About this programme
Master in Peace, Conflict, and Democracy Studies is a Master's Degree programme at University of Oslo in Oslo, taught in English. It runs for 2 years and carries 120 ECTS credits. The register gives Oslo as the campus town. It lists the degree as Master. University of Oslo is a state university in Oslo.
How it compares
Master in Peace, Conflict, and Democracy Studies is one of 4 English-taught International Relations programmes at Master's Degree level in the register, offered by 3 institutions. 1 of them lists an annual fee for students from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland; this programme lists NOK 204,000 a year. 4 are recorded as free for EU, EEA and Swiss students.
What you will study
What you study
PECOD is a two-year master's at the University of Oslo's Department of Political Science. It brings together two research traditions that usually sit apart: peace research and democracy and regime research. The programme is built on the idea that peace and democracy are connected, both in theory and in practice. Democracy is peaceful competition for political power; autocracy is competition through violence or the threat of it. Regime type shapes armed conflict, at home and abroad.
You take advanced methodological training in political science alongside practitioner perspectives. The programme asks questions such as: What causes war, regime change, autocratization and democratization? How do we define and measure different types of war, democracy, autocracy and regime change? How do political regimes affect patterns of armed conflict around the world? How does regime type shape the conditions for domestic political violence?
Admission, language and next steps
The programme is taught in English and carries 120 ECTS. It is open to students who want to combine rigorous analysis with practical perspectives on conflict and democracy challenges in an international context. Entry requirements are set out on the programme page, so check there for the exact admission rules and application system. Students from the EU/EEA and Switzerland are normally exempt from tuition fees at state institutions. Other degree students normally pay a fee that the institution sets. The University of Oslo publishes its own fee table. The programme also qualifies for the PhD programme at the Faculty of Social Sciences. You can add an honours certificate of 20 credits alongside the master's if you are academically ambitious.
Job opportunities after graduating
- Government agencies, such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- International organisations, such as the UN and NATO
- Aid organisations and other NGOs
- Research institutions
- Media
- PhD studies at the Faculty of Social Sciences
Before you apply
Master’s applications go straight to University of Oslo, 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.
Facts on this page come from the Study in Norway register, the official English-programme list run by HK-dir, the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills. Fees are in NOK as the institution lists them. "Not listed" means the register has no figure, not that the programme is free. Always confirm requirements, fees and deadlines with the institution.
Quick answers
Is Master in Peace, Conflict, and Democracy Studies taught in English?
Yes. The Study in Norway register, run by HK-dir, lists it as an English-taught programme at University of Oslo. Only English-taught degree programmes are included here.
How long does it take?
The register records 2 years of study and 120 ECTS credits. Sixty ECTS credits are one academic year of full-time study.
Where is it taught?
The register lists Oslo as the campus town for this programme at University of Oslo.
How do I apply?
Master’s applications go straight to the institution, 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, and some programmes require a minimum grade average. University of Oslo publishes its requirements on the programme page.
When is the application deadline?
Each institution sets and publishes its own deadline for each programme, and the dates can differ between applicants from outside the EU/EEA, EU/EEA applicants and Nordic applicants. Confirm the date for your own situation on the programme page at University of Oslo.
What does it cost?
Students from outside the EU, the EEA and Switzerland pay NOK 204,000 a year, as University of Oslo lists it. For students from the EU, the EEA and Switzerland the record shows no tuition fee. Fees are in NOK as the institution lists them. Every student also pays a semester fee of about NOK 1,000 to the student welfare organisation linked to the institution.
Do I need a permit to study there?
Students from outside the EU, the EEA and Switzerland need a study permit from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI). UDI asks for proof of admission, housing and funds of NOK 15,488 a month or NOK 170,368 a year (2026/27), on top of any tuition fee. A study permit allows work of up to 20 hours a week during term and full time in the holidays. Students from the EU, the EEA and Switzerland register with the police within three months of arrival instead.
Is this programme officially listed?
It comes from the Study in Norway register at studyinnorway.no, the English-programme list run by HK-dir, the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills. The programme page at University of Oslo is linked from this page so you can compare.