Curriculum 2013 – ZYV214KJ (in English)

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LAUREA UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES

Degree Programme in Social Services, Management and Development of Social Services, Laurea Tikkurila,
ZYV214KJ

1. year 2. year
OP STUDIES 45 45
V058 MANAGEMENT
V1266 HR management 5
V1267 Change Management 5
V1276 Strategic Management 5
V1268 HR management and financial management 5
V039 RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
V0138 Development activities and management 5
V0139 Research-oriented development methodology 10
V040 EXPERTISE IN SOCIAL SERVICES AND WORK
METHODS
V1274 Welfare in the internationalising society 10
V1269 Social work as a social activity 5
V1270 Social Work methods 5
V1271 Criminal policy and criminal research 5
V1272 Prevention of recidivism as a social challenge 5
V041 THESIS
V1273 Thesis 10 20
V022 ELECTIVE STUDIES
45 45
V058 MANAGEMENT, 20 cr

Description:
Students are able to manage and reform operations in complex and unpredictable operating environments, and
their activities are based on a developmental and investigative approach. They develop the operations and well-
being of the work community. They are able to work in demanding management positions. Opiskelija osaa johtaa ja
uudistaa toimintaa monimutkaisissa ja ennakoimattomissa toimintaympäristöissä ja hänen toimintansa perustuu
kehittävään ja tutkivaan työotteeseen. Opiskelija osaa kehittää työyhteisön toimintaa ja työhyvinvointia. Opiskelija
kykenee toimimaan vaativissa johtotehtävissä.

Content:
The theme offers a varied insight into management issues. It contains four compulsory study units:
• HR management 5 cr
• Strategic management 5 cr
• Change management 5 cr
• HR management and financial management 5 cr

Learning process:
At the beginning of the studies, students become familiar with different management trends and financial
management. The studies then advance to management and change management issues as well as HR and
financial management. At the same time, students assess and develop their own leadership skills.

V1266 HR management, 5 cr

The student is able to:
Students are familiar with key management theories and are able to apply, combine and critically assess different
approaches. They are able to manage and develop themselves and are familiar with diverse ways of developing
personnel competence and wellbeing at work. Students are familiar with specific issues relating to the management
of social and health care services.

Contents of the study unit:
• Management theories and various trends
• The value base of social services and health care as the foundation of management
• HR resources and competence
• Wellbeing and coping of personnel
• Self-management

Study unit description:
The study unit begins by exploring various management theories and challenges in managing social and health
care services. The study unit focuses on issues relating to personnel resources and competence and occupational
welfare

V1267 Change Management, 5 cr

The student is able to:
Students are able to use various (diagnostic) methods to support personal and organisational development. They
are able to evaluate the impact of organisational changes from the perspective of an individual and the work
community. They use gathered information to support and guide the work community and its members in change
situations and operational development.
Contents of the study unit:
• Organisational and management evaluation methods
• Change management process and organisational interventions
• Interaction and networking in change situations

Study unit description:
The study unit explores different approaches to management and organisational evaluation. The study unit
emphasises the perspective of communal spirit and interaction in management as well as students evaluating their
personal leadership competence.

V1276 Strategic Management, 5 cr

The student is able to:
Students are familiar with the basics of strategy work and the the strategy process stages, and master participatory
strategy work. By using future forecast knowledge, students are able to assess changes in the operating
environment of social services and health care from a management perspective. Students understand the
significance of quality control and master the principles of quality management.

Contents of the study unit:
• Strategy process and its stages
• Participatory strategy work
• Future forecasting based on research data
• Quality control integrated into strategic management

Study unit description:
At the beginning of the study unit, students become familiar with the strategy process and its stages to gain mastery
of participatory strategy work methods. Future forecasting knowledge is applied to identify change signals in the
operating environment. The development of leadership competence among students is a key focus area.

V1268 HR management and financial management, 5 cr

The student is able to:
Students master the basics of HR management and financial management. They are able to manage and evaluate
financial profitability.

Contents of the study unit:
• Basics and methods of financial administration
• Labour legislation
• Competition legislation

Study unit description:
Opintojaksolla perehdytään henkilöstö- ja taloushallinnon perusteisiin sekä työn toimintaympäristön taloudelliseen
kannattavuuteen.

V039 RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, 15 cr

Description:
Students are able to generate new information and renew ways of working, combining competence from various
sectors. They lead projects and research and development projects. They master the research and development
methods.

Content:
The theme focuses on issues of work development and research-oriented development. The theme consists of the
following study units:
• Development activities and management 5 cr
• Research-oriented development activities 10 cr

Learning process:
The theme begins with concrete development activities and the basics of project work. More in-depth competence is
gained through research-oriented development operations.

V0138 Development activities and management, 5 cr

The student is able to:
Students are able to plan development projects and use various project management methods. They are able to
lead projects.

Contents of the study unit:
• Project planning, management and monitoring; project manager’s role and duties, methods of project management
• International projects, applying for project funding
• Project evaluation, process and impact assessment

Study unit description:
The study unit focuses on the basic principles of project work. The students learn project application writing, project
management methods and project evaluation.

V0139 Research-oriented development methodology, 10 cr

The student is able to:
Students understand the methodology of development activities and masters methods of research-oriented
development. They understand the basic principles of research into the practices of social work and the significance
of knowledge generation as part of development activities. They are able to produce research data and know how to
analyse them.

Contents of the study unit:
• Nature and methodology of research-oriented development activities
• Process and methods of research-oriented development activities
• Research into the practices of social work and the nature of knowledge generated
• Nature and significance of research questions in development activities
• Producing and analysing qualitative and quantitative research data
• Reliability and usefulness of knowledge generated in development activities, the ethics of research-oriented
development activities

Study unit description:
The study unit contains general lectures on development activities and research methodology. Methods are
practiced in workshops. The entire study unit is integrated in the student's own development activity leading to the
thesis.

