Study Guide

Descriptions

Experts and leaders for advanced expert roles and the reformers of the working life graduated from Master School of Turku University of Applied Sciences. The Master’s degree opens the door to the new career development. From the experts of the Master-level Finland gets more competitive knowledge. Educations in Master School is divided into two paths: in the Leadership Excellence path develop persons as a superior or leader and in the Professional Excellence path for an expert level that requires advanced knowledge.

Teaching is mainly in Finnish. The studies are also conducted in English and using English-language learning materials. The student has an opportunity to participate in the international research, development and innovation projects (RDI) in which working language is English.

The Master’s degree composes of core competences, complementary competences and thesis work. Part of the mandatory core competence studies are common for all Professional programmes and part are specific for the name of the program. Complementary competence studies include elective studies that can be taken freely from the other TUAS Master’s programmes or from the Masters’ programmes of other universities. In most cases, the thesis work is done as a working life development project.

The thesis is a development project which is done in cooperation with working life and projects and in which the student acts as the project manager. The thesis can be carried out in the research projects, development projects and innovation projects of TUAS or in the environment of the working life. Other studies can be connected to the development project where applicable. The thesis is implemented according to the tripartite model. This means collaboration between the student, the teacher tutor and the work life coach throughout the training. The financier also cooperates when necessary. A development and project team representing a wide range of expertise will be established for the development project to support the implementation of the development project.

An upper university degree produces the same eligibility for a public post or post as a university degree at a university. Education provide general competences in management and development tasks. In the social and health sector, besides the general eligibility conditions, there is also sector-specific regulation for management. Extensive development and substance expertise enables national and international mobility. The education follows the European Qualification Framework (EQF) proficiency level descriptions and the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) proficiency descriptions. The level corresponding to the higher university of applied sciences degree is 7.

Students have the opportunity to complete part of their studies outside Finland at higher education institutions with which Turku University of Applied Sciences has signed a cooperation agreement. Students can also engage in internationalisation by participating in intensive events organised by international networks, as well as in international conferences, projects. Our Master School international seminar, organised once a year, is part of the master studies. Part of the studies can be implemented in English.

The cooperation with the working life organisations and networking are a part of the studies. In the RDI projects, the cooperation can reach also to the international universities and to the international working life partners. It is possible for the student to apply for the right to complete JOO-studies (JOO-opinto), the University of Turku, Åbo Akademi, Diakonia and Yrkeshögskolan Novian and studies from study supply of Humanistinen University of Applied Sciences.

The aim of the research group of Master School is to promote leadership, the evaluation and development of the social welfare and health care system through multidisciplinary expertise. Focus areas are knowledge-based management, customer-focused operational models and new solutions at interfaces, high-quality care and services for the older citizens, competence and expertise in the renewing and increasingly multicultural operational environment and additionally higher education, employment and career paths.

A Master’s degree awarded by a university of applied sciences provides eligibility for further academic studies as well as for applying for professional teacher education. Universities may set conditions on granting rights for further studies in the form of e.g. supplementary studies. The degree gives the competency to apply into the vocational teacher training.

The Master's degree programme in advanced practice – cancer care is part of Professional path. The School of Professional Excellence focuses on developing the skills and competences needed as a specialist in the selected discipline. During the studies, students can focus into the challenges of their own field and to the environments of the future. After graduation, the student has developed and reformed working life has created new networks and has readiness to operate for the working in the demanding expert and development tasks.

The main content of the core competence studies are: Advanced practice in cancer care, Cancer, Cancer Prevention and Health Promotion; Advanced competences in care of cancer patients and her/his nearest ones and interprofessional vollaboration as a premise to cancer patients services and development of care.

The extent of the study programme is 90 ECTS.
The studies are composed of:
• Compulsory core competences 40 ECTS
• Elective complementary competences 20 ECTS
• Thesis work 30 ECTS.

The studies include network studying, independent working and contact sessions. The contact sessions will be arranged once a month during one or two day periods on average. However, there can be more contact days because of the selections of the courses. The contact sessions consist: counselling, expert lectures and seminar work. The planned length of the studies is 2 years.

By the time the student graduates, she/he can work/act in the different national or international expert tasks, developing and management tasks and teaching tasks.advanced practice nurse, nurse manager, team manager, care coordinator, case manager

During the education, one international visit will be planned and conducted with the student group.Education has been planned together with FICAN West and Turku University Hospital.

Objective

After completing the programme, the student is able to:
· practice as advanced practitioner in accordance with legislation demonstrating accountability, professional integrity and ethical conduct
· work independently as advanced nurse practitioner in in her/his scope of cancer care practice in direct clinical care.
· Identify cancer patient’s and her/his nearest ones needs of care, services and master principles of case management / service counselling in answering to patient’s and her/his nearest ones needs.
· Renews person-centred services based on evidence based information in different cancer care contexts
· Enhances dissemination and exploitation of evidence-based practice in regional, national and international multiprofessional health related networks.

Development

From a pedagogical perspective, teaching is based on a socio-cultural learning concept and on innovation-boosting learning and development practices by using innovation pedagogy. The students are encouraged to engage in active, critical thinking, to deepen their field-specific competence and to systematically build their fundamental knowledge regarding development. It is possible to complete the studies in addition to the work. On average there are two contact days per a month. The teaching is carried out utilizing the innovative teaching and learning methods (Innopeda). The studying contains both the contact and the distance learning. The studies are performed in the network and in the multidisciplinary environments. The studies include independent work and working in the multidisciplinary teams. The development tasks from the working life are utilised. Core competence studies of bioanalytics (20 ECTS credits) are implemented through a nationwide network.

Further information

The objectives for skills levels in a Master’s Degree are based on the legislation on universities of applied sciences and the European Qualification Framework (EQF). The level corresponding to a Master’s Degree is level 7. Assessment focuses on competence and its development. The assessment criteria for each course are described in its implementation plan. The course assessment methods vary according to the objectives of the study module. Assessment may focus on the outcome (for instance, a report or a seminar presentation), on the process (the student’s own activity and actions during the course) or on both. Students receive regular feedback on their performance from their teachers. Peer- and self-assessment as well as client company feedback on performance are also utilized. The degree assessment framework is used as the basis for the assessment. The precondition for the acceptance of the study module is performing of the items which belong to it according to the curriculum. From the studies that have been acceptably completed grades are used, on a scale of 0 to 5 or accepted or completed.