Study Guide

Descriptions

Study objectives:
The Master's Degree Programme in Arts and Culture Management is part of Turku University of Applied Sciences (Turku UAS) Master School. The Degree Programme aims at developing arts and culture field and management practices and it is executed in joint operation with Arts Academy and Business faculties. After completing the Degree Programme you are awarded the Master´s Degree which provides the same eligibility for public posts as a degree awarded by a university.

During the studies you will develop your competences in strategic development of arts and culture organizations, economic and financial questions and promoting well-being and co-operation in work organizations. By developing your organization and by communicating about it gives an interesting image about your working organization which can promote the possibilities to recruit competent personnel.

Developing your own leadership identity, managing yourself and developing the well-being in work organizations play a very important role in the studies. The Master's Degree Programme in Arts and Culture Management is primarily directed to people in working life who are interested in management and leadership. Previous expertise in different arts and culture organizations provides a good starting point to apply and benefit from the Degree Programme.

During your studies you will concentrate on your field´s challenges and future operating environments. Arts and culture field is in constant change. These changes are created, for instance, by technology(digitalization), cultural changes, arts conception and consumer behavior.

Study contents:
The Master’s degree consists of core competences, complementary competences, and the Master’s thesis. Part of the mandatory core competence studies is common for all MBA programmes and part are specific for the Degree Programme in Arts and Culture Management. In core competence courses, you will learn, for example, how to manage arts and culture organisations, how to develop arts and culture products and services, and how to manage human resources.

Complementary competence studies include elective studies that can be taken freely from the other Turku UAS Master’s programmes or from the Master’s programmes of other universities. The Master’s thesis can be done as a working life development project.

Choosing a main subject or field of specialization:
At the beginning of the studies, the student has an Individual Study Plan (ISP) discussion with the tutor teacher, in which the thematic focus of the studies is agreed, for example in relation to the topic of the thesis. Specialization will be achieved through the elective studies (20 credits) and Master’s thesis of (30 credits).

Structure of studies:
The extent of the study programme is 90 ECTS.
The studies consist of
• Compulsory core competences 40 ECTS
• Elective complementary competences 20 ECTS
• Master’s thesis 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 other programmes.

At Turku UAS Master School the students study in a flexible way. The studies can be completed while working full-time and from anywhere in Finland. The programme is built on mixed-mode studies including lectures, e-learning, teamwork, and independent work. The planned length of the studies is 2 years.

Final project:
A central part of the Arts and Cultural Management leadership (MBA) studies is the Master’s thesis. The thesis work starts already at the beginning of the studies and it is usually 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 a possibility to enhance skills in leading teams and workgroups.

Career opportunities:
After graduating, the student 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. The student has also 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. 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.

Internationalization:
Internationalization starts with the student's own needs and interests. Turku University of Applied Sciences is an international higher education institution with dozens of partner universities, with whom we develop our courses. Master students can participate in international exchange programmes and other international study opportunities. Students also have the opportunity to participate in international research and development projects as part of their studies.

Much of the source material for courses and learning assignments is from international professional and scientific sources. Some of the teaching can be carried out in English.

Co-operation with other parties:
The programme is 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 the creation of collaborative networks.

Research focus:
Studies including different tasks, projects, and Master's thesis are characterized by a research and development approach and collaboration with working life. The students are welcome to join the research and development projects running at Turku University of Applied Sciences.

The most important element of the degree is the Master’s thesis, which is usually 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. The industry participates in the development of the education.

Postgraduate study opportunities:
The studies provide eligibility for further academic studies. Universities may set conditions on granting rights for further studies in the form of, for instance, supplementary transitional studies. The degree qualifies you to apply for professional teacher education.

Objective

After completing the studies, the student is able to:
• develop his/her leadership identity
• manage effectively and responsibly people and change
• analyze the development needs and possibilities of arts and culture organizations and develop their activities
• plan, execute and evaluate work environment and strategically plan continuous improvements
• plan, develop, evaluate and manage human resources
• plan and develop arts and culture organizations’ financial and economic possibilities
• manage issues related to work contracts, job safety and intellectual properties
• apply different research and development and innovation method in renewing arts and culture sector

Development

The pedagogical approach applied in the leadership programmes 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 gain models for applying theory in their own work. Studying is part time and involves both contact and distance learning. In addition to individual learning, collaborative learning in teams is applied to meet the needs of working life. Learning takes place partly in virtual and in multi-disciplinary environments. Integration between studies and applied RDI activities and working life orientation play an important role in the studies.

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 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. 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 will be developed according to the principles of continuous improvement. In the development work, feedback from the students and working life as well as their initiatives have a key role. Feedback is collected with, for instance, student questionnaires and group-specific development discussions.