Academic Recognition

Formal qualifications or informal competency?

Formal qualifications
Formal qualification includes academically relevant education, courses and / or examinations taken at a formally accredited college or university.

Informal competency
Informal competency is education, coursework and/or examinations taken at unaccredited educational institutions. This term is known as “realkompetanse” in Norwegian. Informal competency must be acquired after the age of 18. 

• The application is dependent on that you are qualified for admission to your programme of choice at BI.
• Foreign educational credentials which are required to meet the requirements for admission to higher education in Norway cannot be assessed for academic approval.
• Academic approval must comply with the provided framework for minimum requirements of credits taken at BI to obtain a degree. Normally, a minimum of 60 academic credits must be taken at BI.
• The final assignment/programme must be taken at BI. Exceptions are the +1 models for the Master in accounting and auditing.

• One BI course/programme can be approved based on several external courses/programmes to cover a single subject requirement.
• One external course/programme can cover several BI courses/programmes.
• An external course/programme must be assessed against specific courses/programmes that BI offers.
• Exceptions to this:
  • Bachelor of Management: free study credits
  • Executive Master of Management: courses/programmes which do not directly cover courses/programme offered by BI, but which are relevant to BI's study portfolio.

• Applications will receive written decision letters. For applications of academic approval of several courses, a decision letter can be provided for each course or as one, single letter with all relevant admission decisions.
• If your application for academic approval is approved, you will be de-registered from the relevant course/programme and exam, provided you have applied within the applicable deadlines.
• Your diploma will state that you have been granted approval on the basis of formal or non-formal qualifications.
• Academic approval results in a tuition fee reduction, provided you have applied within the applicable deadlines.
• Changes in your education plan can result in changes to your educational loans or grants provided by the Norwegian (please refer to https://www.lanekassen.no/en-US/). 

If you have previously taken and passed or are currently taking courses at BI, then these courses will automatically be assessed for academic recognition when you apply for admission.

If, on the other hand, you have education from another educational institution that can cover the same learning outcome in courses that are included in a BI degree, then you must apply for academic recognition in order for us to consider these courses. Please note that this can be a time-consuming process. You should estimate up to 12 weeks processing time and should therefore submit your complete application as early as possible, with all mandatory documentation. Familiarize yourself with the documentation requirements to avoid delays  in the processing of your application. Read more about documentation requirements here.

We recommend that you apply for academic recognition for all courses you wish to have assessed already when you apply for admission. It is also possible to apply for academic recognition after you have been admitted as a student.

Deadlines when you apply for academic recognition at the same time as you apply for admission

We operate with prioritized application deadlines for admission to our studies. If there is free capacity, we have rolling admissions until the start of studies, but please note that applications for academic recognition of courses that have not been assessed previously are not guaranteed to be processed before the start of studies if you apply after the priority application deadline for admission.

If you apply for admission directly to the 2nd or 3rd year of study on our bachelor's degrees, then you must have gotten approved a course load corresponding to the 1st and/or 2nd year of study. An application to the 2nd or 3rd year therefore also involves a mandatory academic recognition process in addition to the regular admission process.

Important: Course descriptions, syllabus lists and transcripts are uploaded when you apply for admission, no later than 1 May if we are to be able to guarantee that your application will be processed before the start of your studies. If you are waiting for final exam results in the summer, upload your transcript as soon as you receive it. Please note that the final deadline for submitting transcripts is 1 August, or 15 June for applicants with citizenship outside the EU.

Deadlines when you apply for academic recognition after you have been admitted as a student

If you are taking courses in the current semester and are waiting for exam results, course descriptions and syllabus lists must be uploaded when you apply, within the deadlines above. You then forward the transcript as soon as you receive it, or no later than 1 August for the autumn semester and 1 February for the spring semester.

For Executive programmes and studies

• Executive Master of Management: Your application for academic approval from another university / college must be provided along with application to the degree-granting programme at BI, i.e. the programme which you will thus attain 90 academic credits / ECTS.
• Executive Master of Business Administration or Executive Master of Management in Energy: You must have been admitted as a student before you can apply for academic approval.

Students at BI must have credited previously passed courses that overlap academically with relevant coursework within their new degree programme. Students will not receive extra study credits for the same coursework several times.

