Study Guide

Degree studies

Studying in Electric power engineering studies is active work according to skills assumed in earlier working career and studies. Every student is responsible for his/her studies. Target is critical and independent studying approving developing skills in working.

Studying is communal working together with other students in your group. Goal is develop not only your but the skills of whole the studying group using experimental working styles. According to the Master School studies it is possible to participate the studying modules of other branches than your own.

Electric power engineering Master- degree studies are possible to be achieved flexible at the same time of your own working career. Lessons are mainly in Friday evenings and Weekends but the Master School studies are available also in week days. They are realized in 1 - 2 days in a time according to your personal studying plan.

The central part of your studies is the final thesis, which is the developing project mainly of your own working career or working community.This project will begin in same time of the other Master School studies together with your mentor teacher. To your project is also participating your colleague or superior representing your working community. Progressing of your final work is ensured participating the pre-, working- and final seminars.

Xamk - the students' university of applied sciences

Master’s degree programmes at Xamk are provided by Master School. Master School is a multidisciplinary, international and change-oriented learning and RDI environment. You can choose from a number of different learning paths to develop your expertise and skills and promote your career.

Graduates from Master School are experts in understanding and recognising changes in work environments. At Master School, you have the opportunity to study in multidisciplinary learning and development environments that are closely linked to work-related development and innovation. You can flexibly choose courses from the selection offered by Xamk’s Master School.

Your teachers provide guidance and counselling, encouraging critical thinking, argumentation and generation and application of new knowledge.

Quality evaluation and development

Xamk values quality and the improvement of quality is integral part of the work of all staff and students. Xamk continuously improves the quality of teaching, guidance, learning environments and degree programmes.

The feedback collected on a regular basis from students, staff and stakeholders is very important for the quality improvement work. As a student, you have a central role in the continuous development of quality at Xamk. During your studies, you will be asked to answer a number of quality surveys. Course feedback, the entry and development surveys carried out during your studies and the feedback collected at the graduation stage constitute part of our quality assurance system.

Staff and students process quality feedback together on various collaboration forums, deciding on new methods and discussing the effects of previous development measures. These forums provide an efficient channel for students to express their views on performance and planned measures. The figure below illustrates the path of course feedback.

Our quality assurance system is based on the so-called circle of continuous development, or quality circle: Plan – Do – Check – Act. For more information about quality assessment and improvement, see the Student intranet.

Curriculum objectives

The general and programme-specific learning outcomes and the process of students’ professional growth and learning are specified in the curriculum of the university of applied sciences. The curriculum is based on the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) and National Qualifications Framework (NQF). Level 7 corresponds to the knowledge and skills achieved by completing a Master’s degree. The curriculum is based on the needs and development of the world of work and the overall strategic choices of Xamk.

The competence-based curriculum consists of the programme’s learning outcomes, modules and courses. The objectives, contents, teachers, learning and teaching modes, arrangements, work required, timetables and evaluation methods for courses are specified in implementation plans. The implementation plans provide the foundation for students’ personal study plans (‘HOPS’ in Finnish) and individual choices. In addition, they provide the basis for fruitful co-operation between students representing different fields of study.

Learning environments

Xamk offers excellent facilities to support your learning. A significant part of studies take place outside the classroom. Innovation and project environments (e.g. Xinno, Xentre, CampusIT and Logistiikkaverstas Logistics Workshop), different kinds of simulation environments and teaching restaurants, eLearning environments and working-life and RDI projects will facilitate your learning. You can also conduct your studies in two authentic local environments: in the forest and at sea.

Degree programme learning outcomes

This section corresponds to the previous SoleOps section ‘1.2 General Goals of the Degree Programme’. It describes the most important objectives of the programme, that is, the skills and competences achieved at the general level.

The competence developed through the degree programme is divided into core competence and supplementary competence.

Core competence (must know) comprises the knowledge, skills and aptitude required of graduates by employers. All graduates should possess this competence. In addition to this, supplementary competence is necessary for deepening or expanding the core competence. Core competence is developed through programme-specific advanced professional studies and the Master’s thesis. In degree programmes of 90 and 60 credits, core competence

accounts for 60 and 50 credits, respectively. The thesis (30 credits) is included in core competence. Core and supplementary competences are specified at the module level.

Supplementary competence (should know) deepens and/or expands core competence. Supplementary competence allows students to specialise in a certain area. Supplementary competence is acquired through advanced professional studies that are common for all degree programmes in Master School. In degree programmes of 90 and 60 credits, supplementary competence accounts for 30 and 10 credits, respectively.

The curriculum consists of programme-specific core studies (30 credits), supplementary studies common for all programmes (30 credits) and a Master’s thesis (30 credits), which is a development project.

