Master's Program in Behavioral Science Programme description

The Master’s Program in Behavioral Science comprises 120 ECTS credits in accordance with § 2-6 of the National Regulations Relating to the Universities and University Colleges Act, appointed by the Ministry of Education and Research on August 1st, 2024. A successfully completed program leads to the degree Master of Behavioral Science /master i atferdsvitenskap.

The program teaches modern behavioral science. The term behavioral science has no agreed-upon definition and may refer to different things in different settings. When used as part of the current program, the term should be understood in the context of the idea that a natural science approach to human behavior is both interesting and important to explore. Aspects of natural science relevant for this master´s program in behavioral science include a focus on empirical investigation, the use of experimental methods, and resulting empirically defined units of analysis. Behavioral science aims to explore and develop a natural science approach in several domains, including in conceptual development and philosophy, in experimental analysis and other parts of basic science, and in the application of scientific principles to generate desirable change. A type of behavioral science called behavior analysis is central to the program. Behavior analysis is concerned with investigating systematic relationships between the environment and behavior and considers both public and private events. Behavior analysis may be viewed as a selectionist science taking into consideration both phylogenetic, ontogenetic, and cultural phenomena. The knowledge, skills and competence from the program are useful when designing, implementing, managing and documenting processes of change for individuals and in systems. Interventions taught in the program are empirically based and well suited for measuring and assessment of outcomes.

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

Master’s Program in Behavioral Science

The program aims to give students a comprehensive overview of the science of behavior analysis. The study consists of courses designed to provide general knowledge of the conceptual framework and philosophy of behavior analysis and complementary fields. The program has a 80 ECTS compulsory course package, a 10 ECTS elective course and a master’s thesis worth 30 ECTS. The concepts of behavior analysis are generic, and not exclusively relevant for specific target groups or populations. Behavioral interventions in such diverse fields as behavioral economics, concept formation and complex human behavior, teaching special needs-students, organizational behavior management, clinical behavioral treatment, and behavioral safety and risk management provide practical applications of behavioral principles. These topics are included in elective courses to demonstrate the value of the behavioral approach. The theoretical grounding and practical applications provide a strong knowledge base for students to write their thesis, that usually describes the design, implementation, and evaluation of an intervention conducted under the time constraints and practical considerations of a one-semester workload. Except for two compulsory seminars in research ethics, there is no attendance required. However, this is a demanding and exacting program, and students are advised to follow lectures and to participate in a research or lab group preparation of their thesis.

Career opportunities and post-graduate studies

Graduates of the program will usually have a set of professional skills from their undergraduate studies, and the program enhances and adds value to those skills. Graduates have found rewarding work in a variaty of settings both in the private and public sector. Former studentens are working in the fields of:

• general, special, and higher education
• health and social services
• leadership and human resource management
• scientific research

(The list is not exhaustive).

The program prepares the graduates for Ph.D. studies.

The master program is accredited by Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI).https://www.abainternational.org/accreditation.aspx

Graduates who wish to sit for the certification exam by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board must complete a specific BACB-approved course sequence. http://bacb.com/

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.

MAELD: Physiotherapy for Older Adults

This specialisation will give students special qualifications in physiotherapy for the older adult. The older adults as a target group, defined as over 65 years, is growing. A key health policy goal is that older adults are able to live at home as long as possible, and the specialisation therefore focuses on physiotherapy as part of the municipal services for users living at home. The physiotherapy service’s area of responsibility broadly encompasses health promotion, prevention, diagnostics, treatment and rehabilitation. This requires up-to-date and evidence-based knowledge in the fields of gerontology and geriatrics, and more particularly in age-related movement and function. The specialisation focuses on professional practice and emphasises the importance of continuous professional development and dissemination of up-to-date knowledge.

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 Physiotherapy for Older Adults

A bachelor's degree or an equivalent degree in physiotherapy. Applicants must also hold Norwegian authorisation as a physiotherapist. Applicants with an internship license can also be admitted.

A maximum of one additional point is awarded for relevant education beyond the minimum requirement. By relevant education is meant higher education in health and social care subjects, teaching-related subjects and psychology, where the main focus is on older adults, geriatrics and gerontology.

Program Structure

The program constitutes a scientifically and pedagogically integrated whole; with compulsory and elective components (all comprising 10 ECTS), in addition to master’s theses of 40 ECTS.

Content of common compulsory courses

These courses provide basic insight and some practical skills in behavior analysis.The philosophy of science that is fundamental to behavior analysis is introduced and placed in a wider context of philosophy of science. The status of various scientific approaches in modern society is discussed. The courses place the study of human behavior in a natural science tradition and emphasize a selectionist understanding of change processes. Basic ontological and epistemological questions are discussed: unity of knowledge; the relationship between natural sciences, social sciences and the humanities; determining and defining analytical units in research; and methodological approaches suitable for promoting effective action. Behavior analysis – experimental, conceptual and applied – is introduced as a cumulative science of behavior.

