About this programme
Master in Social Anthropology 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.
What you will study
What you study
This two-year master's programme in Social Anthropology at the University of Oslo teaches you advanced theories and methods in the field. You design your own research project, carry out long-term ethnographic fieldwork in a place and on a topic you choose, and write an original thesis based on your data. The programme offers two specialisations. In Contemporary Ethnography, you learn how anthropologists have made sense of major social issues and can take credits in a language or a regional or thematic course that fits your project. You also learn how to apply ethnographic methods in practice. In Global Political Economy, you gain a rigorous understanding of anthropological approaches to capital, finance, business and work, and engage with issues such as economic crisis, banking and labour. You can also supplement the degree with an honours certificate of 20 credits, taken alongside the master's.
Admission, language and next steps
The programme is taught in English and is open to applicants who meet the entry requirements published by the University of Oslo. The institution sets its own application deadlines and procedures, so check the programme page for details. 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. Living costs in Oslo are separate and worth budgeting for early. The degree leads to a Master's in Social Anthropology after 120 ECTS.
Job opportunities after graduating
- Urban planning
- Development work
- Migration and refugee services
- Communication
- Market and consumer research
- Environmental management
- Technology
- Foreign affairs
- Teaching
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 Social Anthropology 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.