About this programme
Master in Research in Special Needs Education 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 Research in Special Needs Education is one of 3 English-taught Curriculum & Instruction programmes at Master's Degree level in the register, offered by 2 institutions. 2 of them list an annual fee for students from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland; this programme lists NOK 204,000 a year. 3 are recorded as free for EU, EEA and Swiss students.
What you will study
What you study
This is a research-oriented master's in special needs education at the University of Oslo. The programme is built around open science, inclusion, multiculturalism, sustainability, democracy and social justice, and the source text says it addresses several of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.
Teaching comes through a combination of seminars and lectures. The content covers various theoretical disciplines, historical contexts and research training. Assessment is by written assignments and exams, and there is plenty of room to reflect on different professional and cultural contexts through groupwork and discussions.
The source text draws a clear line between this programme and the Norwegian master i spesialpedagogikk. That one mixes practical and theoretical instruction and leans towards counselling and assessment in practical settings. This one has a more research-oriented profile, with more credits in methodology and a larger master's thesis.
You can also add an honours certificate of 20 credits alongside the master's if you are academically ambitious.
Admission, language and next steps
All teaching is in English. The source text states there will be no admission to this programme in 2027, so anyone planning to apply should check the official programme page for the intake that applies to them.
Entry requirements are set out on the programme page, and so are application deadlines and the application system. Read them there before you do anything else. 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 source text describes graduates as able to work in an international environment and to take on the different roles involved in the preparation, management and realisation of intervention, consultation, inclusion and research. It also states that graduates are eligible to apply for PhD programmes.
Outside class, students at the Department of Special Needs Education can join the Student Academic Organisation at ISP, Kjellerutvalget (the faculty's student pub), the UV Student Union, or write for the student magazine Pedagogisk profil. UiO students may also join the university's many student societies.
Job opportunities after graduating
- Special needs education, promoting inclusion and inclusive practice
- Policy development in special needs education
- Intervention work: preparation, management and realisation
- Consultation roles
- Research in special needs education
- PhD studies
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 Research in Special Needs Education 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.