Curriculum 2009 – MPA09SN (in English)

LAUREA UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES

Degree Programme in Service Management (Laurea Leppävaara, marata), MPA09SN

CURRICULUMS AT LAUREA

Learning Concept at Laurea

Universities of applied sciences have three tasks set by law: research and development, regional development, and
pedagogy. The integration of these tasks has led Laurea to seek solutions that optimise our ability to respond to
challenges. The aim is to produce graduates and who are investigative developers of their work and of the
workplace. We also hope to produce research-based development initiatives for the competence required at work,
with visible effects in our operating environments.
As members of an information society, we are caught in a flood of information. Information no longer has to be
provided; the most important thing is to learn to process and filter it to obtain important data to use and apply to
one’s own learning and development projects. Laurea also places importance on ensuring that students grow into
skilled experts. Participation in development projects allows students to handle real work processes and to learn to
use tools as concepts and skills. The work-oriented development projects provide learning for individuals and for the
target community. They also generate new knowledge for developing and reforming the labour market.


As members of an information society, we are caught in a flood of information. Information no longer has to be
provided; the most important thing is to learn to process and filter it to obtain important data to use and apply to
one’s own learning and development projects. Laurea also places importance on ensuring that students grow into
skilled experts. Participation in development projects allows students to handle real work processes and to learn to
use tools as concepts and skills. The work-oriented development projects provide learning for individuals and for the
target community. They also generate new knowledge for developing and reforming the labour market.

Learning environment

Laurea’s learning environment facilitates competence development for learners, organizations, region and partners.
The learning environment is a physical and psychological space that expresses the current culture, nature, time,
community and practices of development work. Thus, it forms a comprehensive operating environment for
competence development. The aim of the learning environment is to facilitate the achievement of learning results
while supporting the generation of new know-how and interaction within the operating environment. The learning
environment is an implementation of Laurea’s target-oriented development.
The learning environment utilizes internal and external networks and is in constant interaction with the world of work.
New knowledge and skills are acquired in authentic problem-solving and development tasks, which make the
complexity of the real world an object for competence development. Regional influence increases through enriching
communities and the networks that they form. Students use projects to learn the basics of networking, social skills
and communication with experts in the field. The meeting points between the industry and the study units are
significant in terms of the growth of expertise and competence development. Students grow into developers by
carrying out development tasks and by interacting in competence networks.


Students make use of diverse information sources and tools in their studies. Interactive learning environments are
used to create a framework for structuring learning so that it offers situations, challenges and tools that help learners
to utilize their own thought resources. The learning process becomes a continuous problem-solving process, with a
focus on research, development and generating new competence. Conscious and systematic development work is
used to formulate ideas and practices that boost development, and to generate new know-how. The result is a
creation, a new operating method, a model or a product.

The creation of innovative processes is easier in structures that allow space for informal creativity, innovation and
the promotion of things that motivate different participants internally. This work is characterised by communality and
a socio-cultural environment for learning. It is important to create a spirit of development.
Development work takes place in projects that combine competences from various fields of study. Project teams
consist of students, trainees, lecturers and workplace experts whose competences interact at the practical level.
Students use projects to complete study units, job placements or theses. Lecturers do not organize and set targets
for the project teams’ activities in advance; instead, the team members take joint responsibility for this. Students
receive experience of the culture of expertise and of working as equal experts. They increase their self-management
and set their own targets. Thus projects facilitate an unlimited learning process, where no glass ceilings are set by
curricula, textbooks or instruction. Learning by Developing enables individuality in learning.
Practical applications of innovative learning environments include initiatives and projects carried out as innovative
environments in networks, as well as various operating spaces designed for learning and development, skill hubs
and development labs. Work consists of collaboration based on shared expertise, which is supported by methods of
sharing competence, such as tutoring, lecturing sessions, demonstrations, team meetings, feedback events and
seminars.


Students

In Laurea’s work-oriented research and development projects, the concept of partnership implies cooperation
between lecturers, experts from the labour market and students. The cooperation is based on responsible
commitment to the project. All participants are seen as learners, because the development projects aim to produce
change and generate new things. Partnership also means mutual respect and appreciation for diverse skills. The
progress of the development project depends on sharing competence and building new competence out of different
areas of expertise. Students participate as partners who increase their competence by learning how to use new
tools and by taking part in various research and development initiatives. Competence is founded on research-based
knowledge, understanding the professional context, handling the necessary tasks and managing various workplace
situations, to the extent that these skills are needed for each student’s degree. In the development projects,
students learn as individuals while also participating in shared learning and in producing new know-how.

Lecturers

The role of lecturers in development projects can be described as that of an expert, a participant and a pedagogical
leader, who facilitates the students’ growth and development into experts in their fields. Laurea’s lecturers are in
other words researchers and developers, influential players in regional development and teachers.

Published reports by those teachers that work as researchers demonstrate the effectiveness of development
projects as reformers and developers of competence in the labour market. Some teacher act as developer and are
responsible for identifying and refining the processes of development projects. The third role of lecturers is in
workshops, which transmit and share cultural knowledge, and provide students with tools. Lecturership also involves
partnerships with the labour market. The industry experts participating in development projects contribute the
knowledge contained in workplace competence, while lecturers ensure that evidence-based data are available for
explaining this competence. They join forces to produce new know-how for developing and reforming the labour
market.

Competence evaluation

The evaluation of competence in Learning by Developing directs future choices and demonstrates how well targets
have been met. Competence is seen on the one hand as knowledge of information, skills and values, and on the
other hand as experiential competence, which includes individuals’ and their community’s know-how. Evaluation in a
development project looks at individuals’ and the project community’s learning, the progress and significance of
different processes, and the results achieved.
Evaluation is based on the objectives provided in the competence-based curriculum. These objectives define the
requirements that students have to meet to achieve their degrees. The generic competences describe the
competences shared by all Laurea students as meta-competence placed in a professional context. Themes, on the
other hand, define the substance of subject-specific competence, which is deepened by the generic competences.
The generic competences build a level of education needed at a higher education institution and at work;
meanwhile, the themes build competence needed for employment. The generic competences are defined on three
levels. Students choose the level they wish to achieve in each generic competence together with their tutors, and
these desired levels are used as a basis for the study plan. Progress in the generic competences is measured
qualitatively through portfolios. The study units are graded on a scale of 1 to 5. These grades are shown on the
students’ degree certificates.


LAUREA´S GENERIC COMPETENCES
Laurea´s generic competences

In addition to core competence in the field, five general areas have been defined at Laurea which are important for
professionals in all areas to master. These are called generic competences. The generic competences are
developed during the studies, and the level of competence is also evaluated. The curriculum’s generic competences
have been determined by analysing shared competences needed in different employment sectors in the future.
The shared generic competences for all degree programmes are:
· ethical competence
· globalisation competence
· innovative competence
· reflective competence
· network competence


Generic competences are closely linked to the contents of the study units.

The generic competences are structured through levels. Each competence has been categorized further, comprising
the personal competence level, organisational competence level and social reform level. The targeted generic
competence levels have been defined in the curriculum for each degree programme. All Laurea BA students must
reach at least the personal competence level in all generic competences. In the case of many generic competences,
the social reform level cannot be achieved until in connection with a Master’s degree.

Ethical competence

Morals refers to an individual’s conception of right and wrong, whereas ethics refers to moral choices to which the
individual is consciously committed. Ethics is a systematic attempt to understand moral conceptions. It consists of
ethical rules and principles, virtues and values. In the generic competence of ethical competence, morals and ethics
are fundamentally linked together, because students’ moral competence forms a basis for their ethical competence.
Ethical competence consists of four components: (1) ethical sensitivity; (2) ethical motivation; (3) moral-ethical
problem-solving; and (4) ethical implementation skills.

In order for student activities to be ethical, they must be sensitive to ethical problems contained in different
situations. Ethical sensitivity refers to the ability to recognise the special characteristics, needs, rights and
responsibilities of each party. It includes awareness of how one’s own actions affect other people’s well-being, and
involves envisaging and anticipating various action plans and their consequences for each party. Empathy and the
ability to put oneself in another’s position form the core of ethical sensitivity. Students also need knowledge of the
special characteristics of major customer groups and ethical problems in the sector. Ethical sensitivity is
characterised by professional interaction skills, which are a target for active development throughout each degree.

Ethical motivation refers to committing to moral-ethical values and taking responsibility for one’s own actions. The
students’ responsibility grows from the personal level to the communal and social levels. In order to develop their
ethical motivation, they must also know the value bases of their fields and participate in discussions on values.

Moral-ethical problem-solving refers to the ability to solve ethical problems through critical argumentation. It requires
consideration of various possible solutions, as well as knowledge and application of the ethical norms and
approaches of the field. Continuously developing competence includes the skill to solve problems in interpersonal
relationships, work communities, communities and the global environment, and the ability to justify these solutions.

Moral implementation skills refer to the ability to take target-oriented action to solve ethical problems (negotiation
and conflict-solving skills), as well as the courage to act in accordance with ethical values, even in complex
situations. In order for professional activities to be ethically sustainable, competence must be developed in all these
areas of ethical competence..

