Programme structure
International Community Health is a full time, two-year master’s programme (120 credits), taught in English. The programme is organised into mandatory and elective courses.
New programme structure starting autumn 2026
From autumn 2026 you will have a choice of selecting a Research specialization track (60 credits thesis) where you will develop and conduct independent research for your thesis or a Thematic specialization track where you will develop a protocol for a short thesis (30 credits thesis) as described in detail in subsequent sections.
Research track starting autumn 2026
At the end of the first semester, you will have a choice of selecting a Research specialization track (60 credits thesis) where you will develop and conduct independent research for your thesis described in detail in subsequent sections.
Selecting this track means that you will attend mandatory and elective courses (60 credits) and conduct work on a master thesis (60 credits).
You will develop an original, scientifically sound independent research protocol and conduct fieldwork to collect your own data for your thesis.
Programme structure
| 4th semester | Master thesis (Data analysis and thesis write up) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3rd semester | Master thesis (Data collection fieldwork) | |||||
| 2nd semester |
Advanced Quality Methodology (5 credits) |
Introduction to Medical Anthropology: Key Concepts and Perspectives (5 credits) |
Project Planning and Research Ethics (10 credits) |
Non-communicable Diseases: Towards Sustainable and Equitable Approaches to Prevention/ or other elective course (10 credits) |
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| Advanced Module in Quantitative Methods (10 credits) |
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| 1st semester | Fundamentals of International Community Health (10 credits) | Introduction to Research Methodology (10 credits) | Environment, Climate change and One health (10 credits) | |||
| Credits | 10 credits | 10 credits | 10 credits | |||
Thematic track starting autumn 2026
At the end of the first semester, you will have a choice of selecting a Thematic specialization track where you will develop a protocol for a short thesis (30 credits thesis) as described in detail in subsequent sections.
Selecting this track means that you will attend thematic based mandatory and elective courses (90 credits), and conduct work on a master thesis (30 credits).
Following in-depth thematic training,you will develop a protocol for a shorter thesis (30 credits) where you may choose to analyse already collected data (from registries, publicly available data or research projects) or conduct a scientifically justifiable systematic review of literatures or document review on a global community health issue.
Programme structure
| 4th semester | Master thesis (Data analysis and thesis write up) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3rd semester | Elective course (10 credits) |
Elective course (10 credits) |
Sexual and reproductive health and rights for global and vulnerable population/ or other elective course (10 credits) |
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| 2nd semester |
Advanced Quality Methodology (5 credits) |
Introduction to Medical Anthropology: Key Concepts and Perspectives (5 credits) |
Project Planning and Research Ethics (10 credits) |
Non-communicable Diseases: Towards Sustainable and Equitable Approaches to Prevention/ or other elective course (10 credits) |
||
| Advanced Module in Quantitative Methods (10 credits) |
||||||
| 1st semester | Fundamentals of International Community Health (10 credits) | Introduction to Research Methodology (10 credits) | Environment, Climate change and One health (10 credits) | |||
| Credits | 10 credits | 10 credits | 10 credits | |||
Programme structure class 2020-2025
The first two semesters consist of compulsory and elective courses. During the second semester, the students specialise in either qualitative or quantitative methodologies depending on the research design of their master thesis. In the third semester, the students conduct fieldwork and collect data, either internationally or in Norway. During the fourth semester the students will conduct data analysis and write up their thesis.
Programme structure
| 4th semester | INTHE4012 – International Health, Master Thesis | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3rd semester | INTHE4012 – International Health, Master Thesis | |||||
| 2nd semester | INTHE4022 – Advanced Module in Qualitative Methods - 10 credits / INTHE4023 – Advanced Module in Quantitative Methods | HELSEF4510 – Medical and Health Related Research Ethics - 5 credits | Elective courses - 15 credits | |||
| 1st semester | INTHE4019 – Fundamentals of International Community Health - 15 credits | HELSEF4410 – Introduction to Qualitative Methods 5 credits | INTHE4020 – Introduction to Quantitative Methods - 5 credits | INTHE4021 – Introduction to Epidemiology - 5 credits | ||
| Credits | 5 credits | 5 credits | 5 credits | 5 credits | 5 credits | 5 credits |
Compulsory courses
- INTHE4019 – Fundamentals of International Community Health
- INTHE4020 – Introduction to Quantitative Methods
- INTHE4021 – Introduction to Epidemiology
- INTHE4022 – Advanced Module in Qualitative Methods
- INTHE4023 – Advanced Module in Quantitative Methods
- HELSEF4410 – Introduction to Qualitative Methods
- HELSEF4510 – Medical and Health Related Research Ethics
The students will also have to choose one of the two available courses in advanced methods:
- INTHE4022 – Advanced Module in Qualitative Methods
- INTHE4023 – Advanced Module in Quantitative Methods
Elective courses
The students should choose a total of 15 credits of elective courses during the second semester. The nine elective courses offered are either from the study programme, Centre for Medical Ethics or Tverrfaglig helseforskning (master) (being phased out). The courses are offered in five segments during the semester, each lasting two weeks. The students may only choose one of the courses within each segment, and a total of three courses.
Courses offered in the first segment
- INTHE4113 – Introduction to Medical Anthropology: key concepts and perspectives
- INTHE4114 – Epidemiology in practice - Methodology, examples and tools
Courses offered in the second segment
Courses offered in the third segment
Courses offered in the fourth segment
- HELSEF4405 – Kj?nn, kropp og medikalisering
- INTHE4117 – Global epidemics
- INTHE4122 – Migration and Health *(This course is not offered in spring 2025).
Courses offered in the fifth segment
- HELSEF4511 – Digitalisering, folkehelse og innovasjon
- INTHE4121 – Water and Food in a Global Health Perspective
- INTHE4118 – Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) *(This course is offered every year ending with an even number).
The students may also choose elective courses up to 15 credits from other master's degree programmes at the Institute of Health and Society, courses offered at other master's degree programmes at the University of Oslo or other higher education institutions. Before course registration, each student needs to consult the programme leader and the student adviser on the issues of:
- the relevance of the course for their master thesis research
- the relevance of the course to the overall learning outcomes of the programme
- to make sure the elective courses are complementary and not repetitions of learning outcomes from the mandatory courses in the programme
An overview of all available courses at the Institute for Health and Society and information on how to apply for them is available here.
Application for recognition of education/credit transfer
If you have courses from other educational institutions both inside and outside of Norway, you can apply to have them credited towards your degree. The application for credit transfer is submitted through an online form. The application deadlines are September 1st and February 1st.
Honours certificate
Are you academically ambitious? It is possible to supplement your master's degree with an honors certificate worth 20 ECTS. You complete the certificate concurrently with the master's programme.
Diploma and degree
This programme leads to the following degree: Master of Philosophy in International Community Health.
The diploma is issued when you have completed the courses that meet the requirements for a degree. Read more about diplomas.
Quality assurance
The programme of study is regularly evaluated to ensure and develop the quality of the programme.
Rules and Regulations for Master studies
As a student at UiO, you have rights and obligations, and it is important that you familiarize yourself with these. Read more about rules and regulations at the Faculty of Medicine.