, locally as well as in national and global settings� An important aim is to enable students to develop an under-standing of education as a means of exercising citizenship and democracy�

More information: [email protected]

NORWEGIAN LANGUAGE COURSES

EDUCATION IN A CHANGING SOCIETY34

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The Scandinavian area covers Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Worldwide Scandinavia is known for the vikings, their welfare model, the Nobel Peace Prize, Henrik Ibsen, IKEA, Pippi Longstocking, monarchy, Ingmar Bergman, Edward Munch and skiing to mention but a few things. Are you curious and want to learn more?

The University of Bergen offers a wide range of courses on topics relating to Scandinavia� The courses cover topics such as Scandinavian and Norwegian society, politics, geogra-phy, history, media, language, literature and culture� Several of these courses are organised especially for exchange students, although Norwegian students are also allowed to enrol� The courses are taught in English�

SCANDINAVIAN AREA STUDIES

The following is a list of Scandinavian Area Studies courses we offer:

Courses offered in autumn Geography: Environment and Society

Norwegian Culture and History

Norwegian Art, Theatre and Cultural Studies

Sámi Religion

Scandinavian Literature: 19th century

Scandinavian Politics and Government

The Scandinavian Welfare Model and Gender Relations

Courses offered in spring Introduction to Media Studies and the Norwegian Media System

Norwegian Language

Political Economy and the Welfare State

Scandinavian Literature: 20th Century

Scandinavian Politics and Government

You can find more information about the courses at uib.no/education

HUMANITIESChanges may occur�

See uib.no/education for an updated overview

of all courses and master’s programmes�

Undergraduate and postgraduate courses:Digital Culture StudiesHistory StudiesLanguage and Literature StudiesNorwegian Language StudiesPhilosophy StudiesScandinavian Area Studies

One-year programme in:International Diploma in Performance or Composition

Joint master’s programme in:The Religious Roots of Europe

Master’s programmes:Digital CultureEnglishFrenchGermanLinguisticsMusic Performance or CompositionNatural Language ProcessingNordic Languages and LiteratureOld Norse PhilologyPhilosophySpanish Language and Latin-America Studies

The Faculty of Humanities comprises a number of disciplines. Many of them, such as History studies, have long traditions within academia, while others reflect the contemporary world, for instance, natural language processing. This diversity gives our students the opportunity to take many varying approaches to their particular field of interest.

We offer various courses and master’s degree programmes in English (or other relevant languages) in the following main fields:

37

Can individuals really have an impact on society through blogging? What can studies of teenage online gamers tell us about gender issues? How does electronic literature cross genre boundaries and create new styles?

These are all relevant questions for students and researchers of Digital culture at UiB� Digital culture is the study of so-cial, cultural, ethical and aesthetic aspects of Information and Communication Technology� The main focus is digital arts and culture and the interaction between culture and technology� Current research projects include Gender and Technology, where gender issues are explored in relation to digital culture� One line of research within this project is di-rected towards teenage World of Warcraft gamers� What are their perceptions of gender and gaming? How do they use computer games, and their own understanding of gaming, in their construction of identity and gender?

Theoretical, historical and analytical approaches to under-standing digital culture are accompanied by hands-on prac-tice in subjects like web design, blogging, coding and struc-turing of data� Several courses are offered for international students, as well as a master’s degree�

What do all languages have in common, and how can we explain the differences? How can we detect new words and expressions from the web? Can we use language to communicate with computers?

These are only a few relevant questions for scholars in linguis-tics and language studies, on which the University of Bergen offers several perspectives� General Linguistics aims toward achieving a better understanding of human languages, their structure and use in communication� Computational linguis-tics and language technology aim toward precise models of language constructed with the use of computers� Other linguistic fields are within Scandinavian studies, foreign lan-guages and cultures, and Norwegian as a second language�

DIGITAL CULTURE

LINGUISTICS

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INTERVIEW

Alexander Raberg, 24 years

Nationality: German Exchange programme: ERASMUS Duration of stay: 1 year Subjects: Scandinavian Area Studies and Linguistics

Why did you choose to study at the University of Bergen?

