Masterstudium i sosialfag - studieretning barnevern, deltid Programplan

Masterstudium i sosialfag, studieretning barnevern er et mastertilbud for barnevernspedagoger hvor formålet er å utdanne kandidater som har inngående kunnskap om barn, unge og familier i utsatte livssituasjoner, og om hvilke forhold i samfunnet som særlig har betydning for deres velferd og hverdagsliv. Studentene skal kunne analysere det enkelte barns omsorgssituasjon, og i samarbeid med barn og familier sette i gang endringsarbeid som kan styrke barnets omsorgssituasjon og utviklingsmuligheter. Videre er formålet å videreutvikle studentenes evne til analytisk tenkning og reflektere kritisk og etisk over egen praksis. I studiet belyses forhold mellom problemforståelse og valg av tiltak og metoder som benyttes i barnevernet, samt tiltakenes teoretiske utgangspunkt. Barnevernets mandat, juridiske rammebetingelser og barn og familiers rettigheter er sentrale tema.

Barnevern er en virksomhet hvor praksis baseres på implisitte og eksplisitte teorier fra en rekke fagdisipliner. Virksomheten er normativ, og det er behov for et kritisk grunnlag for å vurdere hva som er gyldig og relevant kunnskap for praksis. Forståelser av barn og barns samfunnsmessige status er viktige premisser for barnevernets virksomhet til enhver tid. I studiet legges det vekt på hvordan barnevernet inngår i et samfunn preget av kulturell kompleksitet, sosial ulikhet og mangfold, og retter seg dermed mot barnevernsarbeid i storby. Utdanningen kombinerer praksisnær og forskningsbasert undervisning.

Programplanen og studiets innhold er basert på forskrift om nasjonal retningslinje for masterutdanning i barnevern.

Studenten bes gjøre seg kjent med lov om universiteter og høgskoler og gjeldende forskrift om studier og eksamen ved OsloMet - storbyuniversitetet.

Studieretningen retter seg mot barnevernspedagoger som ønsker en faglig fordypning innen barnevernsfeltet. Studiet er også relevant for arbeid med barn og unges psykiske helse, kriminalomsorg og for arbeid i barnehage og skole.

Studiet kvalifiserer til

• stillinger i kommunalt og statlig barnevern
• stillinger i andre velferdstjenester og forvaltningsenheter som retter seg mot barn og familier
• stillinger i kompetansemiljøer, forsknings- og utdanningsinstitusjoner
• opptak til ph.d.-studier

Deler av videreutdanning i Vurdering av barnets beste og videreutdanning i Juss i barnevernfaglig arbeid kan innpasses i studieprogrammet.

Opptakskravet er fullført bachelorgrad eller treårig grunnutdanning i barnevern.

Opptak til enkeltemner i dette programmet har samme krav som opptak til programmet, inkludert krav om karaktersnitt på C.

En kandidat med fullført studium skal ha følgende totale læringsutbytte definert i kunnskap, ferdigheter og generell kompetanse:

Kunnskap

Kandidaten har

• avansert kunnskap om samfunnsvitenskapelige teorier og rettsforståelse relevant for barnevernet og andre velferdstjenesters virksomhetsområde
• inngående kunnskap om barn og foreldres rettigheter i møte med barnevernet
• inngående kunnskap om etiske problemstillinger i barnevernet
• vitenskapsteoretisk forståelse, med særlig fokus på profesjonsforståelse og barnevernets heterogene kunnskapsgrunnlag
• inngående kunnskap om analytiske perspektiver på praksis, institusjoner og sosialpolitiske intervensjoner
• spesialisert kunnskap om skjønnsutøvelse i barnevernsfaglige vurderinger og beslutninger

Ferdigheter

Kandidaten kan

• analysere og forholde seg kritisk til ulike kunnskapskilder og anvende disse i vurderinger og beslutninger til barnets beste
• gjennomføre omsorgsvurderinger ved å analysere og vurdere hva som er barnets beste i lys av barnets og familiens situasjon og kontekst
• reflektere over barnevernets komplekse samfunnsmandat og rolle i samfunnet
• analysere og vurdere barnevernets metodiske framgangsmåter
• utøve profesjonelt barnevernsarbeid i en storbykontekst