Levels of ethical competence

At the personal competence level, students are able to:
•    reflect on their own values and the consequences of their actions on other people’s well-being
•    work with a basis in the profession’s values, following ethical principles
•    apply the field’s ethical norms to problem-solving
•   examine situations from different parties’ perspectives
•   work in a tolerant and understanding way in multicultural networks
•   apply ethical principles to R&D projects


At the organisational development level, students are able to:
•    take into account the special characteristics, needs and rights of major customer groups in their work
•    build customer-oriented interactions and work dialogically
•    assume responsibility for the welfare of the community and the ethics of the work done
•    examine ethical issues from the point of view of the organisation and the community
•    develop fair methods of proceeding in their work


At the social reform level, students are able to:
•    critically reflect on their own attitudes and prejudices
•    actively participate in social debates on values
•    assume responsibility at social and global levels
•    make arguments in favour of fair social and global changes
•    solve conflicts and influence issues


Globalisation competence

Globalisation refers to series of events and processes that cause the world to merge into a single, all-encompassing
social system. In other words, globalisation refers to the processes by which things acquire worldwide scope.
‘Globalised’ refers to worldwide phenomena and the results of the globalisation process: a fully integrated world.
Sustainable development in relation to globalisation is a globalised political programme, whose aim is to increase
welfare with environmental responsibility, within the limits of environmental capacity.

Global interaction can be classified as financial, cultural, political or social interaction. The science of
globalisation also includes questions of ecology and biology. Sustainable development brings all these dimensions
together, with the aim of observing economic growth, cultural diversity, social welfare and ecology in politics and
practice.

Levels of globalisation competence:

At the personal competence level, students are able to:
•    make use of international sources of information in the field
•    take into account the effects and opportunities of multiculturalism and internationalisation on their fields
•    recognise the significance of their professional actions in relation to global interactions and sustainable
     development
•    evaluate their own value bases from the point of view of sustainable development and globalisation, and apply
     them to their work


At the organisational development level, students are able to:
•    take into account the effects of their own sector and its organisations on sustainable development, responsibility
     and international connections
•    promote the values of environmental and social responsibility in organisations in the sector, taking into account
     global interactions
•    apply responsibility for sustainable development to an organisation in the sector
•    work in international networks


At the social reform level, students are able to:
•    recognise the global nature of social issues and the characteristics of sustainable development
•    critically evaluate social values and practices from the point of view of sustainable development, taking into
     account global interactions
•   make arguments at social level, applying the principles of sustainable development and taking into account
    global effects


Innovative competence

All of the processes of our modern society are undergoing constant changes. Laurea has followed the examples of
the EU and Finland in choosing a positive attitude towards change as one of its strategic operating methods. The
aim is not just to cope with change but also to see it as an opportunity, which requires constant innovation in order
to be embraced. According to these strategies, future professionals must have abilities in innovation, so it is
essential to include innovative competence in Laurea’s generic competences.

Innovation refers to a novelty that is implemented to generate added value productively. There are three separate
elements to this definition: 1) novelty; 2) implementation; and 3) added value. In other words, an idea by itself is not
an innovation, nor does a wealth of ideas make a person an innovator.

The innovation process can be divided into three stages: continuous evaluation of the situation; generating
innovative ideas; and carrying out an implementation project. Innovation can take place on five levels: individual,
team, organisation, network and societal level.

At the personal innovation competence level, students learn to be innovative reformers at individual and
professional group levels. In addition, they should be able to participate in the implementation of change initiatives in
their immediate work environments.

At the organisational innovator level, students can start up innovation work in their own teams and use all the
innovation tools that exist in the organisation’s framework. In the increasingly network-oriented operating models of
the future, organisational innovators should also support active reforms as part of an informal network.

At the social innovator level, students can complete the tasks of the previous levels as well as continuously monitor
and analyse the operation of networks and the society. They can take larger frameworks into account in all change
processes and motivate people to work towards shared goals.

Levels of innovative competence:

At the personal competence level, students are able to:
•    analyse their own thought processes, knowledge and actions
•    plan, organise and develop their own work
•    set targets and turn them into appropriate, concrete actions
•    come up with new ideas, working creatively, expressing their thoughts and convincing others to participate in
     developing them
•    use various ideation methods
•    manage themselves, work during change and in diverse projects
•    conduct intermediate and final evaluations of a project


At the organisational development level, students are able to:
•    monitor and analyse an organisation’s work processes and results
•    use benchmarking in developing their work
•    use diverse teamwork methods
•    lead projects, processes and networks or participate in leading them in ways that inspire commitment in others
•    link innovation to an organisation’s strategic targets
•    take into account the nature and demands of innovation work


At the social reform level, students are able to:
•    gather ideas from a network, convince others of them and link them to the social framework
•    ensure that participants in innovation work are sufficiently committed (guidance, encouragement)
•    create and commercialise innovations
•    participate productively in innovation networks, and identify and investigate innovation mechanisms
Reflective competence




Reflection constitutes critical analysis of the principles, starting points and consequences of one’s actions.
Reflection can target the present moment or the past.

In the reflection of earlier experiences, an individual gives meaning to events. A new meaning makes development
possible. As cognitive skills and concepts develop, an individual is able to deal with broader entities, differentiate
phenomena and observe new ones more clearly.

In reflection of the present moment, simple, previously unconscious routine actions become conscious activity. In
critical reflection, an individual’s whole meaning-producing perspective changes as tacit knowledge becomes visible,
transforming learned matters into action. Critical reflection implies a relationship with communities, concepts and
theories.

Thus reflection is a thought process. Reflection is dialogue and problem-solving based on proven arguments. In
open dialogue between people, different perspectives provide new challenges. Learners participating in dialogue
can look at different perspectives in order to create shared meanings. Deep thought gives time and space for
solving encountered problems by examining and investigating them using research methods.

In order to extend their understanding of themselves in relation to other students, customers, work communities or
writers, students need skills in self-examination, critical peer evaluation and analysis of their own resources. Self-
management emphasises communality and shared participation. Critical awareness helps students to identify their
own learning opportunities and the factors that affect them. Shared reflection on their own activities allows students
to test their thoughts and share them with others. Reflection means professional growth and competence led by
human metacognitive abilities. In the process of becoming an expert, reflection forms part of an investigative and
developmental approach towards work.

Levels of reflective competence:

At the personal competence level, students are able to:
•    evaluate their own learning and competence and formulate a personal development plan
•    identify development challenges and understand problems
•    develop their competence independently and with others, and share what they have learnt in a work community
•    assume a role in a group/team
•    acquire and analyse information systematically


At the organisational development level, students are able to:
•    work dialogically, collaboratively and with self-evaluation
•    evaluate their self-management and professional competence as part of a community
•    evaluate their own work as part of a group, community or professional field
•    work during change, identifying and making use of various opportunities for learning and action
•    critically justify the principles of their work
•    apply the concepts of development challenges appropriately


At the social reform level, students are able to:
•    analyse their own actions in relation to social and historical backgrounds
•    evaluate and develop the functionality of regional operating methods and models
•    evaluate systematic information that has been structured, produced and written, and develop social activities on
     the basis of it


Network competence
The generic competence of network competence encompasses a broad range of competences, from individual
communication skills to organisation networking and strategic network leadership. Communication is essential to
communality and a functioning society. Only with communication can we create shared meanings. Networking and
the development of network processes are fuelled by interpersonal and interorganisational communication. In order
for social and economic structures to become networked, new kinds of skills and attitudes are needed in the
network’s participants. Dialogue and interaction are essential resources of a networked society. Laurea’s aim is to
promote and develop its students’ network competence in diverse ways, creating innovative network competence
models.

Network competence refers to time-based management of internal and external efficiency in order to significantly
increase the efficiency of common practices. Network competence can include networking and network leadership.
Network competence and strategic networks are often synonymous. Networking, on the other hand, is a
cooperation model for companies and organisations, and may involve operators from various fields. Network
leadership is the model used to manage a network.

Network competence is largely based on the communication skills of the people participating in the networks in
question. Without communication and interaction, there can be no functioning networks. Organisations must be able
to operate flexibly in a changing operating environment and also to influence the development of the environment. A
learning organisation has communication and interaction skills as a central tool for creating functioning networks and
developing network competence.

The generic competence examines network competence on three levels. The personal competence level (basic
level) focuses on developing communication skills and participation in networks. This is the basic level of network
competence, which must be mastered by all Laurea students. It is important for students to obtain good
communication skills in order to communicate effectively in various situations. Students must also be able to take on
active, target-oriented roles in networks.

The organisational developer level (intermediate level) centres on understanding the strategic significance of
network competence and partnerships, as well as on analysing and reflecting on his or her own actions from the
point of view of the company. Graduates must be able to identify strategic partnerships, promote the organisation’s
networking with their actions and create new network relationships. The most important thing is a proactive,
developmental approach towards network operations.

The social reformer level (advanced level) requires the ability to analyse the operation of entire strategic networks
in relation to their environment. This level is achieved by top experts in network competence. Graduates have the
ability to lead strategic networks (orchestration) and to anticipate complex social development trends (visioning).

