Master’s Degree Programme in Social and Health Care Service Management: S1717S6

Descriptions

The general aims of the studies leading to a Master’s Degree are to increase the student's capability of
applying theory into practice and to deepen his/her analytical and project leadership skills, his/her ability to participate in research and development work, and social skills. The purpose of the final project is to develop the ability to apply research knowledge into practice, to utilize the applicable methods in the development of working life, and to acquire skills required in demanding expert positions.
The Master’s Degree improves the student’s ability to develop him/herself in current and future expert and leadership positions and promotes the student’s career development. The graduates are developers and reformers of working life, possessing the needed research and development knowledge.

The studies follow the Learner’s Path model of Metropolia where the focus is on working life orientated learning, project-based learning and development of RDI, internationality, lifelong learning, and the multidisciplinary approach. The students represent working life and they have at least three years of working experience prior to studies. The students utilize their gained experience and working life connections during the studies and establish networks of experts with other students, various professionals within and outside the school, and alumni. During the studies, the students develop their self-assessment and self-management skills as well as international interaction and communication skills. Internationality is achieved through foreign guest lecturers, excursions, student exchange and multidisciplinary international studies. The aim of the Master's Degree Programme is to provide the students with the extensive and profound knowledge of social and health care that is necessary for the development of working life and to equip them with the theoretical knowledge required for demanding expert and management positions or entrepreneurship. The studies also focus on good communicative and language skills that are necessary in professional life.

The skills and knowledge of students graduated from Metropolia University of Applied Sciences are described according to the NQF, National Qualifications Framework, and the recommendations of the Rectors' Conference of Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences.

General competences: competence descriptions

Competences of learning
The student is able to:
• evaluate and develop his/her expertise in a versatile and goal-oriented manner;
• acquire, process, produce and critically evaluate information from the perspectives of different fields;
• take responsibility for the goal-oriented learning of the organization.

Ethical competences
The student is able to:
• take responsibility for the organization’s actions and their consequences;
• follow professional ethics as an expert and a developer of professional life;
• allow for the views of both the individual and the organization in his/her decisions;
• promote equality in the organization;
• promote the principles of sustainable development and social responsibility;
• base his/her leadership of socially important operations on ethical values.

Competences of organizational leadership
The student is able to:
• improve operating procedures and work well-being;
• develop multidisciplinary communication and interaction;
• apply information and communications technology (ICT) to his/her work;
• create networks and partnerships;
• lead and reform operations in complex and unexpected situations;
• work in demanding expert and managerial positions or as an entrepreneur.

Innovation competences
The student is able to:
• create new knowledge and reform operating procedures by combining knowledge from different fields;
• lead projects;
• lead research, development and innovation projects and apply research and development methods;
• promote customer-oriented, sustainable and cost-effective practices.

International competences
The student is able to:
• communicate internationally in his/her work and in development projects;
• function in international environments;
• anticipate the effects and opportunities of internationalization in his/her field.

Degree-specific competences

Competence descriptions
Social and health care competences
The student is able to:
• utilize extensive and highly specialized social and health care skills and knowledge;
• apply the concepts and methodology of social and health care to his/her independent reflection and/or development of the professional field;
• function in the diverse and changing environments of social and health care.

Leadership competences
The student is able to:
• follow high ethical standards in leadership;
• implement strategic knowledge in leadership;
• lead a diverse organization;
• evaluate the results and success of managerial work.

Service competences
The student is able to:
• create desired social and health care services in cooperation with clients and other interest groups;
• apply and combine know-how from different fields in service production;
• find the market for his/her services and use marketing communications;
• participate in procurement and tendering processes;
• meet the demanding challenges of service business.

Professional specialisations:

In the specialisation of social and health care service management, the aim is to provide the students with competencies for developing the daily management of the changing environment of public sector organizations as well as entrepreneurship in service business. The studies consist of research, development and innovation; the common theoretical basis of social and health care management; elective advanced studies; and elective studies.

In the specialisation of operative management in emergency care nursing, the aim is to provide the students with competencies for managing and developing services in emergency care and for utilising different types of illness and accident risk analysis in planning services and preparedness. In addition, the student will acquire competencies for working in various expert and leadership positions in emergency services, operative management, and for management in situations including cooperation with various authorities.

Development

Metropolia ammattikorkeakoulusta ammattikorkeakoulututkintoon valmistuneen opiskelijan osaamista kuvataan Eurooppalaisen tutkintojen viitekehyksen (EQF) ja Ammattikorkeakoulujen rehtorineuvoston Arene ry:n suositusten mukaisesti. Opetussuunnitelma on kehitetty yhteistyössä työelämän, opiskelijoiden ja Metropolian Masters verkoston kanssa.

