Master's Programme in Health Sciences - specialisation in Empowerment and Health Promotion Programme description

The programme was established under the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges and the Regulations relating to Studies and Examinations at OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University.

Candidates who pass the programme will be awarded the degree Master of Health Sciences (Norwegian: Master i helsevitenskap) in accordance with Section 3 of the Regulations concerning Requirements for the Master's Degrees. A specialisation in one of the following 15 specialisations forms part of the master’s degree programme:

Specialisations for applicants with backgrounds in health or social care:

• Health Sciences
• Empowerment and Health Promotion
• Mental Health and Addiction
• Rehabilitation and Habilitation

Specialisations for applicants who are authorised health personnel in the specified professional fields:

• Nutrition for Health Personnel
• Occupational Therapy
• Physiotherapy for Children and Adolescents
• Physiotherapy for the Older Adult
• Physiotherapy for Musculoskeletal Health
• Psychomotor Physiotherapy
• Advanced Nursing Practice
• Public Health Nursing
• Cancer Nursing
• Nursing – Clinical Research and Professional Development
• Specialisations for applicants from the professional field of nutrition:
• Public Health Nutrition

The specialisation will also be stated on the diploma alongside the name of the degree: Master of Health Sciences.

The master’s degree programme has a scope of 120 ECTS credits. Some of the specialisations are taken full-time over two years, while others are taken part-time over three or four years.

The programme comprises compulsory common courses, compulsory specialisation courses and elective courses, in addition to the master’s thesis. A more detailed overview of the programme’s structure for each specialisation is given under the section Content and structure.

According to the UN Agenda 2030, a prerequisite for achieving sustainable development is that everyone is able to live healthy lives. The Master’s Degree Programme in Health Sciences is primarily aimed at the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3, Good Health and Well-being, while SDGs 4, 5 and 10 on ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all, and achieving gender equality and reducing inequality, are also relevant. The 17 SDGs must be seen as a whole, however, where each goal is seen in conjunction with the others. The purpose of the programme is therefore to educate candidates who are qualified to help to ensure good health and promote quality of life for everyone, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, education, sexuality and functional ability, while also attempting to address considerations relating to sustainability, including life-long learning.

The students taking the programme can choose a specialisation in health promotion, illness prevention, treatment, palliative care and (re)habilitation work. The programme teaches the students to handle professional problems at the individual, group and system level in close cooperation with other professions, patients, users, next of kin and other services. The candidates should also be able to contribute to safe, effective, holistic and integrated services with good use of resources, and to innovation, improvement work and systematic user involvement.

Relevance to working life

Possible fields of work and careers after completing the programme include:

• research and development in the health sciences
• teaching, development and advisory functions in the guidance, administration and dissemination of knowledge in the health professions
• clinical work that is based on specialised expertise
• health and social care management positions

Relevance to further education

Students taking the Master's Degree Programme in Health Sciences who choose to write a master’s thesis worth 50 ECTS credits can apply for admission to the research programme for health sciences while taking the master’s programme. This is taken in parallel to and as an extension of the master’s programme. The research programme develops researcher expertise over and above that provided during the master’s programme and results in a research work that can later form part of a PhD-level work.

Candidates with a Master's Degree in Health Sciences are qualified to apply for admission to PhD programmes, including the PhD Programme in Health Sciences at OsloMet.

Specialisations

The Master's Degree Programme in Health Sciences has a number of specialisations that candidates can choose. Applicants must choose and apply directly for the specialisation they wish to take when applying for the master’s programme. The specialisations are subject to different admission requirements. However, the students will take a significant part of the programme together with students from the other specialisations, partly through compulsory common courses and partly through elective courses across the specialisations. More information about this is found in the section Content and structure.

MAEMP: Empowerment and Health Promotion

This specialisation focuses on public health and health promotion and is related to professionals and users/patients in the primary and specialist health services. The programme teaches students to develop and facilitate interprofessional cooperation and user participation. They will learn how greater cooperation at the individual, group and societal level can have different consequences for the function of professionals in the health services and in their work with patients and users. Supervision is a method used in health education and in competence development for professionals, as well as being a tool in the empowerment process.

