Master Programme in Applied Social Sciences - Programme Option Family Therapy, part time Programme description

The Master’s Programme in Applied Social Sciences, programme option Family Therapy, is a part-time course of study completed over four years. Successful completion of the programme awards the degree Master of Applied Social Sciences - Programme Option Family Therapy. The degree’s English title is Master of Applied Social Sciences - Option Programme Family Therapy. The programme is offered by the Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Social Sciences.

The Master’s programme provides practical and theoretical expertise in change-oriented work with families with children and adolescents. The programme focuses, among other things, on families in need of assistance who fall under child welfare services, child and adolescent psychiatry, family counselling services, educational psychology services, substance abuse services, adult psychiatry, the municipality’s low-threshold services, and other sectors. Systemic thinking is a foundational principle throughout the programme.

The course Master Clinic has two components: a practice placement where students, through supervised practice, train to become family therapists, and workshops/teaching related to skills training in various family therapy approaches. The course runs over five semesters and includes a total of 300 hours of supervised practice distributed across two semesters. Practice may take place, for example, at family counselling offices, in child welfare services, in healthcare institutions, in other agencies, or in private practice. During the practice period, students are expected to take the role of primary therapist in their own cases.

There is a close connection between what students learn in practice and what they learn in workshops. In addition to practical skills and conversational techniques, students learn about various theoretical approaches to family therapy. Personal professional development (PPD) occurs through a combination of workshops, supervised practice, and student-led study groups and PPD groups.

The programme has a broad scope and qualifies graduates for:

• change-oriented work in institutions within family counselling and other family-related services, child welfare, and child and adolescent psychiatry
• work on family-related issues within welfare administration
• positions related to development and research projects in the field
• admission to PhD programmes

The Master's Programme in Applied Social Sciences, programme option Family Therapy, is accepted by FO (The Norwegian Union of Social Educators and Social Workers) as one of the criteria for clinical approval for social workers, child welfare pedagogues, and social educators. See the current FO requirements on their website.

All teaching and practical training are conducted in Norwegian.

The Master’s Programme in Social Sciences, specialization in Family Therapy, is offered to applicants who have completed a bachelor’s degree or a three-year undergraduate education in social work, child welfare, social education, nursing, or psychology. The programme is suitable for those who wish both a theoretical specialization in family studies and therapeutic training for working with families.

The programme may be approved as part of a clinical specialization for child welfare pedagogues, social workers, and social educators with a focus on family therapy.

The admission requirement is a completed bachelor’s degree or a three-year undergraduate education in social work, child welfare, social education, nursing, or psychology.

Admission is conducted in accordance with the Regulations on Admission to Studies at OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University.

Additional Points

Applicants with an undergraduate education in child welfare or social work are awarded 1 additional point.Additional points (maximum 1) may also be awarded for relevant professional experience beyond the admission requirement. Relevant experience includes work within the health and social services sector.All applicants are ranked based on their total point score.

Admission to individual courses within this programme follows the same requirements as admission to the programme as a whole, including a minimum grade average of C.

Police Certificate

A police certificate must be submitted upon admission to the programme. The certificate is to be provided at the start of studies.

After completing the programme, the graduate should have the following overall learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The candidate has

• advanced knowledge of systemic and postmodern perspectives that form the theoretical foundation of family therapy
• advanced knowledge of social science theories and research methods, family policy, and family sociology
• in-depth knowledge of sociological and psychological perspectives on children and adults
• in-depth knowledge of family theory and family-therapeutic treatment methods
• advanced knowledge of health-promoting perspectives in family therapy

Skills

The candidate can

• carry out change-oriented work with families within various health and social services
• apply different theories as analytical tools in work with families
• exercise critical reflection concerning different forms of family therapy
• apply child-specific knowledge as an integrated part of the therapeutic repertoire
• work systematically on developing support services for families and addressing family policy issues within various health and welfare services
• conduct a systematic and critical analysis of a research question, apply key research principles, and present the results clearly in an academic format

General Competence

The candidate has

• in-depth knowledge of the possibilities and limitations of scientific inquiry within the field of family therapy
• in-depth knowledge of ethical issues and the ability to analyse them

The candidate can

• assess and apply various therapeutic methods in clinical practice
• convey in-depth knowledge of families’ living conditions and apply a family perspective in a relevant manner
• exercise advanced epistemological and methodological reflection on issues within the field of family therapy
• select appropriate research methods in relation to the research question

Family Therapy is a part-time programme with a nominal duration of four years, comprising 120 ECTS credits. The workload is estimated at an average of 18 hours per week, though this will vary somewhat between courses and semesters.

