A bachelor's degree across four continents and five countries
Did you know that you can take a bachelor's degree where you get to live in five different countries over the course of three years? Read about how Andrea (29) utilizes her international expertise in her job as an advisor at the Immigration Appeals Board.
This text is translated using AI.
View the original article here.Many dream of studying abroad. And for many, one semester or one academic year is sufficient.
But if you want to truly immerse yourself in other cultures, travel as much as possible during your studies, and prepare for a globalized work life - why not pursue a degree that allows you to travel the world while you study?
Andrea (29) did exactly that.
– The first year of my bachelor's degree abroad I was in Vietnam studying Development Studies 1, and then Development Studies 2 in Nicaragua. The third semester I was back in Oslo at OsloMet.
After that, I was able to continue my journey, first to India for Peace and Conflict Studies, and then to Ghana, where I studied Global Environmental Studies.
Afterwards, I returned to Oslo and completed my degree - a bachelor's in Development Studies - from four different continents and five different countries!
Today, Kulturstudier offers Development Studies 2 in Ghana, Peace and Conflict Studies in Nepal, and Global Environmental Studies in Costa Rica.
We call it a "round-the-world bachelor's degree".
Here you can see an example of what your international bachelor's degree from OsloMet might look like:
Example of a bachelor's program (total of 6 semesters)
- Development Studies 1 in Vietnam
- Development Studies 2 in Ghana
- Power and politics in Oslo
- Peace and Conflict Studies in Nepal
- Global environmental studies in Costa Rica
- Bachelor's thesis in Oslo
You can choose to enroll in a semester of Spanish in Costa Ricaor in Argentina instead of Peace and Conflict Studies or Global Environmental Studies.
A global bachelor's degree gives you the opportunity to visit and become familiar with many different cultures, people, languages, and traditions.
– In my eyes, it made less sense to study Development Studies exclusively in Norwegian back home in Oslo. The subject is about the relationship between countries in the global North and the global South, and how large political structures and unequal access to resources affect people at the local level.
– Through Kulturstudier, I have seen with my own eyes how the tourism industry has taken over large parts of a city in Vietnam.
I have been given permission to conduct fieldwork in a remote village in Nicaragua, where I have listened to the farmers' stories and experiences regarding the modernization and industrialization of their traditional agriculture.
– In India, we had the opportunity to see how the caste system unfolds in practice, and that historical events such as the liberation from colonial power, border conflicts with Pakistan, and Gandhi's philosophy of non-violence, still have a strong impact.
In Ghana, I witnessed the major global environmental issues up close. Large amounts of industrial waste, and tons upon tons of electronic waste, arrive in Ghana from the West every single day.
– These three years have given me knowledge, experiences, and insights that are worth their weight in gold.
Having the opportunity to read about something in an academic article or hear from an experienced lecturer, and then personally experience something on the street that you can relate to the teaching, or use your own data as empirical examples, provides a truly unique benefit.
Andrea has made good use of her three years as a traveling student in her professional life:
– The bachelor's degree has provided me with a valuable understanding of global challenges such as migration and human rights.
As an advisor in the Immigration Appeals Board (UNE), it is crucial to be able to link legislation and specific country information to these global issues, and I feel that my education has prepared me well for this.
Kulturstudier gave me firsthand experiences with other cultures and societies, and this has opened doors to several exciting career opportunities!
