Degree Programme in Social Services
Objectives
Bachelors of Social Services support, counsel and care for people in various life situations. They promote people’s wellbeing and help them learn to cope in the daily course of life.
During your studies, you learn to encounter people in challenging situations and support them at the turning points of their lives. You learn to use different methods in your work and advise your clients to search for available services. You also examine the related social legislation.
After graduation, you will be able to further develop your competence and contribute to improving practices in the field.
Degree programme description
The curriculum is based on the following nationally defined competence areas:
• Ethical competence
• Client work competence
• Social service system competence
• Critical and participatory social competence
• Research, development and innovation competence
• Work community, managerial and entrepreneurial competence
The curriculum includes core competence studies and complementary competence studies. On the Savonlinna Campus, the Degree Programme in Social Services is focused on school wellbeing and school social work, and therefore, the contents focus on children and young people and the promotion of their wellbeing in educational environments. The proportion of practical training is large; 40 ECTS credits.
The structure of the curriculum:
Core competence 165 ECTS credits
• Introduction to social welfare 15 ECTS
• People in sociocultural environments 10 ECTS
• Social security and social services 10 ECTS
• Client work in social welfare 35 ECTS
• Management, leadership and development in social welfare 10 ECTS
• Common studies 30 ECTS
• Bachelor's thesis 15 ECTS
• Practical training (internships) 40 ECTS
Complementary competence 45 ECTS credits
A wide range of optional studies is also available to all students. There are four optional 15 ECTS study modules in the degree programme's curriculum. Students can include one or two of them in their personal study plans. The study modules are:
• Competences of social pedagogues in early childhood education and care
• Effective interdisciplinary collaboration in demanding child and family work
• Nature-based activities and action-based methods in rehabilitation work.
• School wellbeing
You can also take advantage of complementary studies from other degree programmes.
Implementation of studies
Daytime studies in Kotka, Mikkeli and Savonlinna:
You can complete daytime studies in Mikkeli, Kotka or Savonlinna. In daytime studies, the first two years of study are mainly classroom teaching on campus. Starting from the third academic year on the Kotka and Mikkeli campuses, the teaching is carried out more as independent online studies, although there may be some occasions which require real-time attendance in an online environment. In Savonlinna, there is a certain amount of contact teaching also in the third academic year.
Blended studies in Mikkeli:
The blended studies start in Mikkeli in January, and they mainly include online work. During the first two academic years, there are also some days of contact teaching on campus. As a rule, third-year studies are organised online. As a whole, there may be about 2 to 6 days of contact teaching in the first semesters. Online teaching can include online lectures or various seminar-type meetings, which are announced in the group-specific schedule. Contact teaching (both on campus and online) generally requires participation in the teaching event.
Online track in Kotka:
In the online track, the teaching is not tied to the campus, but the student must arrange to participate in the scheduled teaching according to the schedule. The teaching and guidance shown in the schedule require active and interactive participation in joint learning situations, so the student must reserve time for studying in a quiet space with audio and video connection. On average, real-time online teaching is arranged for one full day per month. In addition to that, there are some occasional classes between 4 and 6 p.m.
Complementary competence studies are most often online studies in all forms of study.
The average duration of studies is 3 - 3.5 years.
In practical training (internships) and work-related cooperation, you get to familiarise yourself with the various tasks and jobs of a social worker under the guidance of a professional. Through practical training, you also have the opportunity to get employed in your own field.
Career opportunities
After graduation, you can find employment, for example, as a social advisor, counsellor, service supervisor, family worker, project worker and service home manager. However, the variety of job titles for social service professionals with a bachelor’s degree has decreased in recent years, and most typically, in compliance with the current legislation, your title will be social service supervisor.
Your job title can be, for example:
• social pedagogue in early childhood education and care
• social counsellor
• service supervisor
• school social worker
• project worker
• organisation employee
• director of a service home
• family worker
• rehabilitation instructor
Only qualified, licensed professionals can work in the profession of Bachelor of Social Services. After completing the degree, you apply for professional rights from the Social and Health Licensing and Supervision Agency, Valvira. More information on professional rights is available on Valvira's website. If you want your bachelor of social services (AMK) degree to be eligible for the tasks of social pedagogue in early childhood education and care, you must complete at least 60 credits of qualifying studies.
The employment prospects for graduates from the Degree Programme in Social Services are excellent, and over 80% of them find a job immediately after graduation, some even before it. However, fixed-term contracts and short periods of unemployment between jobs are typical for social service workers today.
RDI and cooperation with world of work
Part of your studies is completed outside the classroom, in practical training and in different kinds of projects. Simulation and online environments (Ecampus) are also used. The bachelor’s thesis is related to local development projects or other work-related development tasks.
Learning environments
Up-to-date digital learning environments, especially the Learn environment, and work-related cooperation are utilised in the degree programme. Simulation pedagogy is included as a natural method for studying.