I had the chance to visit Bergen and also the university two years ago, and instantly fell in love with the city� Attending the department of linguistic, literary and aesthetic studies at UiB provided a great opportunity for me to combine subjects in a way that would not be possible in Germany�

How have you been received here?

I was worried not to get in contact with many fellow students since I only chose lectures held in Norwegian, with few other international students� I was surprised to find that many of my Norwegian class mates welcomed me with open arms� They have always been willing to help me out when I’ve had difficulties�

Which main differences are there between your home country and Norway as regards being a student?

I am used to be a student among ten thousands of people and to sit in lectures with fifty people or more� I was surprised when I attended lectures in Scandinavian Stud-ies and there were only around ten or less students some-times� It is a lot more challenging this way, because you can’t just take a seat in the last row and dream your time away� You actually feel like being a part of the lecture and being involved� I learned a lot more this way�

What would you say is the most important academic outcome you have gained from your time in Bergen?

One of my main goals was to get to know the Norwegian language in every detail� My time here was the best opportunity I could imagine to learn about the various Norwegian dialects and the actual use of the Norwegian language� I’ve also managed to learn the second Norwe-gian written language “Nynorsk”, which is of high value to me� But this is only one of many things I have learned here�

What are your future plans?

First I need to finish my studies in Germany, and then I will see� I dream about coming back to Norway sometime in the future though� It has had a huge impact on me�

Would you like to learn more about musical traditions in world cultures? Perhaps you have a particular inter-est in historical interpretation of, for instance, baroque ensemble repertoire? Do you want to specialise in a certain composer or repertoire through a master’s degree?

As a music student at the Grieg Academy you will develop your skills through close, personal guidance, daily practice, and cooperation with other students� The instruction given allows you to develop an individual profile� By studying at our institution you will therefore lay the foundation of your career as a musician� The Grieg Academy employs promi-nent musicians and educators who represent various artistic profiles� In addition, the curriculum is linked to international music circles through master classes and seminars�

The Grieg Academy offers performance studies in classical music, jazz or composition� Relevant fields of study include ba-roque ensemble, music in world cultures and accompaniment�

MUSIC

ENGLISHHow does the English language change due to its role as a global language? Everyone has an opinion on the United States, but what can American literature and popular culture tell us about the nation’s perception of itself? And can movie adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays add something to the interpretation of these classics?

Studying English will give you in-depth insight into the English language as well as the literature and culture of the English-speaking world� You will learn about basic and advanced aspects of linguistics, such as grammar, phonetics and an introduction to regional and social variants of the language� Through interpretations of various texts, one can also acquire knowledge about the relationship between literature and society, both in the United Kingdom and the United States�

LAWChanges may occur

during the year� See uib.no/education

for an updated overview of all courses�

uib.no

Human RightsEnergy LawCommercial Law

Company Law Legal Philosophy

The city of Bergen has traditions in internationalisation and law dating back to the Middle Ages. Bergen was a busy international port in medieval times and it was here that the Norwegian National Code of 1274 was compiled. Firmly rooted in its history and traditions, the Faculty of Law is nonetheless forward-looking and dynamic.

We offer various courses and Master’s degree programmes in English in the following fields:

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Who owns energy resources? Who has responsibility for protecting the environment when energy resources are exploited?