If you have previously passed coursework from BI, this will automatically be assessed when you apply for admission to another degree programme. Enclosed with the offer of admission you will find information regarding what coursework has been approved from your previous education, as well as what new courses you will be required to take in order to complete the desired degree. The result of this assessment is attached to the study contract, which must be signed in order to accept your study place. No preliminary assessments are granted independently of an application for admission.

You do not need to upload prior results from BI. Please note that assessment of older, discontinued courses may involve somewhat longer processing times.

As part of the new revised bachelor’s model, the content and course composition of the majority of BI's one-year programmes and bachelor's degrees has been changed. This means that a large number of courses in previous study models has been expired and replaced by new courses.

The transition from the old to the new bachelor's model could affect students with prior BI education who are applying for admission to a one-year programme or bachelor's degree starting in autumn 2023 or later.

Any discontinued courses can be used as elective courses for a new degree, on the provision that the content of the course does not overlap too much with the content of other courses included in the degree programme. The degree of overlap, and possible approval of passed courses in the old model, will be automatically assessed when applying for admission to a new course of study.

In most cases, it is possible to obtain several degrees at the same level (for example bachelor, master, etc.) at BI Norwegian Business School. Special guidelines have been determined regarding how to review such cases, with special requirements set for a degree’s academic composition, as well as minimum requirements for the number of new study credits in order to be issued a new degree.

BI Norwegian Business School is obligated to following our Regulations on the approval of Norwegian and Foreign Higher Education as well as Vocational training (approval regulations) which regulate the conditions for awarding degrees:

§ 3. Requirements for new education
In crediting prior education within a new degree plan for a new degree or as part of vocational education, a student must complete at least 60 new study credits before they can be awarded with a new degree.

The educational institute can itself require upwards of 90 new study credits for certain degree programmes. The institution can determine which programmes these requirements will apply to.

§ 3. Additional requirements for awarding a degree or vocational degree
In order for an institution to be able to award a degree or issue a diploma for completed education, at least 60 of the study credits forming the degree basis must have been taken at the awarding institution. It is assumed that the education and/or other competence approved in accordance with these regulations corresponds to the academic requirements for the degree in question, and that the overall learning outcomes for the degree is equivalent to that which applies to those who take the degree in its entirety at the institution.

The institution cannot set a stricter additional requirement per those set in the first paragraph.

Exceptions can be made to the additional requirements for master's programs in health and social sciences that are based on framework-based further education within the same subject area, i.e., framework-based further education in the same subject area can be approved as part of the degree.

§ 4. Requirements for awarding several degrees on a shared academic basis
When crediting or exempting education and/or other skills that have previously formed the basis of a degree or as part of a degree or vocational education, a student must also complete at least 60 new study credits, i.e. credits that have not been included in the previously (approved) degree, at the institution before a new diploma can be issued or a new degree can be awarded. The institutions themselves can set requirements for up to 90 new study credits for certain courses.

As a general rule, the new degree must have a different professional specialization than the previous degree. The institutions themselves can set requirements regarding which parts of the degree must be new. The overall learning outcomes for the new degree must be equivalent to those who have taken the degree in its entirety at the institution.

Taking a second bachelor’s degree at BI:
Minimum study credit regulations:
The rule-of-thumb at BI is that students wishing to receive a second bachelor degree must achieve 75 new study credits in order to receive a degree. If the fulfillment of a new degree requires fewer than 75 study credits, the application will be rejected.

The Bachelor in real estate, law and economics, as well as the Bachelor in economics and administration with an accounting specialization (ARF) are exempt from the rule of a minimum of 75 new credits. These students are instead only required to take a minimum of 60 new credits. This is because these courses are linked to authorization schemes with their own requirements.

Please note that applicants for the second bachelor's degree in these degrees often must take more than 60 credits since the subject requirements must always be covered. Students who have obtained a Bachelor's degree in Economics and Administration cannot obtain a second degree in Economics and Administration with ARF, and vice versa. There are only 52.5 credits separating these two degree programmes, and they cannot therefore be considered two different degrees, but rather two variants of the same degree in economics and the administration.

Academic requirements for a second bachelor’s degree at BI:
BI Norwegian Business School has additional subject course requirements. 

