Admission

Admission to the 4th year

The 4th year application portal 2026 is now open.

Please read carefully the information below, and download the Step by Step Application Guide for regular students 4th year before you enter the application portal. The link for the Application Portal can be found further down the page.

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT ADMISSION TO 4th YEAR
Applicants who hold at least a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from another institution may apply for admission to start in the 4th year at BAS, with the intention of completing the Master’s degree in Architecture within two years.
The application deadline is 15 April at 23:59 (CET). Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered.
Please note that BAS offers a 5 year professional degree programme and does not award Bachelor’s degrees after three years of study. Successful completion of the final diploma examination confers the academic title Master of Architecture.

Primarily architectural education qualifies applicants for admission to BAS. Applicants with a different academic background are welcome to apply, and their application materials will be individually assessed to determine whether they meet the admission requirements.

The 4th and 5th years at BAS are taught entirely in English.

All applications are evaluated by an admission committee. Approximately 10 students are admitted directly into the 4th year.
The number of admitted students may vary from year to year due to capacity limitations at the school.

You can expect to receive a decision no later than 15 May.
All applicants will be contacted via their registered email address.

TUITION FEE
All students at BAS are required to pay tuition fee. (Exchange students are exempt)
Tuition fees must be paid by the stated deadline in order to continue to the next semester.
BAS does not offer scholarships. Tuition fees cover teaching only and do not include materials or mandatory field trips. The fee will vary depending on your citizenship. In addition, all students are required to pay:

• a copyright fee of approximately NOK 307 per semester.
• a mandatory fee to the Student Welfare Organization in Bergen (Sammen): NOK 690

EU/EEA/Swiss Citizens
Standard tuition fee for the academic year 2026–2027:

• NOK 43,008 per academic year
  (approximately EUR 3,600 / USD 4,200)

Students from countries outside the EU/EEA/EFTA
The Norwegian government has introduced higher tuition fees for students from countries outside the EU/EEA/EFTA. For applicants from countries outside the EU/EEA/EFTA who apply for a degree programme at BAS, the tuition fee for the academic year 2026–2027 is NOK 325,292 per full academic year. This corresponds to approximately USD 32,000 or EUR 27,300, based on current exchange rates.
Tuition fees are adjusted annually in accordance with index regulation.

Tuition Fee Exemptions
You may be eligible for the standard tuition fee if you meet one of the following criteria:

• You are a citizen of an EU/EEA country or Switzerland
• You hold a permanent residence permit in Norway
• You hold a residence permit based on protection (asylum)
• You hold a residence permit as a family member of an EU/EEA/Swiss citizen
• You hold a residence permit based on family immigration
• You are cohabiting with, and have children with, a Norwegian citizen
• You are married to a Norwegian citizen
• You have worked full-time in Norway for at least two years
• You are a UK citizen who moved to Norway before 1 January 2021
• You have completed at least three years of full-time study in Norway

Documentation Requirements
Please note that if you are admitted to BAS, you will be required to submit official documentation confirming which exemption category you belong to.

For detailed and up-to-date information regarding documentation requirements for each category, please refer to the University of Bergen’s webpage on tuition fee exemptions

ABOUT THE MASTER’S PROGRAMME AT BAS
The Master’s programme at the Bergen School of Architecture (BAS) comprises the final two years of study and is a full-time course of study. It is structured as follows:

Programme Structure
Three semester courses
These are integrated course packages combining architecture, design, art, theory, and construction.
A Master’s course at BAS is not divided into smaller modules. Each semester course awards 30 ECTS, resulting in 60 ECTS per academic year.

One semester Diploma Thesis
The programme concludes with a self-programmed diploma project, supported by tutorials and reviews offered by the school. The diploma project is assessed by external examiners during the diploma examination. Upon successful completion of the diploma examination, students will have earned a total of 120 ECTS and will be awarded a Diploma from BAS conferring the degree Master of Architecture.
Please note that this is a regular Master’s degree, not a PhD programme.

Academic Regulations
Applicants must hold a Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) prior to admission. This is recognised as the first three years of study at BAS.
Students must successfully complete three semester courses before starting the diploma semester.
Students are granted a maximum of two attempts to complete the diploma examination.
BAS uses Pass / Fail grading only.
If a student fails a semester course, they must complete a new full semester course the following semester.

