Master of Culture and Arts: lukuvuosi 2011-2012

Descriptions

The purpose of the Master of Culture and Arts degree programme jointly provided by the Metropolia University of Applied Sciences and the HUMAK University of Applied Sciences is to give persons involved in production and provision-related tasks in the cultural sector the opportunity to develop and deepen their expertise in the rapidly evolving operating environment of cultural provision. Graduates of the degree programme will be qualified for managerial and development work in the field. This calls for the ability to recognize social and international change concerning the cultural sector.

1 BACKGROUND OF PREPARING THE CURRICULUM

The preparation of the curriculum leading to the Master of Culture and Arts degree was based on:
- Finnish legislation defining the basic purpose of education provided by universities of applied
science,
- The Bologna Declaration,
- The European Qualification Framework,
- The plan of the Finish Ministry of Education for developing education and research in the
period 2007–2012


The planning of the curriculum and the Master of Culture and Arts degree are based on competence-level descriptions in accordance with the European Qualifications Framework.

The expert qualifications provided by the master’s degree underscore a broad perspective and mobility, facilitating work in demanding tasks and workplaces. Changes in working life are taken into account in curricular content, for example, by linking studies to the working communities of students and the research and development needed by them. The flexibility of the educational process is based on the student’s opportunity to draw up a personal study plan based on his or her career goals, utilizing, among other factors, the interdisciplinary synergy of the various fields of the Metropolia University of Applied Sciences and the HUMAK University of Applied Sciences to carry out the studies. This permits individual choice and the combination of work and study in a more flexible manner than previously.

Developed cultural provision and export are central factors of success of the creative economy for improving national competitiveness. People trained for the field with master’s-level degrees from universities of applied sciences are needed in development, expert, managerial and teaching positions. There is a great need for specialization and for deepening professional skills into expert qualifications in the changing operating environment of cultural provision.

2 EXTENT AND COMPLETION OF STUDIES
The degree of Master of Culture and Arts requires 60 study credits, of which the submitted graduate project is 30 credits in extent. One credit corresponds to approximately 27 hours of work by the student. The planning of the completion of the study modules takes into account the amount of work required for them. The teaching involves multiform instruction. The development project to be carried out as a graduate project is central to the degree programme. The study modules consist of contact teaching, net-based teaching, and independent study. The contact teaching modules can consist, for example, of lectures, seminars, study visits, conferences, expert panels and the coaching of the student or groups. Independent study involves the individual study of literature, published research and articles, as well as set assignments and study visits of different kinds.

At the beginning of their studies, students are familiarized with the virtual learning environment and the electronic acquisition of information. Electronic communication is an integral part of guiding the student and his or her studies. The study environment includes library and information services available to students and the Moodle study platform, the Internet and email, which are utilized in individual study and the counselling of studies. Net-based teaching uses the services of experts in networks involving universities of applied sciences.

3 THE COMPETENCE GOALS OF THE MASTER OF CULTURE AND ARTS DEGREE
This training is aimed at professionals in production-related tasks of cultural provision in the creative sector seeking to deepen and expand their skills and to improve development competence in their own area of activity. Persons who have completed this degree can serve in expert tasks in the field of culture and the creative economy actively developing and producing new models of operation. The training provides opportunities for new, challenging professional tasks and for advancing in one's career. Graduates of the degree programme are experts with specialist skills in research, development and project management in the field of cultural provision.

The composition of competences provided by the degree
The outline of studies and ECTS credits
The competences provided by the degree programme consist of generic competences for working life of master’s-level degrees from universities of applied sciences, competences related to specific skills in the field of cultural provision, and other competences supporting the further development of expertise. The generic competences of the masters-level degree as provided by universities of applied sciences are:
learning competence, ethical competence, communication and social competence
development competence, organizational and societal competence, and
international competence.

In the Master of Culture and Arts degree competences corresponding to special requirements are:
strategic competence, management and teamwork competence in cultural projects, network competence in the cultural sector, and business competence in the creative economy.

The degree, aiming at reinforcing the areas of competence described above, is in three parts: Reinforcing Expertise 25 credits, Developing as an Expert 30 credits, Deepening the Expert Profile, 5 credits.

Development

The work leading to the curriculum took into account the focuses of the pedagogical strategies of both universities of applied sciences taking part in organising the degree. Background factors included development focuses in creative fields both nationally and in the Helsinki Metropolitan region, as well as considerations of working life and quality assurance. The curriculum was approved by the respective Advisory Boards on Cultural Provision of the Metropolia University of Applied Sciences (10.12.2008) and the HUMAK University of Applied Sciences (3.2.2009). The views of persons professionally active in expert positions in cultural provision were taken into account by requesting statements from the Art and Culture Professionals’ Trade Union Taku, The Finnish Cultural Producers’ Association, the cultural network of the Regional Centre Programme and the Arts Management degree programme of the Sibelius Academy. The planning also involved all universities of applied sciences providing bachelor-level degrees, i.e. the Mikkeli and Seinäjoki universities of applied sciences and the Novia University of Applied Sciences (former Yrkeshögskola Sydväst) in addition to the implementing institutions.

Further information

Katri Halonen