Longyearbyen, Svalbard
Nature is
the laboratory
UNIS is the world’s northernmost higher education institution. Courses in Arctic biology, geology, geophysics, technology and safety, taught in English with no tuition fees.
Next deadline: 1 March 2027
For summer and autumn courses. The application web opens 1 February.
All deadlinesWhat would you like to study?
Courses at bachelor, master and PhD level, in four science departments and the Arctic Safety Centre.
Arctic BiologyLife on tundra, sea ice and in the polar night.11 courses
Arctic GeologyGlaciers, permafrost and rocks from the Precambrian to today.12 courses
Arctic GeophysicsFrom the deep ocean to the northern lights.12 courses
Arctic TechnologyEngineering, energy and pollution in a frozen environment.12 courses
Arctic Safety CentreField safety, societal safety and emergency preparedness.6 courses
The UNIS year
Bachelor students come for a full semester. Master and PhD students join intensive blocks of a few weeks. Here is when everything starts, and when to apply.
- Autumn 2026
- 27 JulBachelor semester startsFull-semester courses, 15 ECTS each
- 10 AugBlock 5 startsMaster and PhD courses
- 1 SepApplications open for spring
- 28 SepBlock 6 starts
- 1 OctDeadline for spring courses
- You are here
- 9 NovBlock 7 starts
- Spring 2027
- 6 JanBachelor semester and Block 1 startSafety training comes first
- 1 FebApplications open for summer and autumn
- 1 MarBlock 2 starts. Deadline for summer and autumn courses
- 19 AprBlock 3 starts
A semester in Longyearbyen
An Arctic adventure, with friends from around the globe. Here is what students ask about first.
- Tuition
- None. All students pay a semester fee of NOK 710.
- Language
- All courses are taught in English.
- Housing
- Student housing at Elvesletta, a 5 minute walk from UNIS.
- Living costs
- About NOK 15 000 a month for housing and food.
Research on the doorstep
UNIS uses Svalbard’s nature as its laboratory, an arena for observation and data collection. The work spans the depths of the ocean to the solar wind.
Latest news
All newsOpen lecture
“The ongoing climate change and its global and regional drivers” with Siiri Wickström
In this open lecture Siiri Wickström from Skred AS talks about the ongoing climate change and its global and regional drivers.
Open lecture
“Svalbard and the Geopolitics of the Arctic” with Stian Bones
Bones examines the strategic importance of Svalbard from a historical perspective, in particular the roles played by the United States and the Soviet Union/Russia.
Open lecture
“Security Politics: Russia in the Arctic” with Kari Aga Myklebost
How does the warfare in Ukraine affect Russia’s posture in the Arctic, and what does it mean for Norway?
Questions about studying at UNIS?
The student administration answers by email and phone on weekdays.