CURRICULA > PART-TIME STUDIES > DEGREE PROGRAMME IN CIVIC ACTIVITIES AND YOUTH WORK
Bachelor's degree, part-time studies
≡

Degree Programme in Civic Activities and Youth Work
Bachelor of Humanities, 210 ECTS

yhteisöpedagogi (AMK), Bachelor of Humanities

  • Programme
  • Curricula
  • Implementations

Objectives

After completing a community educator degree, you can act as a specialist in various activities in youth education, such as youth work, leisure activities and organizational work.
Objectives:
• You identify factors influencing growth, development and wellbeing of the young, as well as the mechanisms for the emergence of social problems and societal changes.
• You identify the key educational, guiding and participatory methods of youth education and use them to support growth and learning in the individual, group, and community.
• You know how to confront young people.
• You understand the lives of young people and the phenomena of youth.
• You know how to work in multidisciplinary youth education in conjunction with other actors and understand their policies.
• You know how to develop your own work, your working community and your profession. You know how to plan, implement and evaluate different projects.

Degree programme description

After completing your studies, you are a professional in youth education and guidance and a developer of wellbeing and community. You can also use these skills to work with people of different ages, for example in organizations, events, multicultural work, etc.
The structure of the education (210 ECTS credits) consists of 180 ECTS credits core competencies studies and 30 ECTS credits of complementary competencies studies.
In core competence studies, you build a professional identity and know-how that brings you the ability to grasp the challenges and problems you face. You will learn how to achieve a positive impact on the daily lives and quality of life of young people through the various collaborative and educational methods.
Key subjects in your studies are pedagogical, interactive, social and developmental skills.
In core competencies studies for example, you study:
• Group – and individual guidance skills, including online directing
• Pedagogical approaches for youth education, e.g. cultural and creative methods, inclusive methods, special education, media education, physical education
• Support for young people's participation and influence
• Cooperation and organisational skills
• Exclusion prevention
• In addition to knowledge of design, development and management skills
In complementary competencies you can deepen and/or broaden your skills according to your own interest, for example in the specific issues of education and guidance and the deepening of youth work methods.

Implementation of studies and flexible learning tracks

The education (day implementation) is carried out on the Mikkeli campus.Community education is implemented in Kouvola campus. Local tuition is 2-4 working days per month (intensive period). The study is carried out as an independent work, e.g. in e-learning studies
You have different possibilities and choice in the planning of studies. You can choose from a variety of learning pathways to your own life situation and study from time to place in independent learning environments. There are three learning pathways:
• A working week-based Learning pathway
• A learning pathway with an accelerated study and
• A learning pathway integrated into the workplace.

Career opportunities

Community educators can work in the following fields:
Municipal youth work (guidance, planning and management positions)
• Non-governmental organisations (coordination and project management positions)
• Child welfare
• Schools (youth work at school)
• Workshops for young people (individual trainers)
• Entrepreneurs (leisure services)
• Special youth work
• Youth information and counseling activities
• International youth work
• Multi-cultural youth work
The employment rate of community educators is a little over the average. In recent years, 84% of the graduates have found employment within one year of the graduation.

RDI and cooperation with world of work

The education is carried out in close cooperation with the world of work and the learning environments and development needs of the work are present in the everyday life of your studies. You will be able to work on the authentic tasks of working life as part of your studies, through which you can get better skills for working in the workplace, and you can create networks that are essential for employment in your studies.
Juvenia, a research and development centre in the Youth field, is part of the research and development activities of XAMK.
The activities of Juvenia combine youth research with the development of the youth field. It focuses on strengthening the inclusion, citizenship and community of young people and on the prevention of exclusion. Juvenia implements local, national and international research and development projects in the field of youth and provides training and expert services. Juvenia also provides students thesis topics and opportunities for practical training .

Learning environments

You study in a variety of learning en 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.vironments.
The comprehensive network of working life in community education is a central learning platform and enables you to have a diversified networking environment during your studies. Some of the studies can be performed independently at the school.
You will be able to carry out study sessions and placements or do your bachelor's thesis in the area of research and development in the field of science and technology, which is a permanent co-operation with the Community Education Institute for Youth. The activities of Juvenia combine youth research with the development of the youth field through project activities. It focuses on strengthening the inclusion, citizenship and community of young people in Community education and the prevention of exclusion. The regional, national and international networks of Juvenia open up a wide range of opportunities, in particular to strengthen research and development skills and to internationalization.