Master of Business Administration, Leadership and Service Design: YDESAS18

Descriptions

Master of Businesss Administration, Leadership and Service Design is a joint degree between Turku University of Applied Sciences and Novia University of Applied Sciences. It is a university of applied sciences post-graduate degree for persons with a Bachelor’s degree and three years’ work experience in business.

The Business Administration programme aims to provide and strengthen the knowledge and skills to manage service design in the context of business and community development. The focus is on the synergy between design and business. Design processes and future research are addressed.

The programme leads to a higher professional qualification and it is strongly oriented towards working life. The students will be prepared to work with leadership and service design tasks within different national and international organisations developing their services. The programme also gives students an insight in starting or developing their own business. The studies give students an advanced knowledge base for leadership tasks and tools for the future leadership challenges in the business.

Structure of the studies:
- Core and Complementary Competence Studies (55 ECTS)
- Elective Studies (5 ECTS)
- The Master´s Thesis (30 ECTS)

The courses are implemented together with Novia UAS, and therefore the students from both Universities have the same lectures, tasks and projects. Teachers and students from both organisations have different national or international backgrounds and work experiences, which enables a multi professional and international study environment.

English as the study language enables students from different countries to study at this programme and it also exercises the students to use it in a professional way. During the studies the students have also a possibility for an exchange study period at another university in Europe or outside Europe.

Completion of a master’s degree in the University of Applied Sciences qualifies for doctoral studies in different universities.

Objective

The degree programme specific competences mean that the student perceives, how design and service design enable a holistic and interdisciplinary approach when developing business and societal issues. The student will be exercised in problem solving, innovativeness and creativeness through design thinking. The student practices and shares expertise in teams and networks from different disciplines and cultures, creates and manages professional networks nationally and internationally, considers the cultural, social, economic and ecological aspects of sustainable development and understands how they may be interrelated.

The generic competences within the programme are knowledge, skills and attitudes but also learning, ethical and working community competences including aspects of internationalisation. One of the central competences is innovation competence including individual, interpersonal and networking competences with following competence dimensions: critical thinking, initiative, creativity, teamwork and networking.

Master’s Thesis is a major element of the degree studies. It is a project combining theory, praxis and creation of new knowledge. The studies focus on adapting and strengthening action research and development approach. It requires independent work and skills of utilising research information in an analytical and critical manner.

Thesis is an applied study research, which emphasizes development of the branch, work, organization or working community. It is also possible to join research and development programmes and have the thesis done in a project.

Development

The focus, study contents and ways of implementation of the programme are planned together with the stakeholders. Close contacts and continuous co-operation with the working life continues in the programme implementation and development.

In the beginning of the studies the student evaluates own knowledge and skills, draws the developmental goals and makes the individual study plan (ISP), which is discussed with the principal lecturer or tutor teacher. As a part of the ISP process, the student may apply for the recognition and acknowledgement on previously acquired competence.

Multiform studies in business, service design and research include activating learning and teaching methods and also multi disciplinarity, which means that the students are encouraged in training strategic thinking, sharing own expertise and learning together. The studies consist of contact sessions, distance teaching sessions using on-line study platforms and independent studies. The study projects are discussed in small groups and together with teaching staff and working life experts, which make it possible to share and create new knowledge together. Teamwork, constant peer evaluation and coaching teacher roles create together an important core for the studies. The teamwork includes also constant connections with other team members.

The integration between studies and research and development activities, working life orientation and entrepreneurship are essential parts of the studies. Therefore the students are emphasized to do the tasks for their own work organisations, other organisations in Finland and in other countries or projects between own university and stakeholders. For example the students have developed services for cities and private enterprises in Finland and abroad. The commissions with foreign stakeholders bring internationality for the studies and open wider possibilities for the student.
Blended and summer studies offer possibilities for the students to study when working fulltime, for example online courses during the summer are possible choices.

Further information

The degree programme is evaluated according to the principles of continuous improvement and dialogue between the staff and the students. Self and peer evaluations, assignment reports and seminar presentations are important during the whole study process. The curriculum contents, implementation, learning processes, study outcomes and working life relatedness are evaluated. The development of the innovation competences is also evaluated during the studies.

Group wise and individually given feedback is collected via questionnaires and discussions with the group and teacher team.