Masterstudium i internasjonal utvikling, utdanning og bærekraft Programplan

The Master’s Programme in International Education and Development is a study programme that provides qualifications needed for international work in the education sector in the South, for work on international development issues in public, multilateral and voluntary organisations, and for other positions that require competence in the field of education or social sciences. The programme also qualifies students for admission to relevant PhD programmes, for example the PhD Programme in Educational Sciences for Teacher Education at OsloMet.

Students who complete the programme will be awarded the degree Master in International Education and Development.

When applying for admission to the programme, applicants choose either

• specialisation inInternational Education in the Global South (through course 3a) 

or

• specialisation inDevelopment Studies (through course 3b). 

Course 3a, ‘Education, Culture, and Sustainable Development’, addresses the role of education in development. A critical lens is applied to understand how educational discourses, policies and practices at global, national and local level, relate to cultural, epistemological and contextual conditions in terms of content and delivery. Course 3b, ‘Development Studies: Power and Inequality’ focuses on ways of understanding power and inequality, and how power in practice is related to different forms of inequality at local, national and global levels.

The target group for the programme is teachers and students of education who wish to work in the field of education and development in the South and students with a bachelor’s degree in development studies or other social sciences who wish to specialise in development studies.

Reference is made to the Regulations relating to Admission to Studies at OsloMet. 

When you apply for this programme, you choose between one of two specialisations with somewhat different requirements (see below). For both specialisations you need:

• an average grade of at least C (according to the ECTS grading scale) on your bachelor's degree

• proof of your English proficiency

To apply for the specialisation inInternational Education in the Global South you need either:

• a bachelor’s degree in education: either in early childhood education, preschool, primary / elementary school, secondary school, higher education, pedagogy, or equivalent;

• or a bachelor’s degree in development studies or other relevant social science disciplines with 60 ECTS credits (one full academic year) specialisation in educational sciences.

To apply for the specialisation inDevelopment Studies you need either:

• a bachelor’s degree in development studies or other relevant social science disciplines;

• or a bachelor’s degree in education: either in early childhood education, preschool, primary / elementary school, secondary school, higher education, pedagogy, or equivalent; with at least 60 ECTS credits in development studies or other relevant social science disciplines.

Other relevant social science disciplines include social geography, sociology, social anthropology, political science, social economics, history and area studies that cover developing regions or other development-related areas.

After completing the programme, the candidate is expected to have achieved the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The candidate                             

• has thorough knowledge of and insight into various social and educational perspectives applied to international education issues and social conditions in the Global South
• has in-depth knowledge of and is capable of applying social science research methodology
• has knowledge of how issues in the field can be analysed and is capable of critically assessing the discipline’s history, traditions, distinctive nature and place in society

Skills

The candidate

• is capable of applying and analysing multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches to studies of education and development issues
• is capable of critically assessing and analysing various issues linked to the relationship between education and development, and of conducting research studies of relevant connections in the field
• is capable of contributing to the development of new research-based knowledge in the field
• is capable of making competent and reflective written and oral statements

General competence

The candidate

• is capable of analysing relevant academic issues and undertaking advanced work tasks and projects related to the field of study
• is capable of disseminating his/her own and other people's research orally and in writing in an academically sound manner
• is capable of contributing to innovation and development in his/her field

The programme is organised as a two-year full-time study. The master’s degree programme emphasises independence, process and progress. Therefore, teaching varies between lectures, seminars, presentations and supervision. Student active learning and discussions in large or small groups are central, as well as writing essays/scholarly articles. Project descriptions of the master’s theses are presented at thesis seminars in the second semester.

The students are encouraged to be open and humble in relation to new fields of knowledge. By challenging the students to use their own experience, different theoretical frames of reference and placing perspectives in new contexts, the programme will help to enhance the visibility and value of focusing on education and development. The programme’s interdisciplinary approach will make the students proficient at understanding and analysing specific topics in a broader and interdisciplinary context.