Norway is a small country rich in natural resources� The oil industry has been the country’s most important industry since the 1970s, and it is vital to the development of Norway as a welfare state� It is important to remain a reliable, long-term and climate-conscious exporter of oil and gas�

The course in Energy Law gives students a funda mental understanding of the terms, problems, basic principles and legal concepts used in petroleum and energy law� Students will learn about the Norwegian petroleum regula-tory framework as well as the international rules concerning jurisdiction and ownership of petroleum resources and EU regulation of the petroleum sector�

Regulating activities and stipulating requirements for safety and the environment are important aspects of petroleum law� The relationships to international maritime and environ-mental law will also be an important part of the course� Liability for pollution and other harms to the environment and fisheries is another important aspect�

Which crimes can be pursued directly before international courts – and why? What are the specific conditions for individual criminal responsibility with respect to such ‘universal’ crimes?

This course provides an opportunity to better understand the contemporary frameworks for the prosecution of the most serious crimes, such as war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide� It enables students to acquire an independent knowledge-base for analysing, discussing, and eventually pursuing further advanced studies or doing prac-tical work within this field – internationally or domestically�

ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT

INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL LAW – THE PROSECUTION OF UNIVERSAL CRIMES

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INTERVIEW

Yue Ying, 21 years

Nationality: Chinese Exchange programme: Bilateral agreement Home university: China University of Political Science and Law Duration of stay: One semester

What is your impression of Bergen compared to what you expected?

It is totally beyond my expectations� First of all, people here are very nice and helpful� I never feel lonely or homesick� The professors are nice and knowledgeable, and inspire me to think differently and more deeply� And also, the natural surroundings are amazing�

Which are the main differences between China and Norway in terms of being a student?

The cultural shock hasn’t stopped since the first day I arrived here� For one thing the faculties of the university are scattered around in the city, mingled with residence areas, restaurants and so on� In China, we have university-specific zones, as there are also shopping areas, residence districts, and so on� This intense structure with a vast number of universities to-gether has its advantages, but it also puts more study pressure on students and reduces their opportunities for entertainment and real social life�

Also, without doubt, the living standard here is much higher than in China, especially in the areas of food, service and public transit� Also, tuition is practically free here�

The forms of entertainment here are mainly parties, skiing, travelling, etc� But in China, partying is not included in our forms of entertainment (although some will occasionally do that)� We tend to sing in the karaoke bars or go to amusement parks, and so on�

What is the most important academic outcome you have gained from your time in Bergen?

The language skills� To have the opportunity to speak English in daily life with other international students�


I will pursue my master’s degree in UCL specializing in International Economical Law�

Is welfare a universal citizens’ right pursuant to interna-tional human rights obligations? Can the provision of welfare raise human rights problems by not respecting the autonomy of individuals?

The Nordic countries have generous welfare states� The basic principle is that everyone contributes via taxation, and everyone gets something in return�

Many of the senior researchers at the faculty work on human rights law and welfare law� The course Human Rights and the Welfare State teaches students about the essential elements of Norwegian welfare state legislation in the light of international human rights law� One of the important issues is the potential conflict between the duty, on one hand, to provide health care and social services, and on the other, the duty to respect the autonomy of individuals� What do human rights instruments say about coercive treat-ment? Particular attention will be devoted to protection of the rights of vulnerable groups in the welfare state, such as children, the disabled, the mentally ill and asylum seekers�

WELFARE AND HUMAN RIGHTS

Changes may occur during the year�

See uib.no/education for an updated overview of

all courses and master’s programmes�

HEALTH SCIENCES

Undergraduate and postgraduate courses:International Health Medical BiologyLaboratory Animal ScienceMedicineChild WelfareHealth SciencesNutrition

International Joint master’s degree:European Master of Science Programme

Master’s programmes:Biomedical Image SciencesHealth Promotion*International HealthMedical Cell BiologyOral Sciences

* Admission every even year

Health and quality of life involve much more than merely curing patients. At UiB, we also have a strong emphasis on prevention, information to the public and scientific research. We also strive to view health challenges in an international perspective.

We offer various courses and Master’s degree programmes in English in the following main fields:

45

For decades global health has been a strong, strategic interdisciplinary field at the University of Bergen.

