Global økonomi og politikk

Objectives, content and organization of the study program

The program combines international economics (trade, policy, and development economics) and international relations (international organizations, networks of global governance, security politics, global political economy). The School of Economics and Business offers courses related to the study of the economics of globalization which provide:

• A theoretical foundation in microeconomics to define economic concepts, explain economic thinking, analyze market equilibrium and welfare, and to introduce game theory;
• Modeling frameworks to study the effects of international trade, and analyzing trade policy and domestic regulations affecting trade, or cross-border movement of factors (investment or labor);
• An understanding of the economic, political and legal implications of economic integration by comparing trade liberalization under the WTO versus an economic union such as the EU;
• A theoretical platform by which to link economic development and growth to trade, foreign direct investment, and labor migration and how these economic drivers are related to sustainability via commodity markets, industrialization, official aid, remittances, technology transfer, global inequality and poverty, etc.; and
• An analytical framework to assess the multilateral trading system’s rules/disciplines relative to country-specific commitments taken by member states, and to evaluate the consistency of the rules relative to economic theory (e.g., rules on imports/exports, agriculture, industrial policy, intellectual property rights, etc.).

Noragric offers courses in international relations that gives the broader context and specific theoretical and analytical tools of relevance to the program. The core and elective course options give insight into:

• International organizations, multilateral institutions, and diplomacy, including state interests, diplomatic traditions and practices, shared identities and the role of conflict shaping politics within and between institutions of global governance;
• The impact of state and non-state actors and global policy networks on global governance, such as the role of expert coalitions, public engagement and advocacy networks on outcomes and processes of global governance;
• Theories of international relations through which to analyze more systematically the broader terrain of global politics and how this shapes the expectations, interests and resources states and other actors bring to global institutions and negotiations, including expectations about acknowledging multipolarity and change in the liberal world order;
• Foreign policy analysis with a specific emphasis on understanding the link between domestic politics and interest groups and the sets of expectations enacted by states and other actors in more global settings; and
• Security issues and responses, including the use of sanctions and how conflict and abrupt events and crisis have lasting effect on the institutions and practices of global governance.

The study program is mostly comprised of existing courses in both the School of Economics and Business and Noragric. There will be a required set of core courses in economics and international relations and flexibility to take an elective(s) to tailor the interest of the student. The joint faculties will create an introductory course offered in the August block that provides an overview of the program content, providing an opportunity for the teaching faculty and the class to meet and interact through group and individual exercises. A thesis preparation and research methods course will be tailored to the thesis requirement of the program. The submission of a written thesis and independent oral defence of the work completes the program requirements.

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

Bachelorgrad eller tilsvarende innen økonomi, administrasjon og ledelse, statsvitenskap, geografi, utviklingsstudier eller andre samfunnsfag, miljøfag eller beslektede fagområder. Søkere må ha minimum to av følgende emner: økonomi, matematikk eller statistikk (kvantitative metoder), for eksempel ett emne i økonomi og ett i statistikk. Minimum gjennomsnittskarakter (GPA) er C (eller tilsvarende).

Les mer om opptak for internasjonale søkere: Admission requirements

Søkere må dokumentere engelskkunnskaper i samsvar med NMBUs krav for studieprogrammer som undervises på engelsk: Language requirements for programmes taught in English at NMBU | NMBU

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.

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 economics training emphasis formulating effective policies, while the political science training will help to navigate in the international landscape with conflicting interests and priorities.

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.

The study program also qualifies for PhD studies in related fields.