The study programme focuses on international relations, and the study environment is international with students recruited from all over the world. The composition of the student group and the fact that classes are taught in English help the students to gain international experience and international perspectives.  

In addition to the international academic environment throughout the programme, the students are encouraged to conduct fieldwork in the Global South. The fieldwork may also be combined with a study exchange stay at a university abroad.

There is an expectation of high levels of student attendance in all courses, and in some cases a minimum 80% attendance may be a formal requirement. The programme emphasises student participation, dialogue, and cooperative learning, which depends upon attendance and active participation in class. The composition of the student group, with both international students and students from Norway, as well as various academic and professional backgrounds, is an excellent resource for our international and intercultural learning, which are core values in the programme. The rich and important opportunities that this offers is lost if students do not attend classes.

The coursework requirements are described in the individual course descriptions. All absence, irrespective of reason, is included when compulsory attendance is approved. In special cases where this requirement is unreasonable in relation to the student, documented sickness absence, for example, can be assessed and, if applicable, compensatory measures can be agreed.

The required coursework must be submitted/completed by the stipulated deadlines. Absence for a valid reason (documented for example with a medical certificate) does not exempt students from meeting the coursework requirements. Students who fail to submit/meet the coursework requirements by the deadline, and have approved grounds for this failure, can be given an extended deadline. A new deadline for submitting/completing required coursework must be agreed with the lecturer in question in each individual case. Absence in excess of the limit may be made up for by a written assignment by agreement with the person responsible for the course.

The required coursework is assessed as approved/not approved. Students who submit required coursework/meet the coursework requirements by the deadline, but whose work is assessed as not approved, will be given up to two opportunities to resubmit/redo the work. In such cases, the students themselves must agree with the lecturer on a re-assessment of the coursework in question. 

Information about assessment is provided in the individual course descriptions.

Rights and obligations in connection with exams

The students' rights and obligations are set out in the Regulations Relating to Studies and Examinations at OsloMet. The regulations describe, among other things, the conditions for resit/rescheduled exams, the right to appeal and what is considered cheating in an exam. It is the students’ responsibility to register for any resit/rescheduled exams.

Grade scale

A, Excellent: The candidate demonstrates sound analytical understanding. The candidate demonstrates excellent knowledge and an excellent overview of the academic content of the course. The candidate demonstrates excellent skills in applying this knowledge.

B, Very good: The candidate demonstrates very good analytical understanding. The candidate demonstrates very good knowledge and a very good overview of the academic content of the course. The candidate demonstrate very good skills in applying this knowledge.

C, Good: The candidate demonstrates analytical ability and understanding. The candidate demonstrates good knowledge and a good overview of the academic content of the course. The candidate masters the application of this knowledge.

D, Satisfactory: The candidate demonstrates a certain degree of analytical ability and understanding. The candidate demonstrates some knowledge and a certain overview of the academic content of the course. The candidate masters the application of this knowledge to a certain extent.

E, Sufficient: The candidate demonstrates some insight into the academic content of the course, but the candidate's insight is incomplete and characterised by limited insight into connections in the course. The candidate masters the application of this knowledge to a limited extent.

F, Fail: The candidate demonstrates large and obvious gaps in the academic content of the course. The candidate demonstrates little insight into connections in the subject. The candidate demonstrates little ability to apply this knowledge. 

Approved by the department board on 13 December 2002 Approved by the board of HiOA on 8 May 2003

Revision approved by the Academic Affairs Committee of HiOA on 12 December 2013

Editorial amendments made on 20 January and 11 April 2016

Revision was approved by the authority of the chair of the Academic Affairs Committee on 29 February 2017

Revision approved by the Academic Affairs Committee on 12 October 2017

Editorial amendments made on 20 January and 11 April 2016

Revision approved by the authority of the chair of the Academic Affairs Committee on 30 April 2019

Revision approved by the Academic Affairs Committee on 26 February 2020

Revision approved by the authority of the chair of the Academic Affairs Committee on 14 October 2020

Valid from 15 October 2020 (admission requirements) and from the academic year 2021-2022