At UiB we focus on local health problems in a global context as well as on high quality intervention research� Interdiscipli-nary research groups have been established with researchers from different fields, including, for example, epidemiology, health systems research, clinical and biomedicine, psycholo-gy, anthropology and economics as well as research groups linked to the areas of oral health and occupational health� Research projects are carried out in cooperation with local partner institutions, for the most part in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia�

The main research clusters are: • Mother and child health and nutrition• HIV and tuberculosis• Research priority setting, health economics and culture Students from all over the world are recruited to master’s, MPhil and PhD programmes in International Health� They are prepared to return to their home countries with advanced research skills and the ability to contribute towards improved health in their country of origin�

GLOBAL HEALTH

MEDICINEThe University of Bergen now

offers courses in gynaecology/ obstetrics and paediatrics

taught in English.

• Courses are taught both autumn and spring

• Medical students from cooperating institutions

may apply

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INTERVIEW

Urša Moze, 23 years

Nationality: SlovenianExchange programme: ERASMUS Home university: University of Ljublana Duration of your stay: 1 semester Subjects: Gynaecology, Paediatrics, Norwegian Language Course

Why did you choose the University of Bergen?

I decided to study at the University of Bergen because of the possibility of doing subjects in English, and because the curriculum of both the exams I’ll take matches my study plan� Another reason is that I wished to experience life in Scandinavia, and the natural surroundings and outdoor activities here�

How have you been received in Bergen?

The introductory week was very helpful and provided all the information I needed� You get to know other exchange students with interests similar to yours� You also got to meet the various student organisations� I think everyone can find a leisure activity that suits them here , and get involved in activities they enjoy in their home countries� For example I find it really easy to do sports here and I am also a volunteer at Kvarteret where I’ve met a lot of new, interesting people�

What are the main differences between your home country and Norway in terms of being a student?

The main differences are prices, and because of my limited scholarship I really have to be careful how I spend my money� Otherwise, the only thing I think is more accessible here than at home are sport centres and the variety of sports activities offered�


My future plan is first to finish my degree and hopefully to get a chance to do some practice through another exchange abroad� Then I wish to specialise in my home country and finally practice medicine somewhere in Slovenia� That way maybe I can make a difference in our not really brilliant health system, or at least for the people from my city� You know what they say: “Think globally, act locally”�

Did you know that MR imaging can reveal information reflecting the highways and information traffic in the human brain? Did you know that to develop effective targeted therapies, we must understand the molecular pathways of cells?

Diseases occur when the normal physiology of a cell is disturbed� This can involve changes in gene expression, abnormal protein-protein interactions, imbalance between cell death and cell renewal and irregular signalling within the cell� In Medical Cell Biology we study cellular processes to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the development of disease�

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a fascinating and expressive imaging technique� Through the use of MRI scanners it is now possible to reconstruct the fibre tracts (information highways) and the functional connectivity (information traffic) between ‘hubs’ in the living healthy or abnormal brain� In Biomedical Image Sciences, we use ad-vanced imaging modalities such as MRI, ultrasound, PET, optical imaging and confocal microscopy, and study how we can extract quantitative biological and medical information from such data�

MEDICAL BIOLOGY

NATURAL SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY

Changes may occur during the year�

See uib.no/education for an updated overview of


Undergraduate and postgraduate courses:Biology, Chemistry and Molecular BiologyEarth ScienceInformaticsMarine BiologyMathematicsMeterology and OceanographyPhysicsPetroleum and Process Technology

Master’s programmes:Applied and Computational MathematicsAquaculture BiologyBiologyChemistry

Earth ScienceFisheries Biology and Management InformaticsMarine BiologyMathematicsMeteorology and OceanographyMolecular Biology Nutrition – MarinePhysicsProgramme Development

International Joint Master’s degree:ChemistryGeoscience

The city’s local natural surroundings and geographical location in western Norway provide the basis for much of the research in natural sciences and technological disciplines at the University of Bergen. Our marine research rivals the best in the world, but there are still many problems that remains to be solved. We are well on our way to discovering the secrets of this mysterious world and the many species found in the sea, on the seabed and beneath it.

