Interdisciplinary Advanced Programme in Mental Health and Addiction - Full Time Programme description

The Interdisciplinary Advanced Programme in Mental Health and Addiction is based on the regulations on ‘National guidelines for tverrfaglig videreutdanning i psykisk helse-, rus- og avhengighetsarbeid’ (the Ministry of Education and Research, 2022).

The programme is offered as a full-time study over one year and a part-time study over two years. Completion of the programme grants 60 study credits/ECTS.The education aims to qualify students for preventive, therapeutic, and rehabilitative work within municipal health, social, and welfare services, mental health care, and interdisciplinary specialised substance abuse treatment (TSB).The education is research-based, practice-based, and experience-based, and meets society's demands for equitable and knowledge-based services. This entails upholding human rights, participation and development opportunities in society, and promoting good mental and physical health for individuals with mental health, substance use, and/or addiction problems.Throughout the education, the aim is to promote attitudes that form the basis for equitable services for majority and minority cultures, as well as linguistically and culturally adapted services. Students should critically reflect on power relations and be empowered to actively work to avoid abuse of power.The education provides in-depth competence in communication and interaction with individuals with mental health, substance use, and/or addiction problems and emphasises how these issues are contextualised phenomena. Upon completion of the education, students should be able to facilitate relationships that promote help and support, as well as be important contributors, coordinators, and leaders for collaborative and interdisciplinary services.The education emphasises an approach to individuals, their families, and networks that considers their life situations, experiences, and resources, as well as their linguistic and cultural background. Students acquire important competence in understanding how individual mental health, substance use, and addiction problems are embedded in a societal context, and in collaborating with other partners.Upon completion of the education, students should be able to engage with research in the field and make independent professional assessments and decisions in collaboration with the individuals primarily concerned, their families, networks, and other stakeholders in health, social, and welfare services.Further studies and working lifeThe education qualifies for positions in mental health, substance abuse, and addiction work in a wide range of areas in society. Upon completion of the education, candidates should be able to contribute to service development, planning, and systematic quality improvement processes.The further education corresponds to the first 60 study credits of the Master's Programme in Health Sciences, specialising in mental health and addiction at OsloMet, and can be integrated into this master's programme.

The target group for the study programme is social workers, developmental therapists, child welfare educators, nurses, physiotherapists, or occupational therapists who wish to deepen their professional knowledge in mental health, substance abuse, and addiction work.

The target group is students with a bachelor’s degree in health or social care who want to work on professional development and/or participate in research in their field, and potentially conduct clinical work in their chosen specialisation. The programme is a relevant additional education to a number of health and social care programmes.

A candidate who has completed the Interdisciplinary Advanced Programme in Mental Health and Addiction has the following overall learning outcomes defined as knowledge, skills, and general competence(starred (*) outcomes also apply to the specialisation in Mental Health and Addiction in the Master's Programme in Health Sciences):

KnowledgeThe candidate has:

• in-depth knowledge of perspectives, concepts, and theories related to the description and understanding of mental health and addiction
• in-depth knowledge of communication, relationships, and interaction in prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and habilitation in mental health and addiction*
• advanced competence in mental health in different societal groups, as well as in factors that promote inclusion and participation*
• advanced knowledge of the interaction between biological, psychological, social, and cultural factors with relevance to mental health and addiction*
• advanced knowledge of scientific theories and research methods related to mental health, mental disorders, and mental health and addiction
• in-depth knowledge of how the organisation of health services can hinder or promote mental health and addiction
• in-depth knowledge of ethics, human rights, and relevant legislation within mental health and addiction

SkillsThe candidate can:

• analyse and critically reflect on theories, methods, and interpretations related to mental health and addiction
• analyse and apply theoretical knowledge of communication, relationships, and collaboration in mental health and addiction
• possess advanced skills that include ethical reflection, awareness of one's own preconceptions, as well as users' and relatives' competence*
• facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration in the practice of mental health and addiction

General Competence

The candidate can:

• analyse and reflect on ethical issues related to the profession, occupation, and research
• apply their knowledge and skills to coordinate services, lead interdisciplinary teams, and facilitate collaboration across groups, sectors, services, and agencies
• plan, implement, and evaluate measures for individuals, families, networks, and communities that promote knowledge and development related to mental health and addiction, substance abuse, and addiction work
• contribute to innovation and professional development, as well as carry out and evaluate professional development projects based on research-based, practice-based, and experience-based knowledge

The programme is offered as a full-time programme over one year and a part-time programme over two years. The advanced programme is part of the Master’s Programme in Health Sciences with interdisciplinary specialisation in Mental Health Care and addiction at OsloMet, and courses, themes and lectures will therefore be coordinated. All courses are compulsory.

