Master in Nordic Social Policy and Global Sustainable Development

Master in Nordic Social Policy and Global Sustainable Development is one of 8 English-taught Area Studies programmes at Master's Degree level in the register, offered by 6 institutions. 8 are recorded as free for EU, EEA and Swiss students.

The Master's in Nordic Social Policy and Global Sustainable Development (NORPOL) at OsloMet is a two-year, full-time programme taught in English. It takes a critical and interdisciplinary look at welfare systems and social sustainability, with a strong base in comparative social policy. You study how issues like climate change, inequality, migration, digitalisation and demographic shifts shape social policy, and you learn to assess the long-term sustainability of welfare policies.

What you study

The programme is built around four themes: social policy challenges in a Nordic and international comparative perspective; how Nordic societies have responded to past crises and ongoing social and environmental changes; strategies for assessing the sustainability and long-term impacts of welfare policies; and different theoretical and critical approaches to sustainability in social policy. Teaching stresses critical thinking, policy analysis and developing socially sustainable solutions.

How the programme is organised

The 120 ECTS degree is structured in three parts. Half of your credits are compulsory courses in social policy, welfare state theory and research methods. A quarter is elective courses or an international exchange in the third semester. The final quarter is your master's thesis in the fourth semester. You spend the first two semesters in Oslo. In the third semester you can choose electives at OsloMet or apply for exchange studies abroad, and you are encouraged to do fieldwork abroad. The programme has partner organisations with projects you can write your thesis on, and staff help facilitate studies abroad. Teaching methods include lectures, seminars, workshops, group discussions and student-led sessions. The expected workload is 40 hours per week.

Who it suits

This programme suits students who want to work in policy development, international organisations, NGOs, research or public administration. It is for you if you are interested in how welfare policies can support sustainable societies and social justice. The programme aims for a diverse group of students from many countries. Given the limited number of places (25), normally no more than three students from each country are assigned, except students from Norway.

Admission, language and next steps

To apply you need a bachelor's degree in social sciences, child welfare, social work, education science, psychology, journalism or in administration and management. You also need an average grade of at least C (ECTS scale) on your bachelor's degree and proof of English proficiency. Applicants are ranked on their grade average. Fifty percent of places are reserved for applicants who are citizens of countries outside the EU/EEA. You apply via Søknadsweb, where you fill in your details and upload documents. Deadlines depend on your country: 1 November for applicants from outside the EU/EEA/Switzerland; 1 March for early admission for EU/EEA/Switzerland applicants and non-EU/EEA citizens with a Norwegian national ID residing in Norway; 15 April for ordinary admission for the same groups. Check the programme page for details. Students from the EU/EEA/EFTA pay only a semester fee; students from outside the EU/EEA/EFTA pay tuition fees in addition to the semester fee.

Master’s applications go straight to Oslo Metropolitan University, 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. The institution lists its deadline as: Outside EU/EEA/Switzerland: November 1 EU/EEA/Switzerland: March 1 (early admission) / 15 April. The register shows 1 November 2026 as a deadline date for this 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.