Norway

Bachelor programs

Norway has eight biomedical laboratory science (BLS) bachelor programs as follows:

• Innland University of Applied Sciences (INN), located in Hamar
• Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), campus Trondheim
• Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), campus Ålesund
• OsloMet, located in Oslo
• University in Agder (UiA), located in Kristiansand
• University in Tromsø (UiT), located in Tromsø
• Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL), located in Bergen): Biomedical Laboratory Sciences – Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (hvl.no)
• Østfold University College (HiØ), located in Fredrikstad.

All Norwegian BLS bachelor programs require documentation of adequate skills in Norwegian to qualify for admission.

Students’ exchange and international collaborations

The Norwegian BLS bachelor programs have mobility agreements for students’ exchange all over the world. You can find contact information on the web pages of the universities to have more information if you consider to be a BLS exchange student in Norway.

No skills in Norwegian is required to be an exchange student.

National requirements for the BLS education

Requirements for learning outcomes and content of the Norwegian biomedical laboratory scientist education is described in national guidelines (Forskrift om nasjonal retningslinje for bioingeniørutdanning – Lovdata).

Requirements for authorization to work as a biomedical laboratory scientist

To work as a biomedical laboratory scientist in Norwegian hospital laboratories it is mandatory to have a national authorization allocated by the Norwegian Directorate of Health. The eight listed bachelor programs all qualify for an authorization as “bioingeniør” in Norway.

If you have an education from countries outside Norway, you need to apply for a Norwegian authorization. For more information see; Authorisation and License for Health Personnel – Helsedirektoratet.

If your education is considered inadequate for the Norwegian authorization, OsloMet offers an one-year complementary study program for persons with a relevant education in biomedical laboratory sciences (Kompletterende utdanning for bioingeniører – OsloMet).

Documentation of adequate skills in Norwegian is also required to qualify for the authorization.

National educational collaborations

A national academic BLS committee (https://www.xn--nfo-bioingenirfag-d1b.no/ ) is organized with responsible study program leaders representing each of the eight bachelor study programs. Members of the national academic committee regularly meet for the study programs to collaborate on quality in the  education and to agree on common strategies for developing the Norwegian BLS education.

The academic committee also collaborates with the national association (Bioingeniørfaglig institutt (BFI) | NITO), and a national educational research group, EduMedLab – focusing on learning and teaching in the BLS education.

Relevant master- and PhD- programs in Norway

Biomedical laboratory scientists are qualified for several master- and PhD- programs in Norway.

This far, only one master program at OsloMet in Health and Technology is developed as an education in biomedical laboratory science (Biomedisin, master i helse og teknologi – OsloMet).