Master's Degree Programme in Educational Sciences

The Master’s Degree Programme in Educational Sciences is a two-year programme comprising 120 ECTS credits. The research-based programme offers both theoretical and practical skills in the field of educational sciences, ranging from early childhood to adult education. The language of instruction in the programme is English. On successfully completing the programme students receive the degree of Master of Arts (Education), and on the basis of a good (minimum grade 3) master’s thesis, graduates are eligible to apply for doctoral studies.

During the Master’s Degree Programme in Educational Sciences, students will gain a broad understanding of the field, including awareness of global and sustainability issues in education. Students will also gain insights into the Finnish education system and ways of adapting educational theories and practices in varying contexts. Students contribute to the programme and the community through their knowledge and expertise on their own cultures, histories, politics, societies, economies and religions. The programme aims to provide students with inspiring contacts and opportunities to participate in academic debate both locally and globally.

Students specialise in one of the following areas of education that they find the most relevant and interesting: Early Childhood Education, Educational Leadership, Global and Sustainable Education, Language and Education, Special Education, or Study and Career Guidance. With research-based instruction students will acquire scientific expertise in the field of education and their specialisation and will be able to apply theories and develop educational practices. An overarching aim is to provide students with relevant skills and knowledge to be able to work in the highly digitalized learning environments of today. The Master’s Degree creates a foundation for producing scientific knowledge and applying scientific methods in practice in the field of education.

Graduates of the programme will be well prepared to work in a variety of educational settings, for example, as educational consultants, coordinators, teacher educators, researchers, or educational planners. The programme collaborates with educational practitioners from around the world. For example, the annual Sustainable Development Goal 4 participatory seminar is organised in our faculty, which allows us to be a part of a wide local and global educational network. Students are the centre of the programme, and they are guided throughout the studies to develop their professional expertise with research-based knowledge. Working life skills are built in collaboration with the community throughout the studies with consideration to the requirements of the future working life and the needs for building a sustainable future.

The learning outcomes of the programme cover following core competencies: international and intercultural encounters in education, global and planetary citizenship education competencies, theoretical and policy making competencies, research-related competencies, and working life related competencies. Under these competence areas, after successful completion of the programme, students will:

1) recognise and employ a research-based approach as an educational professional drawing on a broad understanding of education as a discipline and human endeavour.

2) understand different global educational agendas and how they interact with local and national policies and be able to critically reflect and apply different perspectives and theories in practice.

3) comprehend how personal educational experiences inform individual understanding and be able to enter into constructive dialogue with different disciplinary and cultural perspectives.

4) be able to examine education through the lenses of different phenomena and develop expertise in relation to particular interests.

5) be able to contribute to the ongoing development of education as a discipline and constituting feature of planetary justice and well-being.