Levels of network competence:

At the personal competence level, students are able to:
•    present things in writing, verbally and visually using various communication styles
•    act in situations requiring professional communication and interaction
•    identify various team work models and work in teams
•    participate collaboratively and actively in a network
•    take into account cultural differences and work with people with different cultural backgrounds


At the organisational development level, students are able to:
•    participate in and manage negotiations
•    participate in group communications
•    communicate on topics related to their specialist fields to a lay audience
•    develop the networked operations of a professional organisation
•    take initiatives in developing a network


At the social reform level, students are able to:
•    work as experts in communication situations
•    plan communications from a strategic point of view, and work with the media
•   initiate networked operations and lead a strategic network
•   adopt a developmental and predictive approach to work, and influence the work environment
•   monitor and analyse networks’ operating models


European higher education area

LAUREA´S COMPETENCE-BASED CURRICULUM FORMS PART OF THE EUROPEAN HIGHER EDUCATION
AREA

Finnish higher education institutions have reformed their curricula in accordance with the Bologna Process, i.e., the
creation of the European Higher Education Area. The EU’s strategic targets for education also apply to Finnish
education. Each country has its own education system; this diversity is still taken into account, but cooperation and
mobility are also needed to allow the citizens of different countries to benefit from the diversity, rather than turning it
into a restriction. The Bologna Process started in 1999 at a conference of ministers responsible for higher education.
After that, Ministerial Conferences have been arranged regularly, with the latest one in Leuven in 2009. Currently
the process involves 46 countries, some from outside the EU. The aim of the Bologna Process is to establish a
consistent, compatible and attractive Higher Education Area in Europe by 2010.

The objectives of the process are:
• adoption of easily readable degree structures
• adoption of comparable degree structures
• establishment of a system of credits
• promotion of European cooperation in quality assurance
• increasing mobility
• participation of higher education and students
• lifelong learning
• promotion of European dimensions in higher education
• cooperation between higher education and research


To promote the adoption of easily readable, comparable degrees, the process has created a system based on two
main cycles: undergraduate (Bachelor level) and graduate (Master level). Finland has adapted its degree structure
to align it with this European objective. In universities of applied sciences, the two-cycle degree is implemented in a
way that students obtain a Bachelor’s degree, after which they have the opportunity of obtaining a Master’s degree.
The requirement for Master’s degrees is an undergraduate degree plus three years’ work experience. The long-term
objective is that approximately 20 per cent of Bachelor’s-degree graduates will take a Master’s degree.

The establishment of a system of credits refers to the ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System).
Most European countries are adopting this credit system based on the amount of work in each academic year. In
the ECTS, one year of study produces 60 credits. The ECTS was adopted more than ten years ago; initially it
applied primarily to student exchanges, but now all credit accumulation (previously transfer) measurements are
made according to the system. Finnish universities of applied sciences adopted ECTS credits in 2005.

The ECTS is a student-centric system, based on the student workload needed to achieve the targets set for each
degree. The students’ learning process is intended to be the focal point of curricula, which define learning outcomes
and competences. Curricula should move away from a focus on individual subjects and the starting points of
teaching towards a model that observes the holistic development of students and supports professional growth. This
model is referred to as the competence-based curriculum.

From the point of view of promoting mobility, curricula must be internationally understandable. The aim of
standardising the structures and learning targets of degrees is to improve the conditions for mobility within and
between higher education institutions during the studies, and also in the workplace, after graduation. In terms of the
recognition and comparability of degrees taken in different countries, it is important to link learning outcomes to
concrete competence requirements and definitions in the labour market. These are the objectives of the “Tuning
Educational Structures in Europe” project. It has defined a number of shared generic competences that are
independent of subjects and fields of study, as well as subject-specific (professional) competences for certain
degrees.
Laurea’s competence-based curriculum takes into account the demands of the Common European Framework.
Studies are accumulated in the form of credits, while study units are larger entities. Competence is defined in terms
of the students’ learning outcomes. The generic competences defined at Laurea correspond with the national and
European learning outcomes considering the generic competencies and the objectives set for Bachelor-level
degrees in the “Joint Quality Initiative” -network. Comparisons have shown globalisation and innovative competence
in particular to be unique, so they are well suited to describing the competence produced at Laurea from the point of
view of an international university of applied sciences specialising in service innovations. Laurea’s innovative efforts
in relation to the competence-based core curriculum are a proactive response to the challenges of international
competitiveness in the Helsinki metropolitan area. Currently resources are being directed towards further enhancing
the quality of the curriculum’s implementations in generating new competence and innovations for Laura’s operating
environment.

Bologna Process
http://www.minedu.fi/OPM/Koulutus/artikkelit/bologna/index.html

Tuning Educational Structures in Europe
http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/policies/educ/tuning/tuning_en.html

Operating environment

A service innovation is a reform related to a service product or process, which generates added value for customers
or for the service provider. Information-intensive business services in particular drive the innovation system forward.
Service reform needs are exacerbated by the aging of the population, the diversification of lifestyles and the
increase of multiculturalism. Especially important are innovative operating methods and service structure reforms,
which are required in all sectors, including new welfare-related services.

The service sector is a major developer and user of new technology. The adoption of new technologies and the
efficient use of existing ones can lead to the development of innovative services, which can bring success in
domestic and global markets. Instead of just focusing on technology, we must investigate the added value
generated by it in service production and processes. Customer interface systems should be customer-oriented as
well as focused on increasing the efficiency of service personnel.

Globalisation will bring more international service businesses to the Finnish market while Finnish companies
increase their international focus. Here, digitisation allows a new kind of division of information-intensive services.
Globalisation will not replace localisation or remove the need for local service operations. Networking is essential in
a complex society, bringing companies together in technological, professional and social ways.

Environmental competence is a fundamental part of business. The significance of ethics, ecology and humanity as
basic life-directing values is increasing but still unpredictable. Value changes drive consumer behaviour and service
provision. Significant cultural changes are being brought about by the increase in importance of leisure time, which
will have an impact on future service demand.

Expertise

The knowledge base of the Degree Programme in Service Management is not narrowly limited to individual theories
and fields of science; instead, the theoretical and scientific foundations of the degree programme are built out of
many viewpoints and contexts. Competence development is focused on applying service know-how to consumer,
restaurant and facility services as part of the tourism, catering and home economics sector.

Service is an event, an activity or a performance in which customers are offered something intangible that is
produced and used simultaneously, and generates added value for the customer. Expertise services are services
whose provider is highly qualified and has acquired specialist competence in the field. They often also involve giving
advice and focusing on solving a customer’s specific problem. Personal services include tourism, accommodation
and catering services, domestic services, adventure services and cultural services. All these services are
characterised by direct interaction between the service provide and the consumer. Provider services, i.e. business
services, are ones sold to other companies or, in some cases, to households. Often they are information-intensive
and outsourced support services, which could in principle be provided internally. Typical examples are real estate
and user services.
Service provision is based simultaneously on industrial service operations and on the productisation of services. In
other words, it is diverse in nature and separate from any individual scientific field’s criteria. Instead, service
businesses strive to understand phenomena in themselves, as they arise, which requires multidisciplinary
competence. Service provision is a socially important activity, and it is in many ways similar to social science.
Service management is linked to political, economic and social issues. At the background of competence lies
economic science, which traditionally strives to optimise the allocation of limited and useful resources. In addition,
consumers in particular are seen from the point of view of institutional economics, as a random and irrational factor.

In order to understand human thoughts and choices, it is good to have some knowledge of psychology, whose main
functions are observation, attentiveness and thought. Sociology, on the other hand, focuses on examining the
communities formed by people, and the phenomena arising from these. In the service sector, the viewpoint of
sociology is apparent in an interest in people’s communal activities and in the effects communities have on people’s
activities. Pedagogy, which has a basis in behavioural science, helps us understand and interpret educational
phenomena arising from everyday life. One of the major issues in pedagogy is how we can guide and support
human growth, development and learning. Pedagogical competence is needed for managing operations. The
purpose of theoretical data based on a humanistic conception of knowledge is to understand and interpret things,
while the related anthropological approach provides information on human behaviour, values and attitudes, and their
significance in service provision. Natural sciences provide a viewpoint on social change and its significance in
environmental management and the sustainable use of natural resources. Sustainable development is an important
basis and common denominator for various service environments.

In addition to these scientific foundations, each of the areas of expertise of the degree programme (consumer
services, catering services and facility service) has its own knowledge base.

Phenomena related to service provision in different operating environments and contexts are examined using an
investigative and developmental approach. The knowledge base used for learning lies in proven scientific data. The
starting point is the innovative Learning by Developing method (LbD).

The operating environment of the Degree Programme in Service Management straddles the boundaries of the
hospitality management sector and the building and real estate management sector. This section describes the
future of the operating environment in light of the most important predicted trends. The degree programme is related
to accommodation and restaurant services, trade, real estate services, and the finance and insurance sector.

The growth in importance of the service sector has long been a central trend in industry and commerce, and it is
closely linked to the increasing wealth of the society and the progressiveness of the economy. The service sector
accounts for an increasing proportion of new jobs and economic growth, and many major growth businesses
operate in the sector. Ownership is no longer seen as an intrinsic part of reaching targets set for business and public
sector functions; instead, the flexibility of functions is increasingly appreciated as competence demands grow.
Public-private partnerships are increasing and becoming more diverse, which creates new business opportunities
and encourages operators to develop new, competence-intensive service concepts.

Current service structures cannot respond to changing service needs, so in order to improve their productivity, both
the private and the public sectors must change their operating models, organisations and human competences.
Customer orientation is becoming a major future dynamic, turning customer relationships more into partnerships.
The creation of shared agreement practices and long-term customer orientation require investments in research and
development, because only research-based operations can allow us to predict the change trends affecting service
use.

Competences

Leadership expertise starts with self-management, but the management, handling and understanding of human
resources – i.e. people – is also important. This requires interaction skills, general understanding of human
relations, and cooperation/teamwork skills. Business competence requires understanding of the business sector in
particular. To be experts, students need comprehensive skills in finance and the ability to apply theories in practice.
This, in turn, stresses the need for skills in marketing and sales.

