Study Guide

Descriptions

The Objective

The education is intended for music professionals already completed BA degree, who wish to develop their professionalism as well as expand their earning opportunities. A graduate of education is able to meet the needs of a changing working life, manages up-to-date pedagogical and technical solutions and practices, is able to work creatively in various working communities and networks, working as musician in health care settings, and develops as an entrepreneur and driver of development processes in educational institutions.

The study goals may be focused either on music pedagogues artistic, pedagogical or interdisciplinary development.

Contents of the studies

The content of the education is prepared in accordance with the student's personal learning objectives in the framework of the study plan.

The studies focus on working methods that make use of community networks. A music professional today is an active player in networks, and is also able to participate in and coordinate inter-art and multi-professional teams.

A key element in the programme is the Thesis module (30 ECTS), which runs through the entire duration of the programme. The purpose of the Master’s thesis is to develop professional practices in the field of culture while meeting the requirements of the customer or other commissioning organisation. The thesis includes artistic and practical content in accordance with the objectives of the development task. The thesis work begins immediately at the start of the studies and continues throughout them.

Other studies consist of joined studies, professional studies, and elective studies.

The purpose of these studies is to build tools for the student to develop their own expertise and professional profile, the implementation of the development work related to the thesis, and to enhance well-being at work. The core objective of the studies is the student's own professional development.

The contents of the elective studies can be for example chamber music pedagogy, concert master tasks, online music pedagogy, specializing in online performing and teaching, working as musician in health care settings, creating own business or profile as entrepreneur.

At the beginning of the studies, the student prepares a personal learning plan and study path together with the tutor.

Structure of the programme

The scope of Master's degree programme in Music pedagogue is 60 credits (ECTS) and planned duration 1.5 years. The degree is composed of the following modules:

- Future Operating Environments 5 ECTS
- Digital Skills of Music Pedagogue in Hybrid Work 5 ECTS
- Music pedagogy 10 ECTS
- Master's thesis 30 ECTS
- Elective studies 10 ECTS

Master's thesis

The Master's Thesis is a practical and creative development task that supports the student's career development, diversifys employment opportunities and deepens professional expertise. The thesis consists of two parts: development methods and planning (5 ECTS) and implementation and reporting of the development project (25 ECTS). Students can link their development projects to the themes or activities of other research groups at the Art Academy or Turku University of Applied Sciences. You can also apply for support for the development project from other educational institution networks and from the student's own networks. It is also possible to do the thesis as teamwork.

The successful implementation of the thesis requires deep expertise, creativity and ability to act both in the group and independently.

The thesis of a music pedagogue may include artistic work, development of pedagogical practices, building an entrepreneurial profile, developing learning materials, etc.

The results of the thesis are published in the best way to serve the development task, digital portfolio, video, etc.

Career opportunities

Graduates from the Master's degree programme in Music Pedagogue can be placed in a wide range of demanding teaching, leadership and development roles in the music industry, and can work as entrepreneurs, including internationally. Once pedagogical studies have been completed, assignment titles may include:
- teacher or lecturer at a music school
- conservatory teacher or lecturer
- rector of a music college or conservatory (in addition, studies or knowledge of the administration of education are required)
- Teacher or lecturer at a University of Applied Sciences
- teacher or coordinating teacher at free education
- project manager, coordinator or entrepreneur
- web pedagogue
- performing artist specializing in online work

Qualifications

The programme leads to a Master’s Degree in Culture and Arts. Master’s programmes at Turku UAS Master School comply with the European Qualification Framework (EQF) and Finnish National Qualifications Framework (NQF). Learning outcomes of the Master’s programmes are at level 7, as in any other Finnish or European university.

A Master’s degree from Turku UAS Master School gives formal eligibility to pursue suitable postgraduate studies and for public posts that require a master level university degree.

Internationalisation

The training will encourage internationalisation. The studies can include activities in the international network, study trips or short-term exchange. The development of communication skills in the English language needed for the work of music pedagogists will be supported. Articles and books in English are also used as data-based sources. Students have the opportunity to attend English workshops and lectures.

