Entry requirements

Academic requirements

A Bachelor's degree, equivalent to a Swedish Kandidatexamen, from an internationally recognised university. Also required is 60 credits in a social science subject or in history.

Language requirements

Proficiency in English equivalent to the Swedish upper secondary course English level 2/English 6. This requirement can be met either by achieving the required score on an internationally recognised test, or by previous upper secondary or university studies in some countries.

Aims

The Master’s programme in Great Transformations provides students with a solid foundation for conducting an integrated analysis of ecological, economic, political, and social aspects of past, present, and future societal challenges. The focus lies on the intersection between sustainability and unequal conditions. The programme builds the skills and knowledge necessary for the societal processes that have led to the current state of affairs, as well as the processes and transformations required for positive development in the future.

The programme builds the capacity to understand, in depth, the challenges the world is facing and the capacity for science to contribute solutions

Learning outcomes

Upon completion of the programme, the student should be able to:

Knowledge and understanding

• demonstrate knowledge and understanding within economic history, the main general area of the programme, including broad expertise and significant in-depth knowledge within certain areas, as well as in-depth insight into current and developing research, and
• demonstrate in-depth methodological knowledge within economic history, the main area of the programme.

Skills and abilities

• demonstrate the ability to critically and systematically integrate knowledge and to analyse, assess, and manage complex phenomena, issues, and situations, even with limited knowledge,
• demonstrate the ability to critically, independently, and creatively identify and formulate lines of questioning, to plan and use adequate methods to undertake qualified tasks within the given time frames and thereby contribute to the development of knowledge, as well as evaluate this work,
• demonstrate the ability to clearly present and discuss conclusions and the knowledge and arguments that form the basis for these conclusions in dialogue with various groups, both orally and in writing, in diverse contexts, and
• demonstrate the skills required to participate in current and developing research, or to work independently in other qualified areas.

Judgement and approach

• demonstrate the ability to make assessments within economic historu, the main area of the programme, with regard to relevant scientific, societal, and ethical aspects, as well as demonstrate awareness of the ethical aspects of research and developing research,
• demonstrate insight into the possibilities and limitations of research, its role in society, and people’s responsibility for how it is used, and
• demonstrate the ability to identify the need for additional knowledge and to take responsibility for knowledge development. 

Specific programme goals

• demonstrate broad knowledge and understanding of long-term societal transformations from an economic-historical perspective and significant in-depth knowledge with a focus on the facts and theories regarding the significance of institutional changes, socio-economic structures, social and physical sustainability perspectives, as well as relevant current research in the subject area.

Layout of the programme

Semester 1 

During the first semester, two mandatory courses, each comprising 15 credits, are offered that provide an introduction to the analysis of great transformations, with a focus on historical change—in which ecological and economic dimensions are particularly deepened. With this background, perspectives on how to understand contemporary challenges are introduced in the latter part of the semester. This establishes a common base with in-depth knowledge of theory formation and methodological skills, which are beneficial for continued education and progression in the programme.

Semester 2 

The second semester consists of three mandatory courses, each worth 7.5 credits. Two courses build on the themes covered during semester 1, while the third course is a basic methods course. During semester 2, there is also space for an elective course worth 7.5 credits.

Semester 3 

During the third semester, students read two mandatory methods courses, each comprising 7.5 credits. There is also an opportunity to take elective courses totalling 15 credits. There is also the option to take part in an internship worth 7.5 or 15 credits. This will develop the student’s analytical skills by carrying out a less complex research project as part of the internship, or deepen methodological knowledge by reading courses equivalent to 7.5 or 15 credits.

Semester 4 

The fourth semester is devoted entirely to the degree project—the mandatory 30 credit master’s thesis.

The progression of the programme is designed to lead to a higher degree of intellectual maturity and deeper insights into the complexity of the subject. This, together with the ability to integrate knowledge and the skills to independently formulate and solve problems, is to be articulated in the final degree project. Leading up to the master’s thesis, the demonstration of knowledge of qualitative and quantitative methods at an advanced level is required.

Degree

The programme leads to a two-years Master’s degree (Sv. Filosofie masterexamen, Degree of Master of Social Science, 120 credits) with Economic History as the main field of study.