Norwegian University of Life Sciences

You will bridge the gap between quantitative and molecular genetics which are needed competence in the future. You can compose your own study plan with several courses in quantitative and molecular genetics. Some recommended courses are: Molecular Biology, Models and Algorithms in Bioinformatics, Genome Analysis - Methodology, Molecular Genomics, Animal Breeding Plans, Theory and Application of Inbreeding Management.

The Master in Global Development Studies engages with contemporary discourses on global development and explores the interplay between social, economic, political, environmental and gendered aspects of societal change across scales from local to global. Central themes addressed are inequality and poverty, the environment, climate change, global governance, armed conflict and violence, gender, food systems, rural development, decolonization and other struggles for justice. The programme builds on research-based knowledge from a wide variety of geographical contexts and emphasizes the complex interlinkages across levels and between countries and localities in a multipolar world. Student-active learning strategies are emphasised, including field courses, internships, and dynamic student collaboration. The emphasis on interdisciplinary education and research methods provides empirical insights, analytic tools and practical skills in evaluating and formulating policies and strategies within the field of global development. The learning approach is sensitive to diverse cultures, ecologies, institutions, economies and knowledges of different societies and groups. Electives include field courses and internships that provide valuable practical experience. Exchanges with other universities (global or domestic) may be included in the degree. The M-GDS programme attracts students from all over the world and provides the opportunity to study in a unique learning environment with an interdisciplinary and international composition of students at a green and beautiful campus. The M-GDS degree is a two-year, full-time English language programme accredited by the European Association of Development Research and Training (EADI).

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.

The world’s population is expected to increase, and this will challenge current global food production and agriculture systems. Are you interested in breeding and genetics, nutrition or ethology and animal welfare? Then a Master in Animal Science at NMBU might be something for you. A two-year Master in Animal Science degree focus on the biology of production and companion animals within the areas of breeding and genetics, nutrition and ethology and animal welfare. The goal is to train students to be able to solve current and future challenges related to animal science in a national and global context. There will be both interdisciplinary as well as area specific in-depth courses within each specialization. The degree is finalized with master thesis.

Modern economies are characterized by complexity, interconnectedness, and the exposure to rapid changes, which can originate domestically or internationally. Decision- and policymakers in both the private and public sectors require an ever-greater information and data base to assist them in responding to the challenges and opportunities that confront them. The theoretical and methodological foundation of an economist equips them to address real-world problems. The master’s program in Applied Economics and Sustainability provides comprehensive training in economic theory and quantitative analysis, and exposes the student to topics in sustainability, approaches, and methods that enable them to conduct economic and/or market analysis at the macroeconomic, sectoral and the firm or household level. The program also qualifies candidates for further studies at the doctoral level.

The candidates for the Master's degree in Aquaculture are future professionals in the management of fish farming support industries, administration, and those interested in further higher-level education and research. The Master's programme will emphasize most of the biological and technological aspects of aquaculture, and will include transfer of results from ongoing research. Norway is the world's largest producer of salmon and is also the main contributor to the scientific progress in most aspects connected to the aquaculture industry. The aquaculture adventure started approximately 30 years ago when success factors in breeding domestic animals were introduced to salmon, and further to controlled, farmed fish. A breeding programme was established, and since then progress has been made within every cornerstone in the production of aquatic food.

The chemistry studies at NMBU are divided into three main areas: 1 - Natural Product Chemistry - encompasses biologically active compounds in plants, animals and food products. 2 - Analytical Chemistry - includes identification and characterisation of biological and synthetic substances using modern analytical instruments. 3 - Environmental Chemistry - includes investigations of short- and long-term effects of various substances in nature. The Master`s degree contains a research thesis, consisting of 60 or 30 credits (ECTS) of practical work in chemistry. The student and supervisor decide together the extent and topic of the thesis at the start of the programme. In addition to this research thesis, students must take 30 credits (ECTS) worth of courses in chemistry and 30 credits (ECTS) worth of freely chosen courses - a total of 60 credits (ECTS). A minimum of 30 credits (ECTS) must be master level courses, and the courses shall support the master`s thesis research, providing scientific breadth and depth in the chosen scientific area. Each student will have an individual study plan with good progression and development towards the master`s thesis. Courses are chosen in consultation with the supervisor. Basic courses (at the 100 level) are not allowed in this Master`s programme.

The program combines the disciplines of informatics, mathematics, statistics and data analysis. During the data science studies, you will deepen your knowledge in these subjects and learn to analyze real-world problems related to complex and big data. You will capitalize on the wide range of application areas of big data in technology, environmental and life sciences, as well as in business and economics.

