Study Guide

Descriptions

Study objectives:
The Master's degree programme in Project Management 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 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. 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 organization based on appropriate methods and research data.

The Master's degree programme in Project Management is a strongly working-life oriented programme (90 credits), which gives students the opportunity to grow into an international project management professional. The aim of the studies is to develop and deepen the student's project management skills and competences and to broaden project management related perspectives. In training, the student will gain practical and holistic understanding of project management so that she/he will be able to successfully apply the project management competences in practice. By the help of the project management studies the student will be able to seek more challenging jobs in the field of project management, increase her/his knowledge and skills in project management business and in international work. The Master's degree programme in Project Management all the study assignments as well as the master’s thesis are directly related to student’s work. Therefore, the employer organization will also benefit from the studies and will have a great opportunity to develop the project management practices and methods in the organization. Project management and project work is always teamwork so collective working methods are emphasized in the project management studies.

More about the language of instruction:

Study contents:
The Master’s degree composes of core competences, complementary competences and thesis work. Part of the mandatory core competence studies are common for all MBA programmes and part are specific for the Project Management 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. At the beginning of the studies the student and the tutor teacher create together an individual study plan for the student. The themes of project management studies include leading and development of project management in an organization, different areas of project management, different project management models and project business expertise. The training also includes research and development method studies. The studies will go through the principles of project management widely covering traditional and agile project management methods. The programme is based on international project management

frameworks and standards (eg IPMA ICB 4.0, PMI PMBOK, PRINCE2) so it provides a good basis for the corresponding certifications. The programme also includes studies related to program and project portfolio management. The planned duration of the studies is 2 years and the studies are planned to be completed along with the work. Project management studies are carried out as blended learning, there are in average two contact days per month and otherwise we are mainly working online. In addition to individual assignments, group work based learning play a very important role in the studies.

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 · thesis work 30 ECTS. The advanced studies common to each leadership programme include studies in research methods and in future operating environments. The rest of the compulsory studies deepen the insight specific to each leadership programme. Students may further deepen or expand their competences by choosing elective courses from the other programmes. The Master’s Degree studies at TUAS Master School are flexible and can be completed while working full-time and from anywhere in Finland. The programme is built on mixed-mode studies including

lectures, seminars, e-learning, teamwork and independent work. There are two (2) days of contact sessions monthly. The planned length of the studies is 1.5-2 years. The students applying with other than Bachelor of Business Administration degree can graduate accordingly, e.g. with the Bachelor of Engineering or equivalent degree, one can also graduate as Master of Engineering (60 ECTS).

Final project:
The thesis is a central part of the studies. 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 work groups.

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

Qualification:
The University of Applied Sciences Master's degree gives the qualification to a public office in Finland

Possible jobtitles after graduation:
Project manager, program manager, portfolio manager, PMO manager

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 taking part in international conferences and projects. Professional and research literature in English forms a significant part of the learning materials and internationalisation.

Co-operation with other parties:
The programme is planned and implemented together with the working life. The interaction between students working in different positions plays an important role in the development of professional skills and the creation of collaborative networks. A central part of the Master's studies is the Master’s thesis. The thesis work starts already in the beginning of the studies and it is carried out as a working life oriented development project. The thesis will not only develop your knowledge and skills in a certain study field and specific topic but also gives you the possibility to enhance your skills of leading teams and work groups.

Research focus:
Studies are characterised by a research and development approach. The students are welcome to join the research and development projects running at Turku University of Applied Sciences.

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 results-oriented and ethical way
· renew and develop the organisation and its operations by applying appropriate methods based on facts
· apply the project management practices and methods defined in the international project management frameworks and standards
· manage and lead projects in international and virtual environments using modern tools
· manage and lead projects with an holistic approach and understand the perspectives of system thinking in project management
· understand the organisational aspects in project management and apply project management principles in an optimal way from the organisational viewpoint
· develop his/her own personal professional skills according to the international competence requirements for project management
· lead the development of project management in an organisation

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 Project Management (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 the 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 method of implementation. The courses and the thesis are assessed on a scale from 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 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