People must be able to replace old operating models, and willing to follow the times. Operating in the workplace
requires planning and organisational skills, as well as enthusiasm, risk tolerance and a desire to learn. To succeed,
students must acquire fluent communication skills, and the ability to discern the right way of communicating in each
situation. Customer expertise is based on alertness in order to understand and predict the customers’ needs. This is
linked to the ability to form partnerships internally as well as externally Experts must have the ability to understand
customer relationships, and to develop them in order to benefit and generate added value for both parties.

The generic competences taught at Laurea can be classified as ones related to acquiring and handling information,
communications and interaction, internationalisation, leadership, research and development, and learning.

Expertise refers to applying skills in a social context and encompasses abilities and skills related to human
behaviour. Expertise also involves tacit knowledge, which often consists of unconscious understandings and
interpretations based on subjective experiences. Qualifications refer to the demands of a specific job or profession.
There are three types of qualifications: productive (i.e. doing), normative (work), adaptive (adapting to work and to
the work community) and innovative (i.e. those that lead to development of work processes). Competence, on the
other hand, refers to performance, i.e. an employee’s ability to succeed in a specific task. It involves personal
expertise. Each person may be competent for more than one task. Competences form broad areas of expertise as
combinations of an individual’s knowledge, skills and attitudes. Competences describe the individual’s capability,
performance potential and ability to handle the tasks belonging to the job. The aim of the education is to strengthen
the students’ competences.

Expertise in the service sector is assessed on the basis of a report on the core competences in the accommodation,
catering and home economics sector published by an ECTS project for 2005–2006. In terms of service culture,
expertise includes competence in welfare, aesthetics, consumer behaviour, hospitality and service networks.
Expertise in service systems consists of skills in production technology, service processes, product development,
productisation and security. The elements of business know-how are customer relationships, finance, service
entrepreneurship and partnership. Service leadership consists of skills in day-to-day management, strategy and
competence management. Service environment expertise consists of social competence in the service sector,
globalisation competence, regional development and corporate social responsibility.

Expertise mappings in the sector particularly emphasise leadership skills (especially with relation to human
resources), as well as financial management and business competence (especially in marketing and sales). In
addition, major characteristics, abilities and skills lie in interaction, communications, knowledge of human nature and
cooperation.

Competence development process

The students’ professional growth process is described through different stages in Laurea’s Pedagogical Strategy.
As they progress towards expertise in the field, students acquire the necessary competence for acting in the
workplace. Laurea’s learning curriculum is implemented in practice with the LbD method, in which investigative
learning progresses through development projects carried out for the labour market. The content of the learning
consists of generic competences and themes defined in the curriculum, selected on the basis of skills required in the
industry.

According to Ruohotie (2002), the skill profile of an expert consists of job-specific skills, general work skills and self-
management skills that promote professional development. This could be adapted to describe Laurea’s curriculum,
where the profile of an expert consists of degree programme-specific themes, which, when integrated with the
generic competences, produce general work skills and, in combination with project work, promote professional self-
management.

The students’ growth process includes the following important professional identity development phases: committing
to being a student at the university of applied sciences; becoming socialised in the professional culture and working
customs of the sector; developing as an expert; and engaging in professional development and lifelong learning.

In terms of guidance, the stages of the students’ professional growth process can be defined through the following
study units:

Home stretch
Investigative Development in a Service Environment theme / Increasing Service Value
Path to professional growth
Service Environment Competence theme /
Welfare Competence study unit

Start
Service Culture Competence theme /
Coordinating a Service Event study unit

In terms of guidance, the most important issues at each stage are:

Start
• creating motivation and skills for studying
• confirming the choice of profession
• providing broad orientation to the profession
• conveying and promoting the culture of the profession

Professional growth

• developing professional skills, testing them in practice / job placement
• socialising students in the working customs of the sector (rules, agreements, regulations, development)
• teaching the demands of a reflective and investigative approach to work
• committing students to cooperation


Home stretch
• encouraging students towards continuous development and efforts
• clarifying the requirements of willingness and entrepreneurship
• directing students towards evaluation and self-evaluation
• supporting students as they set off on their own

Continuously
• reinforcing the self-scheme (studies, work, personality, hobbies)
• supporting self-management

Studying in the Degree Programme

Studies in the Degree Programme in Service Management are offered at Laurea Leppävaara and Laurea
Järvenpää. Leppävaara offers advanced learning in facility management and consumer services. Järvenpää
focuses on catering service management and development.

The degree includes 30 credits basic studies, professional studies and 30 credits elective studies. Job placements
are 15 + 15 credits, final thesis is also 15 credits.

At the early stage of their studies, students acquire tools for studying in accordance with LbD. Basic studies are
offered to familiarise students with the sector and its operating environment, the main operating models in the field,
and Laurea’s learning environments. The Service Culture Competence theme provides skills in a manner of a higher
education student, responsibly as part of teams and networks. Students begin learning by developing by adopting
an investigative and developmental approach, and learn to take responsibility and provide justification for their
choices. The basic studies also provide students with the most important IT skills, which will then be honed as their
studies progress. Students learn the basic principles of verbal and written communication in Finnish and Swedish.
Their professional growth begins with the creation of a personal development plan. Students build their own learning
programme by choosing elective studies from within or outside their own degree programme.

The professional growth stage focuses on business, management, development and innovation, as well as service
environment expertise. In addition to basic studies, students take business and leadership courses. Business know-
how is evident as the ability to take business factors into account as part of service operations. Leadership studies
strengthen the students’ management, networking and communication skills in Finnish and English as part of their
service competence.
In studies related to service environment competence, students deepen their expertise in line with their own core
competences. They acquire skills in acting as service business experts from their chosen viewpoint, either in a
consumer, facility or catering service environment.

Job placements are closely linked to the competence acquired in advanced studies. Students broaden and deepen
their expertise by participating in the workplace as trainees and developers.

The Investigating and Developing Services in Projects theme is completed at the deepening stage of professional
competence. The students’ developmental competence becomes apparent as an investigative and developmental
approach to work. The thesis is completed towards the end of the programme and consists of a research and
development task for an employer.

Learning is supported by various learning environments and workshops. Students increase their expertise through
multidisciplinary projects, where they help to renew the sector and its practices. During their studies, students learn
to act as responsible experts in networks within and outside Laurea.
                                                           1. year       2. year       3. year    4. year
OP        STUDIES                                                60            60            60         30
001       SERVICE CULTURE COMPETENCE
00001     Coordinating a Service Event                           10
00002     Quality of Customer-Oriented Service                   10
01148     Certificate in Food Hygiene                                0
01147     Legislation on Regulating Liquor Licences                  0
00796     Service Culture                                        10
0079601   Culture                                                    5
0079602   Swedish                                                    5
00634     Oral skills in Swedish                                     0
00635     Written skills in Swedish                                  0
006       BUSINESS COMPETENCE
00004     Operating Environments, Clusters and Business          10
          Models
00005     Developing and Managing Customer                                     10
          Relationships
00006     Managing Business Performance                                        10
007       LEADERSHIP COMPETENCE
00007     Responsible Leadership in a Work Community             10
00760     Effectiveness and Communications in an                               10
          Organisation
0076001   Communication in English                                                 5
0076002   Effectiveness and communications in                                      5
          organisations
00009     Creative Teams
00010     Competence Development and Coaching
008       SERVICE ENVIRONMENT COMPETENCE
00011     Welfare Competence in a Service Environment            15
00012     Systems Competence in a Service Environment                          10
00379     Job placement 1,Degree Programme in Service                          15
          Management
009       RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN SERVICE
          ENVIRONMENT
00585     Increasing Service Value in a Service Network                        10
00015     Service Management and Investigative                                               10
          Development
00380     Job placement 2, Degree Programme in Service                                       15
          Management
00017     Environmental Competence in the Service Sector
010       INVESTIGATIVE ACTION IN SERVICE
          DEVELOPMENT
00018     Developing Service Innovations                                                     10
00019     Service Innovations in Business Development
00020     Innovation-Based Entrepreneurship
019       THESIS
00043     Thesis                                                                             15
047          LAUREA'S COMMON STUDIES
125          ELECTIVE STUDIES
00801        Service Innovation and Design Toolkit
00802        Legal competence in consumer services
00520        Public relations in multicultural environments
00203        Initial Test in Swedish Skills                                  0
00202        Initial Test in English Skills                                  0
00493        Finnish as Second Language-Initial test                         0
00194        Preparatory Studies in English                                  3
00195        Preparatory Studies in Swedish                                  3
01012        Ruotsin kielen perusviestintä
00388        Preparatory Studies in Finnish (as Mother tongue)               3
00522        Preparatory Studies in Finnish                                  3
00521        Initial Test in Finnish                                         0
00446        Finnish Language                                                5
00636        Written skills in Finnish                                       0
00637        Oral skills in Finnish                                          0
00804        Destination Development Management
00809        Accommodation Management
00807        Nutrition and wellbeing
00815        Product knowledge and development of foodstuffs
00816        Developing quality in the value chain of foodstuffs
00817        Competence in Purchasing
00818        Service Innovation and Design Toolkit
01006        Baking in a Professional Kitchen
                                                                            60       60          60            30

Annual themes and competences
Study                                                              Extent        Competences
00001              Coordinating a Service Event                    10            Reflektio-osaamisen kuvaus (H)
00002              Quality of Customer-Oriented Service            10            Innovaatio-osaamisen kuvaus
                                                                                 (H)
00796              Service Culture                                 10            Globalisaatio-osaamisen
                                                                                 kuvaus (H)
00004              Operating Environments, Clusters and            10            Verkosto-osaamisen kuvaus (H)
                   Business Models
00006              Managing Business Performance                   10            Eettisen osaamisen kuvaus (O)
00007              Responsible Leadership in a Work                10            Eettisen osaamisen kuvaus (H)
                   Community
00018              Developing Service Innovations                  10            Innovaatio-osaamisen kuvaus
                                                                                 (O)
H - Personal competence level
O - Organisational development level
Y - Social reform level
001 SERVICE CULTURE COMPETENCE, 30 cr

Description:
Opiskelija osaa tuottaa asiakaslähtöistä palvelua vallitsevan palvelukulttuurin mukaisesti. Opiskelija osaa laatia
henkilökohtaisen asiantuntijuuden kehittämissuunnitelman. Opiskelija osaa toimia erilaisissa asiantuntijatehtävissä
suomen ja ruotsin kielellä suullisesti ja kirjallisesti.