Generell kompetanse

Kandidaten kan

• anvende relevant forskningsbasert kunnskap i barnevernfeltet
• kritisk vurdere sosialpolitiske tiltak og faglige anbefalinger som berører barn og familier i barnevern og tilgrensende tjenester
• kritisk vurdere muligheter og begrensninger ved ny forskningsbasert kunnskap i barnevernsfeltet
• vurdere etiske problemstillinger knyttet til forskning og fagutvikling i barnevern

The Master's Program in Behavioral Science comprises 120 ECTS credits in accordance with § 3 of the National Regulations Relating to Requirements for a Master’s Degree, appointed by the Ministry of Education and Research on December 1st, 2005. A successfully completed program leads to the degree Master of Behavioral Science /master i atferdsvitenskap.

The study program is established in accordance with the Act Relating to Universities and University Colleges of 1 April 2005 and Regulations Relating to Studies and Examinations at OsloMet - Oslo Metropolitan University 26 June 2012.

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 70 ECTS compulsory course package, with 20 ECTS elective courses (two courses each worth 10 ECTS) 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 variety of settings both in the private and public sector. Former students are working in the fields of:

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

(The list 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

Prospective students have a bachelor's degree and an interest in the science or philosophy of behavior, and recognize the need for effective behavioral interventions.

Admission to this study program is processed in accordance with current Regulations Relating to Admission to Master’s Degree Programs at OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University.

Applicants must have a bachelor's degree or the equivalent from an accredited university or university college. The Admissions office makes the decisions on applications for admission.

Some courses are offered as freestanding courses with admission requirements. Applicants to freestanding courses in the master’s program must have a bachelor’s degree or the equivalent from an accredited university or college.

For more information, see Forskrift om opptak til studier ved OsloMet(in Norwegian) or Regulations related to Admission to Studies at OsloMet (in English).

Admission to individual courses

Many of the courses in the programme are available for students outside the programme and can be applied to individually. Applicants to freestanding courses in the master’s program must have a bachelor’s degree or the equivalent from an accredited university or college. The grade C requirement does not apply to admission to individual courses. Applicants to freestanding courses do not have to document proficiency in the Norwegian language in order to be eligible for admission. For courses with progression requirements those have to be approved before admission to the course. More information about admission to individual courses can be found on the programme’s website.

A graduate of this program has acquired the following learning outcomes defined as knowledge, skills and competence:

Knowledge

The graduate can

• demonstrate thorough familiarity with principles of behavior analysis
• discuss therelationship between theoretical knowledge, experimental analysis, and applied science
• understand the difference between description, prediction, and explanation
• demonstrate theoretical and working knowledge of the ethical principles that govern scientific research and interventions in applied settings

Skills

The graduate can

• analyze behavior using the principles of behavior both in research and in applied settings
• conduct experiments and demonstrate working knowledge of scientific methodology
• demonstrate appropriate strategies for evaluating the effects of independent variables and interventions by using different designs and inferential statistics
• critically assess the quality of scientific information
• conduct and report a supervised research project with a behavioral perspective in accordance with research ethical guidelines and regulations
• integrate behavioral principles with knowledge from other fields
• communicate with professionals in different fields

Competence

The graduate can

• contribute to thedevelopment of evidence-based methods for intervention and behavior change
• share knowledge and skills with the public and peers according to the standards of professional scientific communication, including the current APA standards
• justify his/her professional behavior with reference to relevant professional and ethical guidelines, general ethical considerations, and assessment of the situation.

Skikkethetsvurdering

Master i barnevern er omfatta av Forskrift om skikkethetsvurdering i høgare utdanning fastsett av Kunnskapsdepartementet .

Skikkethetsvurdering er ei heilskapsvurdering av dei faglege og personlege føresetnadene til studenten for å kunna fungera som helse- eller sosialpersonell. Nærare informasjon om skikkethetsvurdering finn du på intranettet for studentar ved Oslomet.