In accordance with your personal study plan (HOPS), you may choose supplementary competence courses as follows:

1) courses common for all Master School students, including research and development studies, leadership studies, entrepreneurship studies, Russian studies, communication skills training and courses on topical themes

2) core competence courses from other Master’s degree programmes (specifically agreed)

3) courses corresponding to Level 7 provided by other higher education institutions.

Common Master School courses are provided as online courses, courses taught in English, intensive courses and on a blended learning basis. Student groups are multidisciplinary, which promotes the development of your networking skills.

The Master’s thesis (30 credits) is a research or development project. You will study topical questions associated with your field of study and produce development data through research. Thus, the Master’s thesis is always a project that aims to develop the work environment, workplace or field of industry/business.

The degree programme is built on the European (EQF) and National (NQF) Qualifications Frameworks. Master School is Xamk’s multidisciplinary, international and change-oriented learning and RDI environment.

The studies that develop core competence are specifically designed for each degree programme. This work is led by the person in charge for the programme Juha Korpijärvi

The supplementary courses provided are common for all Master’s degree programmes. Xamk’s Master School team together with the persons in charge of the degree programmes are responsible for designing these studies. See the Student intranet for the composition of the team and the persons in charge.

Electrical Power Engineering Master's degree studies is an advanced package. Its core competence is related to new technologies in the electric branch. Business and organizational know-how give a tool to face a challenge of these new technologies.

New technologies are above all smart electric grids and new information technologies in electric branch.

Common competence map, Master’s degree programmes

Competence map for Master’s programmes

* Learning skills

o can systematically assess and improve their expertise in multiple ways

o can find, process, produce and evaluate information critically and from perspectives of different fields of business/industry

o can take responsibility for the promotion of goal-oriented learning within the organisation

* Ethical competence

o can take responsibility for the operations of the organisation and their consequences

o can apply the principles of professional code of conduct as an expert and developer of the workplace

o can make decisions while taking into account the perspectives of the individual and the organisation

o can promote the principles of equality in the workplace community

o can promote the principles of sustainable development and corporate social responsibility

o can lead socially influential operations adhering to ethical values

* Workplace community skills

o can improve the functioning of the workplace community and promote well-being at work

o can develop multidisciplinary communication and interaction at work

o can utilise information and communication technology at work

o can create networks and partnerships

o can work as a leader and improve operations in complex environments and unforeseen circumstances

o can manage demanding expert, leader or entrepreneur jobs

* Innovation skills

o can generate new knowledge and improve working methods by combining skills from different fields of business/industry

o can lead projects

o can lead research, development and innovation projects and knows research and development methods

o can develop customer-driven, sustainable and profitable business

* Internationalisation skills

o can manage international communication at work and when developing the operations

o can work in international environments

o can anticipate effects of internationalisation and related opportunities in his/her field of business/industry

* Core competences of Power electric engineering

o Smart electric distribution grids

o Electric drives

o Stratecic managing in electric branch

o Energy technology

Assessment

Competence-based curricula require competence-based evaluation.

Your degree programme applies Xamk’s common evaluation criteria for Master’s programmes, from which course-specific evaluation criteria have been derived. Students receive grades for courses in accordance with the degree regulation. Course-specific evaluation criteria can be found in the course description.

The most important objective of evaluation is to inform students of the level of their knowledge and skills and help them to improve their skills. Various assessment methods are used for the evaluation of learning, including course- and module-specific evaluation by the teacher, peer evaluation and evaluation by the employer. In addition, students evaluate themselves. Self-evaluation is part of the process of professional growth which is promoted through guidance discussions between the group tutor and the student.

Student counseling

The guidance of your studies is realized discussing with your study advisor and mentor of your final thesis. The guidance is beginning in pre interviewing session before your studies. In this session you have to present the plan of your final thesis. The mentor of your final work is named just before beginning your studies. Together with mentor you go through your plan and present the contests of your thesis.

The next step is the pre seminar, where every student presents maximum five slides of your project to other students. This seminar will be realized in the first period of your studies. Next spring will be realized the working seminar, where you have to produced 10 – 15 pages report of your work. This work have to be done according to IMRAD- structure. (Introduction Materials and methods Results Analysis Discussion). In all seminars are participating other students of your group and the mentor of your final thesis. In the end of your studies will be realized the final seminar where the completed work is presented.

Employment and career opportunities

Electric power engineering studies will deepen your professional skills and you will get tools to work in demanding expert-, developing- and managing branches as well as an entrepreneur.

The studies are practical concentrating in your own working career. They will give for you the formal competence demanding graduate degree for example in education branch.