Degree Programme in Social Services: S11SOSI-961

Description

DEGREE PROGRAMME IN SOCIAL SERVICES
WELLBEING SERVICES
Campus: /Tampere, Pyynikintie 2
Director of education Riitta Hanhijärvi
Social Services, education manager Sirpa Tietäväinen
The title of the graduating students of Degree Programme in Social Services is Bachelor of Social Services. The degree is comparable with equivalent degrees in other EU countries. The extent of the Degree Programme in Social Services is 210 credits (cr) and the education lasts for 3.5 years.

DEGREE PROGRAMME OF SOCIAL SERVICES
Eligibility: www.tamk.fi

BASIC VALUES OF EDUCATION
Ethical competence in social services and social work is the core of degree Programme in social services. The work of social sector is guided by United Nations Human Rights and by Finnish laws and regulations of social rights. Human rights are "basic rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled. This means that all humans are endowed with certain entitlements merely by reason of being human.

SKILLS COMMON FOR ALL
The nationally defined competence requirements for social service education in universities of applied sciences are ethical skills, client service skills, social service system skills, societal analysis and influencing skills, reflective development and management skills and communal skills.
Social service clientship is connected to preventive, communal and structural work. More and more often, social services and social work are implemented in multi-professional projects, services and networks and thus Bachelors of Social Services are required to be capable of working as experts in social services with other professionals.

Social service work is client-oriented and empowering. Working in the field requires reflective and creative skills as well as an investigative work approach. Guidance and development of functions and networking skills are essential. The multi-cultural society also requires language skills and cultural sensitivity.

PROFESSIONAL STATUS
Bachelors of Social Services work in various fields of social services in the public and private sector as well as in organisations. They can work e.g. in early education, child welfare, family welfare, rehabilitation for intoxicant abusers, mental health services and services for the elderly or disabled and probation and aftercare. Students of the option of Social Pedagogy are qualified to work as kindergarten teachers in children’s day care centres.
STRUCTURE OF DEGREE PROGRAMME AND AREAS OF EXPERTISE

The social service degree is based on core and special know-how. Core know-how is created during the whole education to ensure extensive professional skills. Special know-how is especially created in optional professional studies and elective studies.
There are three optional professional study modules in the degree programme:
• Social Pedagogy
• Case Management and Social Work
• Social Rehabilitation

The social pedagogy education emphasises pedagogical way of thinking and pedagogical work methods in social work. Students learn to use creative and functional work methods in social work and education. The focus of case management and social work studies is on mastery of client-oriented work approach and psychosocial supporting methods. The social rehabilitation studies emphasise promotion of the social functional ability and participation and inclusion using rehabilitative methods and working in the services for the disabled.

Elective studies offer students the possibility to gain more working life or project competence by means of an elective practical training or to improve their skills in languages, international work or application of diverse creative methods in social work.

TEACHING METHODS
The social service teaching is implemented using various methods. In addition to lectures, the studies include group work, working life–oriented projects and written assignments. Investigative learning and work approach are studied and practised in diverse manners. Method studies and diverse communication studies aim at developing group counselling skills. The studies include virtual learning. Students have the possibility of participating in international exchange programmes. Supervised practical training periods combine the theory and practice.


STRUCTURE OF DEGREE PROGRAMME |
Common professional studies of degree programme 82 cr
Optional professional studies 37 cr
Practical training 45 cr
Bachelor´s thesis 15 cr
Elective studies 15 cr
In total 210 cr

Learning outcomes and aims of degree programme / academic year
During the first year, the study programme is the same for all students. During the second and third years, students improve their skills in work methods of social service work and specialise in the diverse approaches and areas of social service work in the optional professional studies. The last two years concentrate on action guidance and development and bachelor’s thesis.
The theme of the first year is basics, objectives and forms of social service work. Students become familiar with the basics, objectives and core know-how of social service work. They practise their basic skills in client work in various operating environments. They are familiar with the main theoretical backgrounds of social policy, social work, social pedagogy and education. They are also familiar with the ways and forms of providing social services.

The second-year studies are mainly implemented in the optional professional studies. Students learn to use various work methods and approaches in social service work and to assess and develop them in a reflective way. The theory studies and practical trainings familiarise the students with various client groups and situations as well as communities. Students learn to use diverse methods in client work and deepen their skills in case management and social work, social pedagogy or social rehabilitation.

The themes of the third year are development and action guidance of social service work and development of special know-how. Students deepen their skills in client work and can apply their knowledge even in demanding client work. Students are familiar with the quality recommendations of social services and become familiar with the guidance, development and assessment of social services. Students complete a three-month practical training, which often provides the bachelor´s thesis topic.

The theme of the fourth-year autumn studies is investigative and developing work practices in social service work. Students prepare a working life -oriented bachelor’s thesis, which demonstrates their ability to adopt a developing and investigative work approach. The university of applied sciences´ regional impact task is often connected to bachelor´s theses

Further information

National competences of degree programme in social services

Ethical competence (in social services and social work)

Competence for client service

Competence for social service system

Competence for societal analysis and influencing

Competence for reflective development

Competence for management