Study Guide

Descriptions

PROFILE OF THE PROGRAMME

The Degree Programme in Business Management leads to the Degree of Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA: The length of the programme is 210 ECTS credits (3.5 years). The purpose of the degree programme is that students know the content, meaning, and different areas of business operations. They are able to apply their knowledge and skills in practical business tasks and they are also able to assess and develop business operations.

During the first three semesters, students learn about the foundations of business management and acquire skills to work in various areas of business.

After students have completed the studies common to all, they choose between a number of specializations (see below), which provide them with the knowledge and skills they need to work as experts in a specific area of business in Finland and abroad. Expertise can be described as competence profiles that students have had completed their studies. The student may combine studies from different specializations in accordance with his/her personal career objectives.

OCCUPATIONAL PROFILES

Competencies are broad sets of competencies, ie combinations of an individual's knowledge, skills, and attitudes. They describe the competence, performance potential, and ability to perform the tasks of the profession.

Common/general competencies are areas of expertise common to different degree programs, but their specific characteristics and importance may vary in different professions and positions. General competencies form the basis for working life, cooperation, and the development of expertise. The general competencies are presented in accordance with the recommendation of the Arena (Rector's Council of Polytechnics) as follows: learning skills, ethical competence, work community competence, innovation competence, and internationalization competence. In addition to the above, the degree teaching at Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences emphasizes entrepreneurial skills and quality management skills as common competencies.

The competencies specific to the degree program form the basis for the development of the student's professional expertise:

1. Extensive business skills (entrepreneurial skills, work community skills, learning skills))

Bachelor of Business Administration
- identify and describe the company's core processes and understand the effects of different aspects of the business on each other
- understands the interaction between the company's operations and the business environment and adopts an entrepreneurial and entrepreneurial way of working
- understands the basics of profitable business and is able to analyze the company's operations and risks
- understands the influence of the individual on the activities of the work community and is able to act effectively
- understands the importance of communication and actively creates interactions between both internal and external stakeholders, including in a global business environment

2. In-depth business skills (learning skills, internationalization skills, entrepreneurship skills)

The Bachelor of Business Administration has in-depth knowledge of the business areas in the area of ??expertise according to his / her personal study plan (marketing, financial administration, management, and business development, digital business, international business).

3. Methodological competence in business administration (innovation competence, ethical competence)

Bachelor of Business Administration
- masters the basics of research and development activities necessary for the acquisition and acquisition of in-depth knowledge of business economics, taking into account ethical issues
- be able to apply applied economic mathematics and statistical methods using the necessary information systems
- have adequate skills in the application of qualitative and quantitative research methods

4. Applied competence in business administration (innovation competence, quality management competence, work community competence)

Bachelor of Business Administration
- is able to apply business theories and is able to solve problems, e.g. in an internship, project studies, and thesis
- is able to apply the latest business knowledge in the work community
- is able to develop business processes and apply quality thinking

The in-depth knowledge of business economics can be described in more detail as follows:

The Marketing specialist is able to plan, implement, and develop marketing in a business or public organization. The student is an expert in marketing communication, customer service, product management, and customer relationship management.

The Accounting specialist has the knowledge and skills required in different tasks of financial management. They are able to maintain and develop information systems that support management and decision-making. They are also able to utilize methods for financial planning, decision-making, and management.

The specialist in Business Development is able to analyze and assess the current state of SME businesses and develop strategic plans for a business. He/she knows the meaning of innovative business ideas, networking, and continuous development as a success factor in a changing operational environment. In addition, he/she is able to use foresight information when creating new business operations or developing the existing ones. He/she has the knowledge and skills to run an enterprise.

The digital business expert can analyze the business of an SME from a digitalization perspective. They are able to acquire and customize the company's information systems so that they can make business more efficient. The digital business expert has the basic skills of programming that he has the ability to further develop. He/she is able to work on a variety of information management tasks.

The specialist in the management of Human Resources and Processes is able to operate and develop systems and processes connected with the operations of a business or organization. He/she is able to work in human resource management and development tasks.

The Specialist in International Business is able to analyze, plan, implement, and develop international business operations and has competence in international business, marketing, and management.

In addition to the above-mentioned areas of expertise, students have the opportunity to direct their studies e.g. courses in the following study modules:
- Trade and entrepreneurship
- Production economics
- Tourism
- Public procurement
- Sports management
- In the Going Global study module, students develop their ability to operate in an international business environment.
- In the Y-Zone Business Hub, you can develop your own business idea and skills as an entrepreneur during the study process.

The degree program also includes methodological studies that provide basic skills in research and development, internships that apply theory to practice, and, as a rule, a thesis commissioned by companies or other organizations. In addition to internships and theses, the aim is to expand students' gripping surfaces in working life by offering opportunities to participate in business projects and providing good skills for job search and career guidance.