Compulsory courses

• MALK4100 Science, Behavior, and Society
• MALK4000-403 Behavior Analysis and Radical Behaviorism
• MALKA211 Introduction to Behavior Analysis
• MALKA212 Refinement of Behavior Analytic Terms
• MALKA213 Laboratory Exercises – Experimental Analysis of Behavior
• MALKA214 Experimental Design and Functional Analysis
• MALKA215 Complex Human Behavior

Content of elective courses

In the elective courses, various behaviorally based approaches to initiating, facilitating and managing change processes in individual behavior repertoire, organizations and systems are studied. Behavioral technology comprises everything from basic self-control techniques to sophisticated tools for initiating and managing complex processes in large organizations. Important features in this methodology are operational measures of change and continuous data collection.

Elective courses (a total of 10 ECTS)

Each student chooses one (1) of the following courses:

• MALKA217 Early Intervention for Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorders
• MALKA219 Organizational Behavior Management (OBM)
• MALKA220 Behavioral Economics
• MALKA222 Clinical Behavior Analysis

Elective courses are normally offered every Fall term. Students enrol for courses bydeadlines each semester, and thedepartment reserves the right to cancel courses with insufficient enrolment. Depending on the number of students enrolled, changes may be made in the way the courses are conducted.

Master's thesis

Students write an individual master’s thesis worth 40 ECTS (MALK5920/MALKD5920). The thesis is usually a work in progress during the elective courses, when students participate in research projects with faculty.

By the end of the final course at the latest, the student submits a thesis outline, including a research question, a plan for progress, and a plan for dissemination (see guidelines, Thesis outline). When faculty approves the thesis outline, the student is assigned a supervisor for his thesis work. See the course descriptions for MALK5920/MALKD5920 for a more detailed description of the master’s thesis worth 40 ECTS.

Two compulsory seminars in research ethics cover academic honesty; the work of Regional Ethics Committees; the guidelines of OsloMet on research ethics and research fraud; current publication manuals and APA style manuscript preparation, and the use of electronic reference management tools. The seminars are taken place digitally and are open forstudents from all stages of the program. One seminar is held every semester, and both seminars must be completed before the proposal for the thesis is submitted.

The master’s thesis can be written in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English.

The program complies with the quality assurance systems required by the university.

Progression Requirements

All coursework requirements must be approved to sit for the final course exam. Coursework requirements must be approved to participate and submit coursework requirements according to the following:

MALKA212: MALKA211, or equivalent

MALKA213: MALKA211, MALKA212, or equivalent

MALKA214: MALKA211, or equivalent

MALKA215: MALK4000-403, MALKA211, MALKA212, MALKA214, or equivalent

MALKD5920: All courses in the specialisation must be completed with pass grades and the coursework requirements, including seminars in research ethics, must be approved before the candidate may submit the master’s thesis.

Exemption from the provisions of progression requirements may in special cases and upon application by the student, be granted.

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.

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.

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/MAELD4070 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 and 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/MAELD4070, 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/MAELD5900) or 30 ECTS credits (MAVIT5910), 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/MAELD4070 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 20 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

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 ECTS credits

MAVIT4400 Clinical Neurophysiology, 10 ECTS credits

VSHSO6000 Sexual Abuse - Prevention, Detection and Follow up, 10 ECTS credits

VSHFS6000 The Impacts of Disability and Illness on Sexual Health, 10 ECTS credits

HETEK4300 Bacteriology and Antimicrobial Resistance, 10 ECTS credits

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

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

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

MERG4200 Complex Interventions in Work and Everyday Life, 10 ECTS credits

The student must have been admitted to the Master’s Programme in Health Sciences and have 20 ECTS credits in nutrition

MAPHN4100 National and Global Nutrition Challenges, 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, 10 ECTS credits

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

Study progress

The following progress requirements apply to the programme:

MAVIT4070/MAELD4070 must be passed before the student can start working on the master's thesis.

All compulsory 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 MAELD4100 and MAELD4200 for a more detailed description of the content of the specialisation courses.

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.

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:

• MAFAR4100 Innovation within Healthcare, 10 ECTS credits
• MAVIT4700 Food, Health and Sustainability, 10 ECTS credits
• MAVIT5100 Health Communication, 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. 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 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.

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. All examinations taken that are part of the specialisation will appear on the diploma, as well as the title of the student’s master’s thesis. Students who take additional elective courses in excess of 120 credits get these on their transcript, and must choose which elective courses are to be included on the diploma. 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 Examinations at OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University.

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 Examinations 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.

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.