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.

Admission takes place directly to the chosen specialisation. The requirement for admission to the Master’s Degree Programme in Health Sciences is a bachelor's degree or an equivalent degree within a specified field, with an average grade of at least C. However, an average grade of C does not guarantee admission. If the number of qualified applicants exceeds the number of places on the programme, the applicants will be ranked according to the applicable ranking rules.

Admission to individual courses

For admission to individual courses, the admission requirements are described in the course description. The grade C requirement does not apply to admission to individual courses. More information about admission to individual courses can be found on the programme’s website.

Reference is made to the Regulations relating to Admission to Studies at OsloMet. The specialisations and single courses will only be run if a sufficient number of qualified candidates apply.

Admission requirements for the Specialisation in Empowerment and Health Promotion:

A bachelor's degree or an equivalent degree in health and social care, public health and sports subjects.

Studiet skal kvalifisere studentene for faglig ledelse av en trafikkskole. Etter gjennomført studium skal de være i stand til å inneha en lederrolle i arbeidet med å legge til rette for en trafikkopplæring på høyt nivå. Faglig leder skal også bidra til å styrke det kollektive profesjonsfellesskapet for å utvikle egen arbeidsplass som en lærende organisasjon. En faglig leder på en trafikkskole er underlagt Forskrift om trafikkopplæring og førerprøve m.m. (trafikkopplæringsforskriften) (TROF) § 6-15, som setter krav til utvikling, vedlikehold og samkjøring av undervisningsopplegg slik at det harmonerer med gjeldende forskrifter og læreplaner.

Gjennom utdanningen skal studentene tilegne seg et bredt perspektiv på trafikkopplæringens og trafikkskolenes rolle med tanke på samfunnets mangfold og myndighetenes visjon om null skadde og null drepte i trafikken (0-visjonen). Studentene skal dyktiggjøre seg til å arbeide med både daglig drift, ledelse og kvalitetsutvikling av den faglige og pedagogiske kompetanse ved trafikkskolen. De skal også være i stand til å etablere drifts- og utviklingsplan for egen virksomhet. I tillegg må lederen kunne planlegge, gjennomføre, vurdere og dokumentere veiledning av kollegiet, individuelt og i gruppe, slik at forskrifter og læreplaner ivaretas.

Målgruppen er trafikklærere med godkjent utdanning som trafikklærer og som ønsker å utvide sin kompetanse til å bli leder av trafikkskole.

Varied and student-active teaching methods are used in the programme. Good learning outcomes are first and foremost dependent on the students’ own efforts. The number of hours of adapted teaching at the university will be relatively low. Own effort means both benefiting from teaching and academic supervision and following this up with independent work in the form of theoretical studies and, if relevant, practical skills training. Normal study progress requires students to make great personal efforts. The most important work and teaching forms used in each course in the programme are described below. The individual course descriptions state which work methods each course employs. Practical training is described in a separate chapter; see below.

Web-based work and teaching methods

Several forms of digital learning resources are used in the programme, such as digital textbooks, digital lectures, video clips, podcasts, tests, learning pathways and assignments. These resources can be used to prepare for teaching sessions, during seminars using the flipped classroom method, and as part of self-study. This form of teaching requires the students to meet prepared for the scheduled teaching sessions. Interaction can also take place digitally, in the form of Skype meetings, webinars etc.

Self-study and student cooperation/group work

Learning requires a high degree of own activity and self-study, including both individual work and cooperation with fellow students. Through activities such as exchanging ideas, presentations, discussions, writing assignments and problem-based assignments, students will be stimulated to learn by communicating knowledge and experience, expressing their own opinions and, together, reflecting on their own attitudes, actions and understanding of the field. Students are encouraged to take initiative to schedule and actively participate in study groups to promote learning.

