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International programs & student supports

University of Iceland

Location: Reykjavik, Iceland
Website: Information for exchange students
Language of instruction: Icelandic and English
Terms: Fall semester (August - December) // Spring semester (January - May)

Highlights

Iceland University campus beside Icelandic flags.
  • The University of Iceland is a progressive educational and scientific institution, world-renowned in the scientific community for its research
  • The University of Iceland was founded on June 17, 1911, had only 45 students, one of which was female
  • In 2017, the University of Iceland was ranked among the best 250 universities in the world, according to the THE World University Rankings

Area of study

  • Anthropology
  • Sociology
  • Political Science
  • Language & Culture
  • Icelandic Studies
  • Philosophy
  • History
  • Earth Sciences
  • Environmental Sciences
  • Math & Physics

Please note the following exceptions: 

  • Admission to the Earth Science programme is restricted to students that meet prerequisites of at least one year of geology or geophysics study.
  • Courses in the English Language Programme are only available to exchange students majoring in English at their home university.
  • Courses taught in Icelandic are generally not open to exchange students

Course catalogue

Credits

Credits at Iceland:

  • Full-time option (7.5 UVic units): 30 ECTS per term at Iceland

Course Evaluations at UVic: 

  • Before departure, UVic students will be able to submit exchange courses to UVic for evaluation. The results will indicate how many UVic units each exchange course is worth, as well as the course equivalency.
  • Students must use the evaluation results to ensure their exchange courses credits add up to the equivalent UVic units. The total number of units for each exchange term should be 4.5 UVic units for part-time exchange or 7.5 UVic units for full-time exchange.
  • This course evaluation process will be made available and explained in detail during the pre-departure session in early October for Spring exchange terms and in late March for Fall exchange terms. Evaluations take 2-6 weeks to complete and will be emailed to students. 
  • Course evaluations results are tentative until the end of the exchange term, when a second, final evaluation is conducted by OREM using the students’ exchange transcript, and the results are applied to their UVic record. 

Exchange credit history

  • Click here to check out the exchange credit history of courses that have been previously evaluated by UVic for this host university.
  • Students are not limited to this list when selecting courses for their upcoming exchange and should consult the host university’s course catalogue for a full list of offerings.
  • Important note: this document is a guide only and previously evaluated courses are not guaranteed to be evaluated in the same way in the future.
  • After being accepted into the ICS Exchange Program, students will have the chance to submit exchange courses to UVic for evaluation. The results will provide updated unit and credit equivalency information. 

Housing

  • On-campus housing: Available but limited
    • The University of Iceland does not guarantee housing for students.
  • Off-campus housing: Available

Cost of Living

Medical Insurance, Immigration & Arrival

Icelandic Registration: All international students must register in Iceland or apply for a student permit depending on citizenship. Students with citizenship outside the European Economic Area (EEA) or European Free Trade Association (EFTA) must apply for a student permit before arrival and be granted an approval from the Directorate of Immigration before traveling to Iceland.

Learn more on the Student Permit Page.

How to apply

Application Instructions