Admission

Childhood Studies (Master's Programme)

Admission

Application deadline

  • Non-EU/non-EEA students: 1 December
  • EU/EEA/Swiss students: 1 March
  • Norwegian/Nordic students: 15 April
See FAQ

How to apply

Specific programme requirements

The programme is open to both international and Norwegian students. Admittance to the programme requires a bachelor's degree in the social sciences or in combination with a humanities discipline, or other equivalent education, see the list in the section 'admission' on this page.

Possible admission to the study programme requires a minimum of an average grade of C or the equivalent. C is, however, not a guarantee for admission. We aim to establish an interdisciplinary student body, with students representing several different academic backgrounds.

Admission

The master's programme is interdisciplinary and accepts Norwegian and Nordic students, in addition to self-financed international students.

Admission to the master's in Childhood studies requires a BA in social sciences, or in combination with the humanities disciplines, with a specialization of minimum 80 ECTS credits in one of the following disciplines:

  • Anthropology
  • Childhood studies
  • Early childhood education
  • Child welfare
  • Counselling and adult learning
  • Education
  • Geography
  • History
  • International development
  • Philosophy
  • Social Work
  • Sociology
  • Teacher education

In addition, applicants holding a bachelor's degree in psychology or a bachelor's degree in law can be evaluated for admission. Students from other disciplines can also be evaluated for admission.

If you are applying for admission to Childhood Studies and your educational background is from Norway, the above mentioned bachelor's degrees are pre-approved.

 

C requirement

To be accepted into the programme students must have at least an average grade of C (by the Norwegian grading system) in the admission criteria. A C degree, however, does not guarantee admission.

Ranking

Qualified applicants are ranked based on all grades in their bachelor’s degree, cf. NTNU’s admission regulations section 31.

 

Application procedures - Ikke rør! FELLESARTIKKEL Ditt NTNU template for the Admission Page (DIT-160)

Make sure you meet all the requirements listed below - follow the links

  1. A first degree (a bachelor's degree) in a relevant field
    • To be admitted to most programmes of study, applicants must have a relevant bachelor’s degree with a grade point average of at least C.
    • See the study programme of your choice for specific academic requirements.
  2. English proficiency
  3. Excellent academic performance: A minimum requirement for admission to most programmes is the grade C or better on the ECTS scale. Note that admission is highly competitive. 

    NTNU converts GPAs for education from other countries than Norway, and applicants are ranked based on this assessment. We do not have the capacity to assess your grade average before you apply, and requests to do so will not be obliged. 

Make sure you apply before the deadline


 
Deadlines Non-EU applicants EU/EEA/Swiss applicants Applicants from Nordic countries
Application deadline 1 December 1 March

15 April

Deadline for submitting documentation 1 December 1 March 15 April
Admission results will be published 31 March May Around 15 July

Guide for choosing the correct category

Applying in the wrong category may result in rejection of your application.

Application deadline guide

If you are unsure, click the button above and answer the questions to determine your category/deadline.

1) If you have a bachelor’s degree from Norway or a Nordic country

You must apply as a local applicant between 1 February and 15 April. If you are applying to a Norwegian master's programme or an international master's programme you must choose the category "2-årige norske og internasjonale masterprogram for norske/nordiske søkere".

Please note that the Norwegian master's degree programmes require Norwegian language proficiency.

2)  If you do not have a bachelor’s degree from a Nordic country, but have Norwegian citizenship/residence permit in Norway

You must apply as an international applicant between 1 February and 1 March, and choose the category "International Master's Programmes" in SøknadsWeb.

3) If you have a citizenship from a Nordic country, the EU/EEA, Switzerland or Liechtenstein, but do not have a bachelor’s degree from a Nordic country

You must apply as an international applicant between 1 February and 1 March, and choose the category "International Master's Programmes" in SøknadsWeb.

4) If you do not have a citizenship from a Nordic country, the EU/EEA, Switzerland or Liechtenstein, and do not have bachelor's degree from a Nordic country

You must apply as an international applicant between 1 November and 1 December, and choose the category "International Master's Programmes" in SøknadsWeb.

Your application may be rejected if you have not uploaded all required documents within the deadline. Please make sure to name your documents according to the list below, and do not upload additional documents that are not listed. Unnamed documents or excessive amounts of documents may delay the admission process. All documents must be uploaded as PDFs (.pdf).

  1. Passport
    The pages of your passport showing your photo, your full name, your date of birth and your nationality. 
    • If applicable, documentation of change of name (e.g. marriage certificate)
    • The name in the passport must match the name stated in your application
       
  2. Documentation of funding
    Only citizens from countries outside the EU/EEA/Switzerland need to document funding. This document cannot be dated before 1 September in the year of the application.
  3. Upper secondary school grade transcript and diploma
    • We don't require translations for upper secondary school documents
       
  4. Official transcripts and official diplomas of all your college/university education
    • Students from selected countries will need to arrange for physical copies of their transcripts to be sent directly from their university to NTNU (see more info below)  
    • Transcripts must be uploaded to your application online, even if you have sent us a physical copy by post.
    • EU/EEA applicants who will be completing their degree spring semester 2024, must upload a transcript of records showing the courses/grades they have so far, and a confirmation from their university stating when their degree will be completed within 15 March. The deadline to document their completed degree and complete transcript of records on Søknadsweb is 1 August.
       
