FRIOUT Outdoor Life Studies Exchange Programme

What is FRIOUT?

FRIOUT is one semester with three subjects that brings you into the academic world of friluftsliv (outdoor life/studies) and people´s nature-culture relations. It gives you the knowledge you need to critically and constructively analyze how outdoor life can contribute to environmental learning and sustainable living, including a focus on well-being and health and innovation and management.

Why study this programme?

In the future we need to become more transdisciplinary, learn from one another and bring new knowledge forward from interaction and collaboration. We need to address issues on our relation to nature, the importance of nature for our wellbeing, identity and decision-making. Let us help you on your way to understanding how nature can play a role, not only in your life, but in the future life of the planet.

What kind of job do you qualify for?

Together with the master program you belong to, this semester in Norway will open doors, not only to work in private, public and civic sectors in the Nordic societies, but for work with outdoor life as a role also elsewhere. It will contribute to an academic career, including as a researcher, or administrative or managerial work in (eco-)tourism, health promotion, recreation, management. Suitable jobs can also be found in the educational sector, such as in kindergartens, primary schools, secondary schools, folk high schools or outdoor schools, but then combined with a bachelor's degree from a teachers’ education or another formal teacher certificate. The program can also contribute to further studies for a PhD degree.

Get international experience

Living and studying in Norway, and in the Nordic region,will give you insights into what is known as the Nordic model, both in terms of social democratic institutions, welfare and common access to nature. You will get an insight into living standards, health services, nature, and culture. Coming to Campus Bø, you will be living in a vibrant small rural town with lots of opportunities for hiking, climbing, canoeing, kayaking and skiing right outside your doorstep, and with a campus with close to 2000 students in various and related fields, such as environmental studies, cultural studies, author studies, Scandinavian studies Bø is a great starting point for travel (only two hours by train to Oslo) and hosts around 100 international students each semester, approximately 50 of these students are connected to the outdoor life studies program/department. The courses we offer in this program are held in English, but will be offered also to students in our own master program

What will you learn?

In the courses you will explore how various forms of human-nature interaction enable different experiences outdoors. We will take a closer look at how certain cultural ideas and understandings transfers to human-landscape-interactions and landscape-perceptions, and how this may vary according to age, gender, social class, ethnicity, and for example, ideas of adventure, education, and health. You will learn about the relationship between nature, culture, community and self, coming from an ecophilosophical position in the Norwegian context, which will also include a focus on indigenous ways of knowing, especially from the perspective of the Sami people. What you will learn during the semester is to study outdoor life from various critical and constructive perspectives, and in light of what contributes to a broad sustainability, including the social, cultural, ecological and personal dimensions. The program will balance theory and practice, and give students the skills to critically analyze and better understand the field of outdoor life studies. It is not a basic skills program, but there are opportunities for the students to participate in other practical courses on the bachelor level and elsewhere in the community.