Students are expected to take full responsibility for their own practical, financial, and academic situation.
BAS offers the same conditions, expectations, and academic standards to all students, including international students.

Academic Year and Calendar
Exact dates will be confirmed upon admission. The academic year generally follows this structure:

• Autumn semester: starts mid-August and ends around 20 December
• Spring semester: starts around 4 January and concludes at the end of May or during the first week of June
• Diploma examination: held between 27–30 June
• Public diploma exhibition and graduation celebration: held in August

You may download a general information folder about BAS.

If you have further questions, please contact the administration at adm@bas.org.

GOVERNMENTAL AND FORMAL REGULATIONS (Non-EU/EEA Citizens)
If you are admitted to BAS and are a non-EU/EEA citizen, please note the following:

You must apply for a student residence permit in order to study in Norway.
Information is available on the UDI (Norwegian Directorate of Immigration) website.
In most cases, the application must be submitted from your country of origin. Upon admission, BAS will provide you with an official letter of admission, required for your residence permit application.

You must document housing in Norway. BAS cannot provide accommodation but may assist you in reserving student housing through the Student Welfare Organization in Bergen (Sammen). Further information will be provided after admission. Please note that finding accommodation is ultimately your own responsibility.

You must also provide documentation of sufficient financial means (subsistence).
This must correspond to the full funding rate of the Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund.
For the academic year 2026–2027, this amount is NOK 166,859, in addition to tuition fees.
BAS will provide an account for depositing this amount, as required by UDI.

ONLINE SUBMISSION
Please make sure to download and read the document  “Step by Step Application Guide for regular students 4th year” carefully before starting the online application process.

Here you enter the ONLINE APPLICATION PORTAL.

Exchange study at BAS

Nominations are welcome!

Students from partner institutions abroad may apply for exchange studies at the Bergen School of Architecture (BAS). Exchange agreements are offered through the Erasmus and Nordplus programmes, as well as through bilateral agreements.

Nomination and application
Students interested in an exchange period at BAS must first contact the international coordinator at their home institution and follow the local nomination procedure. After you have been officially nominated, BAS will grant you access to our online application portal.

As part of the application, you will be required to upload a portfolio, a motivation letter, and an ID photo of yourself. These uploads are mandatory in order to complete the application. We ask that you always use the following file name format on your uploads Last name. First name, followed by either Portfolio /Motivation / Photo

Application deadlines
Please ensure that your exchange coordinator nominates you well in advance by sending an email to BAS. This will give you sufficient time to complete the application. The application deadlines are:

• 15 April for studies starting in the autumn semester / full academic year
• 1 October for studies starting in the spring semester

All applications are evaluated by a committee, and it is therefore important to respect the deadlines. Applicants will receive a final decision no later than:

• 15 May (autumn semester)
• 1 November (spring semester)

BAS only accepts exchange students who have completed a minimum of three years of architectural education.

Capacity and selection
BAS has limited capacity due to the size of our school building. We therefore cannot guarantee admission for all applicants. While we strive to fulfil our exchange agreements, some students may be rejected in competition with other strong candidates.

The portfolio is a key element in the evaluation process, and applicants are strongly encouraged to prepare a high-quality portfolio. We also recommend applying to an alternative destination in case admission to BAS is not possible.

Academic structure
Exchange students are normally placed in the 4th year semester courses, which consist of an integrated course package including architecture, design, art, theory and construction.
Courses are not divided into smaller units:

• 1 semester = 30 ECTS
• Full academic year = 60 ECTS

Final course descriptions may not be available at the time of application, but will be provided as soon as possible before arrival. Exchange students enrol in courses on the same terms as regular BAS students.

All teaching is conducted in English. Knowledge of Norwegian is not required, and no formal language test is requested. BAS relies on the home institution to nominate students with sufficient English proficiency.