  5. English language documentation
    The following English language tests should not be older than two years at time of the application deadline: IELTS, TOEFL, Pearson 
    • English proficiency tests must be uploaded to your application online, even if you have sent us a hard copy by post  
       
  6. Curriculum vitae (CV)
     
  7. Verification reports of educational documents (bachelor’s/undergraduate degrees). This only applies to applicants with a first degree from China or Pakistan:
    • Applicants who have a bachelor degree from China must submit an application to CSSD. Verification reports from CSSD for both your bachelor diploma and transcript of records must be uploaded to Søknadsweb by the documentation deadline.  
    • Applicants who have a bachelor degree from Pakistan must submit an application to HEC. Once the transcripts and diplomas have a HEC stamp, they must be uploaded to Søknadsweb by the documentation deadline.  
       
  8. If you have a bachelor degree from one of the following countries, you will need documentation of recognition of your degree by the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills: Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Yemen, Liberia, Libya, Sierra Leone, Somalia
     
  9. Please check whether the programme(s) you are applying for require any specific additional documents to be uploaded.   
     
  10. Applicants with special needs: Applicants with disabilities are treated on an equal basis with all other applicants. However, we need to know in advance if you require any additional support during your studies. Please upload a document with a short description of your disability to Søknadsweb. 

Documents that are not originally in English or a Scandinavian language (Norwegian, Danish or Swedish), must be accompanied by an authorised translation of the original document into English.

Documents to be sent as hard copies by post 

Bachelor’s/undergraduate transcripts

  • Applicants with degrees from Cameroon, Canada, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Ghana, Hong Kong, Nigeria, the PhilippinesUganda, Taiwan, and the USA must send their bachelor’s transcripts as hard copies directly from the relevant college/university, in addition to uploading them online.

  • Verified digital copies directly from universities in USA and Canada can be sent to opptak@ntnu.no.

  • We will not answer requests by e-mail or elsewhere for individual confirmations of whether we have received documents sent by mail. Check with your courier/postal service to see if the package has been delivered. If your courier's tracking service lists the package as 'Delivered', it has been received by an NTNU Admissions Office employee and will be processed. As long as documents are mailed by December 1st, and this can be certified with a receipt, you need not worry.

 

Any hard copies of transcripts or English tests sent to NTNU by post must also be submitted on Søknadsweb by the documentation deadline.

To send hard copies to NTNU, please use the following address:  

NTNU - Academic Administrative Division
Admissions Office
Postboks 8900 Torgarden
7491 Trondheim
Norway 

If documents are sent by express delivery services (such as DHL or FedEx), the following address must be used:

NTNU Admissions/Opptak
Transportsentralen
S. P. Andersens veg 11
7031 Trondheim
Norway

Presenting original documents upon arrival

Students who have been admitted to NTNU must bring original documents and present them upon request. NTNU preserves the right to withdraw an offer of admission in the event that a student fails to present original documents upon arrival.   

If you have successfully followed step 1 - 3, you can proceed to the application portal

  1. Go to the application portal Søknadsweb.
  2. Select language in the top right-hand corner where it says "Norsk bokmål".
  3. Click on "International Applicant".
  4. Click on "Register new international applicant". 
  5. Answer the question regarding your English qualifications.
  6. Answer the question regarding residence permit in Norway.
  7. Answer the question concerning funding.
  8. You have now reached the application form. Please register as an applicant, and you will receive your password by e-mail. Make sure to register with your full name (First, middle and last names), as it appears in your passport. Please note that 'Given names' are your first and middle names. 'Surname' is your family name.
  9. Log on to Søknadsweb with your e-mail address and password, and fill in the application details.
  10. If you are applying to one of NTNUs scholarship programmes, please state this in the "other information" box. 
  11. As the final step of the application process, you will be asked to submit the required documentation. Upload all the required documents and make sure they have the correct format (.pdf). 
  12. Please note that there is no "submit"-button. Your application is saved automatically after each alteration.
  13. You can change your application as many times as you like up until the deadline.

Submitting multiple applications

Please do not register as an ‘international applicant' more than once. If you wish to submit more than one application (e.g. International Master's and Erasmus Mundus), you must log on to Søknadsweb with the email address and password you received the first time you registered. Then choose ‘New application'. If you have forgotten your password, please request a new one through Søknadsweb.

You will receive an admission letter by email. A copy of this letter can also be downloaded from the application portal (Søknadsweb). Applicants who have received a place on a master's programme will be sent a separate email with information about how to apply for a visa, as well as other practical matters, within a few days. 

If your application has been rejected, you will find information about how to appeal in the letter/email you receive from us. If you believe that we have made a procedural error while processing your application, please submit an appeal and we will look into the matter. 

FAQ

If you have questions, please consult our FAQ before contacting us. 


Address

To send hard copies to NTNU, please use the following address: 

"NTNU - Academic Administrative Division"
Admissions Office
Postboks 8900 Torgarden
7491 Trondheim
Norway

If documents are sent by express delivery services (such as DHL or FedEx), the following address must be used:

NTNU Admissions/Opptak
Transportsentralen
S. P. Andersens veg 11
7031 Trondheim
Norway