Global Development, Crisis and Change

About the programme

The study programme focuses on understanding the world better in a time marked by rapid changes and complex crises. Through the study, you get the opportunity to explore and learn how to meet and handle various crises such as poverty, inequality, pandemics, climate change, and environmental destruction. It is essential to be able to contribute to driving positive change and development in society.

During the study, you learn about the underlying causes of different crisis situations, as well as analysing and understanding how they affect society socially and economically. The study also provides insight into how crises are understood, communicated, and managed in different contexts, as well as demonstrating how different crises are interconnected. You also learn about how crises affect people differently, due to social inequalities within and across different cultural contexts.

This master’s programme is a full-time blended programme, consisting of online learning and two physical gatherings (one in Kristiansand and one in Sri Lanka). Some students’ individual studyplans will require campus-based courses, in addition to the blended learning courses. International students in this category should be sure to apply for a student visa to stay on campus during their full studies. Students with NORSTIP- , Erasmus+ or STAR-scholarship will do a combination of classroom- and online taught courses in this study program.

What will you learn?

In this programme you will learn about theories and findings concerning development, crisis and social change. You will explore how theoretical knowledge provides insight for solving practical problems, but equally important, how practice can inform theories and policies. The programme is cross disciplinary, and you will be introduced to a variety of disciplines, including political science, sociology, anthropology, communication and media studies and geography. In addition, you will be well skilled in cross cultural communication and collaboration.

Cooperation is a fundamental idea for the programme. The pedagogy is learner focused, and will include group work, discussions and joint assignments. The online tuition, instruction and supervision takes place in virtual classrooms. The programme is full time, and we expect all students to participate actively, take responsibility for their own learning and take part in the development of an optimal learning environment.

In the beginning of the first semester, you will participate in an obligatory face-to-face session at UiA. Here you will spend a week with your fellow students, professors and tutors. The face-to-face session will be an introduction to learning resources, computer technology, applied pedagogies and the start-up of the courses. The second face-to-face session will take place in the second semester (four weeks in May/June) at our partner institution in Sri Lanka.

Half of the third semester (15 ECTS) and the whole of the fourth semester (30 ECTS) will be fully devoted to the writing of a master’s thesis - building upon coursework and your personal experiences and focusing on problems and issues of high personal interest and to the societies and institutions you represent. You will be encouraged to do fieldwork in a developing country in connection with your master's thesis. We consider this experience to be of particular value for research on environment and development issues.

Teaching methods

Language of instruction: English.

Internship possibilities

You will be encouraged to conduct fieldwork in a developing country as part of your master's thesis. We consider this experience to be particularly important for research on environmental and development issues.

The visit to Sri Lanka in the second semester provides practical experience through organizational visits and qualitative fieldwork.

Learning environment

You will be a part of a social and international study environment that becomes even more close-knit through fieldwork and group assignments.

All students are associated with the student organisation Pangea. Student organisations are associations for one or more specific study programs and bring together students within a field of study across different years. The student organisation arranges both academic and social activities, and you can contribute to the work by taking on roles. You can also participate in a range of other student activities regardless of your study program.

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