Opetussuunnitelmatyössä on huomioitu keskeisten työelämän ja sidosryhmien edustajien näkemykset tutkinto-ohjelmien tarpeista, työelämävastaavuudesta ja tulevaisuudesta.
Sosiaali- ja terveysalan johtaminen ylempää ammattikorkeakoulututkintoa kehitettäessä on huomioitu valtakunnalliset ja alueelliset sosiaali-ja terveydenhuollon strategiat. Tutkinto-ohjelmaa suunniteltaessa on kartoitettu sosiaali-ja terveysalan organisaatioiden ja toimijoiden näkökulmia tuevaisuuden sosiaali- ja terveydenhuollon lähijohtamisen haasteisiin. Lisäksi suunnittelussa on hyödynnetty terveydenhuollon johtamisen kansallista ja kansainvälistä tutkimusta.

Tutkinto-ohjelman tavoitteena on vastata olemassa oleviin ja tulevaisuuden sosiaali- ja terveysalan kehittämis- ja johtamishaasteisiin. Parhaillaan on menossa suuri rakenteellinen muutosprosessi siitä, miten sosiaali- ja terveydenhuolto Suomessa kansallisesti ja alueellisesti järjestetään. Lisäksi uudistetaan paikallisia organisaatio- ja palvelurakenteita vastaamaan paremmin asiakkaiden tarpeita. Organisaatioilta odotetaan tehokkuutta ja kustannusvaikuttavuutta. Työntekijöiden näkökulmasta olennaisia tekijöitä ovat autonomisuuden ja aloitteellisuuden sekä oppimisen mahdollisuudet työssä. Työyhteisöjen kehittämisessä keskeisiä asioita ovat moniammatillinen yhteistyö ja ongelmien ratkaisutaidot. Teknologian ja hoitomuotojen nopea kehittyminen tuovat jatkuvasti uusia oppimis- ja kehittämishaasteita työhön. Myös ympäristöön ja tuvallisuuteen liittyvät tekijät vaativat entistä enemmän suunnittelua ja kehittämistä. Tarvitaan myös osaajia, jotka kykenevät toimintayksikkötasolla kustannustietoiseen toiminnan johtamiseen.

Valittavissa syventävissä opinnoissa opiskelija syventää osaamistaan talouden johtamisen ja yrittäjyyden, työyhteisöjen kehittämiseen ja johtamiseen sekä toiminnan johtamiseen ja kehittämiseen liittyvissä opinnoissa. Ensihoitopalveluiden johtamisen ammatillisessa suuntautumisessa opiskelija syventää osaamistaan ensihoidon hallinnolliseen ja operatiiviseen johtamiseen liittyvissä opinnoissa. Opinnäytetyön ja siihen valmentavien tutkimuksellisen kehittämistyön opintoja on uudistettu ja yhtenäistetty Metropolian ylempien ammattikorkeakoulutukintojen yhteistyönä.

Further information

In the professionally oriented studies of Social and Health Care Service Management, the student selects either the module Service Business in Social and Health Care (20 ECTS credits) or Changing Leadership in Social and Health Care (20 ECTS credits). In the professionally oriented studies of Emergency Care Services, the student selects the module Advanced Studies in Administrative and Operative Management in Emergency Care Nursing (20 ECTS credits). This module is also available to students with a background in nursing (nurses, midwives and public health nurses).

The above-mentioned studies include the following courses:

Service Business (20 ECTS credits)
• Entrepreneurship in Social and Health Services, 5 ECTS credits
• Business Management, 5 ECTS credits
• Processes, Quality and Patient Safety, 5 ECTS credits
• Tendering and Public Procurement in Social and Health Care, 5 ECTS credits
Changing Leadership in Social and Health Care (20 ECTS credits)
• Diversity Management in Social and Health Care, 5 ECTS credits
• Human Resources Management in the Changing Organization, 5 ECTS credits
• Digitalisation in Social and Health Care, 5 ECTS credits
• Health Technology in Social and Health Care, 5 ECTS credits
Advanced Studies in Administrative and Operative Management in Emergency Care Nursing (20 ECTS credits)
• Current Themes in Emergency Care, 5 ECTS credits
• Operative Management in Emergency Care Nursing, 5 ECTS credits
• Safety Management, 5 ECTS credits
• Services and Preparedness in Emergency Medical Services, 5 ECTS credits