We offer various courses and master’s degree programmes in English in the following main fields:49

How do exploitation and other external factors influence the living resources in the sea? How can aquaculture studies help us improve the farming of fish species?

The modern world is facing several environmental chal-lenges that can be met with the help of marine sciences� Studies within marine research can provide answers to how exploitation and other external factors influence the living resources in the sea� Aquaculture studies can help to optimise and improve the production of marine fish species� The marine sciences comprise oceanographic studies in the broad sense, including physical, geological, chemical and molecular processes and the interaction between the solid earth, the ocean and the atmosphere�

This area also includes applications relating to mapping and exploiting resources, as well as studies of climate and environmental issues� Industries based on knowledge of marine resources, exploitation and sustainable manage-ment of them are essential to the future of mankind� A multidisciplinary Centre of Excellence in Geobiology inves-tigates extreme environments, such as those found in the deep seafloor, while the Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology explores evolutionary aspects of several marine organisms� The University of Bergen also cooper-ates closely with the Institute of Marine Research and the National Institute of Nutrition and Seafood Research� The wide range of cutting edge research in marine sciences at the University of Bergen forms the basis for a similarly wide range of study options in this area�

MARINE RESEARCH

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uib.no

INTERVIEW

Daniel Hitchcock, 25 years

Nationality: Australian Study programme: Master’s in biology, Environmental Toxicology Duration of stay: 2 years


The University of Bergen offered a programme in Environmental Toxicology which sounded exciting and closer to my interests compared to what was offered in Australia� Bergen also looked like a rather scenic city with plenty of outdoor space, so I thought it would make the perfect home for a budding biologist�


Within the first fortnight of moving to Bergen, I was introduced to other master’s students at the introduc-tory programme meeting for biology� The people I first met there have become lifelong friends� One friend even invited me back home to spend Christmas with his family, to whom I am very thankful�


I remember being surprised at how small the city was and how quickly one could walk from one end to the other�

In your opinion, what is the most important academ-ic outcome you have gained?

What I like about master’s programme in Bergen is that it helps you improve academically through coursework and also technically through research� I have been able to enrol in courses that have given me breadth and allowed me to look at science in a broader context�


I really enjoy research as a master’s student and I also enjoy living in Norway, so I have been thinking about applying for a PhD position here if a position becomes available� My overall experience in Norway has been so great that I don’t think I’m ready to go back to Australia just yet!

What are the consequences of the melting of the polar ice? How does pollution affect the climate? How can we develop reliable climate models and produce scenarios for future climate change?

If you are interested in these and related questions, you will find similar minds at the University of Bergen� As a student of meteorology and oceanography, mathemat-ics, chemistry, biology, earth science and physics, you will be able to delve deeper into climate research� Students in these fields also come into contact with our research on climate understanding and modelling at the Bjerknes Centre for Climate research�

As a student at the University of Bergen, you have the option of participating in courses at the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS)� This is the world’s northern-most higher educational institution, located in Longyearbyen on Spitsbergen at 78°N� UNIS offers high quality courses at the undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate levels in Arctic biology, Arctic geology, Arctic geophysics and Arctic technology�

CLIMATE RESEARCH

When will our fossil reserves run out? How do we capture and store carbon dioxide? What new, and renewable, energy sources can be developed for the future?

These and other questions can be answered only through interdisciplinary activities and research in the geosciences, mathematics, statistics, computer science, physics and chemistry� We offer courses in several energy- and technology oriented fields, including petroleum and process technology, renewable energy, computer technol-ogy and nanotechnology� We are proud to host the Centre for Integrated Petroleum Research, a leading international centre for developing fundamental knowledge aimed at maximising recovery and increasing recoverable reserves in existing oil and gas fields�

How does the expression of one gene affect other genes? How can we make sense of the vast amount of data collected from genome sequencing projects?

