Master in Global Relations and Sustainable Development

Master in Global Relations and Sustainable Development is one of 10 English-taught Sustainable Development programmes at Master's Degree level in the register, offered by 7 institutions. 10 are recorded as free for EU, EEA and Swiss students.

What you study

The Master's in Global Relations and Sustainable Development at NTNU looks at how globalisation reshapes politics, economies, environments, cultures and societies. You take an interdisciplinary view of how capital, people, goods, images and ideologies move across borders, and what that means for civil society, state power, national culture, global markets, technology and the environment.

You study how globalisation affects key actors: NGOs, global corporations, international campaigning groups, states and multinational institutions. The programme also trains you to apply interdisciplinary approaches to practical challenges through an internship in a global company or organisation.

How the programme is organised

This is a full-time, two-year degree taught in English, worth 120 ECTS. Each academic year carries a workload of 60 credits. The structure is built around core courses and elective courses of 7.5 credits. A 30-credit internship and a 30-credit master's thesis complete the degree.

Teaching includes regular lectures, seminars and training workshops. Student-driven learning is central, with collaboration, reflection, experience sharing and project-related tasks. You join a strong international research milieu, and new students are invited to an introductory programme at the start of the semester. The programme was previously called Globalisation and Sustainable Development.

Who it suits

This master suits you if you want to understand globalisation as a set of connected political, economic, environmental, cultural and social trends, not as a single issue. You should be comfortable with interdisciplinary work and with group-based, project-oriented learning. The internship component means you should be ready to take your analysis into a real organisation and learn from practice. The programme is small, admitting up to 15 students, so you will work in a close cohort.

Admission, language and next steps

Admission depends on your citizenship, with different deadlines and procedures. Citizens of non-EU/non-EEA countries apply by 1 December. Citizens of Norway or EU/EEA countries, or those already living in Norway with a Norwegian ID number who do not need a visa, apply by 1 March. Check the programme page for the full requirements and documentation.

Students from the EU/EEA and Switzerland are normally exempt from tuition fees at state institutions. Other international students normally pay a fee set by NTNU. The programme is taught in English. For admission questions, contact the NTNU Admissions Office at admissions-master@sa.ntnu.no. For visa or immigration, contact immigration-QA@st.ntnu.no. For housing, contact housing@st.ntnu.no. The programme owner is the Department of Geography, kontakt@igs.ntnu.no.

Master’s applications go straight to Norwegian University of Science and Technology, not through the national admission service (NUCAS). Study in Norway states that you need a bachelor’s degree comparable to a Norwegian bachelor’s degree (180 ECTS), including courses equal to at least one and a half years of full-time study relevant to the programme. Deadlines are set by each institution for each programme, so confirm yours. Entry requirements and language tests are also set by the institution, so start from the official programme page. Our guides cover tuition fees, study permits and housing.