Validation of Prior Learning Programme description

Utviklingsstudier er et internasjonalt orientert fag hvor hele pensum dreier seg om internasjonale forhold. I tillegg får studentene faglig relevant internasjonal erfaring ved å gjennomføre feltarbeid i et land i Sør.

Dette er beskrevet i hver enkelt emneplan.

Opptakskrav er bachelorgrad eller tilsvarende utdanning av 180 studiepoeng omfang og minst ett års relevant yrkespraksis innen fagområder hvor det er relevant med realkompetansevurdering. 

 Søkere kan alternativt tas opp på bakgrunn av realkompetansevurdering. Kompetansen som vurderes er dokumentert utdanning samt erfaring med opplæring i og vurdering av arbeidslivs- og organisasjonskompetanse. Søkere som ikke har generell studiekompetanse, må oppfylle følgende krav for å være kvalifisert realkompetansesøker: 

1: Søker må være 25 år eller eldre i opptaksåret og må dokumentere ett av følgende punkter,   

• fagbrev eller tilsvarende, og minimum to års relevant yrkespraksis  
• minimum fem års relevant yrkespraksis 

Inntil to av de fem årene kan erstattes av relevant ulønnet arbeid, utdanning, organisasjonserfaring eller liknende. 

2: Søker må ha tilstrekkelige ferdigheter i norsk (eller annet nordisk språk) til å kunne gjennomføre studiet. Faget norsk (eller annet nordisk språk) skal bestå av minimum 112 årstimer fra videregående opplæring eller tilsvarende, bestått med karakteren 2 eller bedre. Alternativt kan kravet til norsk dokumenteres med en attest fra arbeidsgiver som beskriver hvordan søkeren på en tilfredsstillende måte har brukt norsk skriftlig og muntlig (eller annet nordisk språk) som en vesentlig del av sitt arbeid. Søker må i tillegg også ha en kombinasjon av minimum fem år relevant fulltids yrkespraksis og høyere utdanning eller høyere yrkesfaglig utdanning (fagskoleutdanning) fordelt slik at enten yrkespraksis eller utdanning utgjør minst 40 prosent av de fem årene. Yrkespraksis og utdanning under dette punkt kommer i tillegg til yrkespraksis og utdanning nevnt under punkt 1. 

3: Søkere som har generell studiekompetanse må oppfylle følgende krav for å være kvalifisert realkompetansesøker: Søker må ha en kombinasjon av minimum fem år relevant fulltids yrkespraksis og høyere utdanning eller høyere yrkesfaglig utdanning (fagskoleutdanning) fordelt slik at enten yrkespraksis eller utdanning utgjør minst 40 prosent av de fem årene.   

Søkere som arbeider med veiledning for og verdsetting av realkompetanse på nivå videregående opplæring for voksne (VOV) og forberedende opplæring for voksne (FOV) blir prioritert og får 5 tilleggspoeng. Det må vedlegges arbeidsattest hvor relevante arbeidsoppgaver innen VOV og FOV fremkommer.

 Det gis tilleggspoeng for relevant yrkespraksis utover opptaksgrunnlaget til alle kvalifiserte søkere. Med relevant yrkespraksis menes yrkespraksis som innebærer jobbformidling, kompetanseutvikling, karriereveiledning, vurdering og kartlegging av realkompetanse, undervisning i (voksen)opplæring eller tilsvarende. 

Dersom det er flere kvalifiserte søkere enn ledige studieplasser, blir søkere rangert etter rangeringsregler i Forskrift om opptak til studier ved OsloMet – storbyuniversitetet.

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 Care 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.

MAPSYH: Mental Health and Addiction

The Specialisation in Mental Health and Addiction qualifies for preventive, treatment and rehabilitation within municipal health, social and welfare services, mental health care and interdisciplinary specialised drug treatment (TSB). The education is research-based, practice-based and experience-based, and meets society's demands for equal and knowledge-based services. It involves safeguarding human rights, participation, and development opportunities in society, and promoting good mental and physical health for people with mental health, drug and/or addiction problems. The first 60 credits meet the requirements of the regulations on national guidelines for tverrfaglig videreutdanning i psykisk helse-, rus- og avhengighetsarbeid (the Ministry of Education and Research, 2022). After completing the programme, the student can familiarize himself with research in the field and be able to make independent professional assessments and decisions in interaction with the person it mainly concerns, his family, network and others involved in health, social and welfare services. Practical training forms part of the specialisation.

