Study Guide

Descriptions

Study objectives:
The Master's Degree Programme in Management of Social and Health Services and Business (MBA) is part of Turku University of Applied Sciences (TUAS) Master School. 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 opportunity to create new multidisciplinary networks with other experts both in Finland and globally. The School of Leadership Excellence provides the students the 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.

In the leadership (MBA) studies the student develops his/her managerial profile as a motivating and effective leader who achieves results and change by managing people ethically and who renews and develops the organisation based on appropriate methods and research data.

A Director of The Social and Health Care (Sote) is able to analyse and develop him/herself as an executive leader. He/she is able to create successful leadership, with the goal of a well-performing and executive work community. The Sote Director creates and communicates a new sote expert image regionally, nationally and internationally. He/she develops and manages systematised, customer-oriented (service-driven) and efficient (business-driven, production-driven) social management and service systems and service concepts. The Sote Director applies data-driven change interventions to current and significant changes and measures in the reform of social and health services.

More about the language of instruction:
The main tuition language Finnish, but some of the studies are conducted in English and learning materials in English are used.

The students have the opportunity to participate in international research, development and innovation projects (RDI), where the working language is English.

Study contents:
The Master’s degree composes of core competences, complementary competences, and Master’s thesis. Part of the mandatory core competence studies is common for all MBA programmes and part are specific for the Management of Social and Health Services and Business (MBA). 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 Master’s thesis is done as a working life development project. At the beginning of the studies, the student and the tutor teacher create together an individual study plan for the student.

The core competences of Sote Services and Business Management include social and health service system, information management in social and health services, accounting management in the social and health sector, production economy in social and health services, change management and the change in leadership.

The elective studies, core studies, and the Master’s thesis processes support the career advancement and goal-oriented development of the student’s leadership skills into executive capability. In terms of content, the studies support the identification and implementation of data-driven change interventions, when targeting major and significant changes in the reform of social and health services. The studies focus on the creation of a new sote-expert image at regional, national and international levels, as well as systematised, customer-oriented (service-driven) and efficient (business-driven, industrialised) defining and integrating management and service systems and service concepts into service production. Special interest is focused on achieving a prosperous and executive work community as a result of the integration of result-oriented leadership skills. The thesis is done as a development project and will develop and manage working life both nationally and internationally through a network.

Structure of studies:
The extent of the study programme is 90 ECTS. The studies are composed of:
Compulsory core competences 40 ECTS
Elective complementary competences 20 ECTS
Master’s thesis 30 ECTS.

The studies take place through e-learning, self-study and contact teaching. Contact teaching is organised on average once a month for one or two days. Due to the individual course selections, a student may have more contact days. Contact teaching consists of guidance, group work, expert lectures, and seminar work.

The studies consist of 5 credit study units, which typically each include two contact days. With the elective studies, the student extends his / her skills by incorporating studies from his / her own or the other TUAS Master’s programmes or from other higher education institutions. Some elective studies are implemented completely online.

Final project:
A central part of the studies is the Master’s thesis. The thesis work starts already at the beginning of the studies and it is carried out as a working life oriented development project. The thesis will not only develop the student’s knowledge and skills in a certain study field and specific topic but also gives the possibility to enhance skills in leading teams and workgroups.

The thesis is implemented according to the tripartite model. This means collaboration between the student, the teacher tutor and the working life coach throughout the process. If necessary, the donor also cooperates. A development and project team representing a wide range of expertise will be created for the development project to support its implementation.

Career opportunities:
By the time the student graduates, he/she has created new knowledge and reformed the working life with the Master's thesis. The student’s network has expanded both in Finland and globally. In addition, the student has developed his/her expertise and acquired tools to advance his/her career.

Qualification:
A Master’s degree awarded by a university of applied sciences provides the same eligibility for public posts as a degree awarded by a university. The education provides general competence for management and development tasks. In the social and health sector, besides the general eligibility conditions, there is also sector-specific regulation for the eligibility for management tasks. Extensive development and expertise in the field make national and international mobility possible. The education follows the European Qualification Framework (EQF) proficiency level descriptions and the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) proficiency descriptions. The level corresponding to the Master’s degree is 7.

Possible jobtitles after graduation:
Head nurse, chief, manager, developer

Internationalisation:
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 form a significant part of the learning materials and part of the teaching can be in English.

Co-operation with other parties:
The studies at the School of Leadership Excellence are designed and implemented in collaboration with working life. The working life connection is primarily built around the student, the student's workplace, networks, and education. The interaction between the students working in different positions plays an important role in the development of professional skills and creation of collaborative networks.

The most important element of the degree is the Master’s thesis, which is done as a development project that serves the working life. 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 the research and development activities.

Students can apply for courses at other higher education institutions and include these in their degree. Students can also take advantage of the joint online study offering at CampusOnline provided by the Finnish universities of applied sciences. http://campusonline.fi/

The industry participates in the development of the education.

Research focus:
The Multidisciplinary Research Group of the Social and Health Master School promotes the leadership, the evaluation and development of the social welfare and health care system through multidisciplinary expertise.

The focus areas are knowledge-based management, customer-driven operational models and new solutions at the interfaces, high-quality care and services for the elderly, competence and expertise in the renewing and increasingly multicultural operational environment as well as higher education, employment, and career paths.

Postgraduate study opportunities:
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.

Objective

After completing the programme, the student is able to:
· develop his/her own leadership identity towards becoming a motivating and capable executive/manager
· manage people and change in a result-oriented and ethical way aiming for a prosperous and executive work community
· create and communicate a new social and health care expert image regionally, nationally and internationally
· create systematic, customer-oriented (service-driven) and efficient (business-driven, production-driven) management and service systems and service concepts
· apply data-driven interventions for change to topical and significant changes and measures to reform social and health services

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 to 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 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 Management of Social and Health Services and Business (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 the 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. The 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 is developed according to the principles of continuous improvement. In the development work, feedback from the students and working life, as well as their initiatives, play a key role. Feedback is collected with, for instance, student questionnaires and group development discussions.