Master of Science in Business

Major in People and Business Development

Customise your Master of Science in Business degree by choosing a major in People and Business Development.

What will you learn?

"All business is people." The major in People and Business Development equips graduate professionals and future business leaders with the strategic skills and analytical insights necessary to develop people and simultaneously drive sustainable business success. This comprehensive programme emphasizes the critical interplay between people dynamics and sustainable business strategies, providing a strong foundation in evidence-based analysis and the development of solid business cases, supported by essential analytical tools.

You will learn to:

  • analyse the complexities of human behaviour at individual, team and organisational levels, and link them to performance and problem solving
  • apply data-driven decision-making and people analytics to project, product and business development
  • design and implement innovative business strategies and change initiatives in digital transformation and sustainability contexts
  • contribute to and lead individual, team and organisational development across functions

Popular courses covered in this programme

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Managing Creativity and Innovation

Get insight into contemporary research and practice-based knowledge of the most important topics, concepts and contributions within creativity and innovation processes in organisations.

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Responsible Leadership

Learn the various scientific perspectives used for studying leadership, and how leaders influence individual and organisational performance.

Writting of change management

Change Management

Learn a more diverse range of perspectives and tools for managing change, including emergent change, networks of influence, power, participation, cultural change and design thinking.

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Economic Psychology: Selected Topics

Get insight in how economic psychology aims to describe, predict and explain the actual economic behaviour of individuals and groups.

Career possibilities

Business needs professionals who can develop people and business at the same time. By combining insights into behaviour at the individual, team and organisational levels with data-driven decision-making, you improve performance and solve complex problems.

Examples of areas you can work in:

  • organisational development & change leadership
  • project & programme management
  • business & product development
  • people analytics & decision support
  • sustainability, culture & responsible business
Former student Josefine Børufsen
Josefine Børufsen Sustainability Consultant CEMAsys Helping companies make green choices
Maren Grønås Birkeland
Maren Grønås Birkeland IT Consultant Itelligence Making employees believe in change

Trying to decide which master programme is right for you? Take our Master Quiz to find your best match.

Customise your degree

As a master student at BI, you have several exciting opportunities that will contribute to a varied and interesting student life, at the same time as you build relevant competence and gain an advantage in the job market by tailoring your degree.

Internship

Our internship programme is a credit-bearing course that gives you the opportunity to test subjects and industries based on your interests, competency, and personal qualities. An internship is valuable as a means of allowing you to experience how your field of study is applied in the business world and provides you with work experience that can be highly attractive to potential employers.

Exchange

Take part of your education abroad! If you want to work abroad or in an international company after your studies, this should be particularly relevant for you. Culture and language are important in all companies and organisations, but knowledge of other countries' customs, governance and behaviour can be absolutely crucial to global success.

Elective courses

We offer a number of elective courses so that you can adapt your studies to your own interests and goals. This way you can build up competency and pursue a combination of courses that will make you attractive and unique.

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Programme Structure

The academic year at BI is divided into two semester, one in the autumn and one in spring. There are exams at the end of each semester. This programme structure provides an overview of which courses you will be taking and when you will be taking them.

1. Year

  • 60 credits (ECTS)

Autumn

  • Innovation for Business Growth and Competitive Advantage

    7.5 ECTS

  • Agile Management and Collaborative Leadership

    7.5 ECTS

  • Business Economics

    7.5 ECTS

  • Mathematics and Quantitative Methods

    7.5 ECTS

Spring

  • Organizational Development and Change

    7.5 ECTS

  • The Psychology of Decision-Making and Algorithmic Management

    7.5 ECTS

  • Business Case

    7.5 ECTS

  • Data Analysis

    7.5 ECTS

2. Year

  • 60 credits (ECTS)

Autumn

  • Master thesis for the 2026-2028 class

    7.5 ECTS

Spring

  • The Practicing Change Leader

    7.5 ECTS

  • Master thesis for the 2026-2028 class

    22.5 ECTS

Please be aware that the study plan and courses can be subject to change.

Tuition fee

The academic year 2025-2026: NOK 122,800.
Updated fee for 2026-2027: TBA.

The tuition fee is invoiced per semester and adjusted annually. It includes access to lectures and the standard examination fee.

Students with a bachelor's degree from BI are eligible for a discounted tuition fee. Different rates apply to students from countries outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland. Certain exceptions and variations may apply.

Read more about tuition fees.