Childhood Studies - Master's Programme

Are you interested in children’s everyday lives in different cultures and contexts? Would you like to learn about how to do research with children, and get insight into methods and ethical concerns in knowledge production with children and on childhood? Would you like to learn how to make use of children's rights to improve children's living conditions and well-being? If so, the master's program in Childhood Studies is suitable for you!

The international master’s program in Childhood Studies is a two-year research-based degree that provides students with an understanding of the relationship between childhood and culture, as well as how economic, social, and political dynamics shape the conditions for children’s lives and well-being in different contexts and settings, both in the Global North and the Global South. The program is interdisciplinary, drawing on theoretical and methodological discussions from various social science disciplines. It is open to both Norwegian, Nordic and European students, as well as self-financed international students, and all teaching is conducted in English.

Admission requires a bachelor’s degree in social sciences, a bachelor’s combining humanities and social sciences, or an equivalent qualification. Childhood Studies is relevant for those seeking to work with children and childhood in both the public and private sectors. This may include policy development and planning related to children’s living conditions within public institutions—locally or internationally—as well as work in non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Graduates may also pursue research on children and childhood, and the program qualifies students for admission to Ph.D. studies.