Functional genomic studies use data produced through genomic projects to describe gene functions and inter-actions by focusing on dynamic aspects such as gene transcription and translation� Functional genomic studies are facilitated by close collaboration between molecular biology and bioinformatics� The University of Bergen hosts a cluster of national facilities in functional genomics research, including technology platforms in proteomics, imaging technologies, micro-array and bioinformatics� As a student of microbiology, molecular biology and bioinformatics, you will benefit from the expertise of the National Functional Genomics Cluster� The areas you can study include sequence and structure analysis, molecular evolution, genome anno-tation and micro-array data analysis�

ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY

FUNCTIONAL GENOMIC STUDIES

52

uib.no

PSYCHOLOGYChanges may occur

during the year� See uib.no/education for an updated overview of

all courses�

Cognitive PsychologyHealth PsychologySocial PsychologyMethods in Psychology

Work and Organisational PsychologyDevelopmental PsychologyCognitive Neuroscience

At the University of Bergen we aim to teach some of the most important developments in psychology, with a primary focus on the understanding of human behaviour.

We offer various undergraduate and postgraduate courses in English in the following fields:

55

How can psychological processes influence health-related behaviour, traditional psychosomatic conditions, psycho-somatic problems and subjective health complaints?

Unexplained symptoms or subjective complaints without objective findings, or situations where complaints do not seem to correspond to the objective findings, are frequent reasons for contacting one’s general practitioner and frequent reasons for patients’ receiving sickness benefits� Traditional medicine seems to have little more to offer than new diagnoses and new labels� Complaints seem to remain the same, including muscular pain, unspecified gastrointes-tinal complaints, fatigue, dizziness and slight mood changes among the most frequent� The prevalence is very high in the general population� Since there are few, if any, objec-

tive findings, the patients are often referred to psychiatric treatment� The condition has an impact on the behaviour and mood of the patient; psychiatric findings, however, are modest� Behavioural treatment programmes may improve the condition, or at least facilitate interpretation of the complaints�

As a psychology student, you will have an opportunity to investigate the relationship between stress, coping, sensitisation and health problems, as well as the effects of traumatic stress� Medical health psychology seeks to understand the epidemiology and treatment of subjective health problems under different labels� As a student, you will also become familiar with the connections between illness, psychosomatic problems, somatisation and hypochondria�

MEDICAL HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY

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uib.no

INTERVIEW

Alina Karafiat, 26 years

Nationality: German Exchange programme: ERASMUS Duration of stay: 1 year Home university: The Humboldt University of Berlin Subjects: Norwegian Language Courses, Medical Health Psychology, master thesis


The reason I chose UiB was quite mundane: it was the only Norwegian University available� Later on though, I realized how excellent the University really is and I decided to stay and write my master´s thesis here�


I came early and took part in the Norwegian Intensive Course three weeks before the semester started� I can highly recommend that! When the mentor week started I was in “Group Zero” - the alcohol-free alternative, which was a lot of fun!


Well, first the obvious: I expected it to be rainy, and of course it is rainy� But actually, weather doesn´t keep anyone from doing anything here� The second thing that astonished me, coming from big, big Berlin, is that Bergen has such an awesome and diverse cultural life� It NEVER gets boring in this fairly small city�

What are the main differences between Germany and Norway in terms of being a student?

In general I´d say it’s quite similar� There are some differences worth mentioning though� One difference is the power distance� While it is normal in Norway to start a mail to the Professor with “Hi Per”, a German professor would probably suffer a heart attack if he was addressed in such a way�

What is the most important academic outcome you have gained from your time in Bergen?

The language skills I have gained are the most important outcome for me� Being able to converse with people in their own language is a great experience� It might also help a lot on the job market� Who knows – maybe I’ll win the job jackpot and find a position in a Norwegian-German company?

