System Dynamics/ Social Sciences

University of Bergen

The University of Bergen is a young, modern university. Most of its premises are concentrated in the heart of the city of Bergen. There are about 14,500 students enrolled, and 3,200 faculty and staff

The Master's Programme in System Dynamics focuses its attention on development issues, natural resources management and teaching that promotes insightful learning. When students choose thesis topics in these areas, they benefit from a close collaboration with faculty and fellow students. However, the method can be applied more widely.
The world is becoming increasingly more complex. That is the reason why intuitively appealing trial-and-error strategies frequently fail. Model-based analysis is very useful when it comes to identifying appropriate policies for such complex, dynamic systems. The goal of model-based analysis is to identify the underlying causes of current and potential problems, to explain these in an intuitive and graphical language and to spell out the consequences of good and bad policies. Analysis and communication are equally important. The same techniques are used to study natural resources, national economies, developing countries, medicine, business management or psychology, etc. Thus, you will gain an ability to transfer knowledge from one field to another, and you will become a potential leader of multidisciplinary work. The strong emphasis of the programme on problems, realistic cases, and project work also gives you as a student experience in designing and carrying out collaborative work. Modelling and laboratory experiments contribute to a deep understanding of "bounded rationality".

Self-financing applicants:
Application deadline for applicants from a non-visa country (do not need a visa to enter Norway) is 1 April for the autumn semester/1 October for the spring semester. Applicants from a visa-country (need a visa to enter Norway) have to apply before 1 December for the following academic year.

Applicants for the Quota Sheme:
1 December for the following academic year.