Masters’s degree Programme in Development and Leadership of Midwifery Care: S2625S6

Descriptions

Metropolia is a continuously renewable multidisciplinary learning community that educates sought-after employees with high-quality, versatile, and international professional skills developed under the principle of lifelong learning. The students’ knowledge and skills are built cooperatively in a fruitful interaction with professional life.

The Master’s Degree Programme in Development and Leadership of Midwifery Care is aimed at those who already have a Bachelor’s degree in Midwifery care in Finland, are interested in deepening their development and leadership skills, and have at least two years of work experience in the field of social and health care. The Master’s degree provides the same qualifications as a university Master's degree in terms of employment opportunities and further studies.

The aim of the studies is to provide competence in research-based development (R-BD) in working life, project- and innovation activities and operational leadership, as well as working as a clinical specialist in development of midwifery practices. The studies consist of 90 credit points, of which 30 credits are core studies in sexual and reproductive health, 25 credits are optional supplementary studies such as management and research methods, and 5 credits are fully elective. The studies also include a thesis, which is worth 30 credit points and can be targeted towards the development of one’s own work or organization.

In the core studies of sexual and reproductive health, we explore and develop midwifery through midwifery science and apply new, multidisciplinary methods to it. Examples of new content include the application of woman-centered models, health technology, and genomic information in midwifery. In addition to advancing midwifery science, the aim of the specialization studies is to promote the application of multidisciplinary methods in midwifery care and to support the development of regional and national operational models, as well as the evaluation of their quality and effectiveness. The goal is also to create both national and international midwifery care networks and to advance Nordic cooperation.

The degree enables career development, extensive networking both nationally and internationally, and the renewal of working life through increased research and development expertise. Internationality is realized in the studies through lectures, seminars, and possible collaboration related to theses.

Job profiles of graduates:

Completing the degree provides the qualifications to work as an expert in the development of sexual and reproductive health services or in leadership positions in public and private social and health care organizations, as well as 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