Turku University of Applied Sciences Master School students get access to Turku University of Applied Sciences' international university network, which enables internationalisation during studies. The Academy of Fine Arts’ music education cooperates internationally with projects and cooperation schools. The student can perform active tasks, e.g. in artistic and pedagogical projects with partners.

It is possible to complete some of the studies in foreign languages, e.g. through English study offers, international student exchange and international projects or optional studies.

Turku University of Applied Sciences Academy of Arts cooperates with the Nordic music Nordplusmusic network and EU cooperation in ERASMUS+ network.

Cooperation with other actors

Networked cooperation with different actors is an integral part of the Art Academy's activities. The Academy of Arts is a multi-artic and multi-disciplinary community. The multidisciplinary nature of Turku University of Applied Sciences opens up plenty of opportunities for cooperation. YAMK training is carried out in cooperation with the extensive national and international networks of the Academy of Arts and Students' own networks.

For example, Campus Online and Culture Campus Turku offer learning content for freely selected studies.

Research priorities

The research focus of the studies is on dealing with current practical issues in the music sector and promoting the student's own career. The music training of the Turku Academy of Arts develops work and earning models for online work by music pedagogues, multi-art performers, online pedagogical practices, new earning models for music pedagogical work.

Objective

After completion of the education the student is able to:
- use and apply his/hers music pedagogy skills in new ways
- identify and analyse changes and opportunities in his/her operating environment
- work creatively as part of a team simultaneously developing his/her problem solving skills
- build and maintain collaboration as well as domestic and international networks to complement his/her own competences
- communicate about his/her own competences and development work to domestic and international networks

Development

The training takes the form of hybrid learning. Most of the study and learning takes place in the student's own schedule at a chosen place. The studies are mainly carried out through e-learning, independent work and various group and project work. Independent studies are supported and rhythmized by contact teaching, which is usually in the program one or two days a month.

Learning process supported by teachers

The teachers in the Master School in Arts Academy support the students’ learning process and competence development, supervise the development projects carried out for the thesis and facilitate networking and team work across disciplinary boundaries. In addition to strong pedagogical qualifications, the teaching staff has high professional expertise in the fields of arts and culture, as well as education.

Our Master’s degree programme students and faculty form a learning community, in which peer learning from other arts and culture professionals plays a key part and in which teachers and students learn together and from each other.

Each student meets with the tutoring teacher at the beginning of his/her studies and during the second semester. The purpose of the tutoring meeting is to discuss the personal learning objectives and the individual study plan (ISP) of the student.

Student-centred learning and teaching methods

The courses of the study programme are planned and built around a student-centered learning process and authentic, motivating learning tasks. Many of the learning tasks are linked with the students’ own development projects for the thesis and support their thesis writing process. Learning tasks may also be based on real-life cases, problems and assignments provided by our working life partners.

The learning tasks are ideally carried out as part of the work in multiprofessional teams. As a rule, the independently completed learning tasks are also shared with the group through the online platform for discussion and learning. Peer assessment plays a key role in the completion of the learning tasks both for the courses and the development project.

Students' learning is assessed through a variety of methods. In addition to the assessment conducted by the teachers, self-assessment and peer assessment are systematically used. Learning is also assessed externally by working life partners, such as student mentors. The assessment covers the competences attained by the student as well as his/her competence development during the studies. The main purpose of the assessment is to support the students’ competence development. (See Assessment for more details.)

Diverse learning environments

In the Music pedagogue programme the studies and learning take place in a variety of different learning environments. Some of the learning environments are used by all students together, while some environments are used by those who find the specific environment relevant and rewarding with regard to their learning objectives and competence track.

The campus environment: The students convene for a contact learning period usually once a month. Contact learning offers an important platform for learning guidance, peer support, team work and collective reflection. In addition, the contact learning periods include lectures and talks by visiting experts and the programme’s own lecturers and/or visits to local communities. During the contact learning period, the students may also meet and work together with students of other Master School programmes. Different learning environments in music education may be i.e. student orchestra, chamber ensembles, pedagogical training school.