Upon admission to the second bachelor's degree, all subjects that separate the two different fields of study must be covered. This signifies that most students who wish to achieve a second degree must take more than the minimum of 75 or 60 new credits.

The teaching committee for Bachelor studies at BI Norwegian Business school, have ruled that a specialization or bachelor's thesis which has previously been part of a degree cannot be approved for a new degree. If you have started a bachelor's degree that you have chosen not to complete and subsequently start a new degree, you can have a previously completed specialization/bachelor thesis in the new degree programme approved. You must apply for this separately, and it is a prerequisite that you waive the right to use the same specialization or bachelor's thesis in a different degree at BI Norwegian Business school.

The Application Process:
In order to be considered for your second bachelor's degree, you must have completed, and obtained a diploma for your first bachelor's degree. If you have already been admitted as a student for all three years of a bachelor's degree previously, but do not intend to complete the first degree, you must waive the right to complete the first when you apply for admission to the new bachelor's degree.

You apply for admission to a new bachelor's degree in our search website, in the same way as you apply for admission to all our studies. You must meet all admission requirements for the study program you are applying for. Often, a previously obtained bachelor's degree from BI will qualify you for admission directly to the 2nd year of study in a new degree, in some cases also admission directly to the 3rd year of study. Please note that case processing for two bachelor's degrees can take some time, since it is processed by several bodies.

You can apply for your new bachelor’s degree via our Application Portal, in the same way as applying for all our other study programmes. You must meet all admission requirements set for the programme you are applying to. Often when having a prior degree from BI will qualify you for admission to starting in the second year of your new bachelor’s degree, and in some cases beginning in the third academic year. Please be aware that case management time for a second bachelor’s degree is high, as applications are complex and require multiple parties and approvals before a final decision is rendered.

Taking a second master’s degree at BI:
Minimum study credit regulations:
The rule-of-thumb at BI is that students wishing to achieve a second master’s degree must earn at least 60 new study credits. If the fulfillment of a second degree requires fewer than 60 credits, admission to the programme will not be granted.

Academic requirements for the second degree:
BI Norwegian Business School also sets certain academic requirements: for admission to a second master’s degree, all courses that diverge from the first master’s degree must be covered, and students must write a new Master’s Thesis*. This means that students wishing to have earned two degrees may have to earn more than 60 new study credits in order to graduate. 

*NB! There are exceptions for earning a second degree in our Master of Accounting and Auditing. 

The Application Process:
In order to be considered for a second master degree, you must have completed your original master’s degree in its entirety and have received your diploma.

You may then apply to the new master’s programme via our application portal – the same means for applying as all our other study programmes. You must meet all admission requirements for the programme you apply to.

If you are going to apply for admission to a Bachelor's program, Master of Science, or Executive Master of Management, and have education from another educational institution that you believe can cover the same learning outcomes in courses that are part of the BI degree, you can apply for academic approval. You should do this at the same time as you submit an application for admission to the desired study program in our application portal.

Before applying, please familiarize yourself with the content of the courses/programmes in the degree you are applying for admission to, and the requirements for documentation in the section "Requirements for documentation".

If you have already been admitted to a bachelor's degree, Master of Science, or Executive Master of Management at BI, and you have education from another educational institution that you believe can cover the same learning outcome in courses that are part of the BI degree, you can apply for professional approval. Please use this form in the admission portal.

Before applying, please read thoroughly through the content of the courses/programmes in the degree you are applying for admission to, and the requirements for documentation in the section "Requirements for documentation".

When applying for academic approval from an external college / university, you must upload the following documentation: 

• Application form for academic approval
• Diploma or transcript – in PDF format, which documents your examinations, grades, and number of academic credits. 
  • When applying for approval of prior education from Norwegian colleges or universities, you must also upload a link to the Diploma Registry (Vitnemålsportalen), so that the case manager can log in via the link with a code, and verify your results. You can read more about how to do this here. Please set the valid until date to 1 October of the admission year.
• Detailed course descriptions for all courses you wish to have evaluated. In the course descriptions, it must be clearly presented:
  • The number of academic credits (ECTS).
  • A detailed course description with learning outcomes.
  • Course level (bachelor or master).
  • Examination form.