Lectures

Lectures are primarily used to introduce new subject matter, provide an overview and highlight main elements and links within different topics, and also to communicate relevant issues.

Seminars

Seminars emphasise dialogue and discussion between the subject teacher(s) and students in order to stimulate the student's academic development. Verbal presentations by students and discussions are emphasised.

In connection with the master's thesis, seminars are held where the master's theses are presented and discussed. The students receive feedback from their fellow students and teachers, which enables them to learn from each other. Research-related issues, methods and academic supervision are among the topics discussed in the seminars. Seminars can also take place on digital collaboration platforms.

Written assignments and academic supervision

Through written assignments and the master's thesis, students will formulate research questions for assignments and work on them over time, either individually or in cooperation with other students. They will learn theory and develop skills in using and referencing sources, analysis, discussion and written and oral communication. The primary purpose of this is to develop their ability to reflect critically, see elements in context and develop a deeper understanding of a subject.

Developing academic writing skills is a key aspect of all parts of the programme. Supervision is an important component of the work on the master's thesis. The supervision is intended to ensure that the project complies with research ethics principles and help students to formulate the research question and ensure quality in the collection and analysis of data.

Etter fullført utdanning har studenten følgende læringsutbytte definert som kunnskap, ferdigheter og generell kompetanse:

Kunnskap

Studenten

• har kunnskap om trafikkskolens økonomiske og administrative drift og faglig leders forpliktelser i forhold til relevante lover og forskrifter
• har innsikt i faktorer som hemmer og fremmer utvikling i et mangfoldig kollegium
• har kunnskap om det etiske, psykologiske og pedagogiske grunnlaget for veiledning av trafikklærere

Ferdigheter

Studenten

• kan planlegge, gjennomføre og vurdere veiledning av kollegaer på individ- og gruppenivå
• kan anvende evaluering og ledelsesteoretiske perspektiver i arbeidet med å utvikle og kvalitetssikre pedagogisk plattform og undervisningsplaner i samarbeid med ansatte
• kan anvende teknologi i pedagogisk og administrativt arbeid og for å kunne drifte og utvikle en trafikkskole

Generell kompetanse

Studenten

• kan etablere og følge opp en moralsk og etisk ansvarlig arbeidskultur
• kan nyttiggjøre seg relevant fagstoff og forskning i trafikksikkerhetsarbeidet og for å kunne utvikle en bærekraftig trafikkskole
• kan holde seg oppdatert på myndighetenes prioriteringer og føringer for trafikkopplæringen
• har evne til strategisk tenkning og planlegging for drift av trafikkskole i et samfunn med bredt mangfold

Studiet består av 2 emner:

• FAGLO6100 Kollegaveiledning og ledelse av kompetanseutvikling i trafikkskoler, 15 studiepoeng
• FAGLO6200 Daglig drift og ledelse av trafikkskoler, 15 studiepoeng

FAGLO6100 handler om faglig leders ansvar for å utvikle og kvalitetssikre den faglige virksomheten i en trafikkskole. Kollegaveiledning står sentralt, likeledes planlegging, gjennomføring og evaluering av trafikkskolens undervisningsplaner. I tillegg har faglig leder et ansvar for å sikre at medarbeiderstaben har den nødvendige fagkunnskapen for å være en god trafikklærer.

FAGLO6200 gir en oversikt over de forvaltningsmessige prosesser, krav og oppgaver ved å være faglig leder ved en trafikkskole. Gjennom studiet gis innføring i grunnleggende økonomiske, administrative og personalmessige forhold ved drift av en bærekraftig trafikkskole i et mangfoldig samfunn. Faktorer som hemmer og fremmer trafikkskolen som lærende organisasjon står også sentralt i dette emnet.

FAGLO61000 danner grunnlag for FAGL6200, men emnene kan gjennomføres uavhengig av hverandre.