The student will be able to:
* luoda henkilökohtaisen osaamisen tavoitteet ja suunnitelmat asiantuntijuuden kehittämiseksi
* kehittää asiakaslähtöistä palvelua laatua
* järjestää palvelutapahtuman osana ryhmää
* kommunikoida tarkoituksenmukaisella tavalla erilaisissa työelämän viestintätilanteissa sekä suomeksi että ruotsiksi
* toimia monikulttuurisessa palveluympäristössä

Content:
Opiskelija muodostaa kuvan omasta alasta, sen työtehtävistä ja omista kehittymisen mahdollisuuksista.
Opintojaksoilla harjoitellaan asiakaslähtöisen palvelun tuottamista erilaisissa oppimisympäristöissä. Osa opinnoista
toteutetaan ruotsinkielisenä, mikä tuottaa toisen kotimaisen kielen virkamiestutkinnon.

Learning process:
Teema sijoittuu ammatillisen kasvun alkuun. Opiskelijan omat tavoitteet ja kehittämisen kohteet laaditaan
henkilökohtaiseksi asiantuntijuuden kehittämissuunnitelmaksi.


00001 Coordinating a Service Event, 10 cr

The student is able to:
* plan, implement, document and evaluate service events intended for specific target groups, as a project
* gather and use information and apply the tools of information work
* identify personal development targets and objectives and formulate their own expertise development plans
* start the portfolio process


Contents of the study unit:


 * Service and service events
* Projects
* Grouping
* Professional growth and development – personal study plans and portfolios
* Research-oriented thinking
* IT and data networks as tools and methods


Study unit description:
Students form groups and organise service events in which they use their communication, IT, teamwork and project
work skills.They become familiar with the field and its values.The main aim is to grow into service sector experts by
creating personal expertise development plans in the form of a portfolio (personal study plan).



00002 Quality of Customer-Oriented Service, 10 cr

The student is able to:
* produce, research and develop customer-oriented service
* develop and evaluate service processes in various service contexts
* make use of quantitative research methods in evaluating service quality
* manage themselves and work in change situations and diverse operating environments
Contents of the study unit:
Customer orientation

* The service process

* Service quality* Research-based writing

* Statistical research methods


Study unit description:
Students learn to produce good services and understand the importance of customer orientation in the
industry.They learn the basic functions of customer service and understand the significance of the process.


01148 Certificate in Food Hygiene, 0 cr

The student is able to:
• apply his/her knowledge in food hygiene in all parts of the self-supervision elements of the HACCP quality control
system at a company.

Contents of the study unit:
• The law of food hygiene
• Self- supervision based on the principles of the HACCP concept (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points)
• Hygienic quality; hygiene quality of surfaces and food safety, hygienic working methods and personal hygiene

Study unit description:
• Student familiarizes him/herself with the law of food hygiene
• Student passes the test in food hygiene proficiency successfully


01147 Legislation on Regulating Liquor Licences, 0 cr

The student is able to:
• Apply the legislation concerning regulation of liquor licences in customer service

Contents of the study unit:
· Legislation concerning regulation of liquor licences

Study unit description:
• Student familiarizes him/herself with the legislation on liquor licences
• Student passes an exam on legislation of regulation of liquor licences successfully


00796 Service Culture, 10 cr

The student is able to:
describe the stages of development of the sector
work in diverse multicultural service environments
apply qualitative research methods to developing a service culture
operate in various service situations, in Swedish
communicate in Swedish with skills equivalent at least to level B1.2 of the Common European Framework, and
having obtained a ‘good’ or ‘satisfactory’ grade in oral and written Swedish in the civil service language proficiency
certificate


Contents of the study unit:
Service culture
History of the field
Multiculturalism
Qualitative research methods
Swedish for service situations
(civil service requirements)


Study unit description:
Students form an understanding of multicultural operating environments.Competence is based on understanding
different cultures and their customs from the point of view of service culture.The framework for competence
development is formed by organisations that use Finnish and Swedish as their working languages.In the segment
related to Swedish language (5 cr), students attain at least skill level B1.2 as defined in the Common European
Framework


0079601 Culture, 5 cr


0079602 Swedish, 5 cr


00634 Oral skills in Swedish, 0 cr

Study unit description:
This study unit is for evaluating oral skills in Swedish.


00635 Written skills in Swedish, 0 cr

Study unit description:
This study unit is for evaluating written skills in Swedish.


006 BUSINESS COMPETENCE, 30 cr

Description:
Students understand the structure of the sector and its clusters, and achieve the basic abilities to develop company
operations and processes.

The student will be able to:
• examine a company’s operating environment holistically, analysing its major dynamics
• recognise different business models and earnings principles
• evaluate the significance of a company’s operations and processes as critical success factors and generators of
added value for the customer
• use tools for directing and managing a company
• create a customer-focused and profitability-oriented business plan

Content:
The theme’s study units form a learning module that allows students to examine business operations holistically as
part of an operating environment. Instead of traditional sectors, business is defined in terms of clusters that
transcend the boundaries between sectors. At the level of individual companies’ operations, the study units look at
operating models that describe the organisation’s core logic in creating value for customers, a company and other
stakeholders. With regard to companies’ core processes, essential skills lie in marketing and selling products/
services, managing customer relationships, and business management and support processes. On the basis of the
competence gained in the compulsory study units, students achieve the abilities to formulate customer-focused and
profitability-oriented business plans.


00004 Operating Environments, Clusters and Business Models, 10 cr

The student is able to:
• understand the structure and dynamics of a business environment, and the related opportunities and challenges
• understand the business through business models and earnings principles
• describe various value chains and networks
• determine the core functions of a company’s operations

Contents of the study unit:
• structures of the operating environment
• central dynamics of the operating environment
• value chains and networks
• clusters in the operating environment
• different business models and earnings principles
• value generation for customers
• company's operations, core and support processes
• company stakeholders

Study unit description:
The competence gained in the study unit appears as a holistic view of business environments and clusters in the
sector, and the role of an individual company within these. Competence is based on understanding different
business models and earnings principles in general. From the viewpoint of individual companies, competence
involves managing the business as a whole through separate functions and processes. It is important that students
can generally determine who the company’s customers are, how value can be generated for them, what the
company’s earnings mechanism is, what its operating models are, and who its partners are.

Previous studies:
None.


00005 Developing and Managing Customer Relationships, 10 cr

The student is able to:
• understand key trends of marketing
• analyse different customer relationships (consumer, business or public sector), customer needs and behaviours
• manage customer relationships and main customer relationship management (CRM) processes

Contents of the study unit:
• customer-orientation as a unifying factor for all company functions
• principles of customer behaviour and an organisations’ purchasing behaviour
• competitive marketing methods
• basic processes of CRM, commercialisation, sales and customer relationship marketing
• analysing and developing customer relationships
• customer profitability
• significance of productisation and brand development
• selected research methods

Study unit description:
The competence gained in the study unit relates to continuous analysis, development and management of long-term
and profitable customer relationships using market-appropriate methods. Customer relationship development and
management are based on knowledge of the customer and management of customer information. It is essential to
understand the various challenges faced by CRM depending on the type of customer group, the stage of the value
chain/network and the information-intensiveness of the business, each of which generates its own challenges.

Previous studies:
Operating Environments, Clusters and Business Models or equivalent knowledge.


00006 Managing Business Performance, 10 cr

The student is able to:
• determine a company’s critical success factors
• determine whether business targets are in line with strategy
• set company targets for finance, customer relationships, internal operations, competence and commitment
• interpret and make use of a company’s financial analyses
• use information systems in managing operations
• interpret rules that apply to business operations and understand their significance for a company’s operations

Contents of the study unit:
• critical success factors
• balanced scorecard (BSC)
• basics of internal and external accounting
• profitability accounting
• IT systems in functional management
• business plan
• main rules for business operations
• basic ethical issues in business

Study unit description:
The competence gained in the study unit relates to the mastery of financial and non-financial business targets and
indicators, and the use of business-related IT systems. It is essential that students understand the strategic nature
of business targets, and the role of various analyses in managing a business as a whole. This forms a
comprehensive foundation for the long-term development of business operations in changing circumstances.
Students also develop competence in assessing the ethics of a business and in developing practices to be ethically,
economically, socially and environmentally sustainable.

