Masters’s degree Programme in Development and Leadership of Midwifery Care: S2623S6

Descriptions

The Master’s Degree Programme in Development and Leadership of Midwifery Care is intended for those who already have a bachelor’s degree in midwifery care in Finland, are interested in deepening their development- and leadership skills and who have at least two years’ work experience in the field of social and health care. The master’s degree provides the same qualifications when it comes to work opportunities and further studies as a master’s degree from a university.

The aim of the studies is to provide competence in research-based development of working life, project- and innovation work and immediate leadership, as well as working as a clinical expert in midwifery care and science. The studies consist of 90 credit points, of which 30 points accumulate from sexual- and reproductive studies. There are also 20 credit points’ worth of mandatory specialization studies, such as courses involving leadership training and research methods. 10 credit points consist of optional studies. The studies also include a final project, which is worth 30 credit points and can be targeted towards the development of one’s own work or organization.

When it comes to specialization studies, we examine and develop midwifery care with the help of midwifery science and apply new, multidisciplinary methods into it. Woman- centered care models and applying genome-based information into midwifery care serve as examples of these new methods. In addition to refining midwifery science, the goal of the specialization studies is to advance the application of multidisciplinary methods into midwifery care and to support the development of regional and national operating models as well as the evaluation of their quality and effectiveness. The aim is to also create both national and international midwifery care networks and to help the progress of Nordic co-operation.

The degree enables career development, and networking at both national and international level. It also enables the renewal of working live through an increased amount of competence when it comes to research and development. The internationality aspect is realized in the studies in the form of lectures, seminars, as well as projects.

Graduates’ work profiles

The degree provides the student with the necessary skills to act as an expert in the development of sexual- and reproductive services or assume a leadership role in social and health organizations, both public and private, or in the third sector.

Development

The starting point of the training is answering the need to develop the application of midwifery science’s models and theories into midwifery care and its operating models. Both national and international networks of midwifery science have been utilized in the preparation, and there have been discussions with working life at a national level. The development of regional midwifery care and its operating models is in line with the current social and health care reform. Additionally, societal discussion regarding the development of sexual- and reproductive services has been followed and analyzed to provide it with some context.

Further information

Head of Degree Programme Maija-Riitta Jouhki.
Degree Programme Coordinator Outi Sorri.

Objective

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

Learning competence
- lifelong learning competence: is able to self-evaluate and develop one's expertise in a versatile and focused way
- is able to retrieve, analyse and produce information and evaluate it critically from the viewpoint of different fields
- is able to supervise and mentor others and to share one's expertise
- is capable of taking responsibility for collaborative learning in a target-oriented way

Ethical competence
- is able to take responsibility for the actions of a community and their consequences as well as to evaluate the effects of the actions
- is able to apply the ethical principles of the subject field as an expert and as a developer of working life
- is able to make responsible and sustainable decisions, considering an individual and the community
- is able to contribute to the principles of equality in working life
- is able to contribute to the principles of sustainable development and social responsibility
- is able to leading socially influential activities based on ethical values

Working community competence
- is able to develop and lead the operation of a diverse and multidisciplinary work community and to improve its wellbeing and productivity
- is able to develop working life communication and interaction in a participatory way, taking diversity into account
- is able to apply technological possibilities in working life communication and interaction
- is able to create and lead networks and partnerships
- is capable of managing and supervising tasks and improving activities in complicated and unpredictable environments
- is capable of working in demanding expert, entrepreneur, management and supervision tasks. as an expert or entrepreneur, and has abilities for management and supervision tasks

Innovation competence
- is able to create new knowledge and improve existing working methods by combining expertise from different fields
- is capable of managing projects
- is able to manage research, development and innovation projects and masters the methods of research and development work
- is able to develop innovative, customer-oriented, sustainable and cost-effective solutions

Multicultural competence
- is capable of managing and developing multicultural, international networks and working communities
- is able to predict the effects of and opportunities for global development and phenomena in one’s own field
- is capable of demanding international communication and interaction

Technological competence
- is able to apply technological opportunities in management, expert and development work
- is able to predict the effects of technological development on one's field, work and operating environment
- is capable of promoting technological development and its utilisation in one's field