Bachelor of Social Services
- Degree
- Bachelor of Social Services and Health Care
- Degree title
- Bachelor of Social Services
- Credits
- 210 ects
Name of the Degree Programme
Degree Programme in Social Services
Field of study
Health and welfare
The classification of the educational field is based on the international ISCED classification used by the Ministry of Education and Culture.
Specialisations
The degree programme has no specialisations. Students, who want to qualify as Bachelors of Social Services in Kindergarten must include at least 60 credits of coursework in early childhood education and/or social pedagogy into their degree programme, including pedagogical training with a child group and choosing a topic related to childhood, parenthood or early childhood education for their Bachelor’s thesis.
Qualification awarded
Bachelor of Social Services
Bachelors of Social Services (sosionomi AMK) are qualified for social work posts or positions in the public and private sector and in volunteer work and organizations for which the qualification requirement is a first cycle higher education degree. Sosionomi (AMK) is a legalized and registered professional. (Act on Social Welfare Professionals 817/2015).
Act on Early Childhood Education and Care (540/2018) state that a person working as a Bachelor of Social Services in Kindergarten possesses a degree in social welfare and health care is required to complete at least 60 credits of coursework in early childhood education and social pedagogy as part of their degree programme. The students who have started their studies after 1.9.2019 will have title Bachelor of Social Services in Early Childhood Education (Act on Early Childhood and Care 540/2018).
Level of qualification
The degree programme leads to a higher education degree which is a first cycle Bachelor-level degree in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). According to the eight-level classification of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) and National Qualifications Framework (NQF), the degree represents level 6.
The description of the level of the Degree is included in the Statute, at
http://www.finlex.fi/fi/laki/alkup/2017/20170120
Specific admission requirements
Eligibility for studies at a university of applied sciences is stipulated in the Universities of Applied Sciences Act 932/2014.
The selection criteria are specified in the data of the Degree Programme at www.opintopolku.fi and www.seamk.fi/haku
On the websites, application and instructions are in Finnish language for the degree programmes taught in Finnish.
Qualification requirements and regulations (incl. graduation requirements)
Please see the Degree Regulations of Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences.
Examination regulations, assessment and grading
Please see the Degree Regulations of Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences.
Link
Structure of the studies
In accordance with the Universities of Applied Sciences Act, the studies of a Degree Programme consist of basic studies, professional studies, practical training promoting professional skills, free elective studies, and a final project/thesis. The extent of the studies is 60 credits a year.
The basic studies include studies common to all students of Seinäjoki UAS, basic studies in social and health care and basic studies of the Degree Programme specifically. They prepare students for studying and introduce phenomena, concepts and the scope of practice in social work. As their studies progress, students will examine the same topic areas more profoundly.
During the professional studies, students become familiar with the services and legislation of the social field and study a great variety of social work approaches and methods. The approaches and methods have been classified as follows: psychosocial and activity-based approaches and methods; empowering social work approaches, and methods and approaches and methods in management. During the professional studies, students extensively learn about various client groups and situations, so as to gain an extensive social work competence, a preparedness to act as experts of social work with various client groups and an ability to see the overall picture of things and their connections. For a description of the practical training, please see “Work-based learning and practical training”.
Students’ research and development skills become more advanced as students progress through the Degree Programme. Students start with information seeking, communication and scientific writing skills, project work and innovation, and then move on to field-specific research and development studies. It is recommended that students write their Bachelor’s thesis on a topic related to the needs of social work practice. The thesis can take the form of a research, report, development undertaking, production or a product.
The elective (free choice) studies are based on students’ individual choice. The studies can comprise large modules, for example multidisciplinary working life projects, modules completed during international exchange programmes or the module on early childhood education. Students can also opt for free choice studies offered by other degree programmes at Seinäjoki UAS or other higher education institutions, or they can become involved in student union activity or tutoring, or request credits for professionally relevant employment.
The 60 credits of coursework in early childhood education and/or social pedagogy required as part of the Bachelor in Social Services in Kindergarten qualification are accrued as follows:
• Early childhood education and social pedagogy studies that are compulsory to all students in the degree programme. The minimum extent of these studies is 15 credits, but students can choose to study more.
• The module on early childhood education, 15 credits. Students choose this module as part of their elective (free-choice) studies and complete all the courses of the module. The courses should be undertaken in the recommended order.
• Pedagogical training in early childhood education, 15 credits. Students undertake the practical training “Psychosocial and activity-based social work methods” in an early childhood education setting where they can work with child groups.
• Bachelor’s thesis, 15 credits. Students write their thesis on a topic related to children, families or early childhood education.
