We have a self-service portal where you can activate your user account, update your account information, change your password and create a new password if you have forgotten it.

At our self service user account website portal you may activate your account and/or change your password.

New students at USN will receive their temporary 11-digit number (SO-number) during the first days of orientation and start-up, on campus. International students can therefore not activate their accounts until the temporary 11-digit number (SO-numbers) have been received.

There are a few important tasks you should prepare before your departure to Norway. More information can be found in the new student check list.

The most important things you have to do in order to be registered as a student.

1. Create a student account
2. Log on to the Student web and confirm your education plan
3. Pay the semester fee* - you'll find the amount, account number and KID number in Student Web. By doing this you will be registered for the semester. 
4. Take a photo for your student card, either at the IT helpdesk on campus, or choose a photo to upload. 
5. Download your digital student ID or get a semester sticker for your student card at the student service center on campus.
6. Pick up your student card in the service center at your campus. It provides access to the buildings and to borrow books at the student library. 

* Exchange students usually do not pay a semester fee, as you normally pay fees to your home institution. 

FAQ for students

We have created a brief overview of other things that are good to know as a new student at the University of South-Eastern Norway. Here you will find explanations and information about everything from auditoriums to diplomas.  

All students are advised to have a valid insurance covering the duration of their stay – including travel to and from Norway.

USN strongly emphasizes that it is the student’s own responsibility to make insurance arrangements for any accident, illness, injury, loss or damage to persons or property resulting from, or in any way connected with, the study period in Norway.

In addition to health insurance (see below), all students must have a valid travel insurance for the duration of their stay in Norway.

Please note that if you are coming with a spouse or family member, it is your own responsibility to make sure that you family member is insured during your stay.

Learn more about insurance for students coming from the EU/EEA

Learn more about insurance fror students coming from outside the EU/EEA

2020/2021

Autumn semester: August 10^th* – December 16^th, 2020
Spring semester: January 7^th* – June 18^th, 2021

Holidays:

* Note:
Some of the programmes taught in English might have a later start-up date in the Spring semester. Contact the program administration for information specific to your study programme.

At sikresiden.no preventive training and advice are available on what to do in a crisis situation. You must always assess for yourself what it is best to do in a specific situation.

For various reasons, you may be prevented from attending the start-up date. If that's your situation, you must apply for a postponed start-up date. If you do not apply for a postponed start-up date, you risk losing your study spot. For several programmes, it may not be possible to start later than the start-up date.

If you are an exchange student, you must contact the Program Administrator in your study programme and request a postponed start-up date. You will find the contact information on the programme webpages. You can also ask for your Program Administrator by calling us at 0047 31 00 80 00.

If you are a full degree student, you will find your start-up date in the time schedule. If you can't meet this day, please send an email to admission@usn.no.

Study Advisor - closest to you

Do not hesitate to contact your study advisor if you have questions pertaining to your study program. You will find her/his name on the study program page. Your study advisor processes applications for study leave and reduced study progression, explains regulations and helps to device individual study plans, among many other things.

Advice on study technique – Student Counsellors

Do you need to polish your study skills a bit? We provide advice to help you study smarter.  We have offices on campus Vestfold, Kongsberg, Drammen and Ringerike, but we are also available on Skype. Contact us at raadgivningstjenesten@usn.no.

Disability Support  

If you have special needs and need support, send an email to tilrettelegging@usn.no for appointment.

Career Services

Do you struggle with motivation? Our career advisors are ready to help you sort your thoughts about the career choices you have taken and, of course, help you to polish your job-seeking skills. 

USN Career has offices at Campus Vestfold but is of course also available on Skype. 
Contact us at career@usn.no.

Do you need someone to talk to?

SSN Health offers professional help for those who just need to talk to someone. Sometimes everything feels a little ... rough. There can be times when your energy is low, the motivation is missing and it is hard to concentrate. There may be several explanations. Maybe something unusual happened in your life, or maybe you are just going through a period where everything just feels a little heavier than usual. SSN Health is present on all campuses. The door is open to everyone. Our services are available regardless of whether you need a short talk or help over time. The offer is free of charge and, of course, confidential. 

Select your campus to book an appointment.

Student Chaplains 

Sometimes life is like a maze it seems impossible to find your way through. Either you are struggling with a broken heart, feel lonely or wander about choices and big questions, sometimes a talk can make things easier.  Student chaplains have extensive experience in talking with people in different phases of life. No issues are too small or too big.   All campuses: pernille.astrup@usn.no.

International Office

International Office provides you with the practical information only international students need, such as information on visa, social security number, UDI, residence permit, insurance, personal doctor and work permit. The doors are always open for any questions you might have. Send an email to; international@usn.no. 
 

As a student at USN you may apply for accommodation via the Student Welfare Organization (SSN) at all of our eight campuses. It is recommended to register and apply as early as possible.

Click here for more information about student accommodation under SSN.

Deadlines for Student Housing Applications through SSN (all campuses):

• Accommodation for autumn semester: 1st May
• Accommodation for spring semester: 1st November

Please note: There is currently no housing guarantee for international students, due to the Covid 19-situation.