Academic Year and Calendar
Exact dates will be confirmed upon admission. The academic year generally follows this structure:

• Autumn semester: starts mid-August and ends around 20 December
• Spring semester: starts around 4 January and concludes at the end of May or during the first week of June

Accommodation
BAS can assist exchange students in applying for a single room through Student Housing in Bergen, provided that housing deadlines are met:

• Approximately 15 May / 1 November

Students who receive an offer of admission will receive detailed information about the housing application process.

Tuition and costs
BAS is a private school of architecture, and regular students pay tuition fees.
Exchange students do not pay tuition fees. Students are responsible for covering costs related to study materials, books, field trips, excursions and insurance.

Online Submission
Applications must be submitted via the online application portal.

Important:
A step-by-step guide on how to apply online will be sent to you after you have been nominated and granted access to the online application portal. Please make sure to read this guide carefully before starting the online application process.

Non EU/EEA citizen?
Please note that if you are not an EU/EEA citizen, you must apply for a residence permit as a student in Norway. This includes requirements related to housing and documentation of sufficient financial means. More information will be provided upon admission and is also available on the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) website.

Further information
For Erasmus students, BAS follows the principles outlined in the Erasmus Extended University Charter, available on our website.

Here you can download a General Information Folder about BAS.
For questions, please contact adm@bas.org.

Visiting student

The visiting student application portal 2026 is now open.

Visiting Student at BAS – Regulations

This information explains how to apply as a visiting student at BAS (free mover, not part of an exchange programme).

Visiting students are motivated and dedicated applicants who wish to gain new academic perspectives. You may already be studying architecture in your home country, or you may have professional experience and wish to deepen or broaden your architectural knowledge.

Please read the information below carefully. Before applying, you must also read the Step-by-Step Application Guide for Visiting Students. The application portal link is provided further down the page.

Study Programme at BAS

BAS offers a five-year professional programme in architecture, leading to the degree Master of Architecture. BAS does not offer a Bachelor’s degree.

The programme is divided into two parts:

• First part: 3 years
• Second part: 2 years (master level)

The Diploma project is completed in the final semester and lasts five months.

Visiting Student Eligibility

Applicants from institutions that are not part of an exchange programme may study at BAS for one or two semesters at master level (maximum one year).

Normally, applicants must have completed at least three years of architectural studies before applying. Applicants with a different academic background should contact BAS to clarify eligibility.

All visiting students are required to pay tuition fees. The amount depends on citizenship.

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees must be paid by the stated deadline in order to continue to the next semester. BAS does not offer scholarships. Tuition fees cover teaching only and do not include study materials, books, field trips, excursions and insurance. All students must also pay:

• Student Welfare Organization (Sammen) fee: NOK 690
• Copyright fee: approximately NOK 307 per semester

EU/EEA/Swiss Citizens

Standard tuition fee for the academic year 2026–2027:

• NOK 43,008 per academic year
  (approximately EUR 3,600 / USD 4,200)

Students from Outside the EU/EEA/EFTA

For the academic year 2026–2027, the tuition fee is:

• NOK 325,292 per academic year
  (approximately EUR 27,300 / USD 32,000)

Tuition fees are adjusted annually.

Tuition Fee Exemptions

Applicants who meet one of the exemption criteria below pay the standard tuition fee.

You may qualify if you:

• Are a citizen of an EU/EEA country or Switzerland
• Hold a permanent residence permit in Norway
• Hold a residence permit based on protection (asylum)
• Hold a residence permit through family immigration or as a family member of an EU/EEA/Swiss citizen
• Are married to, or cohabiting and have children with, a Norwegian citizen
• Have worked full-time in Norway for at least two years
• Are a UK citizen who moved to Norway before 1 January 2021
• Have completed at least three years of full-time study in Norway

If admitted, you must provide official documentation confirming your exemption status.
For details, see the University of Bergen’s webpage on tuition fee exemptions.

Application

Applications must be submitted via the online application portal by:

• 15 April (CET) for the fall semester /Full Academic Year
• 1 October for the spring semester

Late applications will not be considered.

All teaching at master level is conducted in English.

Before applying, it is essential to read the Step-by-Step Application Guide for Visiting Students.

Here you can download a General Information folder about BAS.

If you have further questions, please contact adm@bas.org

Here you enter the ONLINE APPLICATION PORTAL