The work and teaching methods shall facilitate the integration of knowledge, skills and competence in order to help achieve the greatest possible transfer value to professional practice. Emphasis is therefore placed on using a variety of work methods and alternating between theoretical studies and practical training. The course plan specifies the applicable methods for each course.

Teaching activities should stimulate active learning and engagement. A good learning outcome is dependent on the students' own effort, cooperation with fellow students and individual work. Different types of digital technology are used in the programme to stimulate student-active learning and collaboration. Digital learning resources in the form of film clips, podcasts, academic texts, learning pathways, articles and interactive assignments are used in the programme.

The students will receive follow-up throughout the programme in the form of supervision and feedback. In some cases the students will assess each other's work and provide feedback. Such feedback may be provided in writing, orally or as a combination of both. More detailed descriptions of the most common work and teaching methods used in the programme are provided below.

LecturesLectures are used for introduction, inspiration, or in-depth learning in conjunction with other teaching methods. Most lectures are held in Norwegian, but might also take place in English.

Study groups

The students work with assignments while supervised by the lecturer. Academic discussions and assignments are carried out and solved in cooperation with other students. Group work is intended to support the learning of subject matter and at the same time provide training in cooperation, interaction and communication skills.

Seminars

The seminars will focus on student-active work methods. During the seminars, students will work on various topics and on developing their own relational competence and their competence to provide care. The seminars are intended to give the students an opportunity to practise presenting topics, develop critical thinking and provide constructive feedback. In some seminars, students will practise their relational skills through e.g. roleplay and exercises.

Supervision

The students will attend supervision groups. Sessions will focus on sharing and reflecting on their experience from practical training. The students will work on integrating theoretical knowledge and practical experience. The students will work on integrating theoretical knowledge and relating it to the practice of mental health care.

Self-study

Students are expected to acquire this knowledge through self-study. Students come to this programme with different preconditions for learning, and self-study enables them to prioritise topics and areas they want to focus more on. Self-study also helps to encourage independent activity and reflection.

The master’s programme is designed to be comprehensive, and the academic content and educational tools are interlinked, showing a clear context between learning outcome descriptions, learning activities and forms of assessment.

The Master’s Degree Programme in Health Sciences has three or four compulsory common courses, depending on the chosen specialisation. In addition to these, there are at least two compulsory specialisation courses for each specific specialisation, and a master’s thesis worth either 30 or 50 ECTS credits, depending on the specialisation. The students can also choose one or more elective courses depending on their chosen specialisation. This does not apply to the specialisations cancer nursing, public health nursing and mental health and addiction as they only have compulsory courses in their programme structures.

The courses in the programme description build to some extent on each other to ensure progress, with increasing requirements for knowledge and understanding within each specialisation. The courses are mainly taken over the course of the semester, with start-up at the start of the semester and examinations towards the end. The exceptions are certain compulsory specialisation courses that include external supervised practical training. For a full overview, see the tables below showing the normal structure of the programme for each specialisation.

The academic year is 40 weeks long, and the expected workload for a full-time student is 40 hours per week. This includes scheduled activities, students’ own study activity and examinations. The course descriptions provide more details about learning outcomes, work methods, coursework requirements and examinations. Tables 1 and 2 below show the course organisation for normal study progress for full-time students writing a master’s thesis worth 50 and 30 ECTS credits, respectively. The tables are read from left to right.

Content of compulsory common courses

The programme includes a compulsory common course MAVIT4100 Quality Improvement and Implementation of Evidence-based Practice, 10 ECTS credits. The purpose of this course is to enable students to actively contribute to promoting safe and high-quality health and care services. By health and care services is meant both public and approved private services, as well as health promoting work in the public and private sectors. The course introduces students to the organisation and management of health and care services, and prepares for interprofessional quality improvement work. It also gives students experience of interprofessional quality improvement cooperation. Through the course, the students will learn about different quality improvement models and the interaction between user knowledge, experience-based knowledge and research-based knowledge in clinical decision-making processes.

