General Description
The School of Health and Social Care of Oulu University of Applied Sciences is a diversified education, research and development centre situated in Oulu and Oulainen. Experts are educated to work in regional, national and international tasks and projects for health and well-being. The School of Health and Social Care has approximately 1,880 students in the education leading to a degree.
Internationalization plays an important role in the activities of the School of Health and Social Care. The school co-operates closely with several different higher education institutions all over the world. Every year there are about fifty international exchange students studying in the School of Health and Social Care as well as many visiting lecturers who come to give lectures in co-operation with the lecturers of the School of Health and Social Care. The students and staff take actively part in international activities both at home and abroad. For incoming students the School will provide tutoring students and lecturers to enable learning and adaptation to new environment.
The purpose of the education, research and development services is to promote research, expertise and competence in health and well-being and to support the development of working teams and welfare services. To meet the challenges of today and future, networks have been built between public and private producers of welfare, health and social services.
New methods for health and social care education and practice are created in national and international co-operation and networks of experts and working life. The activities are based on humanity, justice, honesty, tolerance and equality. Well-being, health and security, high standard professional competence and continuing reform are our main principles.
The degree programmes in the study field of Social Services, Health and Sports lead to a Bachelor's or Master’s Degree in Health Care or Bachelor’s Degree in Social Services or Bachelor’s Degree of Social Services and Health Care. The degree title depends on the degree programme. The scope of a degree is mainly 210 ECTS credits. However, for midwives the scope of the degree is 270 ECTS credits and for public health nurses and paramedics 240 ECTS credits. It takes 3.5 - 4.5 years to complete the degree.
The scope of a Master’s degree is 90 ECTS. Currently there are five different Master’s degrees: Degree Programme in Health Promotion, Degree Programme in Development and Management of Health and Social Care, Degree Programme in Rehabilitation and Degree Programme in Advanced Nursing Practice. The general requirement for access to second-cycle studies is a first-cycle degree in a university of applied sciences or some applicable university degree and at least 3 years of work experience in the related field. There is numerus clausus, i.e. restricted entry, to all fields of study. The purpose of the studies leading to a second-cycle degree is to meet the development needs set by the working life and the university of applied sciences degree and to provide the graduates with sufficient know how and competence for demanding specialist and development tasks in the working life.
The School of Health and Social Care provides professional specialisation studies, which enable the high quality and development of activities in the field of health care and social services. The specialisation studies focus on deepening professional competence and expertise. The scope of these studies is 30 ECTS.
Experts also from Oulainen
The Oulainen Department of Health Care is responsible for high-quality education, research and development activities in Oulu Southern area. The education concentrates on preventive health care and nursing as well as professional specialisation studies in clinical nursing.
At the Departments in Oulu students can study in the following degree programmes:
- Degree Programme in Biomedical Laboratory Science (Biomedical Laboratory Scientist; Bachelor of Health Care)
- Degree Programme in Dental Health Care (Dental Hygienist; Bachelor of Health Care)
- Degree Programme in Emergency Nursing (Paramedic; Bachelor of Health Care)
- Degree Programme in Nursing and Health Care
- Option of Nursing (Registered Nurse; Bachelor of Health Care)
- Option of Preventive Health Care (Public Health Nurse; Bachelor of Health Care)
- Option of Midwifery (Midwife; Bachelor of Health Care) - Degree Programme in Occupational Therapy (Occupational Therapist; Bachelor of Health Care)
- Degree Programme in Optometry (Optometrist; Bachelor of Health Care)
- Degree Programme in Physiotherapy (Physiotherapist; Bachelor of Health Care)
- Degree Programme in Radiography and Radiation Therapy (Radiographer; Bachelor of Health Care)
- Degree Programme in Rehabilitation Counselling (Rehabilitation Counsellor; Bachelor of Social Services and Health Care)
- Degree Programme in Social Services (Bachelor of Social Services)
At the Oulainen Department of Health Care students can study in the following degree programme:
- Degree Programme in Nursing and Health Care
- Option of Nursing (Registered Nurse; Bachelor of Health Care)
- Option of Preventive Health Care (Public Health Nurse; Bachelor of Health Care)
Aim of the Degree Programmes
The main aim of the degree programmes is to educate professionally qualified experts for tasks in the rapidly changing society both in Finland and abroad. In order to achieve the aim the curriculum consists of an integrated body of interprofessional knowledge, professional expertise and skills integrated with research, development and innovations. The curriculum of every degree programme is based on both general competences of health and social care and specific competences of each profession to enable the best possible knowledge both in theory and practice.
Facilities and Equipment
The educational facilities provide the students with excellent possibilities to integrate theory and practice, as there are equipment and laboratories available for practical training in professional skills and information technology (Internet connections and e-mail), languages and creative activities. The students also have the possibility to take care of their own physical exercise needs. The School of Health and Social Care provides the students with excellent facilities for computer use. There are special classrooms for example for the study of music, visual arts, early childhood education and nursing. Students have also possibility to study in simulation environment. The school library has 50 000 items, about 330 Finnish or international journals and excellent access to different electronic databases open to use for free of charge for students and staff of Oulu University of Applied Sciences.
Credit System
The Finnish credit system has been updated to comply with the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) so that the Finnish credits are equivalent to the ECTS credits. Courses and study modules are credited according to the amount of work they require to attain the required objectives. A student's average study effort of 1,600 hours required for the completion of studies during one academic year corresponds to 60 credits.