Why and how do we decode perceptual information from our environment? Why do we fail to see things that are right in front of us? Why and how do we select the information we choose to focus our attention on? Why and how do we remember or forget? When we solve problems or make de-cisions, what kinds of shortcuts do our minds tend to take?

The conceptual frameworks and methodological tools of cognitive psychology provide fascinating and useful insight into the human mind� We first address basic cognitive pro-cesses, such as perception and categorisation of information, attention and memory, including relationships between nor-mal and abnormal cognitive function� We then present how cognitive psychology has contributed to an understanding of higher mental processes, such as the extent to which our thinking is rational and how we solve problems, make deci-sions or evaluate risk� The course assumes basic knowledge of cognitive psychology and explores specific themes from this field in some depth, rather than attempting to provide a shallower overview of the entire area� In some lecture mod-ules, the information processing approach that underlies cognitive psychology will be supplemented by a cognitive neuroscience approach�

COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY

SOCIAL SCIENCESChanges may occur

during the year� See uib.no/education for an updated overview of


Undergraduate and postgraduate courses:Administration and Organisation TheoryEconomicsGeographyInformation Science and InformaticsMedia and CommunicationsPolitical Science / Comparative PoliticsSocial AnthropologySociologySystem Dynamics

Master’s programmes:Anthropology of Development*Gender and Development*Public AdministrationDevelopment GeographySystem Dynamics

International joint master’s degree:EMSD – European Master’s programme in SystemDynamics� See europeansystemdynamics�eufor further information�

* Anthropology of development: admission in even years. * Gender and development: admission in odd years.

At the University of Bergen, you can study social sciences from both local and global perspectives, ranging from studies of the Nordic welfare state to development studies.

We offer various courses and Master’s degree programmes in English in the following main fields:

59

What are the characteristics of the Nordic welfare state? How have the Nordic countries achieved their high level of gender equality? How do the countries manage to sustain their solid welfare system in combination with strong economic growth?

The Nordic model has for decades received considerable attention both from scholars and politicians� Due to particu-lar features of the model, including high employment rates, gender equality, universal education and health benefits, the Nordic model remains a source of inspiration for policy-makers worldwide� The Faculty of Social Sciences hosts some of the most prominent international experts on topics related to the Nordic model�

Through courses on politics, government and public insti-tutions in the Nordic countries students will be introduced to studies of the welfare state, political parties, state and nation building and the relationship between the Nordic countries and the EU� In studying the Scandinavian welfare model and gender relations, students learn about the re-lationships between state policies and gender in Norway

and in the other Nordic countries� The main focus will be on work and care-related policies that influence the division of labour between women and men� Through courses on political economy, students are introduced to topics related to the Nordic model and the welfare state, such as rational choice theory, as well as rival approaches to the study of the relationship between the state and the economy� Students are also offered topics related to social democracy and the welfare state�

How can computer games be tools for education and public debate? What are the challenges of modern game design?

Contemporary computer games are technologically sophis-ticated and highly complex in terms of how they combine, mix and re-interpret different cultural and media forms� Through presentations and game analysis, we will introduce and discuss the dominant generic forms and conventions of popular computer games� There will be particular emphasis on narrative and the relationship with other media, especially film, and on the use of computer games as a tool for education and public debate� Students will be introduced to the key per-spectives, theories and concepts of computer game research, learn how to analyse and understand games, and also gain hands-on experience with some of the core challenges of game design� The course will also address gaming practices in a wider economic, social and cultural context�

THE NORDIC MODEL

COMPUTER GAMES AND COMPUTER GAMES CULTURE

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uib.no

INTERVIEW

Kavita Thapa, 30 years

Nationality: Nepal Study programme: Master’s degree� Quota scheme Duration of stay: Two years Subjects: Development Geography

Kavita Thapa began her geography studies in Nepal and has been a student at the University of Bergen for almost two years� She likes that the courses focus on livelihood as well as social issues�

During her studies in Bergen, she has taken courses such as Critical Perspectives on Environment and Development and Qualitative Methods� The students also do fieldwork as a part of their master’s thesis� Kavita went to Nepal to do her fieldwork�

Why did you choose to study geography?

