Master's degree (2 years)
Full time
Global Economy and Politics

The master program will give you a solid understanding of the economic factors and political structures that shape global economic interactions.

Apply here

Application deadline:

Norwegian, Nordic, EU/EEA and Swiss citizens: 15th of April.

Students outside EU/EEA/EFTA: 1st of December. Tuition fees: nmbu.no/en/studies/tuition-fees

Start of Studies:

Autumn 2025

Number of students:

Requirements:

Bachelor’s degree or eqiuvalent in economics, business administration, political science, geography, development studies or other social sciences, environmental science or related fields. Applicants must have a minimum of two of the following courses: economics, mathematics, or statistics (quantitative methods), e.g., one in economics and one in statistics. Minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) is C (or the equivalent).

Admission requirements

Requirements in detail
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in economics, business administration, political science, geography, development studies or other social sciences, environmental science or related fields. Applicants must have a minimum of two of the following courses: economics, mathematics, or statistics (quantitative methods), for example one in economics and one in statistics. Minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) is C (or the equivalent).
Admission requirements

Applicants must demonstrate English language ability in accordance with the NMBU regulations for programmes taught in English: Language requirements for programmes taught in English at NMBU | NMBU

The Master program in Global Economy and Politics is multidisciplinary, based primarily within the disciplines of economics and political science. The course is tailored to emphasizes political risk analysis as a cross-cutting method and analytical tool. You will have the option to select an internship as part of your studies.

Students will examine complex interactions involving national political actors, international organizations and multilateral institutions, state and non-state actors, and civil society that affect and are affected by the global economy. This includes cross-cutting subjects such as trade, capital and finance, development aid, remittances and labour migrants, international organizations and global policy networks, security tensions and sanctions, debt, lobal inequality and poverty, commodity markets, and sustainability and societal wellbeing.

Program structure

Career opportunities

Students graduating with this Master's degree are ideal candidates for jobs in both the public and private sectors. In a changing world, governments, NGOs and businesses need people who understand global economy and politics. Through the program, students will develop skills applicable to the real world. The Master's is conducted in English.

Our graduates qualify for jobs within public administration, management, policy analysis, communication, and more. Tasks that graduates are qualified for include preparing policy briefs, analyzing policy impacts, and make recommendations for decision makers.

Read student stories and get information about the student life at NMBU here.

Learning outcomes
Learning outcomes
Knowledge:
- An understanding of the relevance (and limitations) of economic theory to explain the functioning of markets and international trade, labor and capital flows.
- A critical perspective on power relations, ethical issues and conflicts of values, and how the sustainable development goals are linked to international trade, capital flows, and labor migration.
- An understanding of how different national stakeholders affect and are affected by the global economy and the governance of the relevant international organizations.
- Knowledge of the multilateral institutions, key actors, and global networks and actors (state and non-state) that shape the governance of the global economy.
Skills:
- Identify and analyze a contemporary problem that links (i) political science and economic theories to (ii) empirical studies and current events.
- Apply theories to analyze and assess development and trade policy and domestic regulations against the legally based multilateral rules affecting trade, capital and financial flows.
- Engage in debates and build arguments using concepts from political science and economic theory.
- Undertake and complete an independent research project including assemble data, conduct analysis, and draw robust conclusions.
General competency:
- Identify, review and evaluate different theories and positions, primary and secondary data, and research and other publications;, and to extract reliable information from these sources and identify knowledge gaps.
- Work independently, or with direct responsibility to a diverse, interdisciplinary team to organize, plan, and conduct assigned tasks to achieve common goals in a timely fashion.
- Build teams and inter-personal communication across cultures and across academic fields.
- Communicate clearly and effectively, in speech and writing, about complex problems and solutions in ways, tailored to different audiences.
- Develop writing skills and learn to evaluate and use primary and secondary sources of data in academic writing in line with ethical standards.  
Exchange possibilities
NMBU School of Economics and Business highly recommends its students to include a semester or a year of study abroad in their education. The department and the university have exchange agreements with universities across the world.

For students interested in a semester exchange, it is recommended that this takes place in the second semester. If you plan to go on exchange, please make an appointment with your study advisor.

You will have the option to select an internship as part of your studies.
Program structure
The master’s degree consists of 120 ECTS, including a 30 ECTS master’s thesis.

The program is structured in five parts:
- A set of compulsory courses designed to bring students up to a necessary level of competence in economics, social sciences, and methods (25 ECTS)
- A module in the economics of international trade, economic integration and development (30 ECTS).
- A module in international relations and political science (30 ECTS)
- Student choice of international relations or economics courses (5 ECTS)
- Master thesis (30 ECTS)
Full overview of programme structure
More about the program
- Societal relevance
  Globalization through political, economic, social, and cultural integration is a salient feature of the modern world. However, the existing post-war multilateral institutions and international organizations are weakened and under increasing strain to remodel themselves for relevance and legitimacy to address contemporary problems. The world faces unprecedented global challenges and a series of overlapping crises that pose serious risk for the future welfare of humankind: (i) geopolitical rivalry; (ii) economic and financial instability, with the risk of increased protectionism and isolation; (iii) war, conflict and insecurity threats; (iv) climate change that is already affecting millions in the form of an increase occurrence of extreme weather; (v) pandemics and other health crises which greatly have affected and will continue to affect the global economy and the ability to find collective solutions; and (vi) international migration, pushed by the above crises, testing national economies and international solidarity.
  
  Navigating within this global landscape requires solid knowledge about both the economics behind current and likely future trends, as well as the politics and security concerns that shape bilateral and multilateral relations and organizations in which economic interests are articulated or contested. The master’s in global economy and politics (M-GEP), jointly constructed by the School of Economics and Business together with the International Environment and Development Studies unit (Noragric) of the Faculty of Landscape and Society (LANDSAM), is a two-year English language interdisciplinary program that bridges the study of international economics and the related multilateral political institutions that govern the global economy.
  
  The target group for the program are students interested in developing a thorough understanding of and the tools for analyzing the risks, political structures and trends that are shaping global economic interactions. The student will examine complex interactions involving national political actors, international organizations, multilateral institutions, state and non-state actors, and civil society who affect and are affected by the global economy. This includes a focus on key cross-cutting topics, such as: trade, capital and finance, development aid, remittances and labor migrants, international organizations and global policy networks, security tensions and sanctions, debt, global inequality and poverty, commodity markets, sustainability and societal wellbeing. The M-GEP will give students a solid interdisciplinary platform, resting primarily on the disciplines of economics and political science and brought into synergy through a tailored course that emphasizes political risk analysis as a cross-cutting method and analytical tool.
- Learning activities
  The courses included in the program use a diverse set of pedagogical approaches including traditional lectures, group- and teamwork case studies, excursions and field trips and digital learning tools. There is a focus on student centered learning.
  
  A student mentorship program is implemented where 2nd year students act as mentors for 1st year students. A student conference takes place each spring where master students present their work.
  
  We aim to make use of the fact that this is a interdisciplinary program where students with social sciences, political science, and economics backgrounds are mixed in the same program to create potential for peer learning and exchange of experiences. This will improve soft skills such as teamwork and interdisciplinarity, and foster creativity and collaboration.
  
  During work with the master thesis, students will be assigned a supervisor which provides ongoing feedback and assistance from beginning to end. Supervisors will be allocated according to students’ topics of interest.
- Examination
  Individual courses in the program use a range of different assessment methods including semester assignments, project reports, peer review, presentations, and exams. All assessments are constructively aligned with each course’s learning outcomes, and courses in the program are selected such that they together meet the learning outcomes of the program. Assessments in courses are such that students will meet a variety of different assessment methods throughout the program.
- Equipment
  In this study program we use computers in learning situations and in exams. Therefore every student must have their own laptop, cf. The Academic Regulations for the Norwegian University of Life Sciences § 17-4.