An outstanding research university must actively participate in international cooperation on research and education, and the University of Oslo (UiO) has committed itself to the following goals in Strategy 2020:
Goal 1: The University of Oslo shall promote pioneering research, education and dissemination and be sought after as an international partner.
Goal 2: The University of Oslo shall offer research-based education equivalent to that offered by the foremost international places of learning.
Joint degrees are an important means of achieving the goal of intensifying internationalisation through more cooperation with the most attractive academic communities. A joint degree is the most integrated form of educational cooperation and entails two or more institutions jointly owning a programme and the associated degree. To date most joint degrees are at a master's level, but joint degrees can be established at any level of education. The term joint degree is used for the degree the student achieves, and the term joint degree programme is used for the programme that leads to a joint degree.
The following principles shall guide the work on joint degrees at the University of Oslo:
1. UiO shall seek to establish joint degrees within strong subject areas and subject areas with development potential together with selected leading international universities.
Joint degrees should be established within subject areas where such cooperation would provide particular extra academic value. These could be subject areas in which UiO has particularly strong research communities and can, in cooperation with selected partners, offer internationally competitive programmes. It may also be relevant to establish joint degrees within subject areas where international cooperation is necessary to ensure stable, attractive educational programmes. The quality criteria underscore the need for properly thought through choices with regard to forms of cooperation and partner when cooperating with institutions in the south.
2. UiO shall seek to establish joint degrees that provide robust and sustainable programmes within the framework of a cooperation that embraces both education and research.
A common understanding and shared goals among the partners are the main prerequisites for successful cooperation on joint degrees. Joint degrees at UiO will meet the same expectations concerning academic quality, relevance and demand as other programmes. The development of joint degrees must be based on research cooperation to ensure research-based education.
Joint degrees will be covered by the general funding and running of programmes at UiO, and therefore the follow-up of joint degree programmes should mirror the follow-up of other programmes as closely as possible. Where relevant external support schemes for joint degrees exist, UiO shall seek to participate in the competition for funds.
3. UiO shall ensure that joint degrees are adequately anchored at all levels of the organisation.
The development and approval of joint degrees shall comply with the ordinary procedures and deadlines for the establishment of programmes. Initiatives concerning joint degrees must be anchored in the individual academic community. Applications to participate in joint degrees require a formal decision by the faculty before being considered by the University's management. The Board of the University makes decisions concerning the establishment of joint degrees. The Rector approves cooperation agreements and applications for funds.