The programme consists of three components: theoretical courses, the master clinic, and the master’s thesis. The theoretical courses amount to 60 ECTS credits, the master clinic 30 ECTS credits, and the master’s thesis 30 ECTS credits.

Attendance at the start of studies is mandatory. Teaching takes place during daytime hours and is mainly organised in intensive blocks. This means that students complete teaching and examination in one course before beginning the next. The teaching is not session-based.

The theoretical courses build on one another, and it is therefore recommended that students complete the courses in the order presented in the overview table. The courses Systemic Foundations and Child and Adolescent Psychopathology must be passed before students may begin their practice placement.

The course Master Clinic spans five semesters, beginning in the second semester and concluding with an exam in the sixth semester. In the fourth semester, students choose between the courses Knowledge Production in Social Sciences: Quantitative Methods and Qualitative Research Methods and Design. The method course not taken in the fourth semester is taken in the sixth. It is recommended that students choose in the fourth semester the method they plan to use in their master’s thesis.

Work on the Master’s Thesis in Family Therapy begins in the sixth semester. The master’s thesis is an independent research project. Ongoing research projects that students may join will be presented in the sixth semester during the Faculty’s Master Forum. In the sixth semester, students must prepare a project outline for the thesis and will thereafter be assigned a supervisor. The master’s thesis is submitted in the eighth semester.

All courses included in the degree must be passed before the student can submit the master’s thesis for assessment.

To support the learning outcomes of the individual courses, the programme employs a variety of learning activities, pedagogical approaches, and assessment forms. Varied learning methods with active student participation—both individually and in groups—are used throughout the programme.

Teaching takes place during daytime hours and is primarily organised into intensive blocks, where the student completes teaching and examination in one course before starting the next. Learning activities include lectures, group work, oral presentations, discussions, exercises, skills training, and practice-based training in family therapy. Students also have opportunities to participate in study groups throughout the programme. Teaching is conducted on campus with physical attendance.

Through repeated written assignments, students gain practice in reflection, argumentation, and clear academic communication. Oral presentations and discussions aim to develop dialogical and analytical skills. The specialization promotes academic independence through self-study and completion of a substantial scientific work.

Students must use APA style for references in all written assignments.

In the course Practical Training in Family Therapy, students receive training in integrating personal therapeutic development, theory, research-based knowledge, and method. The practice period consists of a total of 300 hours. Students gain experience working with networks, families, couples, and individual clients, and receive feedback and supervision on their work from a supervisor and fellow students. Teaching/workshops, practice, and coursework requirements are all designed to ensure progression in the student’s personal therapeutic development and learning throughout the five semesters of the course. The interplay between theory and practice is central throughout the entire programme.

The Faculty is responsible for approving practice placements, following up on the practice period, and making the final assessment of the student. Practice may take place either at a workplace the student finds independently, at a workplace assigned by the Faculty, or at the student’s own workplace. In accordance with the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges, the Faculty holds responsibility for the final assessment of the student. Reference is otherwise made to the Regulations relating to Studies and Examinations at OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University concerning practice.

The curriculum includes literature from both national and international sources.

In accordance with the Regulations relating to Studies and Examinations at OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University, conditions may be set for admission to examinations.

Each course description specifies whether coursework requirements and/or mandatory activities are included. These requirements must be approved before the student may sit the examination. If coursework requirements or mandatory activities are not submitted or not approved by the specified deadline, the student loses the right to take the exam in that particular course.

Each course concludes with an examination, and various forms of assessment are used. The course descriptions specify the type of assessment, grading scale, examiner arrangements, and permitted examination aids for each course.

Suitability Assessment

The Master’s Programme in Social Sciences, specialization in Family Therapy, is subject to the Regulations on Suitability Assessment in Higher Education, issued by the Ministry of Education.Suitability assessment is an overall evaluation of the student’s academic and personal qualifications to function as a health or social care professional. Further information on suitability assessment can be found on the OsloMet student intranet.