Master of science (2 year) Full time
The program focuses on global social, political and economic change. The degree provides a critical understanding of the history and current dynamics of globalization, and its impact on societies and environments.
Study start
Autumn 2020
Study advisor(s)
Contact study advisors
Contact info
Admission Office:
opptak@nmbu.no
Phone: 67 23 01 11
The degree is organized as a full-time program over a 2-year period with 120 study points. All teaching is in English, minimum requirements regarding English qualifications must be met. The degree consists of a series of courses including a Master’s thesis (30 or 60 points).
Students are encouraged to write their thesis on the basis of research carried out in ‘field’ conditions in developing or developed countries.
The first year consists of course work covering development theory and policy, research methodology, poverty, plus a range of elective subjects. Students design an individual study plan for the degree during the first semester, with the thesis usually written in the final Spring semester.
Field courses, internships and practicum provide valuable practical experience and are offered as electives. Compulsory courses can be waived for students with a strong background in the subject.
Job opportunities
Students find employment in a wide range of national and international institutions, government agencies, non-governmental development organizations, multilateral and bilateral aid organizations, businesses, research and teaching institutions.
Learning outcomes
The degree is distinguished by its combined use of research-based pedagogy and real-world study and practice as the foundation to understand what development means, and how it is practiced in a complex and changing global context.
Students will gain a solid grounding in the concepts, history, theory and practice of global development.
Students will learn about the conditions for human development at the local and global levels, and the relationships between development and ecological processes.
Admission requirements
Admission requires either a Bachelor degree, a Norwegian cand. mag. degree, or an equivalent background in one of the following fields: Social Sciences, Development Studies, Political Science, Education, Anthropology, Sociology, Resource Management or Economics.
Applicants must meet the university’s requirement for English language proficiency and include a 1-page (A4) motivation letter.
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My master thesis involved 5 months of field research in rural Tanzania, which equipped me with the necessary field research experience and thematic pre-knowledge to qualify for my current job.
Linn Jaeckle, Social Protection Officer, UNICEF Malawi