Study Guide

Descriptions

Study objectives:

The Master´s Degree Programme in Master of Business Administration (90 ECTS) is part of Turku University of Applied Sciences (TUAS) Master School. The curriculum of the programme is working life-driven and provides the students' skills for leadership and administrative tasks requiring expertise. The programme responds to the challenges faced by the growing, changing and internationalising business.

The general goal of the Master's degree at TUAS is to provide students with enough knowledge and skills required in advanced and demanding tasks in the working life. Competences in analysis and development, critical thinking, project management, and leadership are important skills in expert tasks and managerial work.

A central part of the studies in the Master of Business Administration 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 studies are realised as mixed-mode learning, on average, there are two days of contact sessions per month. The studies have been planned to be conducted alongside work and their duration is about 2 years, but flexible solutions also support faster completion.

More about the language of instruction:

The primary tuition language is Finnish, but some of the elective courses are conducted in English. The operating environment is international and many courses and projects are also attended by the students of the English degree programmes and exchange students.

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 is 90 ECTS and the duration is 2 years. The degree title is The Master of Business Administration (MBA).

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 of Business Administration (MBA) degree studies provide the student with skills and competencies for developing business concepts and processes as well as managing organizations and business relationships.

Qualification:

The Master's degree in engineering is a university degree that gives the same eligibility for public positions as a Master’s degree awarded by a university.

Internationalization:

The student’s own needs and the requirements of his/her work determine how the student develops his/her international competence. An international perspective can be linked with the thesis, for example by participating in an international conference or seminar in the field. An international perspective also contributes to the development of language skills. A significant part of the source material for studies and learning assignments comes from international academic and professional sources.

Co-operation with other parties:

The Master of Business Administration (MBA programmes are planned and implemented together with working life. The working life connection involves primarily the student, the student's workplace and the degree programme. The interaction between the 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 Master’s studies is the Master’s thesis, which is a development task that serves the working life. The thesis develops the student's professional skills and competence and serves the development needs of working life. Several local and international partners are also involved in research and development activities.

Within the framework of flexible studies, the student can participate, for example, in the courses organised by the University of Turku or Åbo Akademi University and include them in his/her degree. The student can also take advantage of CampusOnline, which offers the selection of joint online courses by Finnish universities of applied sciences http://campusonline.fi/

Research focus:

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

Postgraduate study opportunities:

A Master’s degree awarded by a university of applied sciences provides eligibility for further academic studies (Licentiate, Doctor) as well as for applying for professional teacher education. However, the receiving faculty always determines its admission criteria and may require e.g. supplementary studies. Their purpose is to ensure that the student's starting level meets the requirements specified for academic research.

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.

After completing the programme, the student can:
· renew and manage the business as well as anticipate the development trends in the field by developing his/her expertise and the expertise of the organisation
· identify changes in the work and operational environment and find new approaches and business opportunities
· work in intelligent national and international work and operational environments
· collect, analyse and evaluate existing data, produce new models in the context of his/her development project and exploit them in business and as an entrepreneur
· deepen his/her financial understanding

Development

Active learning methods, which require the student to take responsibility for his / her studies, are applied. The studies include theory lessons during the contact days, as well as online courses, assignments, projects and practical training as distance learning.

Further information

Completed courses are assessed on a scale from 0-5, some parts may be assessed on a scale Approved/Failed. The thesis is assessed based on the thesis assessment criteria of Turku University of Applied Sciences, which has been published.