Students will therefore responsible for organizing housing themselves. Please read more at:  www.ssn.no/home/

No exceptions will be made for students cancelling their contract after arrival in Norway, you will still have to pay for the full semester.

For students applying to SSN after the deadline, no housing can be guaranteed.

Private off-campus housing

It is possible to find private housing in the region and local communities close to our campuses. Please note that private housing may be more expensive and some landlords may require you to pay a full deposit of several months' rent ahead of moving in. To some extent, it might be possible to find shared apartments with other students.

Do not sign a private tenancy agreement before you have received your admission letter from USN.

USN has no capacity to assist students finding private housing. If you are searching for private housing, check Finn.no or Airbnbplease note that most information is only available in Norwegian. You can contact the department office in Rauland foran overview of private rental options.

Semester registration is compulsory for all students who take the ordinary full-time/part-time programme of study and must take place each semester. Semester registration comprises confirmation of the individual education plan and payment of the semester fee. You can do both in StudentWeb. Student Web opens up semester registration on 1 August for the autumn semester and 1 December for the spring semester.

NB:

• Before you log into StudentWeb you must first activate your user account.
• You will not be finally registered for the semester until you have paid the semester fee (you can create the invoice yourself in StudentWeb).
• It may take a few days from your payment of the semester fee until we have registered the payment.

The deadline for semester registration and payment is 1 September for the autumn semester and 1 February for the spring semester.

• Note 1: The semester fee is assessed each semester and the amount may be subject to changes.
• Note 2: Postgraduate programmes may have extra charges in addition to the semester fee
• Note 3: Some programmes have extra study-specific charges such as material costs.

Concerning online programmes, only students on programmes without meetings are considered to be online-only students.

The semester fee is a statutory fee for all students. The semester fee covers the operation of the student organization and expenses for copying and printing. It also includes a voluntary SAIH fee that you can choose whether you want to pay.

Anyone that register for exams must pay the semester fee. There are some exceptions from this rule:

• Exchange students on semester or full year exchange from our international partners (as they normally pay to their home institution)
• Students following certain studies within continuing and further education
• Ph.d. students
• Students who are only registering for re-sit examination in week 1 and 32.

The invoice for the semester fee can be found in Studentweb. See below for more information about the various fees charged.

Payment Deadlines

• September 1st for the fall semester
• February 1st for the spring semester

It can take as much as four days from you pay your semester fee until your payment is confirmed in Studenweb.

The same deadlines apply to any refund of the semester fee. If you have already paid a semester fee to another educational institution, or if you withdraw from studies at USN, you are entitled, upon request, to a refund. If you withdraw from studies you get a refund of the complete amount. If you have paid a semester fee to another educational institution, you only get the student welfare organisation fee refunded.

Student welfare organisation fee

Student Association of Southeast Norway (SSN) is the welfare/service organization for students in Southeast Norway.

Kopinor fee and print services (100 NOK for print)

Through the Kopinor Agreement students and employees can take photocopies, prints and digital copies.  USN requires additionally a fee to cover photocopies used for teaching (print services). The student printing fee (100 NOK) covers the students' own print quota at USN. 

More information about the Kopinor Agreement.

Note: The online students only pay Kopinor fee.

SAIH (voluntary)

Students 'and Academics' International Assistance Fund (SAIH) is a politically independent organization. Ever since SAIH was founded in 1961, Norwegian students supported SAIH work through giving a coin of 10 NOK each to the SAIH. In addition to long-term development work, the SAIH works to get political influence in Norway and internationally, to improve the framework conditions for education and development globally.

In case you do not want to support SAIH, you may deduct the amount of the invoice when paying.

my.usn.no is USN’s own intranet for students and staff.

At my.usn.no you can e.g. find:

• your time schedule
• your notifications from Canvas
• access to StudentWeb
• news and information relevant for you as a student
• services and tools you need as a student

Activate your account and log into my.usn.no.

All students at USN are assigned one user name for the university's various IT services.

For any service that requires login, you will be asked for a user name.

Your user name = your student ID number.

New students will receive a student ID number by email as from around August 1^st.

You can find more information about this at my.usn.no.

If you have not enabled your user account you can do so on this website.

Canvas is our learning platform. Communication between lecturer and student takes place mainly through Canvas.

Here, you can e.g. find descriptions of work requirements and assignments, deadlines for submissions and notifications from lecturers. Here, students can also participate in learning activities and submit assignments, etc.

Read more about Canvas and login here.

We recommend all new students to familiarise themselves with the Canvas learning platform as early as possible.  Canvas 1-2-3, training for students (in Norwegian).

Traning material in English can be found in the Canvas Community.

Remember: Before you upload a picture you need to activate your user account. Create account.

To get a student ID and student card, you must take a photo with your own PC /Mobile/camera.

The card gives access to the campus outside opening hours, serves as your library card and enables you to use printers. The card can be obtained from the service square at your campus.

Student ID app

To show that you are an USN student, use the student ID app. This is your semester receipt. The information is stored locally on your phone and you do not need to be online to use it (except for the first time).

