Bachelor in International Environment and Development Studies

About the course

An interdisciplinary social science degree (180 ECTS) covering development, environment, natural resource management, resource conflicts, gender, social justice and power. About 115 ECTS of compulsory courses in the first two years, then electives, with optional field courses in India or Tanzania and the chance of an exchange semester.

Entry requirements for Irish students

• NMBU uses Norway’s national GSU list. For Ireland that means a Leaving Certificate with exams in at least 6 subjects, at least 2 of them at Higher Level. NMBU says admission is highly competitive and normally needs higher grades than this minimum, and it does not publish a points or grade cut-off. Confirm with admission@nmbu.no.
• NMBU offers no conditional admission: your Leaving Cert must be finished and your results in hand when you apply by 1 December. Students sitting the Leaving Cert in June 2027 therefore cannot apply for 2027 entry. They would apply by 1 December 2027 for August 2028. Students who sat the Leaving Cert in 2026 can apply by 1 December 2026.
• English: you need documented English proficiency. Test minimums are IELTS Academic 6.0, TOEFL iBT 80, PTE Academic 59 or Cambridge First at B2 grade B. Applicants from countries listed as having no English requirement in the GSU list are exempt. The GSU list marks the Irish Leaving Cert as covering English, but confirm with NMBU before you decide against booking a test.

How to apply

1. Check your timingYour Leaving Cert must be finished before you apply. For August 2027 entry, only applicants who already hold their results by 1 December 2026 can apply. Most current sixth-years should plan for 2028 entry.
2. Gather documentsGet your Leaving Certificate results and passport ready. Ask NMBU whether the Leaving Cert covers the English requirement. If it does not, book IELTS or TOEFL early, because test dates fill up fast.
3. Apply on SøknadswebApply between 15 October and 1 December. You can list up to two NMBU programmes, and every document must be uploaded by 1 December.
4. Get your result and enrolDecisions come out at the end of April. Accept your offer, arrange housing in Ås and pay the semester fee before the August start.

Costs

• No tuition for EU/EEA and Swiss citizens (NMBU tuition fees page, 2026/27). Students pay only a small semester fee to the student welfare organisation; NMBU does not state the amount on the pages checked. No application fee is mentioned.

At a glance