Are you interested in ecology, biological diversity and natural processes? Global environmental challenges such as climate change, natural habitat degradation, and species extinction make ecologists and their skills more important than ever. Do you want to work with biological monitoring, nature conservation, and ecosystem management? Climate change, habitat loss, and pollution are straining ecosystems worldwide. Ecologists are needed to help understand these issues and come up with solutions. This program focuses on the following: The world's major global ecological challenges, such as biodiversity loss and climate changeMitigation of these effects, for example via restoration ecologySustainable ecosystem management Ecologists play a key role in understanding how humans impact the environment. This knowledge is a prerequisite for combatting important environmental challenges of our time, and when reversing land and water degradation through restoration measures. NMBU has an extensive course catalogue within ecology and related subjects, which is taught by dedicated teachers and researchers who are experts within their field. The master's thesis gives you the opportunity to delve into a scientific topic of your choice. We give our students plenty of freedom when it comes to choosing a topic for the thesis. NMBU's ecology students do their fieldwork in many different countries in some of the most spectacular natural landscapes on the planet. Example of previous thesis topics include: Carnivore biology and managementForest biology and ecologyFreshwater ecologyFreshwater fish managementInsect ecologyPlant ecologyTropical flora and faunaWildlife conservation and management Job opportunities Ecologists work in all parts of society where environmental issues are of concern. You will be qualified for tasks related to environmental monitoring, biological conservation, research, and education. Our alumni work for a variety of employers, ranging from public government, NGOs, research institutions, and the university sector. The programme has a strong research emphasis, and can serve as a foundation for Ph.D. studies. Here are just some examples of the kinds of jobs our graduates have obtained: Biological researcher. Many of our alumni continue with research, either as Ph.D. candidates or research assistants. Previous research projects include carnivore management, entomology, forest biology, fish biology and much moreConsultant, working with for example impact assessments, habitat restoration and nature and species mapping related to encroachment of natureUrban natural resource managerFish and wildlife manager (at various levels of government)National park manager Learning outcomes As an ecology student you will study nature and natural processes. You will learn about the factors that regulate the structure and diversity of ecosystems. You will also learn about the interactions between humans and ecosystems, including our impacts and their mitigation. We focus on the significance of biodiversity for ecosystems and underlying causes for the loss of biological diversity. Our goal is to give you an up-to-date knowledge on global environmental change and how it affects organisms and ecosystems. As a graduate you will be able to plan and conduct independent scientific field work, as well as evaluate, analyse and synthesize the data afterwards. You will also be able to use ecological principles and knowledge from an applied perspective; such as in nature conservation and the management of natural resources. The following courses are compulsory for all students: Conservation biologyEcological researchGlobal change ecologyInterdisciplinary collaboration on sustainabilityMethods in natural sciencesRestoration ecology In addition, you must choose a minimum of one of the following courses: Behavioural and population ecologyEcological entomologyEcology and management of natural resources in the tropicsEcology and management of rivers and lakesEnvironmental pollutants and ecotoxicologyForest EcologyHuman wildlife interactionsLandscape ecologyPlant EcologyTropical rainforest ecology and conservation To make it easier to choose from NMBU's extensive course catalogue, we have created some suggested example plans within the following topics (click on the course code to see course descriptions): Tropical EcologyTropical Ecology and Management of Natural ResourcesEntomology and Forest EcologyPopulation and Landscape EcologyFreshwater Ecology and EcotoxicologyEnvironmental Pollution These specializations will provide you with a number of additional skills and competencies. Learning by doing: the master's thesisTo facilitate extensive hands-on experience, the entire second year is dedicated the master’s thesis (60 ECTS). This enables you to gain extensive fieldwork and data analysis experience, giving you a competitive edge in the job market after graduation. Our master´s students do their fieldwork in many different countries, spread across four continents. A detailed course structure can be found here.

Most of humankind has for the past two centuries experienced economic growth and improved living conditions. However, this economic growth, powered by the consumption of fossil fuels, has come at the cost of the environment. Industrialization, energy production, deforestation, agriculture, urbanization, international trade, and changing consumption patterns have led to an unprecedented increase in emissions of greenhouse gases and a nature crisis. One of the consequences is rising global temperatures and climate change.Climate change affects, among other things, biodiversity, food production, human health, and infrastructure. The full consequences of climate change depend both on where and by how much emissions are reduced and how well we adapt. In the Paris agreement (2015), countries agreed to work towards reducing emissions to keep the increase in the global average temperature well below 2 degrees Celsius (and preferably 1.5 ). To reach this target, the world must enact society wide changes within the next decade and reach net zero emissions by 2050. We need to change both how we produce and consume energy, and how we use land and natural resources. Signatories to the agreement have committed to ambitious (but not legally-binding) climate targets to reduce emissions. However, there is gap between how much countries have said they will reduce and how much is needed to reach the 1.5-degree target.On top of this, we are facing an unprecedented loss of biodiversity. In the Kumming Montreal-agreement (2022) countries agreed to protect 30% of land and ocean areas by 2030, leading some to call it "the Paris agreement for nature". Together, climate change, environmental degradation, and biodiversity loss falls under the broader category of environmental change.The M-EEG programme will provide a solid understanding of the foundations of environmental change and its effects on society, the environment, and the economy. The program is multidisciplinary, drawing on economics, environmental and resource economics, climate economics, ecological economics, political science, environmental sciences, and human geography. This pluralistic approach to learning will give students a wide set of lenses through which to see the world, the problems and, importantly, sustainable solutions for a better future. The program will give students practical tools of analysis and a broad skillset enabling them to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.