Specialisations (Majors)

The GSM programme can be combined with these specialisations at NHH: 

• Energy, Natural Resources and the Environment (ENE)
• Financial Economics (FIE)
• Strategy and Management (STR)

For Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish speaking students only in the first cohort: 

• Business Analysis and Performance Management (BUS)

GSM structure

The GSM courses are seamlessly integrated with your master’s programme, and you graduate with a master’s degree from NHH and a certificate from ENGAGE.EU. 

• 1st semester: Core Courses at NHH

  1st semester: Core Courses at NHH

  • You take core courses in the NHH specialisation you choose, including compulsory courses, empirical methods and ERS courses
  • You take 30 ECTS in total
  • You get local onboarding to GSM 

  NHH core courses according to specialisation

  • BUS: Business Analysis and Performance Management with GSM

    BUS: Business Analysis and Performance Management with GSM

    Note that this specialisation is only available to Scandinavian speaking students in the current cohort.

    Recommended track

    Compulsory courses

    • BUS400N Management Control (taught in Norwegian)
    • BUS401E Strategic Profitability Analysis

    Choose one empirical methods course

    • BUS444N Econometrics for Business Research (taught in Norwegian)
    • ECN402 Econometrics
    • STR402A Methododolgy for Master Thesis

    Choose one ERS course

    • BUS446 Sustainable Business Models is recommended
    • If you would like to take another ERS course, contact us for advice.

  • ENE: Energy, Natural Resources and the Environment with GSM

    ENE: Energy, Natural Resources and the Environment with GSM

    Recommended track

    Compulsory ERS course

    • ENE423 Economics of the Environment and Climate

    Choose one empirical methods course

    • BAN401 Applied Programming and Data Analysis for Business
    • BAN402 Decision Modelling in Business
    • ECN402 Econometrics
    • STR402A Methodology for Master Thesis

    Choose one or two core course

    • ENE424 Electricity Markets
    • ENE431 Shipping Economics and Analytics
    • ENE478 The Economics of Petroleum and the Energy Transition

    Alternatively, you can choose one of the GSM electives:

    • BUS446 Sustainable Business Models
    • ENE421 Energy and Resource Industries
    • ENE435 Sustainable Supply Chain
    • ENE452 Seminar: Climate Change and Ethical Challenges
    • ENE472 Candian and US Energy Markets: Meshed and Challenged
    • ENE474 Energy Finance
    • ENE476 Offshore Energy Resources
    • FIE459 Sustainable Finance

  • FIE: Financial Economics with GSM

    FIE: Financial Economics with GSM

    Recommended track

    Compulsory courses

    • FIE400E/N Investments
    • FIE402 Corporate Finance

    Choose one empirical methods course

    • ECN402 Econometrics
    • FIE401 Financial Econometrics

    Choose one ERS course

    • FIE459 Sustainable Finance is recommended
    • If you would like to take another ERS course, contact us for advice.

  • STR: Strategy and Management with GSM

    STR: Strategy and Management with GSM

    Recommended track

    Compulsory courses

    • STR404 Strategic Analysis
    • STR456 Leadership and Leader psychology

    Compulsory empirical methods course

    • STR402A Methodology for Master Thesis

    Choose one ERS course

    • BUS446 Sustainable Business Models is recommended
    • If you would like to take another ERS course, contact us for advice.

• 2nd semester: GSM Core Courses on exchange

  2nd semester: GSM Core Courses on exchange

  • You go on exchange to Hanken in Helsinki, Finland 
  • Semester dates 9 February – 15 May 2026
  • You take 28 ECTS in total
  • You are with GSM students from NHH and our partner schools
  • All GSM students take the GSM core courses together
  • All the GSM core courses are preapproved as part of your degree

  GSM Core Courses in 2nd semester

  • Current Trends in Global Sustainability (4 ECTS)

    Current Trends in Global Sustainability (4 ECTS)

    • Introduction and orientation to the GSM topics and for the student cohort
    • Includes guest speakers from multiple stakeholders (f.ex. companies, NGOs, IGO, Government, SMES), panels and discussions, visits and challenges

  • The Changing Global Sustainability Context (6 ECTS)

    The Changing Global Sustainability Context (6 ECTS)

    • Interconnectedness of the world and sustainability issues
    • Complex systems and understanding complexity
    • Regional differences and polycontextual approach
    • Global governance mechanisms and institutions such as UN Global Compact, SDGs, UN Human Rights Council, etc.

  • Tackling Key Global Sustainability Challenges (6 ECTS)

    Tackling Key Global Sustainability Challenges (6 ECTS)

    • Social and environmental impact assessment
    • Sustainability integration and innovation
    • Stakeholder and value chain engagement
    • Leadership, culture, and HR for sustainability
    • Partnerships and future-proofing strategies

  • Sustainability Transformation Lab (12 ECTS)

    Sustainability Transformation Lab (12 ECTS)

    • Experiential learning, i.e. students developing, testing and refining social and sustainable business ideas addressing pivotal societal challenges.
    • Develop, test and refine social and sustainable business ideas addressing pivotal societal challenges, together with academic and corporate partners.

• 3rd semester: GSM Electives at NHH

  3rd semester: GSM Electives at NHH

  • You take GSM electives to deepen your knowledge on sustainability issues
  • You take 32 ECTS in total, including the final GSM core course
  • The GSM electives are regular NHH courses on sustainability within different subject areas
  • The GSM electives vary depending on your NHH specialisation and the extended list will be shared with you when you have been accepted to the programme

  GSM core course in 3rd semester

  • Reflections on Sustainability (2 ects)

    Reflections on Sustainability (2 ects)

    • Online course with your GSM cohort
    • Guided reflection on course learnings
    • Inner development goals
    • Sustainability capability mapping

• 4th semester: Master’s thesis at NHH

  4th semester: Master’s thesis at NHH

  You write your master’s thesis (30 ECTS) in the final semester of the programme. 

Apply to the GSM programme