Study Guide

Objectives

Master’s Degree Programme in Promotion of Sexual Health is a broad-based higher education degree that produces you the skills to work as a sexual health expert, in managerial work, and in development tasks.

You are independently responsible for customer and patient care in your own area of ​​expertise. You develop and renew your expertise based on evidence. You know and implement culturally sensitive sexual health promotion and self-care guidance in client work. You manage the international and national regulation related to the promotion of sexual health. You implement expert communication. You are capable of independent and demanding decision-making related to the promotion of sexual health, and you know how to plan, implement and evaluate evidence-based interventions for the promotion of sexual health in various operating environments.

You implement expert communication in your own area of ​​expertise. You are capable of independent and demanding clinical nursing decision-making, and you know how to plan, implement and evaluate evidence-based treatment and patient guidance in different contexts.

You promote your own and your community's continuous learning and the development of competence using responsible and sustainable methods of operation, so that you can take advantage of information from different fields and digital opportunities in your field of expertise, and also support sustainability change in your work community and society.

You know how to lead the development of new forward-looking solutions in your own field and produce new knowledge using different research and development methods. You know how to develop and manage both work communities and multicultural and international operating environments and networks in a way that renews working life. You know how to evaluate and promote the realization of the ethical principles and values ​​of your professional field in the work community, taking into account the principles of equality and equality.

Degree programme description

The education is aimed at nurses, midwives, paramedics, physiotherapists, and public health nurses working in nursing.

With the help of the education, you will strengthen your core competence in the clinical expertise of sexual health among different age groups and different cultural backgrounds, and its development and evidence-based activities, the development of working life and the professional field, and managerial work.

The education is implemented as a multi-modal study. Face-to-face teaching by clinical specialists, independent studing, group work, studying in online environments and learning tasks that combine theory and practice form a high-quality whole.

At the beginning of the studies, competence is built up through degree-specific core competence shared by all. As the studies progress, the importance of the Master School's supplementary competence in building personal competence increases.

In the Master School, learning and deepening of competence are both individual and community processes. These processes are promoted with meaningful multidisciplinary study courses that focus on working life and so that there are individual, alternative ways of completing the studies in different study courses.

You can also choose supplementary studies from the studies offered at other universities, at the level of a higher university degree. Previously completed studies at the level of higher university degree can also be credited to the studies, if they fit the goals of the degree being completed. You can ask more about the identification and recognition of previously completed studies when preparing a personal study plan.

The studies include a 30 ects thesis. The thesis is carried out as a research or development project related to working life or a professional field.

Knowledge base for promoting sexual health 20 ects
- Sexuality and sexual health in a changing world
- Special issues of promoting sexual health in nursing 1
- Special issues of promoting sexual health in nursing 2
- Research and development

Expertise in promoting sexual health 20 ects
- Developing expertise in sexual health
- Methods and interventions for promoting sexual health
- Development of customer-oriented services promoting sexual health
- Project management and project activities in the promotion of sexual health

Supplementary competence 20 ects
- Research and development studies
- Management, leadership and entrepreneurship
- International working environments
- Digital services, information and networks

Master thesis 30 ects

Implementation of studies

In Mikkeli, the training that starts in September is implemented as a multi-format training. The implementation of the core studies mainly includes working online, but in the first semesters there may also be days of face-to-face teaching on campus. The first beginning days will be carried out just face-to- face teaching on campus. There can be about 2–4 days of classroom teaching in the first semesters. Face-to-face teaching also plays an important role in networking, creating group spirit and exchanging creative thoughts and ideas. Online study of core studies may include online lectures, independent assignments, group work or various seminar-type meetings, which are announced in the group-specific reading order.

You can complete your studies flexibly in addition to work, in which case the studies last two years on average.

Supplementary Master School studies are carried out at all Xamk campuses, which are in Savonlinna, Kouvola and Kotka in addition to Mikkeli. Supplementary studies can also be taken online.

The student's workload is 1 ECTS = 27 h (including contact teaching, independent study, learning tasks and exams. Learning tasks that combine theory and practice form a high-quality whole. You can link the learning tasks to your work tasks as appropriate.


Flexible study opportunities

At the beginning of the studies, you prepare your personal study plan (PSP) which helps you make choices related to the studies, practical training, bachelor’s thesis and international activities. We make every effort to ensure that you can plan your studies in the best way possible, according to your own life situation.

The studies are implemented using various methods:

- lectures
- independent assignments
- teamwork
- online studies
- projects with companies and other organisations
- projects carried out at South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences
- examinations.

We offer three learning tracks that you can also combine.

The scheduled track means that you primarily study according to the timetable established for your own group, utilising optional studies and other online studies available for all Xamk students.

Another option is the independent track which gives you the opportunity to accelerate your studies by taking courses from the schedules of other groups, such as other full-time study groups, online courses, and blended study programmes.

The third option is the blended track. If you choose this track, you can complete courses, parts of courses or entire modules at your workplace, either as part of running your own business or other suitable work tasks. This type of learning at work means that skills and competences are acquired at the workplace during the studies. It must always be associated with a course or module, and you have to plan the learning task with the course lecturer and the employer in advance.