V040 EXPERTISE IN SOCIAL SERVICES AND WORK METHODS, 20 cr

Description:
Students are able to forecast the effects of and opportunities offered by internationalisation in their own fields. They
master professional work orientations and methods.

Content:
The theme focuses on expertise in social services. Expertise is deepened from the perspectives of the welfare
service system and professional work methods. The theme contains the following study units:
• Welfare in the internationalising society 10 cr
• Optional study alternatives 10 cr. (Participatory and activating practices 5 cr and/or Correctional system 5 cr and/or
Social rehabilitation 5 cr)
Learning process:
Development of the students' expertise starts with an analysis of the welfare society and a review of one's own work
in the social and international context. This advances to professional work orientations and methods. The students
may specialise in methodological questions of social services or in correctional services in order to build more in-
depth expertise.

V1274 Welfare in the internationalising society, 10 cr

The student is able to:
Students are familiar with the Finnish welfare service system and are able to analyse it against other regional and
international welfare production methods. Students understand the challenges of an international perspective.
Students are familiar with the key principles of and changes in social legislation.

Contents of the study unit:
• The Finnish welfare service system; means of subsistence
• Challenges and development trends of the welfare society
• International models of welfare provision
• Companies and organisations as providers of welfare
• Social services legislation

Study unit description:
The beginning of the study unit focuses on a social sciences perspective. The study unit contains a section on
social services legislation. Also an international segment is integrated into the study unit.

V1269 Social work as a social activity, 5 cr

The student is able to:
Students understand the role and conditions of social services in society and the tasks of social work on both an
individual and societal level. Students are familiar with diverse social work approaches and traditions. Students
understand the rights of customers and are familiar with diverse participatory approaches and methods.

Contents of the study unit:
• The concepts of social work, social guidance, social services and social. The societal role, tasks and conditions
of social services
• Theoretical approaches and professional traditions in social services
• Customer and service user involvement in society, social services and service development

V1270 Social Work methods, 5 cr

The student is able to:
Students understand the significance of the methods in social work. They are familiar with diverse work orientations
in social services and able to assume responsibility for the overall customer relation process and its evaluation in
social work. Students have the skills to acquire systematic information on methods and their effectiveness.

Contents of the study unit:
• The role of methods and methodology in social services
• Work orientations of social services (cooperation, structural work, rehabilitative work, prevention and early
intervention), employer-customer relationship and its creation and development (constructive approach, target-
oriented social work)
• Customer work process and evaluating its effects
• Evidence-based procedures and best practices in social services; tools in social services

Previous studies:
Social work as a social activity 5 cr

V1271 Criminal policy and criminal research, 5 cr

The student is able to:
Students are familiar with the theoretical foundation of international and domestic criminal policy and able to
conduct related comparisons. Students are familiar with the principles of Finnish criminal legislation and related
general fundamentals, and able to apply these to example cases. Students are familiar with the latest trends in
multidisciplinary criminal research and able to evaluate their role in correctional services.

Contents of the study unit:
• Theory and development of criminal policy, domestically and internationally
• Criminal sanction system and fundamentals
• Paradigms of criminal research and related changes

Study unit description:
The study unit is a multi- and cross-disciplinary entity with a focus on the latest theories, perspectives and trends in
criminal policy, criminal law and criminal research.

V1272 Prevention of recidivism as a social challenge, 5 cr

The student is able to:
Students become familiar with recent international and domestic research literature on reducing recidivism and
preventing crime. Students explore diverse perspectives on individual, communal and societal levels relating to
efforts to minimise recidivism. Students are familiar with the process and stages of abstaining from criminal
behaviour (desistance).

Contents of the study unit:
• Prevention of re-offending as a strategic goal; tools for preventing recidivism on individual, communal and
societal levels
• What Works and evidence-based initiatives and their impact
• Constructive approach to desistance from criminal behaviour; social rehabilitation
• Security work in preventing recidivism (from the perspective of institutional security, internal security)

Study unit description:
The study unit focuses on the principles and methods of efforts to reduce recidivism in the context of correctional
services through international and domestic research literature.

Previous studies:
Criminal policy and criminal research 5 cr

V041 THESIS, 30 cr

Description:
Students plan, implement, evaluate and report on a research-oriented development project (see Laurea's thesis
guidelines).
V1273 Thesis, 30 cr

The student is able to:
The aim of the thesis is to develop the students’ ability to apply research data, to use selected methods for
analysing and solving workplace problems and to carry out demanding specialist tasks independently. The thesis
must demonstrate the students’ ability to define and process chosen development targets, a development-oriented
approach, mastery of the theories and research methods needed in their work, familiarity with the thesis topic and
related literature, skills in processional communication, the ability to work with long-term persistence and skills in
understanding things holistically.

Students plan, implement, evaluate and report on a research-oriented development project. (see Laurea's thesis
guidelines).

V022 ELECTIVE STUDIES, 5 cr

Description:
The purpose of elective studies is to deepen or broaden competence in social services, and to allow for prior
learning to be recognised as a part of the degree.

Content:
The theme is made up of study units chosen by the student from Laurea’s language studies, Laurea’s shared
studies or another degree programme’s curriculum. Students can select study units from the optional advanced
themes in Social Services, whose contents change annually. Any studies completed at another 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. Thanks to the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) process, students can have their previous work
experience in social services recognised as a part of their studies by demonstrating their competence.

Learning process:
The theme takes place at the stage of professional growth at which students deepen their competence an learn to
develop and renew their work environment. Their competence develops in line with their personal targets.