With specialisation in Religious studies, Christian studies or Study of cultures and intercultural communication

The School of Mission and Theology (MHS) offers a Master's Program in Global Studies. It is a two-year intensive academic course of study, 120 ECTS credits.

The Master's Program provides students with awareness, insights and tools essential in diverse cultural relations and multicultural settings in Norway and abroad. At the end of the program the students should have developed a professional appreciation of international and intercultural challenges in a world experiencing various effects of ongoing globalization. The students may develop intercultural interaction skills and personal cultural sensitivity that will help them be employed in a variety of multicultural settings. International fieldwork, internships and dialogue with organizations and corporations during the studies will enhance the chance for future employment. The multicultural field is expanding in Norway, and students with a Master's Degree in Global Studies will also have opportunities as teachers of different subjects requiring professional global competence.

Objective

The objective of the study is to enhance the professional competence (knowledge, skills and attitudes) of students preparing for careers which involve significant international and/or intercultural contact through professional education and research with particular reference to theology, religious studies and intercultural communication. The study can also give students who have already been involved in international or intercultural careers an opportunity to reflect more systematically on their global experience in a scientific and methodological way leading to the attainment of academic credits for their life experiences.

Language

The language of instruction is English or Norwegian. Much of the teaching and study-work within the different modules will be conducted in English. The thesis may be written either in English or Norwegian (Scandinavian).

Some topics for the theses

Here is a list of what some of our former students have written about in their theses:

• Response to modernization, secularization and globalization: A case study of St Mathew’s congregation and Richards Bay’s congregation within the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa
• CULTURE AND COMMUNICATION: CULTURE AS AN INDISPENSABLE FACTOR TO INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION. A CASE STUDY OF BAGANDA (KANYANYA, KAMPALA UGANDA)
• THE CHURCH IN A POVERTY STRICKEN SOCIETY: AN AGENT OF DEVELOPMENT IN RELATION TO THE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH IN CAMEROON
• THE IMPACT AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBAL SOCIO-ECONOMY ON THE CLERICAL MINISTRY IN THE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH IN TANZANIA (ELCT)
• CONTEXTUALIZING THE CHRISTIAN CONCEPT OF GOD AMONG THE BAGANDA IN UGANDA
• Human rights in China: Beneficial or threatening?
• STANDING SOLID – THE PLACE OF ULTRA-LOCAL NEWS IN A GLOBAL REALITY
• Causes of misunderstandings in intercultural communication - With empirical illustrations from conversations between Norwegian pulic officers and oromo refugees in southern Rogaland, Norway
• Childlessness and the church. An investigation of the tension that is to be found in the Roman Catholic church theaching on assisted reproduction and the opinions of lay people, theologians and meners of the clergy
• ”NÅR JEG ER MED EN MANN HJEM, TEGNER JEG KORSETS TEGN I DET JEG GÅR OVER DØRTERSKELEN” Religionens betydning for nigerianske kvinner i prostitusjon
• MENNESKERETTIGHETER OG OLJESELSKAP - HVA ER STATOILHYDRO SIN ROLLE SOM GLOBAL AKTØR?

Admission requirements

To be admitted to the Master's degree program candidates must have:

1. Completed bachelor's degree, a three-year program in which there is a major; i.e. 80-ECTS credit group, from a recognized institution of a higher education, or achieved an equivalent educational basis approved by the MHS Faculty. The degree must be within one of the following fields: 1) Bachelor in Religion and Intercultural Communications 2) Bachelor in Theology 3) Bachelor in Christian studies 4) Bachelor in Social sciences or Humanities 5) Or equivalent. Regarding no 4 and 5, there is an additional requirement that the degree must consist of topics that are preparing the student in a relevant way for the MGS program. The student must maintain a minimum C-grade or equivalent in the 80-credit group.
2. Proof of English language competency: All students whose first language is not English or who have not completed the major bulk of their schooling in English must proof their English language competency by completing the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or passing grade from a Norwegian upper secondary school (videregående skole). Results should be sent directly to MHS. The MHS institution code for forwarding TOEFL test reports is 6535. A minimum TOEFL score of 500 (paper based)/ 173 (computer based)/ 61 (internet based) or a minimum IELTS score of 5.0 is normally required.

Financing for self-financing degree applicants

Applicants from outside the EU/EEA area must document that they can finance their stay in Norway. Applicants who do not provide satisfactory documented evidence for financing will be rejected regardless of academic qualifications. The Norwegian Immigration Authorities require that you can provide a minimum of NOK 87 600 (approx. 10 000 EUR). This is the minimum amount of money required to cover living expenses for one academic year in Norway and should be documented by enclosing a recent bank transcript with your application.

Quota Scheme

The MHS provides totally 6 scholarships for students from developing countries through the Quota Scheme. This is a programme funded by the Norwegian government The objective of the scheme is capasitybuilding of partnerinstitutions. Normally only applicants with a supportingletter and priority from our partnerinsitutions will be admitted on this programme. The scholarships are given to students both at the master in theology and master in global studies.

Study program:

• Master of global studies