Students have many opportunities to increase their international skills, experience, and understanding of cultures at different stages of their degree studies. There are e.g. courses related to internationalism and intercultural activities, as well as many opportunities to increase language skills. An extensive language program provides an opportunity to develop and expand language skills. Studies are available in Swedish, English, German, French, Spanish, and Russian, as well as Finnish as a foreign language.

Study and internship exchange periods abroad provide an opportunity to deepen experiential international competence. The student has the opportunity to complete a double degree, in which case he or she will receive a diploma from both SeAMK and a foreign partner university. Incorporating internationality into studies creates a good ability to move to an increasingly multicultural and global working life after graduation.

In addition to international mobility periods, the degree program includes opportunities for internationalization at home: experiencing and learning internationality on SeAMK's own campus. International conferences and seminars bring international interaction and opportunities for international networking to the campus. For students, the events are also an opportunity to experience different internationality and strengthen e.g. own tutoring. Acting as a tutor for international students enables international learning and offers a more comfortable and informal experience of international activities.

The implementation of sustainable development takes into account ethics and all dimensions of sustainable development. The goal of sustainable development is to help students become aware of social responsibility and to understand the multidimensional significance of sustainable development also as a working life skill. All students are offered the opportunity to participate in the optional “Sustainable Development” course.

The implementation of sustainable development takes into account ethics and all dimensions of sustainable development. The aim of sustainable development is to help students become aware of social responsibility and to understand the multidimensional significance of sustainable development also as a working life skill. All students are offered the opportunity to participate in the optional “Sustainable Development” course.

PEDAGOGICAL APPROACH

SeAMK's current strategy is implemented in the study of the degree program in business administration. Learning aims at the development of applied competence in expertise and information is produced from reliable sources based on research data, both from practical contexts and theoretical starting points. Competence can be demonstrated in many ways and competence-based assessment is applied in competence assessment.

The curriculum has five transversal threads that run through the studies. They are based on SeAMK's reports, research, and strategy, as well as national and international recommendations and regulations for polytechnics.

1. The information acquisition as a thread strengthens the student's professional and sectoral information acquisition skills through studies.
2. The internationality as a thread ensures the development of the student's international competence during their studies.
3. Studies according to the Entrepreneurship as a thread help the student to understand the central and growing role of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship in society.
4. Sustainable development as a thread helps the student to become aware of social responsibility and to understand the diversity of sustainable development as a working life skill.
5. Career guidance as a thread helps the student to identify their own skills as well as their own strengths. Areas include working life knowledge, job search skills, and lifelong learning.

Learning takes into account the learner's previous knowledge and interpretations and helps him/her to connect the new learning subject to his / her previous knowledge and experience base (socio-constructivism). This view of learning emphasizes social interaction and the importance of authentic tasks and environments in knowledge construction. According to it, it is important and essential to developing the student’s understanding of their own learning skills and self-assessment skills (metacognitive skills). The student’s knowledge (theoretical knowledge), doing (practical knowledge), and being (identity work) are constructed through reflection. Using appropriate learning methods, the student is helped to reflect and see the connections between these three areas.

Connectivism based on socio-constructivist learning utilizes online environments in learning. At its heart is the constant updating of information and the learner’s awareness that reality and knowledge are constantly changing.

The teaching of the degree program in Business Administration emphasizes collaboration with companies, as virtual entrepreneurship plays a key role in first-year studies, with students working in teams doing business in a virtual environment, and each internship company aims to have sponsorship.

Within the framework of the diversification of studies, various projects for working life are increasingly being carried out. Some students complete professional studies in multidisciplinary SeAMKPro projects.

During the third year of study, students complete an internship in a company or other organization, in which analytical and reflective assignments are prepared, as well as before, during, and after the internship. In the fourth year, students do their thesis as an assignment.

Learning diaries and portfolios, self-assessments, and group peer reviews are used as learning tasks that promote integration.

According to the personal curriculum, studies can be completed in business co-operation projects or business space activities by developing one's own business idea.

The courses can also be completed as virtual studies, in which case it is possible to deviate from the implementations presented in the study guide.

Development

Curriculum development is an ongoing process that takes into account the competence needs to be expressed by companies and other actors in the region, the feedback provided by students and graduates, and national development work in the field of education. Curriculum development meetings are organized with representatives of working life, the so-called round table meetings. The main sources of information in the development of the curriculum are the results of completed follow-up research, forecasting information on technological development and the operating environment, as well as our own RDI activities and their results.

Objective

Bachelors of Business Administration that have graduated from the Degree Programme in Business Management has an overall picture of business operations and know business processes. They have initiative as well as good teamwork, communication, and interaction skills. They are able to look for and analyze information needed in business. They can apply their theoretical knowledge and develop business operations. They know how to take profitability and sustainable development into consideration in their work. They can communicate in at least one foreign language in professional contexts. They are able to operate as independent entrepreneurs and in tasks of business expertise.