Xamk - the students' university of applied sciences
The high-quality, contemporary education offered at Xamk is implemented in close cooperation with the working life. Worklife-oriented education enhances your skills of lifelong learning and you are given the competences required in developing society and the working life. You can study during weekdays (weekday-based study path) or speed up your studies by taking weekend courses or online courses (time-saving path). You can integrate on-the-job learning in your studies (work-integrated path) and also include courses that the other degree programmes on all Xamk campuses have to offer. The core competences of your degree also include entrepreneurship, digital technology and Russia studies. Personal guidance to support your studies and health care services are available on all campuses.
Employment and career opportunities
Environmental safety fields cover a wide range of job descriptions. For example, at the moment field specific skills needed,are waste management and recycling economy, contaminated soil and water remediation, indoor air quality related jobs, and other wide range of expert tasks in environmental health area
Job titles can be eg.:
• Health officer
• Project manager
• Product manager
• Marketing Engineer
• Inspection Engineer
• Development Engineer
• teacher
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.
Degree programme learning outcomes
Environment Technology Master's degree starting points are the environmental and health risk assessment and management, including widespread indoor air quality problems as well as legal methods and possibilities.
During the training, familiarize yourself with a healthy and safe living environment determinants, such as:
• environmental risks; evaluation and challenges
• a clean and healthy indoor air
• risk prevention and the assessment including the regulatory methods
After the training, you are able to apply your knowledge in the changing environment.
Environment Technology Master's degree curriculum is designed by the Princiapal Lecturer Arto Sormunen. Study content and course descriptions is commented by the industry representatives.
Environment Technology Master's degree programme aims to deepen your knowledge answering the question what is meant by an environmental risk assessment. You understand the identification of the harm, the route of exposure, and the uncertainties associated these processes. On this
basis, you are able to manage risk assessment and management process in different environments. In addition, identify the characteristics of a good indoor climate. What types of indoor air quality problems can occur in energy-efficient buildings? How can we ensure that the energy efficiency improvement impair the indoor climate comfort, hygiene and safety? Furthermore, you know, you recognize and know the variety of regulatory approaches and regulatory systems and further, you are able to apply them in your own work.
Degree studies
The working life connections is maintained through continuous contacts with local business and companies, and other partners including authorities. The strong working life connection is seen especially in thesis processes. Thesis topics are development of work or study provided by real working life, also promotion of a wide variety of changes in working life. The strong working life connection is shown by the active participation of partners at different stages of education, starting with the curriculum stating.
Environment Technology Master's degree student, you have the opportunity to participate in various projects as part of your studies and / or by making them your thesis. Learning, therefore, is based on genuine development needs of working life.
The important part of the Environmental Technology Master's degree is a thesis, carried out in working life based development task. The aim of the Master's degree thesis is to develop and demonstrate that the student is able to independently apply research and use correctly selected methods to analyze and solve problems. The aim is that the student is able to independently apply the latest state of research knowledge and methods critically and analytically. Even though, the thesis is a student-oriented, co-operation between the supervisor and the working life is important. The thesis will be prepared and reported in accordance with the guidelines of XAMK and will be evaluated in accordance with the criteria used in XAMK.
Assessment
Osaamislähtöiset opetussuunnitelmat edellyttävät osaamislähtöistä arviointia.
Koulutusohjelmassasi on käytössä Xamkin yhteiset YAMK-tutkinnoille laaditut arviointikriteerit, joista on johdettu jokaiselle opintojaksoille omat arviointikriteerinsä. Opintojaksoista annetaan arvosanat tutkintosäännön mukaisesti. Opintojaksokohtaiset arviointiperusteet löydät opintojaksokohtaisesta kuvauksesta.
Osaamisen arvioinnin keskeisenä tavoitteena on antaa tietoa opiskelijalle hänen osaamisensa tasosta ja ohjata opiskelijaa osaamisen kehittämisessä. Oppimisen arvioinnissa käytetään monipuolisia arviointimenetelmiä kuten opettajan tekemään opintojaksokohtaista ja opintokokonaisuuksia koskevaa arviointia sekä vertaisarviointia ja työelämän antamaa arviointia. Läpi opintojensa opiskelija arvioi myös itseään. Kokoavaa itsearviointia opiskelija työstää osana ammatillisen kasvun prosessia, joka konkretisoituu ryhmäohjaajan ja opiskelijan välisissä ohjauskeskusteluissa. (not translated)
Student counseling
The student is required to take responsibility of their study design and progress.
Control of learning happens in co-operation with different parties - employer representatives, teachers and students. The feedback from the labor market also acts as a channel for the development of education and training. Students and teacher’s participation in project activities to promote the development of education.
Teachers act as facilitators of learning. Interactive learning methods challenge students to critical thinking, argumentation, as well as the production and application of new information.
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.
Quality evaluation and development
Quality is valued at Xamk, and the staff and all students are involved in the development process. The focus is on constantly improving the quality of teaching and councelling, keeping the learning environments interesting and the content of degree programmes relevant.
We collect a significant part of the feedback data used in the development processes with surveys targeted at our students, our staff and interest groups. As a student, you play an essential role in the development of your degree programme. During your studies, you respond to several surveys. The course feedback, both mid-term and end-term, is a part of the Quality Management System as well as the preliminary survey upon admission and the education development survey and the graduation feedback questionnaire at the end of the studies.
The staff and the students discuss the feedback on different feedback forums, where they can agree on new actions and discuss the impact of earlier development measures. These forums serve as a means to voice the students’ opinions about Xamk operations and plans for development. The following picture illustrates the path of the course feedback.
You can find more information about the evaluation and development of quality on the students’ intranet, Student.