There is some variation in how the social work studies proceed depending on when the student starts (autumn/spring). Some groups follow their own schedule of 8-week contact periods complemented by multiple learning methods during 2.5-3 years. The system is flexible, so students can choose studies from either these or from full-time day groups.
The curriculum includes five seams permeating through the studies and extending over them. They are based on SeAMK’s reports, studies and strategy, as well as on the national and international recommendations and regulations related to education provided by universities of applied sciences.
- The Information Search seam strengthens the student’s professional and field-specific information search skills throughout the studies.
- The Internationalization seam secures the improvement of the student’s international competencies during their studies.
- The studies corresponding to the Entrepreneurship seam help the student understand the central and growing role of entrepreneurship in society.
- The Sustainable Development seam makes the student aware of social responsibility and helps them understand the diversity of sustainable development as a working life skill.
- The seam of Career Guidance helps the student recognise their competencies and own strengths. It also includes working life knowledge, job search skills, and lifelong learning.
Students have the opportunity to include multidisciplinary, working life-oriented project studies in their personal curricula (FramiPro).
Learning outcomes
The learning outcomes of the Degree Programme in Social Services represent level 6 in the European Qualification Framework (EQF). The desired learning outcomes emerge from the function of social work and services in society and from the nature of the profession. The learning outcomes are described in detail in the sections on the programme profile and degree-specific competences below.
Profile of the programme
Expertise in the social aspects of individual people's everyday life in the community and society lies at the heart of the Degree Programme. It means that students learn to understand an individual's life, along with the individual's resources and needs and to perceive her or his life situation in a broader context of social and cultural life. The degree programme provides students with competence to promote the welfare, social function and social engagement of people by means of psychosocial, activity-based and empowering methods and by appropriate management practices.
Taking the degree guarantees broad and high-quality professional social work competence and it enables employment with various client groups. The degree programme does not include specialisation options, but students have a possibility to choose studies that represent different methods and work life settings. The study module Empowerment in Social Work can be studied in english language.
Generic and subject specifc competences
Competencies are extensive knowledge entities, or combinations of the individual’s knowledge, skills, and attitudes. They describe qualifications, performance potential, and the ability to cope with professional duties.
Common/general competencies are fields of know-how common to different Degree Programmes, but their special characteristics and importance may vary between professions and work assignments. General competencies form the basis for professional activities, cooperation, and the development of expertise. According to Arene’s (Rectors' Conference of Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences) recommendations, general competencies include learning skills, ethical competence, cooperation skills, innovation skills, and internationalization skills. In addition to the above-mentioned competencies, entrepreneurial skills and quality management skills are emphasized in the degree studies of SeAMK as competencies common to all.
Degree programme-specific competencies form the basis for the development of the student’s professional expertise.
The degree-specific competences create the basis for the development of students’ professional expertise. The competences for the Degree Programme (Sosionomi AMK) are defined in collaboration between all the Universities of Applied Sciences that offer this programme. These HE institutions are committed to provide education that meets the competence requirements, even though the structure of the degree programme may vary from one institution to another. At Seinäjoki UAS, the study modules of the degree programme have direct equivalence with the competence requirements defined for Bachelors of Social Services. These competences for sosionomi (AMK) are described below.
Ethical competence in the social field. In their action, Bachelors of Social Services (Sosionomi AMK) observe the statutes on human and fundamental rights, the values of social work and the professional ethical principles. They are aware of the impact that their personal conception of human nature and their personal world of values has on their work with clients. In situations involving value conflicts, they act in an ethically justified manner, promoting equity and equality. They are able to take the side of the socially vulnerable individuals and groups.
Competence in client work. Bachelors of Social Services (Sosionomi AMK) know how to establish a professional interaction and cooperation relationship and how to assess clients’ need for services. They are able to support the growth and development of individual people, the everyday life of families and the relationships between family members. Paying attention to client involvement, they know how to plan, implement and evaluate clients’ service processes. Bachelors of Social Services are able to recognize risk and protective factors for welfare and to apply the perspectives of preventive work and early intervention. They know how to counsel clients, client groups and communities in a goal and resource-oriented manner while supporting client involvement. They are able to apply and evaluate theoretical client work orientations and methods, demonstrate cultural sensitivity and ability to support diversity in their work with clients, and promote intercultural dialogue. They know how to use electronic environments for counselling and how to help clients to use e-services. They are able to evaluate client work and document it in a client-oriented manner.