Previous studies:
Operating Environments, Clusters and Business Models or equivalent knowledge.


007 LEADERSHIP COMPETENCE, 20 cr

Description:
* Students learn to analyse and develop their leadership competence and to work as experts.
* Students learn to manage work groups and networks in line with a strategy.

The student will be able to:
* ethically and productively manage work communities and networks
* manage and develop competence
* evaluate, lead and develop teamwork
* promote creativity in a work community
* manage and develop multicultural work-related communication

Content:
The first study unit of the theme helps students learn the basics of leadership, so that they can act as managers of a
group, team, work community or organisation, or as opinion leaders in a community of experts. The optional study
units support the social aspect of leadership, deepening the students’ skills in innovation management and
employee competence development.

Learning process:
The theme strengthens the students’ leadership skills within the framework of organisations, complementing skills
attained through projects and teams in other studies.


00007 Responsible Leadership in a Work Community, 10 cr

The student is able to:
* act responsibly and in a target-oriented way in situations requiring management in an organisation
* analyse and develop their own actions as responsible work community and team members
* apply labour legislation in practical situations

Contents of the study unit:
* Strategic management and leadership
* Self-management
* Organisational culture and values
* Human resource management/occupational welfare
* Labour law and contract matters

Study unit description:
The competence gained in this study unit relates to the mastery and responsible use of the main management tools
in workplace situations. Competence is based on knowledge of the operating structures, targets and profitability of
an organisation. The perspective is ethical responsibility in management.


00760 Effectiveness and Communications in an Organisation, 10 cr

The student is able to:
* plan, implement and evaluate an organisation’s communications in Finnish and English
* communicate effectively on themselves, their work and their work community, as experts and with the help of their
networks

Contents of the study unit:
* Roles of communication in networks and organisations
* Target-oriented planning, implementation and evaluation of an organisation’s communications
* Managing communication according to plan
* Expert’s communication skills
* Intercultural communication

Study unit description:
The emphasis of the study unit is on organisational communication. The competence gained in the study unit relates
to influencing people, work groups and networks using communication. The framework for competence
development is formed by organisations that use Finnish and English as their working languages.

Previous studies:
Pass in the initial English language test.


0076001 Communication in English, 5 cr


0076002 Effectiveness and communications in organisations, 5 cr


00009 Creative Teams, 10 cr

The student is able to:
• lead teams to conduct dialogues
• give constructive feedback to team members
• use various ideation methods in a team
• set team targets together with others
• motivate other team members to reach common targets
• analyse team activities and work methods
• model experts’ and workers’ tacit knowledge
• generate information on the work community’s activities and make use of it in development
• present and sell ideas at organisation-wide level

Contents of the study unit:
• shared expertise, interaction and dialogue as development tools
• team development stages
• ideation methods in teamwork
• team leadership (especially motivation)
• shared expertise and modelling tacit knowledge
• analysing and benchmarking an organisation’s operating processes
• analysing innovations generated in teams in relation to an organisation’s values and strategic targets
• refining ideas into concrete plans
• selling an idea in an organisation
• developing a work community

Study unit description:
The competence gained in the study unit relates to participating innovatively in teams and leading teams in a
proactive, target-oriented way. The central areas of expertise include active interaction and leadership skills needed
in teams, the use of various ideation methods, analysing team activities and targets, and modelling competence and
processes in an organisation. Competence is reflected concretely in the management of a project that aims to
develop an innovative idea. The focus is on teamwork as a development tool.

Previous studies:
Responsible Leadership in a Work Community or equivalent knowledge.


00010 Competence Development and Coaching, 10 cr

The student is able to:
• create enriching communities
• manage competence
• develop an organisation’s competences
• plan and implement competence development programmes, development seminars and training events

Contents of the study unit:
• coaching
• coaching methods
• learning organisation
• learning and competence development
• developing an operating culture

Study unit description:
The framework for this study unit consists of competence-enriching communities, i.e. networked communities whose
operations are primarily aimed at creating new competence. The focus is on competence development using
development and training tools.

Previous studies:
Responsible Leadership in a Work Community or equivalent knowledge.


008 SERVICE ENVIRONMENT COMPETENCE, 40 cr

Description:
Opiskelija osaa työskennellä aktiivisena toimijana kuluttajapalvelun, toimitilapalvelujen ja elintarvikepalvelujen
ympäristöissä.

The student will be able to:
• suunnitella, toteuttaa ja arvioida palveluprosesseja
• hankkia, käyttää ja soveltaa asiantuntijuusalueeseen liittyvää osaamista ammatillisten ongelmien ratkaisemiseen
• kriittisesti reflektoiden tarkastella ja kehittää toimintaa yksilönä ja ryhmän jäsenenä
• syventää omaa ammatillista kasvuaan
• liittää harjoittelunosaksi osaamisen kehittymistä

Content:
Terveellisten, turvallisten ja taloudellisesti kannattavien palvelujen tuottaminen asiakkaiden ja työyhteisön
hyvinvointia edistäen muodostaa osaamisen perustan. Osaamisen kehittämisen viitekehyksenä ovat palvelujen
tuottamiseen keskittyneet ja palveluita ostavat organisaatiot sekä alalla toimivat kotimaiset ja kansainväliset
yhdistykset ja järjestöt.

Learning process:
Teema sijoittuu ammatillisessa kasvussa ammatillisuuden syventämisen alkuvaiheeseen. Harjoittelu mahdollistaa
teeman osaamisalueen syventämisen kohti asiantuntijuutta.


00011 Welfare Competence in a Service Environment, 15 cr

The student is able to:
• promote innovation with their work
• analyse trends and examine the development of the field using various futures study methods
• use research and development methods in planning and implementing projects

Contents of the study unit:
• Operating environment for the sector
• Producing services that promote welfare
• Economic actions in a service environment
• The research and development process
• Future prospects of the sector and methods of futures studies
• Sample portfolio
In the consumer service environment (Leppävaara)
• Consumer policy and consumers’ legal rights
• Managing consumption and finances
• Consumer and family welfare
In the facility service environment (Leppävaara)
• Procuring and selling services
• Real estate and user services
• Principles of sustainable development.
In the catering service environment (Järvenpää)
• Eating habits, trends, cultures
• Food as a service product
• Nutritional and hygienic quality
• Occupational health and safety
• Information technology in catering service processes


Study unit description:
The framework for competence development consists of organisations focused on service provision and procure-
ment, and Finnish and international associations or bodies operating in the sector. The ability to produce healthy,
safe and profitable services to promote the well-being of customers and work communities forms the basis of
competence in the field.

Previous studies:
Service Culture Competence theme or equivalent knowledge.


00012 Systems Competence in a Service Environment, 10 cr

The student is able to:
*evaluate service systems

* produce, develop and evaluate services as part of a service system

Contents of the study unit:
•    Service systems
•    Service formation as a service system development method
In the consumer and facility service environments
•    Electronic communications, web publishing and image manipulation as online communication tools
•    Presentation and performance skills
•    Individual, mass and group guidance
•    Developing enjoyment and welfare through facility design
•    Planning
•    Usability
In the Food Business environments
· Foodstuffs Development
· Marketing of Foodstuffs
· Logistics in Food Industry and Trade


Study unit description:
Competence relates to managing the main phenomena and tasks in the field. It is based on understanding the
relationships and effects between the various elements of the service business, and on applying competence.



00379 Job placement 1,Degree Programme in Service Management, 15 cr

The student is able to:
• tunnistaa valitsemansa organisaation toimintakulttuurin, toiminta-ajatuksen, organisaatiorakenteen ja toimintatavat
• kehittää osaamistaan ja työtehtäväänsä palveluosaamisen näkökulmasta

Contents of the study unit:
harjoittelujakson suorittaminen

Study unit description:
Opintojaksossa opiskelija harjoittelee osaamista työelämässä. Harjoittelussa opiskelija havainnoi työtään ja
työympäristöään palveluiden kehittämisen näkökulmasta.

Previous studies:
Järjestelmäosaaminen palveluympäristössä - opintojakso tai vastaavat tiedot.


009 RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN SERVICE ENVIRONMENT, 35 cr


00585 Increasing Service Value in a Service Network, 10 cr

The student is able to:
* A student can apply the research of service industry in increasing service value * a student can apply the
competence of marketing value adding customer services through communication in a her/his own specialization
field


Contents of the study unit:
* marketing value adding customer services through communication
* specialization studies:
- real estate business
- consumer behavior
- food business services


Study unit description:
A student deepens her/his competence as a researcher and a developer.


00015 Service Management and Investigative Development, 10 cr

The student is able to:
• use up-to-date national and international information sources and information systems to support management and
investigative development
• apply information produced through research methods to the development of products/ services and use research
data to benefit an organisation
• participate in the different stages of the development process by conceptualising phenomena, systematically
acquiring information and analysing materials in cooperation with other network members

Contents of the study unit:
In a consumer service environment and food industry service environment
• consumer, consumption, market and brand research
• product testing and development
• situational, value and problem analyses
• CRM
• prediction, envisioning, scenarios and future study methods

In a facility service environment


• managing houses
• real estate information management
• the future of real estate business

Study unit description:
The competence gained in the study unit helps to deepen the students’ expertise within the framework of an
organisation’s operations and their development. Students are active participants in research and development
networks

Previous studies:
Service Environment Competence theme or equivalent knowledge.


