Master's Programme in Health Sciences - specialisation in Nutrition Competencies for Health Professionals 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.

MAERND: Nutrition Competencies for Health Personnel

There is an increasing understanding of the importance of diet in the promotion of health and prevention and treatment of illness. Through this specialisation, the student will increase their knowledge of and competencies in nutrition and will be able to assess nutritional status to provide dietary guidance to a variety of user groups. The student will learn about dietary treatment of central nutrition-related diseases and challenges. Collaboration and responsibilities in dietary treatment are central.

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 Nutrition for Health Personnel

A bachelor's degree or an equivalent degree in health sciences. Applicants must also hold Norwegian authorisation as health personnel.

Learning outcomes at the programme level for the Master's Degree Programme in Health Sciences

The student’s overall learning outcomes for the Master’s Degree Programme in Health Sciences fully cover the description of master’s degree level (level 7) of the Norwegian Qualifications Framework.

A candidate who has completed his or her qualification should have the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The candidate

• has advanced knowledge of health-related services and health-promoting work within their field of specialisation
• can analyse academic problems on the basis of the history, traditions, distinctive character and place in society of the health sciences
• has knowledge of different perceptions of body, health, illness, function and functional impairment
• has in-depth knowledge of the individual’s right to autonomy and user participation, and of important considerations in the development of equitable health services and health-promoting work
• has insight into the role of interprofessional cooperation in achieving results in health-related services and health-promoting work
• has insight into the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 3, Good Health and Well-being, and an understanding of the connection between health and sustainable development in society
• has thorough knowledge of the theory of science, research methods and ethics of particular relevance to health sciences and the area of specialisation

Skills

The candidate

• can understand, motivate and cooperate with individuals and next of kin undergoing health-related learning, coping and change processes
• can analyse existing theories, methods and interpretations in the field of health sciences and work independently on practical and theoretical problem-solving
• can adapt health services and health-promoting work to different groups in society
• can contribute to the expedient and correct use of technology to improve the quality of the health services
• can use knowledge of quality improvement and implementation to improve the services
• can analyse and deal critically with various sources of information and use them to structure and formulate scholarly arguments
• can use relevant methods for research and scholarly and/or professional development work in an independent manner
• can carry out an independent, limited research or development project within their specialisation under supervision and in accordance with applicable norms for research ethics

General competence

The candidate

• can analyse the relationship between the individual, service and societal levels when designing health-related services and in health-promoting work
• can contribute to innovation and quality improvement that builds on relevant knowledge of nursing gained from research and experience, and knowledge of users
• can work in interprofessional teams in order to more efficiently address complex health challenges
• has an international perspective in their field of specialisation
• can assess their own research design and research method based on a specific research question
• can disseminate relevant problems, analyses and research results to specialists and the general public in a way that meets research ethics requirements
• can contribute to new thinking and innovation processes in the health services and in health-promoting work

Specialisation in Nutrition Competencies for Health Personnel

The following additional learning outcomes apply to candidates taking the Specialisation in Nutrition Competencies for Health Personnel:

• has thorough knowledge of diet and nutrition, including the conversion of and need for energy and nutrients
• can identify key nutritional challenges, such as under-nutrition and malnutrition, in different patient groups, and discuss and implement measures
• can apply knowledge of the composition of different types of special diets in order to develop dietary guidance for users in different groups

In this course, the student’s own language skills are emphasised, in particular oral production and interaction, language in context, and language learning strategies. In addition, the student should be able to facilitate the language learning of children and young people.

The German language teacher is a reflective language user and language disseminator. By analysing and assessing learning and communication strategies for his/her own language use and in a teacher perspective, the students shall reach a level where they can actively use German in both oral and written communication. The German teacher shall have an awareness of his/her own language abilities, and children and young people’s language learning, insight into the differences and similarities between German, Norwegian and other languages. The course provides knowledge of linguistic and cultural variation in the German speaking countries. Inspiring and encouraging pupils to take pleasure in being able to use a new language through experiences and exploration is another important aspect. Digital tools shall be included in the education in a critical and reflective manner, and shall be linked to teaching practice.

German 1 (30 ECTS credits) consists of two courses:

Course 1 German Language Structure and Acquisition (15 ECTS credits) and

Course 2 The Teaching of German as a Foreign Language in Norwegian Secondary Education (15 ECTS credits).

he 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

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 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 to realize this. 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. Coursework requirements can be individual or in groups. 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 exceeds the maximum limit for absence stated in the course description or do not participate in a group presentation, the lecturer will consider whether it is possible to compensate for absence by meeting alternative requirements. This can e.g. be written assignments or oral presentations, individually or in groups. 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 assignmentsSeveral 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.

German 1 (30 ECTS credits) consists of two courses:

Course 1 German Language Structure and Acquisition (15 ECTS credits) and

Course 2 The Teaching of German as a Foreign Language in Norwegian Secondary Education (15 ECTS credits).

German 1 is a blended learning course with digital learning combined with three periods of campus training at OsloMet and two at Pädagogische Hochschule Freiburg, Germany. Each of the two semesters is structured in an initial face-to-face session in Oslo, later followed by a week of training in Germany. In the spring semester there is in addition a final session in Oslo. Between the face-to-face sessions, there will be online training, with self-paced modules accompanied by regular virtual meetings with teachers and other group members.

There will be tandems in language learning but also in teacher training. Language learning will be accompanied by tandem partners either in Norway or in Germany with a minimum of 1 hour of tandem meetings weekly, through Skype or in person. We will work from a communicative approach giving priority to the acquisition of skills which also can be applied in the own teaching of German as a second/third language. We will employ a mixed methodology (classroom and online) through the creation of a virtual space in a networked platform.

The preparation of microteachings, short teaching sequences of a chosen topic, will be discussed and evaluated by peers, coaches and the learners – this will take place online. There will be the possibility to prepare and practice in Skype sessions with other participants of the program as well as a self-observation of recorded teachings or microteachings from the practical training in Freiburg.

Tasks and assessments will be carried out from different methodological approaches that students can subsequently apply in their daily teaching.

The use of digital and interactive resources will be provided by Dhoch3, an online platform designed for German Teacher Training at universities worldwide, sponsored by the Auswärtiges Amt (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and the DAAD. The access to the learning resources will be given and guaranteed by OsloMet and Pädagogische Hochschule Freiburg.