For more information, see regulations on national guidelines for tverrfaglig videreutdanning i psykisk helse-, rus- og avhengighetsarbeid

https://lovdata.no/dokument/SF/forskrift/2025-07-04-1457

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.

Studiet er et samlingsbasert deltidsstudium og kan organiseres over to semestre eller ett semester ut fra oppdragsgivers ønsker. På samlingene vil det være forelesninger med introduksjon av faglige temaer, dialog, gruppeoppgaver, erfaringsdeling og litteraturstudier. Det forutsetter at deltakerne er aktive på samlingene og bidrar med erfaringer og refleksjoner i det læringsfellesskapet studiegruppen utgjør. Mellom samlingene arbeider deltakerne individuelt og gruppevis med oppgaver i tilknytning til de ulike fasene og rollene i realkompetansearbeidet. Litteraturstudier og bruk av nettressurser inngår også.

Det legges vekt på at innholdet og arbeidsformene skal være praksisnære og relevante for arbeid med realkompetanse. Studieopplegget inkludert arbeidskravene skal bidra til forståelse for rolle og ansvar, egenvurdering og refleksjon rundt egen praksis samt profesjonalisering av arbeidet med alle faser i realkompetansevurdering.

Arbeidskravene skal bidra til refleksjon og læring, samt sikre at studentene er aktive og medansvarlige for studieprogresjonen. Arbeidskravene skal være levert/utført innen fastsatt(e) frist(er).

Følgende arbeidskrav må være godkjent før eksamen kan avlegges:

• Individuell oppgave om bruk av læreplaner/studieplaner i vurderingsarbeidet (750–800 ord) Oppgaven presenteres og diskuteres i grupper som representerer samme fagområde og utdanningsnivå.
• Gruppeoppgave med beskrivelse og drøfting av roller og ansvar i realkompetansearbeidet 1500–2000 ord).
• Gruppeoppgave basert på metodisk utprøving i ulike faser av realkompetansearbeidet (1500–2000 ord). Arbeidskravet gjennomføres og deles nettbasert.

Arbeidskrav som ikke blir godkjent kan omarbeides én gang.

Faglig aktivitet med krav om deltakelse

Faglig innhold og arbeidsmåter i studiet er basert på erfaringsdeling, felles forståelse for roller og oppgaver samt utvikling av praksis. Aktiv deltakelse på samlinger er en forutsetning for undervisningen. For å avlegge eksamen kreves minimum 80 prosent deltakelse på samlingene. Studenter som på grunn av sykdom eller annen dokumentert gyldig årsak ikke oppfyller kravet til deltakelse, avtaler alternativ(e) aktivitet(er) i hvert enkelt tilfelle med læreren.

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 Mental Health and Addiction

The following additional learning outcomes apply to candidates taking the Specialisation in Mental Health and Addiction:

• has in-depth knowledge of communication, relationships, and interaction in prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and habilitation in mental health and addiction
• has advanced competence in mental health in different societal groups, as well as in factors that promote inclusion and participation
• has advanced knowledge of the interaction between biological, psychological, social, and cultural factors with relevance to mental health and addiction
• can possess advanced skills that include ethical reflection, awareness of one's own preconceptions, as well as users' and relatives' competence

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 two specialisations cancer nursing, public health nursing and mental health 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. 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/MAPSY4070 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/MAPSY4070, 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) or 30 ECTS credits (MAVIT5910/MAPSY5910/20), respectively. Whether the students are able to choose the scope of their master’s thesis depends on the specialisation they have been admitted to. Students will develop a project description as part of the course MAVIT4070/MAPSY4070 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.

Study progress

The following progress requirements apply to the programme:

MAVIT4070/MAxxx4070 must be passed before the master's thesis can be started. 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 MAPSY4200, MAPSY4300, MAPSY4400, MASPY4500 and MAPSYPRA20 for a more detailed description of the content of the specialisation courses.