Online learning environment: The online learning management system (LMS) of Turku UAS, called itslearning, is the “homebase” for blended learning, providing the students with general information about the degree programme as well as the schedule, learning materials and instructions for each course as well as the tools used for completing, sharing and/or submitting the learning tasks. The online learning environment is complemented by other digital tools, such as Zoom, Teams and social media platforms used in conjunction with professional music software, as needed. Some of the learning activities take place online in interaction with the whole group or a smaller team of students.

Networks: The programme is offered in close collaboration with working life networks, and students are encouraged to make active use of their own professional networks in their development projects and other studies and to build new networks. Students are encourage to participate in proefssionally relevant seminars and other events, and to include these learning experiences in their elective studies.

Research groups and RDI projects: The students also have the opportunity to complete the development project for their thesis as part of one of the research groups at the Arts Academy or other research, development and innovation projects at Turku UAS. The students may also include project-based studies in RDI projects as elective studies.

Feedback system

The Music Pedagogue programme is based on continuous feedback: students meet their tutor teacher during each contact learning period to discuss matters related to their studies. One purpose of the tutor meetings is to facilitate giving feedback so that any issues can be addressed immediately. Feedback can also be given via itslearning or email. In addition, feedback on individual courses is collected using an online feedback questionnaire, and students are requested to give general feedback on their studies in a Student Barometer survey during the second semester.

The degree programme is constantly developed in dialogue with working life. Feedback will be received from, for example, the Arts Academy advisory council, project partners and working life partners.

Further information

The assessment of each course is based on competence goals detailed in the curriculum, which are in turn based on the competence goals set for the entire degree programme. The innovation competences of Turku UAS are taken into account in the competence goals for the degree. The scale of assessment is Approved/Failed, except for the development project for the thesis which is graded on a scale from 1 to 5.

The assessment of the development project is based on the common assessment criteria for Master’s degree theses at Turku UAS. The thesis is always evaluated by two examiners, one of whom also supervises the thesis work. The second examiner may be a teacher from Turku University of Applied Sciences or a working life representative. The students will receive a written statement on their thesis detailing the grounds for the grade awarded.

Prior to the summative assessment at the end of the thesis process, students will receive feedback from their thesis supervisor(s) with the purpose of helping students improve their final thesis. Process assessment takes place in a group situation in connection with the presentation of the research and development plan and at later stages of the development project, during individual supervisory discussions and following the submission of the draft thesis report.

Assessment by teachers: The course assessment by the teacher covers all learning assignments submitted during the course in accordance with the principle of continuous assessment. The focus of the assessment is on both the final product (such as a report or a presentation) demonstrating the student’s competences (learning outcomes) and the student’s learning process (competence development). The learning process is made visible in the online learning environment (by sharing draft versions of learning assignments in the discussion forum, by giving and receiving peer feedback and editing the work based on feedback), during face-to-face meetings, in which students may give progress reports on their projects, during supervisory meetings with the teacher and in the reports written by the student on their work.

Self-assessment: Self-assessment is essentially based on a professional autobiographical process that continues throughout the studies. It serves as a tool for reflection on the students’ own skills and their development and on their professional identity. In addition, the students are expected to reflect on the progress of their learning in all reports written during the studies, such as the project-based course reports in elective studies and the thesis report on the development project.

Peer assessment: Peer assessment is used in many learning tasks on the itslearning LMS platform, with students sharing drafts and final versions of their learning tasks with each other and giving feedback on their respective performance. The students will also have the opportunity to give peer feedback during the contact learning periods in the context of presentations on development projects and discussions on learning assignments. Peer assessment is an essential part of each course.

Assessment by working life partners: External working life partners may assess student performance during the thesis work, if the work was assigned by an external working life partner. The courses also include lectures and workshops by guest experts, who will give feedback on student performance during contact learning periods. The purpose of the assessment conducted by a working life partner is mainly to support the students’ competence development and achievement of goals, so it is provided primarily for the personal benefit of the student.