There are also three common courses in the theory of science and research methods: MAVIT4050 Theory of Science and Research Methods, 10 ECTS credits, MAVIT4060 Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods, 10 ECTS credits and MAVIT4070 Research Design and Project Description, 10 ECTS credits. These courses aim to help the student to read, understand and critically assess research literature, to critically assess various sources of knowledge that form part of clinical decision-making processes, to acquire in-depth knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research methods, and lead up to the development of a project description for their master’s thesis.

In the first course, MAVIT4050, the students are introduced to theory of science, research methods and research ethics.

The second course, MAVIT4060, provides students with a deeper understanding of qualitative and quantitative research methods.

The third course, MAVIT4070, the students will work more thoroughly with their chosen method and develop a project description for their master’s thesis. This is to ensure that the students get to grips with work on their master’s thesis at an early stage.

Master’s thesis – 30 and 50 ECTS credits

The master’s thesis in the programme is worth 50 ECTS credits (MAVIT5900/MAVITD5900) or 30 ECTS credits (MAVIT5910/MAVITD5910), respectively. Whether the students are able to choose the scope of their master’s thesis depends on the specialisation they have been admitted to. Normally students will develop a project description as part of the course MAVIT4070 Research Design and Project Description, 10 ECTS credits. The project description is developed with the support of the lecturer, who quality assures the project with respect to scope and degree of difficulty.

The same requirements apply to scientific and research-related work regardless of the length of the thesis. Students can choose to write the master’s thesis individually or in pairs. Students can also apply to write the master’s thesis with students from other specialisations, provided that the scope of the master’s thesis is the same. On application, interdisciplinary innovation projects can be written in groups of up to four students. Students are encouraged to contact potential supervisors about possible project ideas.

Elective courses

In the course of the master’s programme, the students can choose one or more elective courses depending on their chosen specialisation. This does not apply to the specialisations cancer nursing, public health nursing and mental health and addiction as they only have compulsory courses in their programme structures. Which elective courses that are available will vary. These elective courses cover a broad area of the health sciences. Students must apply for a place on elective courses no later than the semester before, subject to specific deadlines. More information about the elective courses can be found here. https://student.oslomet.no/valgemner-master-helsevitenskap

There will be an upper limit for places on each elective course. Elective courses could be cancelled by the Faculty if enrolment is below the minimum of 10 students.

The following courses are elective for all students taking the Master’s Programme in Health Sciences:

• MAFAR4100 Innovation within Healthcare, 10 ECTS credits.
• MAVIT4600 Supervision / Counselling, 10 ECTS credits
• MAVIT4700 Food, Health and Sustainability, 10 ECTS credits
• MAVIT4800 Personalised Nutrition, 10 ECTS credits
• MAVIT4900 Quality of Life, 10 ECTS credits
• MAVIT5100 Health communication 10 ECTS credits
• MAVIT5300 Knowledge Translation, 10 ECTS credits
• MAVIT5400 Alliance and Shared Decision Making, 10 ECTS credits
• MAVIT5500 Adolescent Health, 10 ECTS credits.
• MAVIT5600 Physical Activity and Exercise in a Life Course Perspective and with a Special Focus on Aging, 10 ECTS credits
• MAVIT5700 Pain – Multidimensional Assessment and Health Professional Interventions, 10 ECTS credits
• MAVIT5800 Introduction to Clinical Studies for Healthcare Personnel, 10 ECTS credits
• MAPSY4400 Mental Health of Migrants and Minorities, 10 ECTS credits
• MSLV4200 Collaboration and collaborative management, 10 ESTS credits

The following courses are elective for students at the Master’s Programme in Health Sciences with relevant prerequisites:

• MAVIT400 Clinical Neurophysiology, 10 ECTS credits (AUTUMN). The student must be admitted to the Master’s Programme in Health Sciences and have a bachelor´s degree or equivalent in nursing, pharmacy, psychology, physiotherapy, bioengineering, paramedicine, social education, physiology or molecular biology, or medicine (profession). The course is also offered as a separate course, with the admission requirements a bachelor´s degree or equivalent in nursing, pharmacy, psychology, physiotherapy, bioengineering, paramedicine, social education, physiology or molecular biology, or medicine (profession). Grade C is not required for admission to the separate course.