Competence in the social service provision. Bachelors of Social Services (Sosionomi AMK) are able to analyse local and global challenges for welfare and sustainable development and the effect they may have on health care and social services. They are familiar with the legal statutes and able to apply important legislation. They know how social and health services and education and school services are organized, provided, steered and supervised. Bachelors of Social Services have knowledge of the systems that provide social security and welfare in the public, private and third sector. They are capable of counselling people on social security, coordinating services based on client needs and acting as change agents. They are able to act as active experts in social work and services and as client advocates in multiprofessional and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Competence in critical and inclusive practices in society: Bachelors of Social Services (Sosionomi AMK) are capable of professional, critical reflection. They know how to analyse national and global structures and processes that produce inequality, disadvantage or welfare, and how to prevent social exclusion. They are able to act as advocates for people who are in a vulnerable position or have been silenced, and to bring knowledge of unreasonable life situations to the attention of political decision-makers and responsible actors. Bachelors of Social Services know the decision making mechanisms in public administration and are able to act according to these principles. They are able to promote citizens’ participation and possibilities to participate, and to influence decision-making in collaboration with various actors.
Research-oriented development and innovation competence. Bachelors of Social Services (sosionomi AMK) are capable of innovative problem-solving and networking to develop social work and services. They know how to use the partnership approach to develop client work methods, practices and service processes and to plan, implement and evaluate development projects. They are able to apply research and development methods to improve practices and to produce and evaluate knowledge required to promote welfare. They follow the ethical principles and guidelines of research and development work.
Work community, management and entrepreneurship competence. Bachelors of Social Services (Sosionomi AMK) are able to work and engage in cooperation in interdisciplinary teams and work communities and in international settings. They are able to work as first-line managers. They know the most important parts of labour legislation and know how to promote occupational safety. They are able to manage themselves, to promote their own and the work community’s wellbeing at work and to evaluate the quality, outcomes and effects of the work. They know the meaning of financial and strategic management to their own work and they are familiar with the basic prerequisites of entrepreneurship in social services.
Pedagogical approach and learning environment
The Degree Programme is based on the socioconstructivist theory of learning whereby learners themselves take an active role, constructing knowledge structures, assessing their learning needs and making an effort to reach their learning goals. The teacher is primarily a facilitator, who helps students to become aware and take steps towards professional development. An important aim in the studies is to develop reflectivity, that is the ability and will to look at one’s motivating factors and at the effects of one’s actions from multiple perspectives. Students develop their understanding and competence in a group. The group constitutes a learning environment, in which students learn interaction skills, giving and receiving feedback and ethical scrutiny of things using multiple perspectives.
The learning contents and pedagogy are based on a practice-oriented approach and progressive enquiry. The courses aim at developing competence required in practice and in the development of practice, as defined in the competence descriptions (see above). The theoretical contents of the courses are applied to practical situations in multiple ways, for example though working life projects, practical assignments and development tasks, information seeking using sources available in social work practice, guided practical training and participation in research, development and service provision. The learning contents are examined from multiple perspectives using both evidence-based and experiential knowledge. The development of the professional field is emphasised from the very beginning of the studies.
The learning environment is being developed in order to offer students an extensive range of courses and flexible progress. Alternative modes of study are offered to enable students to choose methods and schedules that suit them best. Study methods involve lectures; study circles; working life projects; group assignments; demonstrations and simulations; online learning and independent studies, among others. Full-time students and students using multimodal learning methods can choose studies from either programme, according to the registration principles.
Specific arrangements for recognition of prior learning (RPL)
The RPL procedure means the identification and recognition of the student’s previously acquired learning. The student has the opportunity to apply for the recognition of their competencies if the competencies correspond to the learning goals of the Degree Programme. The identification process is closely connected with the preparation of the student’s personal curriculum and is updated during personal counselling discussions.
The identification and recognition practices are presented in the RPL Instruction of SeAMK. It specifies how recognition of competencies is applied for, how the application is processed, and how the student is informed of it. The instruction lists the RPL contact persons of each Degree Programme, who counsel students on matters related to the process.
In the assessment of prior learning, for example the following evidence is used:
– certificates on training programmes with similar content and other training programmes
– testimonials and further clarifications by an employer
– interviews of the student
– written and oral exams or reports
– functional or written assignments or other evidence
– presentations, portfolios
The final project/thesis and the Maturity Test cannot be submitted to the RPL procedure. The students’ ability to describe their competence in relation to the course learning outcomes is an essential aspect of the recognition and accreditation of prior learning. Please notice that as regard the accreditation of theoretical studies, students must demonstrate their command of the theoretical contents. Practical work experience alone is usually not an adequate basis.
