MSc in Business

BI Norwegian Business School’s Master of Science in Business placed 88th worldwide in the Financial Times Masters in Management 2025 — and earned the top score on the FT’s employability indicator that year.³ The two-year, English-taught master in Oslo reports a 100% employment rate at three months and an FT weighted three-year salary of about US$72,000.

Overview

Founded in 1943, BI is Norway’s largest business school and a private foundation, holding triple-crown accreditation (EQUIS, AACSB, AMBA).¹ Its flagship MSc in Business is a two-year, 120-ECTS English-taught degree offered with seven majors — from Finance and Strategy to Logistics & Supply Chain and Business Analytics — so students specialise within a single, broadly recognised qualification. Graduates may also qualify for the protected Norwegian Siviløkonom title.

For a wider view of whether the credential fits your goals, see our guide on whether a MiM is worth it in 2026.

Curriculum & Structure

The programme combines a business core with a chosen major and a master’s thesis across four semesters.¹ The major options span the breadth of management, and BI’s Oslo location — a Nordic hub for energy, shipping, technology and finance — shapes both the curriculum and the recruiting pipeline. English-only delivery and a sizeable international cohort make the programme accessible to applicants from across Europe and beyond.

Application & Deadlines

BI runs a single autumn intake on a priority-then-rolling basis.¹ The 1 March priority date is also the scholarship deadline; non-EEA applicants needing a residence permit must apply by 15 June; and the portal closes on 1 August. A GMAT or GRE is required for non-Nordic-degree applicants unless waived. Applying by 1 March is strongly advised — see how to build a MiM profile.

The academic bar is a course list, not a grade average

BI publishes what your bachelor’s has to contain rather than a single cut-off, and the two routes in are different shapes.⁵ The first is a completed bachelor’s degree (180 ECTS) in business administration, finance or economics. The second is a bachelor’s from anywhere carrying at least 80 ECTS in mathematics, statistics, accounting or computer science — the route that lets an engineering or science graduate in, and the reason a quantitative degree is not the obstacle it looks like.⁵

Either way, BI requires foundation courses passed with a minimum grade of C in economics, in accounting or finance, in statistics or econometrics, and in mathematics or an equivalent such as calculus or algebra.⁵ That C is the detail worth checking first: a single weak statistics or maths mark can matter more than a strong overall average, because BI states the requirement per course rather than across the transcript. BI calls these minimum requirements and recommends further background in business administration, quantitative methods and economics — and publishes no ranking rule or capacity figure on this page, so unlike Aarhus the assessment above the bar is not visible from outside.

Tuition & Funding

As a private foundation, BI charges tuition in Norwegian kroner for all nationalities — unlike Norway’s tuition-free public universities.² For 2026/27 the programme is about NOK 128,200 per year for EEA/EU/Swiss students (NOK 256,400 across two years) and roughly NOK 166,700 per year for non-EEA students; applicants with at least 120 ECTS from BI pay a lower internal rate. Merit scholarships are available, with 1 March as the application date. Budget for Oslo’s living costs alongside tuition.

Career Outcomes

The Financial Times 2025 weighted three-year salary is approximately US$72,000, measured three years after graduation.⁴ BI’s headline result is employability — it earned the top FT score on the three-month employment indicator, consistent with a 100% employment rate at three months.³ BI does not publish its own graduate salary figure for the programme, so the FT salary is the cross-school benchmark. The strong employment outcome reflects deep ties to Norwegian and Nordic employers across energy, finance and technology. For early-career context, see our career learnings from a MiM.

Campus & Reputation

BI’s modern Oslo campus sits in one of Europe’s wealthiest economies, with recruiting strength across the Nordic corporate base. As Norway’s leading private business school and a triple-crown institution, the MSc in Business offers a well-regarded, highly employable route into Nordic and European careers. For how a MiM compares with an MBA, see our piece on MiM versus MBA.