English proficiency requirements
A good command of English is required of all students attending the University of Oslo. International students; PhD research fellows and post doctoral research fellows who are not native speakers of English, must document their proficiency in English by taking one of the following internationally recognised tests:
- TOEFL - Test of English as a Foreign Language
- IELTS - International English Language Testing Service
Applicants to the programme for the PhD degree in Science must obtain a minimum score of 550 (paper-based) or 213 (computer-based) or 80 (internet-based) on the TOEFL test, or a minimum score of 6.0 from the IELTS (academic) test. The same applies to applicants for post doctoral research fellow positions.
Test information
TOEFL is administered either as a paper-based or a computer-based test. Computer-based testing is available year-round in many locations throughout the world. Paper-based testing is available on a regular basis in locations where computer-based testing is not available.
Bulletins of Information with registration forms are available from:
TOEFL Services
Educational Testing Service
P.O. Box 6151, Princeton
NJ 08541-6151, USA
E-mail: toefl@ets.org
Phone: + 1 609 771 7100
Fax: +1 609 771 7500
Residents of Europe may obtain a Bulletin of Information from:
Cito-TOEFL
P.O. Box 1203
6801 BE Arnhem
The Netherlands
E-mail: registration@cito.nl
Phone: + 31 26 352 1480
Fax: + 31 26 352 1278
It is possible to take the IELTS at nearly every overseas British Council office. Local offices will supply information about the availability of the test and the fee charged.
Exemptions
Native English speakers from Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, the USA and certain african countries are exempt from the English proficiency requirement. Please consult the list.
International students who have successfully completed a Bachelor, Master or PhD degree at a college or university in one of the above countries are also exempt.
Applicants from the European Union or the European Economic Area and/or the Council of Europe/UNESCO-Cepes may be exempt if they can provide documentary evidence that they have studied English as their first foreign language for a period of at least 7 years during primary and upper secondary school education. Please consult the list.