Work-based learning and work placements
Work-based learning and practical training are closely connected with the basic and professional studies described above and with the competences defined for the graduates (sosionomi AMK). Students have guided practice during their practical training periods. This means that a supervisor is appointed for the student at the university and in the practical placement. Students’ action is guided by the course learning outcomes and by the personal goals they have set for themselves. It is recommended that students carry out their various practical training periods in several placements rather than in a single one.
The student’s salaried work during their studies and the competencies achieved through it can be used in order to complete a course. This is referred to as employment-integrated learning, and it can also be related to voluntary work or hobbies. It is essential that the things learnt through working contribute to the attainment of the learning goals of the course. Learning achieved through employment-integrated learning can be verified, for instance, through skills demonstrations and assignments.
Employment-integrated learning means that it is possible for students to have their current employment or other suitable activity recognised and evaluated, so that they can earn credits from the work or activity. The work or activity must contain an adequate number of elements that coincide with the desired learning outcomes of the course and it must be of adequate duration. The student, teacher and the student’s employer carry out the employment-integrated learning process in cooperation. The employer makes a commitment to offer the student an opportunity for employment-integrated learning, in accordance with the learning outcomes of the course. The employment-integrated learning options are discussed with the contact person in charge of employment-integrated process in the degree programme, as part of the student’s personal study plan. Attention will be paid to the overall progress of the studies and to the required formation of professional competence. The practical arrangements should be discussed with the teacher of the course. Student fullfils application and afterwards the student indicates his/her competence following instructions given by teacher.
Occupational profiles
Bachelors of Social Services work in client service, management, projects and as entrepreneurs. The more common job titles in different areas of the profession include:
- In education or counselling for families: Family counsellor, school social worker, Bachelor of social Services in Kindergaten, kindergarten teacher, educator, or youth counsellor. Bachelors of Social Services work in early childhood education, child welfare (child protection), family counselling, and schools, in preventive work and in certain special education positions.
- In counselling, rehabilitation and social work with adult clients: Social services counsellor, employment counsellor, case manager, project worker, employment consultant, or insurance secretary. Bachelors of Social Services work in services for the disabled and abusers of drugs and alcohol. They may work in mental health settings, criminal justice or with the elderly, unemployed, youth or immigrants. Potential workplaces also include the Social Insurance Institution of Finland, the employment agencies and the social services agencies.
- In management and development: service manager, executive director, manager in children’s home, or office manager. Bachelors of Social Services work in management and development positions in various social service sectors and organisations or as entrepreneurs, in projects, in the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (KELA), and in the labour administration.
Qualifications for kindergarten teachers: The Act on Qualification Requirements for Social Welfare Professionals (272/2005) and the government decree (608/2005) state that a person working as a kindergarten teacher who possesses a degree in social welfare and health care is required to complete at least 60 credits of coursework in early childhood education and social pedagogy as part of their degree programme (see the description above). The students who have started their studies after 1.9.2019 will have title Bachelor of Social Services in Early Childhood Education (Act on Early Childhood and Care 540/2018).
After completing the vocational language studies the student is able to communicate in spoken and written situations related to his field of study. He can search for information and follow the development of his professional field in the target language.
Internationalization
Students have the possibility to undertake exchange studies in partner institutions of Seinäjoki UAS or in other suitable institutions suggested by students themselves. The recommended length of an exchange period is three months during the second or third year of study. Groups of students can also take part in international intensive courses offered by collaborative networks. The study module Empowerment in Social Work can be studied in English language. The School also endeavours to promote internationalization at home by introducing literature in foreign languages, by utilising the expertise of mobility students and visiting lectures and by incorporating multi-cultural contents into teaching. All independent internationalization efforts of students are encouraged.
Access to further studies
After three years of work experience, the student will be eligible for further studies for a Master’s Degree in the field in question.
Graduation requirements
Please see the Degree Regulations of Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences and instructions for graduates at Intra.
Mode of study
Day studies. In adult education, multi-form studies
Head of degree programme
Ms Tua Niemelä, tel. +358 50 9174288, e-mail: tua.niemela(at)seamk.fi
Student counsellor
Ms Pirjo Takala, tel +358 40 830 2167, e-mail: pirjo.takala(at)seamk.fi
Coordination of international mobility
Tiina Välimäki, 040-830 4127, tiina.valimaki(at)seamk.fi, Coordinator, Outgoing student exchanges to Europe
Maria Loukola, 040-830 2240, maria.loukola(at)seamk.fi, Coordinator, Incoming and outgoing student exchanges outside Europe
Student services
Tel. +358 20 124 5055, studentservices@seamk.fi
Bachelor of Social Services, Multimodal implementation
Timing plan:
Bachelor of Social Services, Multimodal implementation
Timing plan:
Degree Programme in Social Services, Multimodal implementation
Timing plan: