Study Guide

Descriptions

DESCRIPTION OF MASTER SCHOOL DEGREE PROGRAMMES (MASTER’S DEGREES)

This curriculum concerns the following degree programmes starting in autumn 2023: Master of Service Management in Digital Era, Master of Development of Social Services in the Digital age, Master of Well-being Analytics, Master of Digital Business Management, Master of Managing Sustainability and Systems Change, Master of Risk Management and Sustainable Business, Leadership and Development of Health Care Services and Master of Knowledge-based Management.

The master’s degree programmes organised by Lapland University of Applied Sciences (UAS degree programmes) are either multidisciplinary and wide-ranging or deepen knowledge of a particular field, and they are closely connected with the special skills needed in expert work and with research, development and innovation (RDI) activities that reform working life.

Generating new knowledge and sharing and utilising competence in the development of working life, a strong future orientation and the desire and ability to innovate are key elements in multidisciplinary degree programmes. Planning and implementing development projects at the interfaces between different fields as well as in networks produces new innovations and multidisciplinary competence.

In-depth UAS master’s degree studies critically accumulate knowledge related to the student’s field and give them the skills to pass on competence to their own organisation and beyond. The studies emphasise expertise in producing new knowledge in the field and applying it to practice as well as competence in evaluating the effects of the resulting development contribution. The choices of in-depth special areas of expertise are based on carefully thought out profiling and a strong RDI connection.

UAS Master’s degree studies are organised in an ecologically, socially and economically sustainable manner through constant interaction with stakeholders and partners, in the same way as in the higher education community of Lapland as a whole.

CONTENT AND STRUCTURE OF THE DEGREE PROGRAMMES

The degree programmes consist of 1) core competence, 2) research and development competence and 3) profiling competence study modules.

Degree programme specific core competence studies are completed for 20-30 credits, depending on the degree programme. Research and development competence includes a thesis of 30 credits. The student can choose the study modules of profiling competence from the joint multidisciplinary range of Lapland UAS Master School studies. This gives the student the opportunity to build an individual study plan (eISP) that meets their competence needs and best supports their career path. The range of studies available includes both Finnish and English profiling studies in the following areas: digitalisation competence, well-being competence, management competence, business and entrepreneurship competence, social services and health sector management competence, technology competence, knowledge management competence, future design competence, research and development competence and reforming working life competence. The student can also choose Master’s degree studies (EQF7) offered at other higher education institutions for profiling competence or online UAS Master’s degree studies of the national Campusonline.

Development

CONTENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DEGREE PROGRAMMES

Extensive use is made of an online learning environment in all the degree programmes. Some of the degree programmes are organised entirely on the virtual campus (online studies), while some may have a few face-to-face teaching days on the campus (multimodal studies). Project learning is used in the studying and the tasks of the study modules are linked with the development needs arising from working life. Some of the study modules make use of national and international projects going on at the Lapland University of Applied Sciences.

The studies are supervised by the principal lecturers in charge of the study modules, the teachers of the various study modules and the study counsellor. During the studies, the student reflects on the accumulation of their competence and receives peer support and evaluations from the student group. The curriculum serves as a starting point for an individual study plan (eISP), for the preparation of which the student receives guidance from the study counsellor.

DEMANDS OF STUDY

The criteria set in the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) are used as a basis for determining the demands of study. One study year equals 1,600 hours of full-time studying. This corresponds to a total of 60 credits during the study year. The amount of work for one credit is approximately 27 hours. The amount of work corresponding to one credit is evaluated in relation to the competence requirements. The studies are planned so that they proceed evenly over the course of 40 weeks from one academic year to another.

THESIS
The key element in the degree is the thesis, a professional development task. It is based on the analysis, planning and implementation of a research development idea related to working life. The thesis is prepared in close cooperation with working life and it can also be multidisciplinary. It involves a process lasting throughout the studies, during which the student networks and develops their expertise together with working life experts and other students. The thesis allows reforming working life and pursuing regional development work by producing new information as well as developing solution models and practices or services for the needs of working life and personal competence.

INTERNATIONALISATION

According to the strategy of the Lapland University Consortium (LUC), national and international competence networks promote the achievement of strategic goals. Cooperation is pursued in the studies with international higher education institutions in such a way that there are some common parts with other higher education institutions in the implementation of specific study modules, in which case some of the teaching takes place in English. If possible, you can also prepare your thesis for an international project. In addition, you can develop your internationalisation by choosing English-language studies from the range of Master’s degree studies offered by Lapland University of Applied Sciences or Campusonline or by participating in overseas student exchange.

IMPLEMENTATION AND EVALUATION
OF STUDIES
The objective of learning is the development of professional competence through student-centred and activating learning and guidance methods. Professional competence is also deepened with learning and development projects that strengthen problem-solving and decision-making skills. All ways of organising learning set out from the needs of working life and the implementation of studies based on them. The evaluation is competence-based.

Evaluation at different stages of the studies forms a consistent whole that supports the achievement of the targeted competence. Evaluation is often performed by three parties: the student, working life representative/instructor, teacher). The official objectives of the studies serve as guideposts that guide and motivate learning. Both the learning process and competence, i.e. output, are taken into account in the evaluation. Key tools in the evaluation of the learning process in each study module are self-evaluation, peer evaluation and the feedback given by the teacher. The evaluation of students’ learning and competence is based on the competence requirements and evaluation criteria of the study module indicated in the curriculum, which can be used to identify the learning outcomes. The competence requirements of the study module are derived from the competences of the degree programme.

Study attainments are evaluated on a scale of Excellent (5), Good (3–4), Satisfactory (1–2), Fail (0) or Pass (H) – Fail (0).

ACQUIRED COMPETENCE AND ACCREDITATION TRANSFER

When studying for a degree, students may, as determined by the university of applied sciences, have studies that they have completed in another Finnish or foreign higher education institution or other educational institution accredited towards the degree and substitute studies included in the degree requirements with other studies of the same type. Students may, as determined by the university of applied sciences, also accredit and substitute studies included in the degree requirements with knowledge and skills attested in some other manner (932/2014, Section 37). The procedure is called accreditation.

Further information

EUROPEAN AND NATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORK

The European Qualifications Framework (EQF) is a common European model for describing competence. It facilitates comparison between the national education and qualification systems of different countries. The framework has eight reference levels.

The Finnish qualifications and competence framework (NQF) is based on the European Parliament’s proposal to establish a European qualifications framework (EQF) to promote lifelong learning. It is also consistent with the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) qualifications framework. The framework describes the degrees, syllabuses and other broad study modules belonging to the education system, which are placed on eight levels based on the competence they require. The national qualifications and competence framework is provided for in Act (93/2017) and in Government Decree (20/2017).

Level 7 contains Master’s degrees and UAS Master’s degrees as well as specialisation studies of universities and universities of applied sciences intended for people having completed a Master’s degree or a UAS Master’s degree.

Objective

OBJECTIVES OF STUDIES

According to Section 5 of Government Decree on Universities of Applied Sciences
(18 December 2014/1129), the objective of programmes leading to a Master’s degree in a university of applied sciences is for the graduate to have:
1) extensive and in-depth knowledge and the theoretical knowledge and skills needed to develop the world of work in demanding expert and management tasks;
2) an in-depth understanding of the profession itself, its position in the world of work and its
significance in society, and the knowledge and skills to follow and differentiate developments in research knowledge and professional practice in the field;
3) the skills and knowledge for lifelong learning and for continuously developing the graduate’s own professional skills;
4) good communicative and language proficiency for duties in the graduate’s own field, and for international operations and collaboration.

PATH OF PROFESSIONAL GROWTH - COMPETENCE TO BE ACQUIRED
The curriculum of Lapland UAS Master’s degrees takes into account the strategic choices of the Lapland University Consortium (LUC), which are global arctic responsibility, sustainable travel, future services and distance management. Strategic choices are taken into account in an appropriate way in both core competence and profiling competence study modules. This can take place either as content or method choices and is reflected in the learning objectives of the study module. Each degree programme contributes to the realisation of one or more strategic choices.

The following general working life competences are included in all UAS Master’s degrees: 1) learning to learn, 2) how to act in working life, 3) ethics, 4) sustainable development, 5) proactive development and 6) internationalisation and multiculturalism.

1) Learning to learn: A graduating UAS Master’s degree student promotes their own and the community’s continuous learning and competence development, utilising knowledge of different fields and the possibilities of digitalisation.
2) How to act in working life: A graduating UAS Master’s degree student knows how to develop and lead their work community and reform working life.
3) Ethics: A graduating UAS Master’s degree student evaluates and promotes the implementation of the ethical principles and values of the professional field in the work community, taking into account the principles of equality and non-discrimination.
4) Sustainable development A graduating UAS Master’s degree student develops and leads sustainable and responsible practices in their work and supports sustainability change in their work community and society.
5) Proactive development A graduating UAS Master’s degree student knows how to lead the development of new, forward-looking solutions and produces new knowledge using various research and development methods.
6) Internationalisation and multiculturalism: A graduating UAS Master’s degree student knows how to develop and lead multicultural and international operating environments and networks.

The competences emphasised in each study module are recorded in the study module description. In addition, there are 1–4 specific competences in each degree programme that cover its core competence.