Program Description

Experience Norwegian culture while participating in the Scandinavian Studies program at Telemark University College in Bø, Norway. Originally designed for students studying Scandinavian Studies, the program presently includes a range of courses from the humanities and other departments for students interested in an intercultural Scandinavian experience through engagement in class sessions, guided field trips, campus activities and student dorm life.

A two-hour train ride southwest of Oslo, the town of Bø is centrally located in Telemark and southern Norway. With only 5,000 residents and nearby beautiful rivers and canals, small industrial towns, and wild mountains, Bø is an attractive choice for students seeking an intimate Norwegian community and a spectacular natural environment.

Academics

Telemark University College is a fully accredited state college in Norway with more than 4,500 full-time students and 500 faculty and staff. Telemark’s Bø campus is home to about 1,500 students, with over 100 international students from over 40 different countries.

Students participate in the Scandinavian Studies program based in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Courses are taught in English with many classes open to both international and Norwegian students. Students with advanced-level Norwegian language have the option of taking additional courses taught in Norwegian.

All participants are required to take the course Telemark I: Regional Identity in addition to one language class and one literature class. Teaching methods alternate between lectures, group work, seminars, tutoring, field work, and independent study.

Housing

Housing is included in the program fee. Telemark University College provides students with housing in furnished single rooms at one of several co-ed student dorms near campus. Students share common facilities with Norwegian and international students, and prepare their own meals in dormitory kitchens.

Excursions and Activities

Students participate in an orientation program upon arrival at Telemark University College that introduces them to the university’s academic and administrative staff and provides them with practical information and advice for living in Bø. The program is designed to help participants settle into university life and their new environment as quickly and easily as possible.

Telemark University College offers participants the opportunity to meet Norwegian and other international students through many of its student activities, including student associations, local film clubs, music clubs, and a broad range of summer and winter sports and outdoor activities. The city of Bø’s Gullbring Cultural Center has a large gymnasium and swimming pool, a climbing wall, a movie theatre, an art gallery and a concert hall, while the surrounding area provides excellent opportunities for outdoor activities such as hiking, fishing and skiing.