PROGRAMME SYLLABUS
Interventions in Childhood (One Year), 60 credits
Interventions in Childhood (One Year), 60 högskolepoäng
Programme Code: LAC11
Confirmed by: Dean 2020-11-16
Version: 1
Reg number: 20/093
Valid From: 2021-08-23
Education Cycle: Second-cycle level

Title of qualification

Degree of Master of Science (60 credits) with a major in Child Studies:
• specialisation in Disability Sciences, or
• specialisation in Health and Care Sciences, or
• specialisation in Special Education, or
• specialisation in Welfare and Social Sciences.

Programme overview

The International Master’s level program on Interventions in Childhood offers interdisciplinary education to provide effective intervention for children in need of support for their development and/or functioning in everyday life beyond what is provided to all children. It includes children at risk for developing long term health conditions and/or impairments because of a health condition and/or disability, or psychosocial circumstances and other environmental influences. The education considers everyday life situations of children in different settings, including family, preschool/school, hospital, and community.

The program is open for students already holding a bachelor’s degree within health and care sciences, behavioral science, social work, or educational sciences, including independent, theoretical based work, i.e. a thesis or the equivalent. The program is held in English and open for both national and international students. It is designed to prepare students for leadership roles in child care and preschool, school, special education, early intervention/habilitation, child health care, social services and the equivalent in addition to further research.

One academic year (equivalent to 60 credit) consists of 40 study weeks, divided in two semesters. Each study week equals 1.5 credits and corresponds to 40 hours of study. The program consists of four mandatory courses of 15 credits (in total 60 credits), including a thesis course; a systematic literature review in the field of the student’s specialization. The courses offered at Jönköping University are in collaboration with School of Health and Welfare and School of Education and Communication.

All courses offered within the program are hold on full-time.

Objectives

The overall goal of the master’s program is to provide a qualified education from an international perspective in the field of interventions to children in need of additional support due to health condition, disability, poverty, or at risk for social or other reasons.
The master’s program is grounded in an ecological perspective on child development, learning, and functioning. Influences are observed at different levels, “from neurons to neighborhoods”. A critical perspective focusing on the individual, the environment, and their interrelationship, is emphasized. A bio-psycho-social model is used as a frame of reference and the connection between research and practice is stressed.


More specific, the goals are that the students acquire:
Aims stated in the Swedish Higher Education Act (SFS 1992:1434 revised 2006:173 1 Ch. 8 §) declare that the student who has completed the study program leading to a Master of Science in accordance with the Degree Ordinance (appendix 2, Higher Education Ordinance SFS 1993:100, revised 1998:1003) should have:

Knowledge and understanding to
- demonstrate a broad command in their main field of study and deeper knowledge of certain parts of the field, together with insight into current research and development work
- demonstrate methodological knowledge in their main field of study

Skills and abilities to
- critically and systematically integrate knowledge of theory and evidence in order to analyse, assess and deal with complex phenomena, issues and situations in their main field
- independently identify and formulate issues in their main field and plan, using appropriate methods and carry out advanced tasks within specified time limits
- discuss and argue for theory and evidence, both orally and in writing, in national as well as international contexts
- participate in research and development work
- produce written assignments with linguistic rigor and formality that consistently comply scientific methods of presentations

Judgement and approach to
- make assessments in their main field of study, taking into account relevant scientific, social and ethical aspects, and demonstrate an awareness of ethical aspects of research and development work
- demonstrate insight into the potential and limitations of science, its role in society and people’s responsibility for how it is used
- identify their need of further knowledge and to take responsibility for developing their knowledge
- have a commitment to disseminate research findings and engage in dialogue with wider research community

Independent project

For a Degree of Master (60 Credits) students must have completed an independent project (thesis) worth at least 15 Credits in their main field of study, within the framework of the course requirements.

Contents

Courses are held in English and includes seminars and lectures on campus and streamed lectures offered by international professors. Students are given the opportunity to choose focus of examination tasks in each course, and in the master thesis based on their chosen specialization area.


The program includes four core courses that are common for all students and organized into a logic progression:


Semester 1
Introduction to Interventions in Childhood, 15 credits
Theory of Science and Scientific Methods, 15 credits

Semester 2
One Year Master Thesis in Interventions in Childhood 15 credits
Developmental Sciences and Intervention processes, 15 credits

Teaching and examination

The teaching is conducted with problem-based methods, focusing on individual students’ own learning. The way of working is adapted to the character of each course and may include literature reviews, lectures, seminars, individual tasks, or group work.

As a digital e-learning system is used, access to computer is of importance and computer experience will facilitate the studies.

To pass a course, the student needs to fulfill all the course requirements. Examination will be executed by written exam, oral exam or term papers. Different methods of examination can be used within a single course. The student will be offered at least three examination opportunities in each examine section. The university is not obligated to offer re-exams in courses a student has already passed.


All courses will be graded according to the ECTS system. A-E all constitute Pass and FX and F are equal to Fail.

Prerequisites

The applicant must hold the minimum of a bachelor’s degree (i.e. the equivalent of 180 ECTS credits at an accredited university) with at least 90 ECTS credits within health and care sciences, behavioral science, social work, disability research, or educational sciences, including independent, theoretical based work, i.e. a thesis or the equivalent work that demonstrates that the applicant has conducted independent, systematic research and formally written about this research (e.g. participation in work based research; participation in research methods courses). Proof of English language proficiency is required.

Qualification Requirements

After completing the course requirements of the program, the student will provide a Master of Science degree with a major in Child Studies.
The degree certificate will be issued after a formal application from the student.

Quality Development

The program is evaluated at the end of the second semester. The evaluation is carried out in collaboration between students and the program coordinator. Each course is also evaluated according to the regulations and guidelines for first, second and third cycle education at Jönköping University.

Other Information

The program is provided by the School of Education and Communication in collaboration with the School of Health and Welfare. It is closely connected to the CHILD (Children-Health-Intervention-Learning-Development) research program. CHILD is associated with the Swedish Institute for Disability Research (SIDR). Internationally recognized professors from Europe and elsewhere (e.g. Australia, South Africa, North America, Taiwan, Belgium, Portugal, and Germany) are engaged in the program.

Before attending to the programme applicants need to submit the provided pre-course preparation including professional orientation, personal preferences and goals and how they think the program will advance those goals.