Introduction
The transition to renewable energy resources is a key research area for the University of Bergen, based on the UN's 7th Sustainable Development Goal: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all.
Climate and energy transition impacts all areas of society and raises challenges across various fields, including climate science, technology, psychology, law, and economics.
The University of Bergen has therefore developed an online course with local finance industry partners. The course runs each Autumn semester. We will open for applications for Autumn 2025 in March. You will then find the application link above.
Course content
The course has an interdisciplinary profile, with perspectives from disciplines like climate science, economics, biology, social sciences, physics, earth science, law, and ethics.
The course will introduce energy transition and renewable energy resources and an understanding of the most important interdisciplinary challenges:
- What is the role of the banking and finance industry in the green transition?
- What are the most important drivers that motivate energy transition?
- What technological possibilities do we have?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of different sustainable energy resources?
- What are the main challenges and what are the possible consequences?
- How can we supervise customers in banking and finance to choose sustainable products and solutions?
The first part of the course focuses on the role of the banking and finance industry in the green transition, drivers, and motivational factors for the transition to a low-carbon society, such as climate change and the need for clean and sustainable energy supply globally.
The second part of the course focuses on sustainable/renewable energy resources, such as geothermal energy, offshore wind, solar power, hydropower, mineral extraction, as well as the storage, capture and utilization of CO2.
The last part will deal with energy transition and society and specific questions related to sustainability and the green transition that are specific for the banking and finance industry, like EU taxonomy, climate risks, sustainability requirements and reporting, green loan products, EU requirements for housing, etc.
How is the course organized?
The course is 100% online and runs through a period of 10-12 weeks. The first course started on 9 December 2024 and runs until the end of March 2025. This course is fully booked, and we do not accept new applications.
The course will run again in the autumn semester of 2025, 2026 and 2027. We will open for applications for the next course in March 2025. See further information about admission requirements below.
Online teaching lessons
The teaching consists of 24 online lessons of 2 hours each, which you can follow when it suits you. These lessons are available on the course page on our learning platform Mitt UiB, which you will get access to when you are admitted as student on the course.
In addition, there will be 3 joint teaching sessions in real time, via Zoom, in the afternoon/evening (GMT/Norwegian time).
Exam
The course ends with a digital multiple-choice exam that you complete from home.
Admission requirements
Education requirements
There is no need for previous knowledge of any of the fields in question. You will get the necessary introduction to the relevant field during the course.
- Are you under 25 years of age? You must attach sufficient documentation of general study skills when you register your application. General study skills must be documented with a diploma/transcript from upper secondary school.
- Are you above 25 years of age? It is not necessary to document either education or vocational experience.
Priority criterias
We have 100 study places and applicants will be prioritized in this order:
1) Applicants from our partners
2) Other applicants from the banking and finance industry
3) Others
We therefore kindly ask you to tick off whether you are employed in the banking and finance sector and submit the name of your employer and your current position when registering your application.
Study costs
Study fee
The course is developed with financial support from Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK Dir) and there is therefore no study fee for Norwegian citizens or EU/Switzerland citizens.
A new paragraph in the Norwegian higher education act requires however that applicants from countries outside the European Economic Area and Switzerland will have to pay full tuition fee if they wish to be enrolled into a course or study program in Norwegian higher education institutions, unless the applicant fulfil one of the exceptions listed here.
This rule also applies for online courses and part-time courses, including this course in question.
The study fee for applicants outside EEA/Switzerland for 2025: NOK 5000,-
Semester fee
Regardless of citizenship:
All students who are accepted for a study place at UiB are obliged to pay a personal semester fee of NOK 650,- per semester. The semester fee is financing common benefits and services for all students at UiB.
Information about how- and when to pay the semester fee will be given when you are accepted as a student.
Do you want more information?
If you have questions about academic content, organization or teaching, you can contact the The Department of Earth Science: