International Social Welfare and Health Policy

To apply for this programme you need:

• a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent degree) in social work, childcare and welfare, political science, sociology, social economics, anthropology, law, medicine or nursing. Other degrees with a focus on social and health issues may also be considered, but degrees in biochemestry, dental surgery, odontology, optometry or pharmacy are not relevant for admission.
• an average grade of at least C (according to the ECTS grading scale) on your bachelor's degree
• proof of your English proficiency

Applicants will be ranked on the basis of grade average from their bachelor's degree.

Fifty percent of the places are reserved for applicants who are citizens of countries outside EU/EEA.

The master's programme aims for a diverse group of students from many countries. Given the limited number of places, normally no more than three students from each country will be assigned, with the exception of students from Norway.

More about admission to master's programmes.

You apply via Søknadsweb, where you fill in your details and upload all the required documents.

There are different application deadlines based on which country you apply from:

• 1 November: for applicants from countries outside of the European Union / the European Economic Area (EEA) / Switzerland
• 1 March: early admission for applicants from the European Union, the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland
• 15 April: ordinary admission for applicants from the European Union, the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland

For students from the EU/EEA/EFTA the only cost of this programme is the semester fee (student.oslomet.no) of approximately NOK 1,000, which you pay each semester of the programme. For these students there are no tuition fees.

For students from countries outside the EU/EEA/EFTA there are tuition fees in addition to the semester fee (student.oslomet.no).

The programme’s comparative focus allows you to develop a tool set for analysis in professional fields and within many fields of research, as well as to learn more about a selected country of focus (including your own) during the research process.

You spend the two first semesters in Oslo with a cohort of students from around the globe.

The third semester, you choose between elective courses at OsloMet or studies abroad at an affiliated university.

Elective courses allow you to pursue topics of special interest that may be relevant for both your master’s thesis, as well as for future career possibilities.

The workload for students in the programme amounts to 40 hours per week.

You can go on an exchange during your third semester or while you write your master’s thesis.

We encourage you to conduct your fieldwork abroad in the third semester. We have a number of partner organisations with projects that you can write your master's thesis on, and we help to facilitate your studies abroad.

The objective of the programme is to qualify candidates for the positions in social and health services that require:

• the knowledge and ability to conduct systematic documentation and evaluation of social and health service programmes
• a knowledge of international and comparative studies within health and social welfare

Many graduates have found positions in NGOs, research institutes, universities, and public and private welfare and health organisations.