The course descriptions must be certified (signed) by the school if it is a paper-copy, or include the URL as part of the uploaded course description if downloaded from the school’s webpages. The course description must be from the year you sat for examinations, and contain the course pensum and literature list.

Additional requirements if your education was taken abroad:

• Documentation regarding the course’s study credit in regards to academic progression, if the examination was taken at a foreign college or university.

You can also apply for academic approval of non-formal competence (prior learning and work experience) acquired after the age of 18, with the exception of courses or studies that form the basis for authorization and have grade requirements. When applying (either in connection with an application for admission, or during the course of study), you must be able to document that the learning objectives in the course/programme you are applying for approval have been covered. Learning objectives are taken from the course description.

In connection with the application for admission
An application for professional approval of non-formal competence can be attached to an application for a study place, and answers will either be given together with any offer, or separately.

During the course of study
Applications for professional approval of non-formal competence during the course of study can be submitted by using the form in the student portal.

In order to be able to carry out an academic assessment of the non-formal competence, acquired skills that cover the various elements/learning objectives in the course description must be sufficiently documented. All documentation must be in writing.

Non-formal competence/ prior learning and work experience can be documented with the following:

• Confirmation or certificate from the employer or voluntary organisation describing work tasks and participation in specific work operations or work areas. Employment percentage and duration of employment or affiliation with the organisation must also be stated.
• Course certificate with course description documenting the scope, content, and level of the course.
• Published articles, reports or the like within the applicable subject area or field of knowledge.
• Work samples, products or the like within the applicable subject area or field of knowledge. You must document that the submitted works are your own.

BI Norwegian Business School may require that originals of the documents be submitted. We can also request verification of documents directly from the issuer.

Read more about application periods and processing times

You can apply for approval of a previous degree (equivalence assessment) against a degree from BI if you have completed a degree abroad. You will then be entitled to use the title assigned for such a degree. The education for which you are applying for an equivalence assessment must be accredited or publicly approved.

Formal qualifications
When applying for approval of a previous degree (equivalence assessment) on the basis of formal competence, the following documents must be attached:

• Diploma/transcript of grades.
• Course description of relevant courses with syllabus list, from the year the exam was taken, and which includes content, level, scope, learning objectives and exam form.
• If the course description is not in English or Norwegian/Swedish/Danish, an officially approved translation must be included.
• If course descriptions or course plans are available online, the website address must appear on the printout. Course plans without a clear reference to the source will not be accepted.
• If the exam has been taken at a foreign university/college, the weighting of the course in relation to full study progression must be documented.
• Accreditation/public approval of the education at a college/university in the country of study.

Non-formal competence and prior learning and work experience
You cannot apply for approval of a previous degree (equity assessment) on the basis of non-formal competence/prior learning and work experience if the exam or study forms the basis for authorization and has grade requirements.

This competence can be documented in the following way:

• Confirmation or certificate from the employer or voluntary organisation describing work tasks, work methods that have been used and participation in specific work operations or work areas.
• Employment percentage and duration of employment or affiliation with the organisation must also be stated.
• Course certificate with course description documenting the scope, content and level of the course.
• Published articles, reports or the like within the applicable subject area or field of knowledge.
• Work samples, products or the like within the applicable subject area or field of knowledge. You must document that the submitted works are your own.

BI Norwegian Business School may require that originals of the documents be submitted. We can also request verification of documents directly from the issuer.

Are you e.g. refugee and, due to very special circumstances, cannot document your academic competence, you also have the opportunity to have your education assessed as equally good at BI Norwegian Business School. Your education must be within BI's subject areas, and you must familiarise yourself with our studies in order to apply for your education towards a relevant degree. You will be tested in the subject areas.

Applications for academic recognition that are rejected or denied can be appealed.

Complaints must be made in writing within 3 weeks after the refusal was made known to the applicant. The complaint should be factually justified, and it is recommended that additional relevant information is attached. The complaint is addressed to the decision-making unit.

If the complaint is not accepted in full by the decision-making unit, the decision-making unit must forward the case to BI's Appeals Committee.

We recommend a formal structure for the complaint letter. See template here (in Norwegian).

There can sometimes be a long processing time in BI's Appeals Committee.