Take a research practice course at NMBU

Are you a student at bachelor's or master's level?

From the autumn 2026, NMBU will offer research practice courses (FORSK courses).

With the FORSK course, you get practical research experience before reaching the stage of a degree thesis, while also earning 5, 10 or 15 credits. The FORSK courses are open to all bachelor's or master's level students at NMBU, and can be included in most of our bachelor's and master's degrees.

Find out how to proceed and apply to be included in a research project

NB! There will be few projects visible on the page until all researchers/teachers have registered their project(s) for autumn 2026.

What is a FORSK course?

• You will gain practical experience with research as a process and work method by participating in a research project at NMBU.
• You will gain experience with two or more steps in the research process. Examples of tasks you might be assigned are data collection and analysis, academic writing, and presentation of results.
• You are to deliver a report for assessment and will be awarded ECTS credits when passing the course.
• Most faculties are offering FORSK courses on bachelor's and/or master's level.
• Please check the course description of the course in question to see the learning outcome you may obtain, and other information on the course. FORSK courses belong to the faculty of the respective main supervisor, not necessarily your faculty.

For whom?

• Most programme students at NMBU may apply for a FORSK course.
• You must have a sufficient academic background. Your potential main supervisor is responsible for verifying this.
• You may undertake a FORSK course at other faculties than your own if you meet the academic requirements.
• You can conduct a FORSK course alone or with one or more other students, but all students must enter into an individual FORSK contract before starting the course and must submit an individual report for assessment.

What teaching support will I receive?

• You must have a main supervisor, and you may have one or two co-supervisor(s).
• You will enter into a FORSK contract with your supervisor(s) and together you decide upon research tasks and activities to be included in the FORSK course.
• During the project and course period, your supervisor(s) will follow up on your work and provide you with necessary support and feedback.

• Please find more information about your own and your main supervisor's responsibilities in the written guide for FORSK courses (currently only available in Norwegian).

• How do I get started?

  Please find published research projects on this web page, or ask a researcher/teacher whether you may participate in a research project for which he/she is responsible.

  When you have found a relevant project and a possible main supervisor, please see the timeline to check when you must apply to participate in the FORSK course.

  On the web page listing the published research projects, you will find an overview of when you at the earliest can start working on each project.

• How do I "pre-apply"?

  Send your application by email to the researcher/teacher responsible for the relevant research project (that is, to your potential main supervisor).

  The application should consist of a motivation letter and a link to your transcript from the Diploma registry.

  The motivation letter (maximum one A4 page, or approx. 2,500 characters) can either be written directly in the email or attached as a separate file.

  The motivation letter should include:

  • Describe your academic background and areas of interest.
  • With which skills can you contribute, and, if relevant, which experiences do you have that will be useful in this project?
  • What motivates you to participate, and what do you hope to achieve through this project?

  After you have submitted the application, the researcher/teacher will provide feedback via email. You will receive a response regarding whether the researcher/teacher wants to enter into a FORSK contract with you or not.

  You can expect a response at least one week before the deadline for submitting the FORSK contract to the faculty, please see the timeline. The exact deadline is decided according to the teaching period in which the FORSK course is to start.

• How do we write the contract?

  If the researcher/teacher wants to enter into a FORSK contract with you, the two of you must together fill in the FORSK contract (please use this contract template (link to be provided)).

  The FORSK contract contains descriptions and provisions that come in addition to what is stated in the course description. The contract regulates specific conditions for you and your main supervisor, and any co-supervisor(s). The FORSK contract is formally concluded between you and the faculty.

  In the FORSK contract, you should specify the learning activities and/or tasks you will undertake in the FORSK course. These should contribute to you achieving the learning outcomes described in the course description. If you are unsure about the learning outcomes described, look up the course in NMBU’s course catalogue by using the course code.

  The contract is to be completed jointly by you and your main supervisor, but it is your responsibility to submit the contract. When submitting, you must include a confirmation from your main supervisor and any co-supervisor(s). The contract can be saved as a draft if you are unable to complete it in one session.

  You must submit the contract by the deadline specified in the timeline. The exact deadline is decided according to the teaching period in which the FORSK course is to start.

  The contract must be approved by the faculty before you can begin working on the FORSK course.

• Useful information when starting the FORSK course

  Read more in the written guide for FORSK courses (currently only available in Norwegian).

  Remember to familiarise yourself with the rules and routines applying to the learning activities/tasks you will conduct. Also, see the information in the guide regarding health, environment, and safety.

  All students are advised to familiarise themselves with insurance schemes for students and to purchase private insurance. This is because the activities included in a FORSK course will be of various nature, can take place in various locations, and outside regular teaching periods/times.

Stories

Stories about how students and supervisors have experienced student participation in research projects will be published here.

Questions and feedback

If you have general questions or feedback about FORSK courses, please contact: ingrid.aksnes.hjetland@nmbu.no

Photos on this page:

• Two photos of a students in research project at KBM: Ragnhild Sødal Gjennestad in the lab with students. The students worked in the lab, trying to find genetic changes that contribute to penicillin resistance (a type of antibiotic) in pneumococci (a bacterium that causes respiratory infections in humans). Photo: Tommy Normann - NMBU.
• Photo of a students in research project at MINA: Associate Professor Ronny Steen brought along students who were to learn scientific methods for locating nesting Eurasian eagle-owls (Bubo bubo), Norway’s largest species of owl, through theory and practical fieldwork in Jæren. Photo: Jonas Lund Hagen.
• Photo of a students in research project at MINA: In Professor Stian Stensland's project, students received training in and carried out habitat mapping, electrofishing, and tagging of young sea trout in streams. Here, the operating table is being prepared for tagging fish, at Bjørkbekken, Verdal. Photo: Stian Stensland - NMBU.