1. Download the app from: 
   App Store (iOS)
   Google Play (Android) 
   Windows store (Windows)
2. Log in by selecting the University of South-Eastern Norway as the institution, and use your normal USN user name and password (Feide).
3. The app is valid once you have completed the semester registration on StudentWeb and paid the semester fee. Note that it can take three days for payment of the semester fee to be registered in our systems.

Anyone offering a student discount must accept the student ID app, and you can use it to get discounts on e.g. bus cards.

Log in with your user name and password

The app shows the photo that was taken for the student ID card. Note that for examinations, other valid photo ID must be presented. The student ID app is available in English and Norwegian and follows the default language on your phone.

If you do not have a smartphone and therefore cannot use the student ID app, you can get a semester mark/receipt to keep with your student ID.

• You find your time schedule in TimeEdit.

Leganto

You'll find your reading lists by searching for reading lists in Leganto

You can also access your reading list in Canvas and in the course plan for the various courses that you are taking. The course plans can be found in the syllabus for each particular course of study.

As a student you can apply for student loans and grants from the Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund.

The loan or grant is paid to your account after you have registered for the semester and paid the semester fee.

Can't find your study programme?

In some cases, you may find when you apply for loans and grants that the study programme you are going to take is not listed as an alternative by the Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund. If you do not find a course of study which has exactly the same name as your course, you should select the course of study that is the best match. 

The Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund uses standard categories to define study programmes, and they do not fully match the names of our study programmes.

The State Educational Loan Fund has confirmed to us that there will not be any consequences if you make the “wrong” selection. This information is only used for statistical purposes.

We have a library on all of our campuses.

On the library's website, you can order books and periodicals, download e-books, search for literature, get tips on writing assignments and chat with a librarian. You can also attend courses.

For physical lending, you need a student ID card. You can access the library's online databases via your user name and password.

Opening hours (during the semester):

Check out the library web-page for opening hours and contact information for the different campus libraries

NB! During the examination period there will be extended opening hours on Saturdays and some weekdays.

At most study venues you can find a bookstore on campus. 

• In Bø, the bookstore is located near the campus, in Bøgata. It is run by Akademika.
• In Drammen, the campus bookstore is run by Norli.
• In Notodden and Porsgrunn the bookstores are located on campus. They are run by Akademika.
• In Kongsberg, Ringerike and Vestfold, the bookstores are run by the Student Welfare Organization.
• The institute office on Campus Rauland has a number of reading lists and materials for aesthetic subjects and for binding.

Yes, for teaching and digital examinations at USN, students are required to have their own laptop PC.

Some study programmes use special software, this may affect what kind of computer you need. Check with the faculty you are studying.

Requirements for digital school exam

You must have your own laptop computer (PC or Mac). Digital exam can not be performed with a tablet, hybrid PC or Chromebook. Remember to bring a charger and mouse.

Minimum requirements for laptop computer for use in teaching and school examinations

System requirements

• PC: Windows 10
• Mac: OS X 10.10 or later

Note: Some programmes at USN are based on Window Software, which means that when purchasing a Mac computer, a Windows installation must be established on the machine using Parallels, Oracle Virtualbox or similar systems that allow both Windows operating system and Mac operating system to be installed on the machine at the same time. Check with the faculty you are studying.

Processor Requirements (CPU)

• Minimum i3 processor or equivalent
• USN recommends: 4 cores (eg Core i5, AMD FX-8350 or equivalent)

Memory Requirements (RAM)

• 8 GB - or more

Storage Requirements

• 256GB HDD (preferably SSD)

Other minimum requirements

• Integrated wireless network adapter

• Latest version of recommended browsers: Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox

Requirements for laptop computer for online programmes

For online programmes, the minimum requirements mentioned earlier in the article, including the following minimum requirements:

Webcam

• In some programmes, an integrated webcam is approved, but we recommend external camera for better quality and more flexible use.
• Integrated camera must be capable of delivering images in resolution 640x480 or higher
• USN recommends: External HD-resolution USB camera
• An external webcam is required for subjects that have an oral exam online.

Headset

• Headset, which uses USB for audio, with microphone or combination microphone and speaker (important for echo cancellation)
• USN recommends: Think about quality when you buy your headset
• Remember, this will be your tool as an online student for several years to come

Line connection

• Minimum requirements: 5 Mbps download, 1 Mbps upload and 60 ms packet delay (Latency)
• It is not recommended to run wireless networks at web conferencing, but wired network connection between PC / laptop and router

In some cases it is possible to reserve a place on a programme of study.

You can apply to reserve a place in the event of serious illness, childbirth, notice of compulsory military service, or other weighty reasons that prevent you from commencing your studies.

A period of notice to leave a job or a change in employment situation may not be grounds for reserving a place.

More information about rules and how to apply can be found on the admission pages.

The Student Welfare Organization at USN has various different offers within housing, nursery schools, training, canteens and social services at all of our eight campuses. 

Contact your local police station and ask for a Criminal Record Certificate. You will have to print and bring your offer of admission from your web application and a valid ID card.

Find out more about certificate of good conduct.

Download application form