I chose geography because I was interested in the relationship between people and nature and write about agriculture and gender relations in my thesis� After finishing my thesis, I want to establish a business on my own back in Nepal�

Some things are a little bit different when you study in another country� The issues are the same, but the perspectives are sligthly, are in some cases very different, Kavita says�

A Critival perspective

She particularly finds the critical angle at the University of Bergen is interesting� The learning environment is also slightly different from what she was used to�

We have a lot of group discussions and we all have to make presentations� The group discussions allow us to get new perspectives and ideas from each other and give us an opportunity to get to know each other better�

Different continents, familiar feel

Even though Bergen is a long way from her home country, Kavita findst the city to be quite familiar� It feels almost like my home town, with the valley and the rain, she says�

How can we better understand the unequal distribution of rights and resources in a global perspective? How can research contribute in the implementation of more adequate development policies?

Development research is one of two strategic areas of research at the University of Bergen� In the course of the past 35 years, the university has earned a distinguished rep-utation both in Norway and abroad for its excellent, result- driven collaboration in research and education with univer-sities and other research partners in developing countries�

The term ‘development research’ spans a broad range of research efforts on local and global challenges affecting the lives of underprivileged people in less developed societies� Opportunities for and constraints on development related to these challenges are at the core of development research� In this respect it is therefore important to explore solutions from the perspective of the interface between development research and more defined thematic research areas such as poverty, good governance, human rights, welfare, gender relations, health and the environment�

DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH

Humanitiesadvice@hf�uib�no

Lawadvice�jurfa@uib�no

Health sciencesadvice@mofa�uib�no

Natural sciences and technologyadvice�mnfa@uib�no

Psychologyadvice@psyfa�uib�no

Social sciencesadvice�svfa@uib�no

Admission in generaladmission@sa�uib�no

Admission and application Nordplus studentsnordplus@uib�no

Admission and application Erasmus studentserasmus@uib�no

Admission and application bilateral studentsbilateral@uib�no

Student Welfare Organisationinformation@sib�no

Practical information for disabled studentsadvice@sa�uib�no

CONTACT INFORMATION

FOLLOW THE UNIVERSITY OF BERGEN IN SOCIAL MEDIA

Instagram uibutdanning

Facebook universitetetibergen

Practical information and application forms: uib.no/education

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Division of Student Affairs, University of BergenDivision of Communication, University of BergenPaul Sigve Amundsen (cover, p. 18, 19, 28, 32, 40, 44, 48, 54, 58) • Marianne Røsvik (p. 10, 12) • Emil Weatherhead Breistein (p. 10, 11, 14, 36, 51) • iStockphoto (p. 10, 11, 13, 38, 51) • Eivind Senneset (p. 10, 11, 13, 18, 24, 25, 34, 50, 53) • Frode Ims (p. 13, 61) • SiB (p. 23) • Christian Irgens (p. 18) • Endre Hilleren (p. 20) • Sandra Ječmenica (p. 47) Colourbox.no (p. 4, 9, 34, 35, 38, 42, 43, 46, 52, 56, 57, 60)Bodoni AS, Bergen, Norway3,500G-Print (115 g/250 g)

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uib.no

UiB has chosen the Eurasian eagle owl for its logo. The owl is traditionally regarded a symbol for knowledge

and wisdom, and thus chimes in well with the stated goals of a higher research institution. The University Museum of Bergen

used the eagle owl as a symbol as early as the 1830s. UiB adopted this logo when the university officially opened in 1948.

study at university of bergen 2014/15

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