Different forms of assessment are used on the programme that are adapted to the learning outcomes of the various courses. The forms of assessment used are intended to support learning and document the students’ level of competence in relation to the expected learning outcomes. In general, the following forms of assessment are used in the programme:

Supervised individual examination

Taken at the university’s examination premises over a set number of hours.

Home examination

Taken over a set period of time at the end of the course, normally with a set question/assignment text unless otherwise stated in the course description.

Project examination

Taken over the whole or large parts of the course, normally with a topic decided by the students themselves unless otherwise stated in the course description.

Oral examination

Can take place individually or in groups. It can either be an independent form of assessment or used to adjust the grade awarded for another examination.

Practical examination

The assessment of specific practical skills either at the university or in the field of practice.

Assessment of practical training

Supervised practical training, assessed in accordance with the Regulations relating to Studies and Examinationinations at OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University Chapter 8.

The assessment of examinations and practical training is carried out in accordance with the applicable rules set out in the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges, the Regulations relating to Studies and Examinationinations at OsloMet and the Guidelines for Appointment and Use of examiners at OsloMet.

The forms of assessment and criteria are described in each course description. All examinations taken and the title of the master’s thesis will be stated on the diploma.

Examinations

All courses conclude with an examination. The assessment is based on the learning outcomes for the course, and the degree to which the student has achieved the stipulated learning outcomes is assessed. In theoretical courses, the grades used are pass/fail or letter grades from A to F, with A being the highest grade and E the poorest pass grade. The grade F means that the student has failed the examination. The grades pass/fail are used for the assessment of practical training.

Resit and rescheduled examinations are carried out in the same manner as the ordinary examination unless otherwise specified in the course description. In special cases, resit and rescheduled examinations in courses with group examinations may be held as individual examinations.

For examinations where a percentage of the examination papers are selected for assessment by an external examiner, the external examiner's assessment should benefit all the students.

The grade awarded for a written examination can be appealed, cf. Section 11-10 of the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges and the Regulations relating to Studies and Examinations at OsloMet. It is not possible to appeal the grades awarded for oral and practical examinations. In connection with group examinations, the result of an appeal will only have consequences for the candidate(s) who submitted the appeal. The other students will keep their original grade.

External programme supervisor

An external programme supervisor scheme is in place for the programme as required by the Guidelines for Appointment and Use of Examiners at OsloMet. The external supervisor will write an annual report on their work that will be included in the faculty’s area of the university’s quality assurance system.

Suitability assessment

The suitability assessment is a continuous overall assessment that takes place throughout the study programme. A student must be suitable for professional practice in order to receive diploma/certificate for the study programme.

If it appears that a student may pose a potential danger to the lives, physical and mental health, rights or safety of patients, clients and users during practical training or in future professional practice, it should be asked whether the student is suitable for the profession. University staff, personnel in practical training establishment, as well as students can submit a notification of doubt. The students concerned should be informed as soon as possible if such a notification of doubt has been sent. They should receive guidance and advice on how they can improve or be advised to withdraw from the programme.

https://student.oslomet.no/en/suitability-assessment

Suitability assessment is used in specialisation in Public Health Nursing, specialisation in Cancer Nursing and in Interdisciplinary Specialisation in Mental Health and Addiction.

Arbeidskravene skal bidra til refleksjon og læring, og bidra til å sikre at studenten er aktive og medansvarlige for studieprogresjonen. Arbeidskrav skal være levert/utført innen fastsatt(e) frist(er). Arbeidskravene må være godkjent før eksamen kan avlegges.

Faglig innhold og arbeidsmåter i studiet er knyttet til erfaringsdeling og utvikling av praktiske ferdigheter. Slik læring og ferdigheter kan ikke tilegnes ved selvstudium, men må opparbeides gjennom reell dialog med medstudenter og lærere og ved tilstedeværelse i undervisningen. Det er derfor krav om tilstedeværelse. Fravær utover 20 % kan unntaksvis kompenseres etter avtale med faglærer.

Se for øvrig beskrivelse av arbeidskrav under hvert enkelt emne.