00380 Job placement 2, Degree Programme in Service Management, 15 cr

The student is able to:
• analysoida harjoittelupaikan palveluliiketoiminnan laadun ja kannattavuuden näkökulmasta
• osaa arvioida omaa ammatillista osaamistaan ja työelämän vaatimuksia
• osaa kehittää organisaation palvelutoimintoja asiantuntijayhteisön jäsenenä toteuttamalla vastuuta yhteisön
hyvinvoinnista

Contents of the study unit:
• Harjoittelu ja kehittämistehtävä

Study unit description:
Opiskelija kehittää harjoittelussa palveluliiketoiminnan osaamistaan ja organisaation palveluja asiantuntijayhteisön
jäsenenä.

Previous studies:
Keskeisten ammatillisten opintojaksojen osaaminen tai vastaavat tiedot.


00017 Environmental Competence in the Service Sector, 10 cr

The student is able to:
• kehittää palveluympäristöä sosiaalisen, taloudellisen ja ekologisesti kestävän kehityksen näkökulmasta
• työskennellä ajankohtaisessa kestävää kehitystä tukevassa hankkeessa

Contents of the study unit:
• kestävä kehitys
• ympäristöosaaminen
• ympäristöjärjestelmät
• ympäristöosaaminen
• ympäristöpolitiikka
• ympäristöohjelma
• ympäristökatselmus
Study unit description:
Opintojakson osaaminen liittyy ympäristöosaamiseen, jossa opiskelija toimii monialaisessa verkostossa kehittäen
alan toimintoja kestävän kehityksen mukaisesti. Opintojakso liittyy ajankohtaiseen ympäristövastuulliseen
hankkeeseen tutkimuksen ja kehittämisen keinoin.


010 INVESTIGATIVE ACTION IN SERVICE DEVELOPMENT, 10 cr

Description:
Students can innovatively develop and create service operations using methods of applied research and
development.

The student will be able to:
• outline development objectives for a chosen object
• acquire, assess and use competence to achieve development targets
• create partnerships and act as partners
• recognise and disseminate good practice in a network
• participate in an enriching community and a multidisciplinary environment
• generate plans and new solutions
• understand the effects of their own actions in an open network for the sector
• promote creativity with their actions

Content:
The theme’s study units form a development module based on the principles of innovation work in the metropolitan
area. The elective study unit examines the industry from the point of view of combining competences and producing
competence for cluster interfaces. It links the development of new competence to examining the conditions of a new
business. After completing this theme, students can move on to develop their entrepreneurial skills at the InnoPlaza
shared entrepreneurship module, or at business incubators operating in the area.

Learning process:
This theme is completed at the deepening stage of professional competence, usually in the third year. The students’
developmental competence becomes apparent as an investigative and developmental approach to work


00018 Developing Service Innovations, 10 cr

The student is able to:
• describe development objectives from the perspectives of the labour market and regional development
• participate in a partnership network
• work effectively in a team and act as opinion leaders in a community of experts
• evaluate their own and others’ competence, work and results in accordance with development objectives
• use the tools and methods of applied R&D in development work
• carry out and report on an objective-oriented development project

Contents of the study unit:
• determining development needs
• creating a context and knowledge base
• planning, implementing and evaluating the development process
• working in a shared expertise group

Study unit description:
The study unit forms an objective-oriented development project, where the competence gained is that of a developer
using investigative research methods. The object of competence development is determined for each cluster by
Laurea’s research and development policy.

Previous studies:
Main professional competences minimum of 120 cr or equivalent knowledge.
00019 Service Innovations in Business Development, 10 cr

The student is able to:
• analyse the competence of the region and of organisations and set suitable development objectives
• carry out an objective-oriented development project
• generate new solutions, services and service systems
• assess their usefulness in terms of the profitability of either a start-up company or an existing business
• understand the effects of their own actions in an open network for the sector
• promote creativity with their actions

Contents of the study unit:
• familiarisation with major regional and national development strategies
• creating a context and knowledge base
• planning, implementing and evaluating the development process
• working in a shared expertise group as part of an innovation network
• analysing development and information needs
• evaluating the usefulness of generated solutions, services, products or systems
• copyright issues

Study unit description:
The competence gained in this study unit forms the basis of target-oriented developmental competence in promoting
business operations. The framework is the promotion of innovations and related entrepreneurship. A development
project is carried out to produce new competence for cluster interfaces and evaluate the added value generated by
the competence for a network. Multidisciplinary teams are formed on the basis of the competence needs of each
development project.

Previous studies:
Developing Service Innovations or equivalent knowledge.


00020 Innovation-Based Entrepreneurship, 10 cr

The student is able to:
• evaluate their own opportunities for starting up an innovation-based service business
• formulate an appropriate business model for their business ideas
• formulate a realistic business plan
• start up a business
• interpret the financial reports of a small business

Contents of the study unit:
• business ideas, business models and business plans
• planning the finances and funding of a start-up company
• choosing a form of enterprise and the rules steering business activities
• authorities and official activities related to starting up a business
• product-specific expenses and pricing
• entrepreneurs as employers

Study unit description:
In this study unit, students evaluate their own opportunities for putting business ideas based on service innovations
into practice through entrepreneurship. Students formulate a business plan for their business idea, including all the
appropriate documentation, and become familiar with the practical obligations and responsibilities of planned
business operations.

Previous studies:
Developing Service Innovations or equivalent knowledge.


019 THESIS, 15 cr
Description:
Students can apply an investigative approach to developing the workplace.

The student will be able to:
• cooperate with the workplace and other partners, and evaluate their own work and solutions critically
• work in persistent, target-oriented ways
• produce new information systematically, critically and creatively, and develop the workplace
• conceptualise the phenomena of the workplace with a basis in research data
• manage the big picture, presenting their ideas logically and with justifications
• present well-grounded, practical work development proposals

Content:
The bachelor's thesis is a systematic and logical investigation or practical development task based on research data
on a subject that extends the student's professional skills. Theses help students to grow professionally and are
linked to the employment sector and to regional development. They can also form part of Laurea’s research and
development work.

The process begins with familiarisation with the thesis process. After this, students come up with a subject and
formulate a thesis plan. The process progresses from implementing the thesis plan to finishing and publishing the
thesis. The thesis process includes guided independent work as well as seminars.

The thesis is based on a real-life development challenge. It emphasises interaction with the labour market and an
investigative approach. Thesis reports are based around describing object-oriented activities and their results, as
well as on theoretical and research-based analyses. Theses contain development proposals for the sector or the
workplace, and, at best, broadly significant innovations.

The theme involves the completion of a maturity test, in which students must demonstrate mastery of the subject
and good language skills.

Learning process:
In terms of professional growth, the thesis is related to deepening professional competence.


00043 Thesis, 15 cr

The student is able to:
• present well-grounded work development proposals
• conceptualise the phenomena of the workplace with a basis in research data
• use appropriate research and development methods for generating new data
• participate in development projects, working responsibly in a team with employers and other partners
• evaluate their own work and solutions critically
• manage the big picture, presenting their ideas logically and with justifications

Contents of the study unit:
• familiarisation with the thesis and development project process, and coming up with a subject
• thesis plan describing the background and objectives of the thesis, main data from previous research on the
subject, the research and development methods used and an implementation plan
• carrying out the work for the thesis
• reporting on and publishing the thesis
• maturity test

Study unit description:
Students learn to develop real work processes through research, producing new solutions in the form of products,
operating models or work cultures.


047 LAUREA'S COMMON STUDIES, 0 cr


125 ELECTIVE STUDIES, 0 cr
Description:
Students use elective studies to deepen and broaden their competence in various themes and ge-neric
competences. Students should choose study units to align the content of their studies with their own personal
interests and career objectives.

Content:
Each curriculum contains a theme consisting of elective studies. In the students’ personal study plans, the theme
should be made up of the study units chosen by the student from Laurea’s language studies, Laurea’s shared
studies or another degree programme’s curriculum. Any studies completed at another higher education institution
(university of applied sciences, university, Online University of Applied Sciences, foreign institution) that cannot be
recognised for the degree programme but that the student wishes to include in the degree should be classified
under this theme. The number of credits from elective studies can be set separately for each degree programme,
tak-ing into account recommendations for the field of study. The aim is to have at least 15 cr of elective studies in
each degree programme


00801 Service Innovation and Design Toolkit, 10 cr

The student is able to:
• examine service experience and customer-based value creation comprehensively
• describe Service Design –process and business demands connected to it
• apply several Service Design methods

Contents of the study unit:
• Service Design as a diversified approach to user-centred service innovation, development and planning
• Understanding customer comprehensively
• Service Design prosess
• Service Design methods

Study unit description:
The aim of this study unit is to give student skills to innovate, develop and plan user-centred services. Latest
international knowledge and method development are used during the study unit.

Previous studies:
Operating Environments, Clusters and Business Models or equivalent knowledge.


00802 Legal competence in consumer services, 10 cr

The student is able to:
• solve consumer’s juridical problems
• advice and counsel customer in legal

Contents of the study unit:
- consumer legislation, central juridical concepts
- law concerning persons, basics of private law
- consumer as a societal actor in Finland and in Europe

Study unit description:
Student gets competences for juridical thinking and gets general idea of central regulations of consumer law and
other civil law


00520 Public relations in multicultural environments, 10 cr

The student is able to:
- work in multicultural teams and environments
- plan and establish an event
- understand different cultures and manage diversity
- carry out small PR plans
- perform professionally

Contents of the study unit:
- planning, executing and measuring public relations
- service communication & professionalism
- hosting of events & visits
- concept of culture, diversity and intercultural communications
- cultural practices in event management

Study unit description:
The competence gained in the study unit is an understanding of the role of public relations in multicultural
environment. Through theory and practice students will understand the meaning of the value creation and service
concepts in the multicultural service sector. Specific skills are provided in the study unit to arrange events, to
understand the variation between the cultures and to communicate professionally.


