Study Guide

Descriptions

Special social quidance is one of the Turku University of Applied Sciences's Master School Professional pathway training. Professional path training offers the opportunity to develop as an expert in your field. During the studies, we will address the challenges of developing our own field as well as future operating environments. Upon graduation, the student has developed and renewed working life, created new networks and acquired the capacity to work in demanding expert and development tasks. A student who has completed special social quidance training is able to act independently, ethically and responsibly in the demanding special social quidance tasks of the social and neighboring sectors in cooperation with clients and different actors. He/she utilizes the knowledge base of special social quidance knowledge and guidance methods to promote the well-being of clients in different life situations, driving the interests of customers in welfare services and working with different actors. He/she works innovatively in various work communities and organizations and evaluates and develops his own expertise. The training emphasizes the customer's role, customer orientation and the strengthening of resources based on the customer's needs and the life situation.

Specialized expert tasks, education and development tasks, management and leadership works

Social service supervisor, special social supervisor, service manager, trainer, expert

Students have the opportunity to complete part of their studies outside Finland at higher education institutions with which Turku University of Applied Sciences has signed a cooperation agreement. Students can also engage in internationalisation by participating in intensive events organised by international networks, as well as in international conferences, projects. Our Master School international seminar, organised once a year, is part of the master studies. Part of the studies can be implemented in English.

Collaboration with different work organizations and networking are part of the studies. In research, development and innovation projects, cooperation can also extend to international higher education institutions and international working partners. The student has the opportunity to apply for a JOO degree (JOO = flexible study right) to be included in your degree from the offer of the University of Turku, Åbo Akademi University, Diakonia University of Applied Sciences, Novrkola School Novia and Humanities University of Applied Sciences.

The aim of the research group is to promote leadership, the evaluation and development of the social welfare and health care system through multidisciplinary expertise. Focus areas are knowledge-based management, customer-focused operational models and new solutions at interfaces, high-quality care and services for the older citizens, competence and expertise in the renewing and increasignly multicultural operational environment and additionally higher education, employment and career paths.

Postgraduate doctoral studies in Finnish and foreign universities under certain conditions



The thesis is a development project in cooperation with working life and projects, where the student works as a project manager. The thesis can be implemented in Turku University of Applied Sciences research, development and innovation projects (RDI) or in the working environment. Other studies can be connected to the thesis project as a development project, as appropriate. The thesis is implemented according to the tripartite model. This means collaboration between the student, the teacher tutor and the work life coach throughout the training. 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 the implementation of the development project.

Objective

After completing the programme, the student is able to:
· act independently and responsibly in the special social guidance tasks in the social and neighboring sectors in cooperation with customers and other actors.
· utilizes the knowledge base of special social guidance and is able to apply it independently in professional work
· promote the well-being of customers by social guidance methods ethically, and is able to support their communities in different life situations and changes in their daily lives.
· utilize well-being services and benefits and is able to drive the interests of customers in cooperation with other actors.
· emphasize in his/her work actorness, customer’s orientation and customer’s resources according to their needs and life situations.
· innovate in different work communities and organizations.
· evaluate his/her professional skills and is be able to develop own skills independently.

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 one - 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 the Masters programmes related to, among others, the completion of the Master´s thesis. A central part of the Special Social Guidance 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, the content and the 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. 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-specific development discussions.