MAVIT5900 Master Thesis Course description

Mental health disorders and substance use disorders are increasing, and can have a negative effect on the health and quality of life of patients/users' next of kin. The mental health services have a statutory duty to cooperate with and support families. This course will make a significant contribution in this context by disseminating research-based knowledge about clinical cooperation with families in mental health services. The course comprises theoretical and empirical knowledge about mental health in a family perspective.

Admission to the programme.

After completing the course, the student is expected to have achieved the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and competence:

Knowledge

The student has

• advance knowledge about the family as a complex health system and mental health in a life-cycle perspective
• in-depth knowledge about the connections between adults/parents' mental health, children's mental health and development, and parenthood and the family's reciprocal relationships
• in-depth knowledge about the significance of protective factors (including resilience and resources) and risk factors for the mental health of individual family members and the family as a whole
• in-depth knowledge about how society and culture, including perspectives on gender, ethnicity and standard of living, affect the individual, family and health services
• in-depth knowledge about the interaction between the relevant services for families
• advanced knowledge about the connections between professional help, legislation and ethics, including the practical dilemmas that arise at the intersection between these areas

Skills

The student is capable of

• analysing and taking a critical approach to ethical, legal and professional challenges relating to family work and family conversations
• analysing and taking a critical approach to their own personal and professional contributions
• carrying out family-focused conversations with a view to assessing, planning and implementing measures for the family

Competence

The student is capable of

• applying knowledge to establish and follow up cooperation between families and mental health care services, including the interaction between municipal and specialist health services
• carrying out comprehensive advisory conversations with patients/users of mental health services of all ages and their families
• assessing, planning and implementing measures that safeguard the patient/user's and family's needs

Lectures, supervision, conversations, case and group exercises, supplemented by technology-enhanced learning at and after sessions. Conversations and group exercises take place during teaching hours at the university and form the basis for completing the required coursework.

The following assignment must have been completed and approved in order for a student to be permitted to take the exam:

Attendance in compulsory activities

• Attendance at conversations and group exercises

Group- or individual assignment

• individually or in groups of up to three students
• Scope: 1,000 words (+/- 20%)
• the student(s) must describe a family on the basis of a family model, and identify and describe key aspects that are of significance for understanding the individual’s and family's mental health.

Individual assignment

• Scope: 1,000 words (+/- 20%), in which the students reflect on their own experience of using of a family model.

The master’s thesis written by one or two students. Large, interdisciplinary innovation projects can be written in groups of up to four students on application. Individual oral examination where the grade can be adjusted.

The content and scope of different forms of master's theses:

• Monograph: The scope of a monograph thesis is up to 25,000 words.

• Scientific article: The thesis must include a manuscript in the form of at least one article that is in accordance with the author guidelines for a relevant scientific journal, and a supplementary memo/introductory chapter to the article-based thesis ('kappe') that elaborates on the theoretical and methodological considerations underlying the article. The layout, structure and scope of the article must comply with the guidelines of the journal in question, and the introductory chapter to the article-based thesis can be a maximum of 10,000 words.

The thesis can be written in English or a Scandinavian language (Norwegian, Swedish or Danish).

The written thesis must be awarded a grade of A-E (preliminary grade) in order for a student to take the oral examination. The final grade is set after the oral examination. The whole grade scale can be used when setting the final grade.

An individual oral examination lasting up to 40 minutes based on the master’s thesis. The candidate gives a 10 - 15 minutes presentation of their master’s thesis at the start of the oral examination.

Students can appeal against the grade set for the written part of the examination in accordance with the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges.

All aids are permitted, as long as the rules for source referencing are complied with.

Grade scale A-F.

Dag Willy Tallaksen