Students can also choose some compulsory specialisation courses from other specialisations as elective courses. This is on condition that the student meets the prerequisite requirements given in the relevant course description and that there is a place on the course. This applies to:

The student must have been admitted to the Master’s Programme in Health Sciences.

• MAEMP4100 Public Health, Empowerment and Health Promotion, 10 ECTS credits
• MAEMP4200 Health Pedagogy, 10 ECTS credits
• MAHAB4100 Coping and Participation in the Rehabilitation Process, 10 ECTS credits
• MERG4100 The Knowledge Base for Occupation and Participation, 10 ECTS credits
• MAERN4100 Energy and Nutrients, 10 ECTS credits

The student must have been admitted to the Master’s Programme in Health Sciences and hold authorisation as healthcare personnel.

• MAERN4100 Energy and Nutrients, 10 ECTS credits

The student must have been admitted to the Master’s Programme in Health Sciences and hold authorisation as a general nurse.

• MAKLI4200 Practical Ethics, 10 ECTS credits
• MAKRE4100 Nursing and Treatment for Patients with Cancer

The student must have been admitted to the Master’s Programme in Health Sciences and hold authorisation as an occupational therapist.

• MERG4100 The Knowledge Base for Occupation and Participation, 10 ECTS credits

The student must have been admitted to the Master’s Programme in Health Sciences and hold authorisation as a physiotherapist.

• MABU4100 Physiotherapy for Children and Adolescents - Part 1, 10 ECTS credits
• MAELD4100 Physiotherapy for Home-dwelling Older Adults, 10 ECTS credits
• MAELD4200 Physiotherapy for Older Adults with a Disability, 10 ECTS credits
• MAMUS4100 Physical Therapy for Musculoskeletal Conditions – Part 1, 10 ECTS credits
• MAMUS4200 Physical Therapy for Musculoskeletal Conditions – Part 2, 10 ECTS credits

Study progress

The following progress requirements apply to the programme:

• All courses in the programme must be passed before the student can submit their master's thesis for assessment.
• Some courses may have separate progress requirements; see the individual course descriptions.

See the course descriptions for MAPHN4100 and MAPHN4200 for a more detailed description of the content of the specialisation courses.

OsloMet - Oslo Metropolitan University has a significant number of agreements for teacher and student exchange with institutions in and outside of Europe. The education is represented in international networks. Students will encounter foreign guest lecturers in certain courses.Internationalisation occurs through activities at the home campus and study stays at foreign institutions. Students can apply to conduct their practical studies abroad. This should preferably be done at institutions that OsloMet - Oslo Metropolitan University collaborates with.The focus on multicultural and global issues in the study contributes to internationalisation. A separate course on migration and minorities is normally conducted entirely in English for all students. English-language literature and international research are also included in the curriculum.

Coursework requirements are all types of work, tests and compulsory attendance that are requirements for being permitted to take the examination. These can be written assignments, oral presentations, compulsory attendance, guidance, and similar activities. They can be carried out individually or in groups. The coursework requirements for each course are described in the relevant course description. Course requirements are given to promote student progression and development and to ensure participation where it is deemed necessary to achieve the learning outcomes. The learning activities should contribute to in-depth learning and integration of the various knowledge areas and to reflection on one's own relational skills. They should also stimulate students to seek out and acquire new knowledge. Compulsory attendanceWhere students cannot acquire skills and knowledge through self-study, mandatory attendance is required. There is an 80 % compulsory attendance requirement for seminars, study groups, guidance groups, and simulations. Attendance in practical studies, see the chapter on practical studies.If a student exceeds the specified attendance limit for mandatory attendance, the study group supervisors and course coordinators will assess whether it is possible to compensate for the absence through oral or written individual assignments. If the absence cannot be compensated for, the student loses the right to take the examination and must retake the course. The possibility of compensation depends on the extent of the absence and the activities the student has not participated in. It is the student's responsibility to keep track of their own attendance. Approval of written course requirementsCourse requirements are assessed as approved/not approved. Normally, there are three attempts for a course requirement. Course requirements that are not approved must be improved and approved before the student can take the examination. As far as possible, the second attempt is given before the regular examination/assessment, unless otherwise stated in the course description. A third and final attempt is normally given before the new and deferred examination. Non-approved course requirements may result in delays in the education.

