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The national service system faces new situations as international experts, temporary overseas workers and other immigrants settle in Finland.

Multicultural and international expertise will be increasingly important in the future. Multiculturalism will be a part of everyday life, and workers from diverse cultural backgrounds will contribute their competencies.

Specialisation broadens and advances your expertise

  • You will advance your understanding of international mobility, immigration, immigration controls and integration.
  • You will familiarise yourself with multiculturalism and multilingualism.
  • You will learn to utilise multiculturalism as a resource in the world of work.

Programme benefits

Public sector and NGOs

  • You will gain tools for multicultural communication and work practices.
  • You will advance your human rights knowledge by gaining a deeper understanding of the root causes of immigration.
  • You will be introduced to latest research on growing international mobility, the root causes of migration, non-discrimination, and racism prevention.
  • You will gain a better understanding of the effects of digitalisation on global migration trends.
  • You will update your understanding of the integration process and its role in the current global situation.
  • You will develop expertise in leadership, international teamwork and global networking.

Businesses

  • You will gain tools for multicultural communication and work practices.
  • You will develop expertise in leadership, international teamwork and global networking.
  • You will gain evidence-based knowledge of internationalisation.
  • Your business will have an up-to-date understanding of cultural diversity, non-discrimination and racism prevention.

Who is it for?

Professionals working in multicultural and international expert roles in public administration, NGOs or businesses. Applicants should already hold a Bachelor’s degree (applications to Diak) or Master’s degree (applications to the University of Turku).

In addition, you should have suitable work experience which can include a broad range of educational background and experience working in roles in international and multicultural settings in the public, private or third sector.

Scope

The credit load is 40 ECTS. One ECTS corresponds to approximately 27 hours of study.

Price

The programme cost is €2,000 (0% VAT) which can be paid in one or two instalments.

Programme focus areas

  • Professional capabilities needed in multicultural settings
  • Planning and coordination of services that promote integration and employability
  • Multilingual and multicultural communications
  • Management and development of multicultural workplace communities

Programme focus areas

The programme consists of common core modules (30 ECTS) and a supervised development assignment relating to the student’s own field (10 ECTS).

Modules:

  • Global mobility trends and immigrant integration (5 ECTS)
  • Multilingualism and intercultural communications (5 ECTS)
  • Human rights and legislation (5 ECTS)
  • Promotion of integration and employability (5 ECTS)
  • Culturally aware workplace practices (5 ECTS)
  • Management of international and multicultural workplace communities (5 ECTS)

Implementation

The programme is delivered in multimodal form and includes contact teaching sessions, online learning, peer group assignments, independent distance assignments, and a development assignment implemented in the workplace. The programme can be completed alongside your work.

The learning assignments will be integrated with work and personal development.

The programme is delivered jointly by Diak and the University of Turku primarily at the Helsinki campus; remote participation is also possible. In addition, a peer learning group can be organised at Diak’s campus in Oulu.

Schedule

The programme starts on 22 January 2021 and ends on 2 June 2022.

Contact session schedule:

  • Launch day 22 January 2021
  • Module 1: Global mobility trends and immigrant integration (5 ECTS), Wed–Thu 24–25 February 2021
  • Module 2: Multilingualism and intercultural communications (5 ECTS), Wed–Thu 24–25 March 2021
  • Module 3: Human rights and legislation (5 ECTS), Wed–Thu 5–6 May 2021
  • Module 4: Promotion of integration and employability (5 ECTS), Wed–Thu 7–8 September 2021
  • Module 5: Culturally aware workplace practices (5 ECTS), Wed–Thu 3–4 November 2021
  • Module 6: Management of international and multicultural workplace communities (5 ECTS), Wed–Thu 2–3 March 2022
  • Final day 2 June 2022

Location

The contact teaching sessions will be organised at Diak’s campus in Helsinki excluding module 3, which will be organised at the Åbo Akademi Institute for Human Rights in Turku.

Admissions

The next application period is announced later.

Admission criteria

Diak’s admission criteria:

  1. Bachelor’s or Master’s degree
  2. a) work experience involving intercultural skills in any field, OR
    b) experience of multicultural work or multicultural workplace community
  3. A motivation letter describing the reasons for applying to the programme and a preliminary plan for the development assignment.

Admission process

Candidates who meet the above criteria are assessed and scored based on the submitted documents as follows (max. 10 p.):

  1. Work experience
  • Up to 2 years in duties involving multicultural work, 0 p.
  • 2–5 years in duties involving multicultural work, 1 p.
  • Over 5 years in duties involving multicultural work, 2 p.
  1. A motivation letter describing the reasons for applying to the programme and a preliminary plan for the development assignment

The motivation letter is assessed and scored as follows:

  • Coherence of the motivation and relevance to the programme’s intended learning outcomes (0–4 p.)
  • Relevance of the development assignment (0–2 p.) and its viability (0–2 p.)

If two or more applicants achieve the same score, precedence will be given to the score of 2. (Motivation letter describing the reasons for applying to the programme and a preliminary plan for the development assignment) . If the applicants still have the same score after the adjustment, their ranking will be decided by the drawing of lots.