00203 Initial Test in Swedish Skills, 0 cr

Study unit description:
At the beginning of their studies, all students who have English and/or Swedish qualifications on prior certificates
required for studies at Laurea, or who have received previous instruction in English and/or Swedish take initial tests
in these languages. The initial tests are the same for all fields of study and may only be taken once. Students who
transfer between degrees within Laurea do not have to retake the test. The test is used to check the students’
starting level before language studies begin. Students who fail the test must take preparatory studies in the
language at the start of their studies. Having passed the preparatory studies, students obtain credits for inclusion in
elective studies.


00202 Initial Test in English Skills, 0 cr

Study unit description:
At the beginning of their studies, all students who have English and/or Swedish qualifications on prior certificates
required for studies at Laurea, or who have received previous instruction in English and/or Swedish take initial tests
in these languages. The initial tests are the same for all fields of study and may only be taken once. Students who
transfer between degrees within Laurea do not have to retake the test. The test is used to check the students’
starting level before language studies begin. Students who fail the test must take preparatory studies in the
language at the start of their studies. Having passed the preparatory studies, students obtain credits for inclusion in
elective studies.


00493 Finnish as Second Language-Initial test, 0 cr

Study unit description:
Suomenkielisissä koulutusohjelmissa opiskelevat maahanmuuttajataustaiset opiskelijat suorittavat suomen kielen
lähtötasotestin.


00194 Preparatory Studies in English, 3 cr

The student is able to:
• master basic English vocabulary and grammar
• use various methods for improving their language skills

Contents of the study unit:
• main structures of the English language
• basic English vocabulary

Study unit description:
Students improve their skills in communicating in English as preparation for completing actual studies in the
language.


00195 Preparatory Studies in Swedish, 3 cr

The student is able to:
• master basic Swedish vocabulary and grammar
• use various methods for improving their language skills

Contents of the study unit:
• main structures of the Swedish language
• basic Swedish vocabulary

Study unit description:
Students improve their skills in communicating in Swedish as preparation for completing actual studies in the
language.


01012 Ruotsin kielen perusviestintä, 5 cr

The student is able to:
• viestiä ruotsin kielellä suullisesti
• viestiä ruotsin kielellä kirjallisesti
• hyödyntää erilaisia menetelmiä kielitaitonsa kehittämisessä
• ammatillisen viestinnän perusteita


Contents of the study unit:
• suullinen viestintä
• kirjallinen viestintä
• luetun ymmärtäminen
• kuullun ymmärtäminen
• yleiskieli ja ammatillista viestintää


Study unit description:
Opintojakso on tarkoitettu opiskelijoille, jotka tarvitsevat harjoitusta ruotsin kielen perusviestinnässä. Opinto-jakso ei
korvaa valmentavia opintoja. Perusviestinnän opintojaksoa voi opiskella ennen tai rinnakkain varsinaisen ruotsin
opintojakson aikana. Opiskelija harjoittaa viestintätaitojaan ruotsin kielessä kehittääkseen valmiuksiaan osallistua
ruotsin kielen varsinaisiin opintoihin.


00388 Preparatory Studies in Finnish (as Mother tongue), 3 cr

The student is able to:
• compose varied factual and functional texts
• make use of different writer's tools and grammar aid
• take on the communicative responses of team work

Contents of the study unit:
• creating a personal communicative profile
• using dictionaries and other tools for language aid
• providing the student for oral and written challenges of study time

Study unit description:
Students improve their skills in speech communication and writing in order to be able to succesfully complete their
studies in Laurea.


00522 Preparatory Studies in Finnish, 3 cr
Study unit description:
Students who fail an initial test must take
preparatory studies in the language at the
start of their studies. The preparatory studies
count as credits for elective studies, if the student’s language skills are not sufficient and s/he has been guided to
complete these studies.


00521 Initial Test in Finnish, 0 cr


00446 Finnish Language, 5 cr


00636 Written skills in Finnish, 0 cr


00637 Oral skills in Finnish, 0 cr


00804 Destination Development Management, 10 cr

The student is able to:
•research and analyse the interaction of departure area and arrival destination
•act and manage in the cluster of tourism destination network
•cooperate in network projects of tourism destination
•produce research information and develop customer-oriented business services in the tourism destination

Contents of the study unit:
• dynamic of departure area and arrival destination
• destination management
• cooperating in the cluster of tourism destination network
• customer-oriented business services in the tourism destination

Study unit description:
The competences in study unit are related to researches, developments and analyses of interaction and dynamics
of departure area and arrival destination in national and international cluster of the tourism
destination network. The core competence is the development of customer-oriented tourism business services.

Previous studies:
Service Culture competence theme or equivalent knowledge.


00809 Accommodation Management, 10 cr

The student is able to:
• analyze, plan and manage accommodation business services successfully
• measure effectiveness and productivity as part of successful
accommodation business
• realize control of agreements, reservations and sales, as well as
produce research information to develop the business further
• develop accommodation services from point of view of customers and company value chain and take responsible
account of security and legal issues

Contents of the study unit:
• Accommodation as a business service
• Control of sales and profitability
• Agreements from the point of view of company value chain
• Security and legal issues
Study unit description:
Course competences are ground of researches and analyses of
accommodation business and management of successful business. In the development of the competences the
framework is the value chain theory from point of view of customers and company businesses in national and
international networks.

Previous studies:
Service Culture competence theme or equivalent knowledge.


00807 Nutrition and wellbeing, 10 cr

The student is able to:
•evaluate and develop his/her own diet related to the nutrition recommendations
•conduct health promoting actions and wellbeing

Contents of the study unit:
• from meal to energy
• food, physical activity and healthy lifestyle
• nutrition trends in media

Study unit description:
The competence gained in this study unit is related to nutrition, physical activity and wellbeing from public health
and health promotion perspectives. The student will be able to evaluate the long term
influences of food choices and physical activities in different phases of life.


00815 Product knowledge and development of foodstuffs, 10 cr

The student is able to:
• describe and categorize foodstuffs and their characteristics
• develop profitable solutions for market segments
• evaluate the gastronomic implications of foodstuffs and adapt their food knowledge in business by creating value
to customers
• yield information based on research and evaluate and develop
business of a food industry firm based on product

Contents of the study unit:
• Food Awareness
• Functional Food Products
• Food Products for Special Diets
• Product Development Process

Study unit description:
The competencies in the study unit are related to describing, evaluating and developing foodstuffs in the business of
a food industry firm.
In the development of the competencies the framework is the business environment of a food industry firm as well
as the national and the inter-national networks.



00816 Developing quality in the value chain of foodstuffs, 10 cr

The student is able to:
• plan the quality control and development of foodstuffs profitably
• analyse the national and the international risks related to food safety and develop in-house control in quality chain
• yield information based on research and evaluate and develop the quality of foodstuffs in the value chain

Contents of the study unit:
• In-house Control in Quality Chain
• Sensory Evaluation
• Packing of Food Products
• National and International Food Safety Risks

Study unit description:
The competencies in the study unit are related to analysing, evaluating and developing the quality of foodstuffs. The
core competence is the profitable quality development in the value chain of foodstuffs within the national and
international food industry firm's business.


00817 Competence in Purchasing, 10 cr

The student is able to:
• handle the purchase process of services and products

Contents of the study unit:
• Purchase Law and Regulations
• Purchase Strategy
• Agreement law
• Invitation for tenders, tender documents, comparison of offers, draft decision


00818 Service Innovation and Design Toolkit, 10 cr

The student is able to:
• examine service experience and customer-based value creation comprehensively
• describe Service Design –process and business demands connected to it
• apply several SD-methods

Contents of the study unit:
• Service Design as a diversified approach to user-centred service innovation, development and planning
• Understanding customer comprehensively
• Service Design –prosess
• Service Design –methods

Study unit description:
The aim of this study unit is to give student skills to innovate, develop and plan user-centred services. Latest
international knowledge and method development are used during the study unit.

Previous studies:
Basics knowledge of business activities


01006 Baking in a Professional Kitchen, 5 cr

The student is able to:
* muokata ja vakioida leivontaohjeita ammattikeittiöön ja erityisruokavalioihin soveltuviksi
* tehdä erilaisia leivonnaisia ammattikeittiöön kustannustehokkaasti
* laskea tuotteen valmistuskustannukset ja tehdä vertailulaskelmia itse valmistetun ja teollisen tuotteen välillä sekä
arvioida ja vertailla tuotteen laatua


Contents of the study unit:
* leivonnan raaka-aineet ja niihin tutustuminen
* leivonnan ammattitekniikat ja erilaiset taikinat
* ammattikeittiön leivontareseptiikka
* kustannus- ja kannattavuuslaskenta, katetuotto
Study unit description:
teoriaopintoja, käytännön leivonnan harjoittelua BarLaurean keittiössä iltapäivisin. Tuotteet hinnoitellaan ja myydään
kahvilassa. Arviointi: oppimistehtävät.