Degrees

There are two higher education pathways to social welfare professions:

• to social work by completing a second-cycle university degree including major subject studies in social work (Master of Social Sciences),
• to social instruction by completing a polytechnic degree in the field of social services (Bachelor of Social Services and Bachelor of Social Services and Health Care).

Education and training in the social welfare field have undergone considerable changes in the last ten years. The reason behind raising the degrees from a first-cycle to a second-cycle university degree and from a vocational college diploma to a polytechnic degree has been the increasingly demanding nature of the work. The demands of the work continue to grow.

University degrees

The two-cycle degree structure came into force in 2005. Students first complete a Bachelor's degree consisting of 180 credits and then proceed to study for the Master's degree. The total extent of the second-cycle university degree is 300 credits.

Students are directly admitted to study for the Master's degree. University-level education in social work is provided by the universities of Helsinki, Jyväskylä, Kuopio, Lapland, Tampere, and Turku. The degree is called Master of Social Sciences. Degree programmes in Swedish are offered by the Swedish School of Social Science, and the degree is called "politices magister". The degree programme contains practical training and in-service training to the extent of 20 credits.

There are approximately 230 social work study places available each year. In addition, Tampere University reserves annually about 20 study places mostly for those who have completed the social welfare officer training. After the Master's degree it is possible to move on to the professional licentiate degree. The extent of this degree is 120 credits, including specialisation studies.

Further information:

> Finnish National University Network for Social Work www.sosnet.fi

Polytechnic degrees

You enter the social welfare professions by completing a polytechnic degree in the field of social services. The degree is called Bachelor of Social Services. If you opt for the degree programme on social work with the aged, the degree is called Bachelor of Social Services and Health Care. You can also specialise in rehabilitation counselling; the degree is then called Bachelor of Social Services.

The extent of all degrees mentioned above is 210 credits. The degree programme contains practical training and in-service training to the extent of 45 credits.

Degree programmes in social services are offered by 23 polytechnics in various parts of the country. The annual amount of study places is approximately 1900, including about 450 for adult education. Three polytechnics offer degree programmes in Swedish.

Further information:

> Information on polytechnics studies www.arene.fi

Vocational college diplomas

It used to be possible to qualify for the social welfare professions by completing the vocational college diploma of social educator, social instructor, or instructor for the mentally handicapped.

Vocational college diplomas in social welfare have long traditions. Social educator training began in 1918. In the 1980s, the diplomas of social instructor and instructor for the mentally handicapped were added to the study programme. At the same time, the amounts of students multiplied.

In 1995, admissions to the separate study programmes ended and were replaced by one extensive vocational college diploma.

Vocational college diplomas are no longer awarded.