The increasing globalisation of the labour market makes international experience and knowledge of languages and cultures increasingly important. Internationalisation contributes to raising the quality of education and strengthens the academic community relating to the master’s programme, at the same time as it strengthens the students as global citizens.

The programme has a focus on multicultural and global problems. This approach contributes to an increased understanding and improves the students' ability to work in a professional capacity in a multicultural society. The students gain access to specialist terminology in English through the syllabus, which comprises both textbooks and international research literature.

The staff’s network, research collaboration and cooperation with colleagues in other countries contribute to internationalisation. The programme is represented in international networks.

OsloMet has exchange agreements with educational institutions in Europe and worldwide.

Courses adapted to incoming exchange students

The following courses have been adapted for incoming exchange students:

• MAVIT4050 Theory of Science and Research Methods, 10 ECTS credits
• MAVIT4060 Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods, 10 ECTS credits
• MAVIT4100 Quality Improvement and Implementation of Evidence-based Practice, 10 ECTS credits
• MAPHN4100 National and Global Nutrition Challenges, 10 ECTS credits
• MAPHN4200 Public Health Nutrition Policies and Interventions, 10 ECTS credits
• MAMUS4100 Physical Therapy for Musculoskeletal Conditions – Part 1, 10 ECTS credits
• MAFAR4100 Innovation within Healthcare, 10 ECTS credits
• MAVIT4700 Food, Health and Sustainability, 10 ECTS credits
• MAVIT4900 Quality of Life, 10 ECTS credits
• MAVIT5100 Health Communication, 10 ECTS credits
• MAVIT5700 Pain – Multidimensional Assessment and Health Professional Interventions, 10 ECTS credits
• MAPSY4400 Mental Health of Migrants and Minorities, 10 ECTS credits

The course MAVIT4100 Quality Improvement and Implementation of Evidence-based Practice will always be taught in English. The other courses listed above will be taught in English if international students have registered for them. Otherwise, courses will generally be taught in Norwegian.

Semesters adapted to outbound exchange students

Students who wish to take courses at an educational institution abroad as part of their master’s degree normally go on an exchange in the third semester. Students admitted to a specialisation that as a norm has a master’s thesis worth 50 ECTS credits can apply to instead write a master’s thesis worth 30 ECTS credits. The students are responsible for finding relevant courses at partner institutions and must apply to have them approved in advance. An international coordinator can provide guidance in relation to selecting a course.

Reference is otherwise made to the criteria that apply to student exchanges and the information about stays abroad.

Coursework requirements are all types of work, tests and compulsory attendance that are requirements for being permitted to take the examination. Required coursework is assessed as approved/not approved. The coursework requirements for each course are described in the relevant course description.

The primary purpose of coursework requirements is to promote students' progress and academic development and to encourage them to acquire new knowledge. The programme's main coursework requirements are in the form of compulsory attendance, written assignments and tests.

Compulsory attendance

Attendance is compulsory in areas where the student cannot acquire knowledge and skills simply by studying literature.

If a student does not take part in a group presentation, he/she must give an individual presentation to the lecturer.

If a student otherwise exceeds the maximum limit for absence stated in the course description, the subject teacher will consider whether it is possible to compensate for absence by meeting alternative requirements, for example individual written assignments. If it is not possible to compensate for the absence, the student must take the course the next time it is taught. Whether or not it is possible to compensate for absence depends on the extent of the student’s absence and which activities he/she has missed.

Written assignments

Several courses have compulsory written assignments or reports as part of their coursework requirements. Written work that is not approved must be improved before re-submission. If the work is not approved on re-submission, the student cannot take the ordinary examination/assessment.

The students are entitled to a third attempt before the resit/rescheduled examination. If an assignment is not approved the third time it is submitted, the student must re-take the course with the next class.