Our three-year Bachelor’s in Directing equips you with the knowledge and skills needed to work as a professional director in film and television—collaborating closely with actors and other key roles on a film set. 

We educate modern and innovative directors with a strong focus on working with actors and a comprehensive understanding of directing as an art form. Our program emphasizes a practical, industry-oriented education, combined with essential theoretical skills, allowing you to effectively communicate your vision, thoughts, and stories through well-founded directing techniques and your own artistic signature. 

You will receive close guidance from experienced instructors in a small class setting. The program provides an in-depth introduction to the essential aspects of directing, where you will also learn acting techniques and analytical tools alongside students from other disciplines. This unique approach enhances your ability to create authentic moments, compelling situations, and believable characters. 

The directing program collaborates closely with the BA in Acting and the BA in Screenwriting students on various film and theater productions. This means you will frequently gain hands-on experience directing teams of actors and screenwriters in real production settings. 

The program sets high standards for students, requiring self-discipline and dedication. You should expect to invest additional time outside the core teaching hours (Monday–Friday, 09:00–16:30) to develop your skills and complete assignments. 

At our institution, where «everyone knows everyone,» ensuring you’re never just another face in the crowd. We believe that a combination of high academic standards, passion, and a strong sense of community leads to great results. We are proud to consistently score above average in national study satisfaction surveys compared to similar programs. 

The courses and projects you engage with over three years provide a strong foundation for working as a professional director. Our program is unique in Northern Europe and is based on Method Acting (read more in the fact box below). 

Our curriculum builds a broad base of experience and knowledge, covering subjects such as: 

• Film Directing 
• Screenwriting and Dramaturgy 
• Script Analysis 
• Design and Production 
• Camera Techniques 
• Post-Production 
• Film and Theater History 
• Introduction to Acting and Improvisation 

The largest subject in the program is Directing Actors and Staging. As a student, you will work on a variety of projects—often in collaboration with screenwriting and acting students. Examples of projects include: 

• Film Directing 
• Scene Work 
• One-Act Plays 
• Short Films 
• Production Projects 
• Comedy 
• Modern Scene Work 
• Pitching 
• Bachelor’s Film 

Throughout the three-year program, this comprehensive skill set will enable you to create engaging, compelling, and authentic stories for both camera and stage. You will gain in-depth knowledge of how actors work, preparing you for a film and television industry that increasingly demands directors with this expertise. 

In the spring of the fourth semester, you will travel to New York along with second-year students from the BA in Musical Theatre and BA in Acting to collaborate on a performing arts project with The Cry Havoc Company—one of New York’s oldest and most experienced Off-Broadway theater groups. 

During the trip, you will connect with industry professionals and visit key institutions such as La MaMa ETC, NYU, and the Youngblood collective at The Ensemble Studio Theatre. 

This study trip provides valuable hands-on experience as a director while offering insight into one of the world's most influential cities for film, TV, and theater. 

Method Acting is the foundation of all teaching and work at NSKI Høyskole. This highly respected technique is used by some of the world’s most renowned actors, including Tom Hanks, Natalie Portman, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ashton Kutcher, Kate Winslet, Jim Carrey, Hilary Swank, Brad Pitt, Robert De Niro, Heath Ledger, and Marlon Brando. 

Simply put, Method Acting is an acting technique developed from Konstantin Stanislavski’s system. It provides actors with a solid craft for the technical, physical, and emotional aspects of their work, emphasizing the development of the actor’s entire instrument—including the body, voice, personal experiences, and instincts. 

Through this technique, actors use their own experiences to create authentic characters, roles, and situations—allowing the audience to truly believe in the performance, relate to the story, and be emotionally moved by it.  

With a Bachelor’s degree in Directing from NSKI Høyskole, you will be qualified to work as a director for feature films, TV series, commercials, and stage productions—both nationally and internationally. You will also have the skills to work as a content creator for social media and digital platforms. 

Bachelor in Directing 

Fill in the online application for the 2025/2026 academic year here. 

Submit the following tasks in writing. Both tasks are mandatory. 

(Submissions must be made within 14 days of submitting your application, should be marked with your name and sent in PDF format by e-mail to contact@nski.no.  

Assignment #1 

Motivation letter: Tell us why you have chosen to apply for this education. What stories do you want to tell as a director? What personal qualities do you bring to your directing work? What visions do you have for your own work after graduation? 

Recommended length: 500 - 1000 words. 

Assignment #2 

Choose one of the following tasks: 

A: Describe how you would carry out the directing work* with a scene you have written yourself. 

With your answer, you should enclose a copy of the scene and a short summary of the story. 

Recommended length: 500 - 1000 words.

B: Describe how you would carry out the directing work* with a self-selected scene from a film, TV series or a play. With your answer, enclose a copy of the scene and a short summary of the story. (Scroll down for a description of what we mean by “directing work”.) 

Recommended length: 500 – 1000 words. 

C: Submit a film you have made yourself (length: minimum 2 minutes). Describe why you have chosen to tell this story.  

Be careful to include any attachments. Written answers must be submitted in .doc, .pdf or .odt format. The film can be sent as a link to Vimeo, Youtube, etc., or via Google Drive. 

Once you submission is received, we will contact you within 14 days to inform you if you qualify for admission, are placed on a waiting list, or if further work is needed before you are welcome to apply again at a later date. 

*By “directing” we mean the following: Imagine that you are going to prepare and carry out acting tests, recordings and clips of a selected scene. In the scene you have chosen – what do you think is the primary thing you want to tell? Why have you chosen this particular scene? What is it in this scene that needs to come across for the audience to understand the action? What is the scene about on a deeper level – what is the essence of the scene? How will you tell this through the use of camera, lighting, acting, production design and editing? Tell us how you will use these tools at your disposal as a director to tell the story in the scene. Are there any of these that you would particularly like to focus on? 

You will therefore work out – as far as possible – a concept for the scene. This will give the Admissions Committee an idea of ​​how you think as a storyteller.