The Oslo School of Architecture and Design (AHO)

Mission Statement

To strengthen AHO’s position as an excellent, internationally orientated specialized university college within architecture, industrial design, urbanism and landscape architecture. To produce excellent and internationally competitive master’s candidates and research results within our disciplines. To be a nationally and internationally recognized center for academic development and innovation within our disciplines.

International Role

AHO is an internationally oriented institution with approximately 60 formalized cooperation agreements on student mobility with universities in 5 continents. Students may participate in exchange through Erasmus, Nordplus and independent bilateral agreements. In addition we recruit international degree seeking students directly into the master’s level (4th year) of our master’s programmes. At master’s level approximately 1/3 of the student population are internationals. All courses at master’s level (4th and 5th year) are taught in English. The institutional agreements also comprise other forms of cooperation like research projects, research staff mobility, excursions and joint courses. AHO continues its active membership and participation in Cumulus, EAAE (where AHO professor Per Olaf Fjeld has held presidency), and the Nordic networks Cirrus and Nordic (where AHO held precidency 2004-2008). In addition to the Nordic networks and European partners, AHO put a special strategic emphasis on China, East Africa and the circumpolar region. AHO organizes four research centres with an international profile.

National Role

AHO strives to be a national center of knowledge within the disciplines of architecture, industrial design, urbanism and landscape architecture, and to be recognized as such both by the professions and by the general public. AHO strives to achieve excellent research results, and good results within innovation and in the development of the disciplines in collaboration with partners in the industry.

Main Focus

To bring Master candidates to a very high professional European level within the subject areas: architecture, urbanism, landscape architecture and design. To integrate research and development in the study programmes. AHO endeavors to keep up a reputation as a school of excellence. Education at AHO shall give students a broad base of knowledge to ensure their development as professionals and as citizens. It shall also enable them to develop an individual professional profile. A diploma from AHO shall be recognized both nationally and internationally as a documentation of high professional competence. Master’s candidates from AHO shall be attractive within their professions.