Study Guide

Descriptions

Study objectives

TUAS Master School brings together all Master’s degree programmes at TUAS in the fields of Business, Culture, Healthcare and Social Services, and Technology. It gives the students an excellent chance to create new multidisciplinary networks with other experts both in Finland and globally. The School of Leadership Excellence provides the students a possibility to study and acquire skills and competences needed as a business leader and manager whereas the School of Professional Excellence focuses on developing the skills and competences needed as a specialist in the selected discipline.

More about the language of instruction

Teaching is mainly done in Finnish. The studies are also conducted in English and using English-language learning materials.Students have the opportunity to participate in international research, development and innovation projects (TKI), where the working language is English.

Study contents:

Students may specialize in their study and Master's thesis work in the focus areas of research groups.
Studying is carried out in a variety of ways, including online studies, group work, distance learning, and independent work. Studying emphasizes communality and teamwork. The student prepares an individual study plan (ISP), which is closely related to the thesis work.
The student will conduct individual study plan discussions with the tutor immediately at the beginning of the studies and then agree on the thematic emphasis of his/her studies, taking into account the topic of the thesis.

Choosing a main subject or field of specialization:

The student selects the research group at the application stage and can thus emphasize his / her studies according to the topics of the research group. For more information on research groups and their strengths, please visit the Turku University of Applied Sciences website. Before you fill the application, you should contact the research team leader for more information on the research activities and priorities and whether it is possible to intake new students in the group.

Structure of studies:

The extent of the Master’s degree in Social and health is 90 ECTS and the duration is 2 years. The degree title is a Master of Health care or Master of Social Care.

The studies consist of

• advanced studies (core competence) 40 ECTS
• elective studies (complementary competence) 20 ECTS
• Master’s thesis 30 ECTS

Advanced studies extend the student’s previous studies and consist of methodological and professional studies. The scope of an advanced study course is 5 ECTS and it is typically accompanied by two contact days.

With elective studies, the student can expand his/her skills by incorporating studies from his/her programme, other TUAS Master’s programmes or the Master’s programmes of other universities. There are also elective studies offered fully online available.

Final project:

The thesis is implemented as a development project with a clear research focus and a close connection to the practical work. The thesis is mostly carried out as a development or research project in the student's organisation. If a student does not have a development task based on the actual training needs or does not have an employment relationship, Turku University of Applied Sciences research groups offer subjects suitable for the thesis.

Career opportunities:

The Master’s degree programme in health care provides the competence to work in expert, supervisory and managerial positions or handle research and development duties at companies, in the public and third sectors or in other organisations. The majority of graduates have found employment in supervisory and development positions in social and health care organisations.

Qualification:

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.

Internationalization:

Students have the opportunity to complete part of their studies outside Finland at the higher education institutions with which Turku University of Applied Sciences has signed a cooperation agreement. In addition, students can integrate internationalisation in their studies e.g. by participating in the intensive weeks organised by the international networks as well as by participating in international conferences and projects. International professional and research literature forms a significant part of the learning materials and part of the teaching can be in English.

Co-operation with other parties:

Educations are designed and implemented in collaboration with working life. The working life connection is primarily made up of the student, the student's workplace, networks and education. The interaction between students working in different positions plays an important role in the development of professional skills and the creation of collaborative networks. The most important element of the degree is the development project that serves the working life, which creates the actual thesis. The thesis increases the student's professional skills and competence and serves the development needs of working life. Local, national and international actors are also involved in research and development. Students can apply for courses at other higher education institutions and include these in a degree. Students can also take advantage of CampusOnline's joint online study offer at the polytechnics of Finland. http://campusonline.fi/ Industry participates in the development of education.

Research focus:

Research focus varies by research group, and it is good to discuss this with the research team leader before applying.

Postgraduate study opportunities:

A Master’s degree from a university of applied sciences provides the same formal qualifications for further education as a Master’s degree completed at a university.

Objective

The student works during his/her studies as a member of the research (RDI)-group in which the student has been accepted to accomplish the Master of Engineering degree. The student's role can be either a specialist or e.g. a research project or team leader. The more detailed content of the work and studies depends on the goals and funding of the research group.

Development

The pedagogical approach applied in the leadership (MBA) studies is Innovation pedagogy that refers to an approach of constructivist and problem-based learning. Master´s students study alongside their work and want to broaden and deepen their theoretical knowledge and get models to apply theory in their own work. Studying is part time and involves both contact and distant learning. In addition to individual learning, collaborative learning in teams is applied to meet the needs of working life. Integration between studies and applied RDI activities and working life orientation play an important role in the studies. Learning takes place partly in virtual and in multi-disciplinary environments. On average, there are one - two consecutive contact teaching days in a month. The student creates an individual study plan (ISP) at the beginning of his/her studies, where he/she selects studies offered in Masters programmes related to, among others, the completion of the master´s thesis. A central part of Development and Management of Social and Health care (MBA) studies is the master´s thesis in which the student will not only develop the knowledge and skills in a certain study field and specific topic, but will also have the possibility to develop his/her work and workplace.

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. The assessment criteria for each course are described in its implementation plan. Performance requirements vary depending on objectives, content and the method of implementation. The courses and the thesis are assessed on a scale of 0 to 5. Assessment focuses on competence and its development. 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 Degree Programme will be developed according to the principles of continuous improvement. In the development work, feedback from the students and working life as well as their initiatives have a key role. Feedback is collected with, for instance, student questionnaires and group-specific development discussions.