Master's Degree Programme in Social Services and Health Care, Research Group Studies: YTUTSK26

Descriptions

Study objectives:

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.

Research Group Studies are part of the Professional or Leadership path offerings. The student works as a member of a research group within the Health and Wellbeing sector, and at the beginning of their studies, a personal study plan is created. This plan takes into account the student’s prior knowledge and experience, as well as their individual career goals.

A prerequisite for being selected for the program is that the student’s previous competencies and studies align with the core RDI (Research, Development, and Innovation) activities of the research group. During their studies, the student specializes in one of the research group’s focus areas and can direct their expertise toward their current or new areas of specialization.

During their studies, the student works within a research group as a member of the team, taking on roles such as project manager and/or specialist. The content of the education is based on the student’s personal study plan and on ongoing or upcoming projects. The right to study is granted within a Master’s degree programme (YAMK) at Turku University of Applied Sciences, depending on the research group and the definition of the learning objectives.

More about the language of instruction:

Teaching is mainly done in Finnish. The studies are also conducted in English and using English-language learning materials.Students have the opportunity to participate in international research, development and innovation projects (TKI), where the working language is English.

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 in Social and health is 90 ECTS and the duration is 2 years. The degree title is a Master of Health care or Master of Social Care.

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. During studies students can apply for courses at other higher education institutions and include these in a degree. Students can take advantage of CampusOnline's joint online study offer from another Finnish higher education institution. You can find CampusOnline's offer in your study record system Peppi (cross-institutional studies).

Final project:

The thesis (30 ECTS) 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’s degree programme in health care provides the competence to work in expert, supervisory and managerial positions or handle research and development duties at companies, in the public and third sectors or in other organisations. The majority of graduates have found employment in supervisory and development positions in social and health care organisations.

Qualification:

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.

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 participating in international conferences and projects. International professional and research literature forms a significant part of the learning materials and part of the teaching can be in English.

Co-operation with other parties:

The programmes are designed and implemented within the research group. Interaction between students working in different roles plays a significant part in developing professional competence and building collaborative networks. Depending on the nature of the research group and the RDI (Research, Development, and Innovation) project, local, national, and international actors are involved—networks into which the student becomes integrated.

Research focus:

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

Postgraduate study opportunities:

A Master’s degree from a university of applied sciences provides the same formal qualifications for further education as a Master’s degree completed at a university.