Educational Leadership
Become a 21st century leader in education
This mid-career Master’s degree requires 3 years of work experience after Bachelor’s.
The programme focuses on state-of-the-art skills and concepts of international educational leadership. You will develop necessary competences for leading the human and technological changes faced by educational institutions. You will gain a deeper insight into the successful Finnish education system to transfer best practices to your environment. You will also acquire practical tools and theories about motivating and leading yourself and other educators effectively and ethically.
With this master’s degree, you will have the skills needed to develop yourself to innovative future educational leader, change agent and policy maker. The degree programme provides you with knowledge and skills to work in complex and diverse public or private educational institutions, HR management, governmental positions or NGOs.
Degree earned
Type
Planned duration
Extent of studies
City
Campus
Form of learning
Tuition fee for non-EU/EEA citizens
Link to scholarship programme
Study objectives
Become a 21st century leader in education
- Learn the necessary competencies for leading the human and technological changes faced by educational institutions.
- Get direct personal contacts and deeper insight into the successful Finnish education system so as to transfer best practices to your environment.
- Learn practical tools and theories about motivating and leading yourself and other educators effectively and ethically.
- Benefit from our authentic learning approach, where all courses are designed to help you with your own development task, your Master's thesis.
- Become an internationally networked change agent that will make a difference.
The Master's Degree in Educational Leadership is a professional higher education degree. The programme focuses on state-of-the-art skills and concepts of international educational leadership. It enables graduates to change and reform educational policy and practices in their own country in in international settings. The degree is focused on leadership and management with a specialisation of applying contemporary leadership skills in the context of education.
The degree complies with the criteria set by the Finnish national degree system as well as with the European framework for degrees and competences. The degree gives a qualification for a public appointment where a Master's degree is required.
As an applicant, you must have a feasible plan on a Master's thesis proposal which is submitted at the time of application.
Study contents
This is a practical blended-learning full-time or part-time Master's Degree in Business Administration based on real life authentic learning for a variety of different educational contexts. Participants will learn from analysing and discussing real cases and real life problems. The programme has been designed with the most contemporary learning theories, allowing participants to apply knowledge to their particular context and attain positive student experiences. We want learning and studying in the programme to be both enjoyable and rewarding experience that will create long-term sustainable results.
This is a 90 ECTS credit programme with emphasis on studies required to develop and manage education programmes, institutions or organisations in the public or private sector. The estimated study time is 1.5 years with an extension option for those working alongside their studies. The Master's thesis project (30 credits) includes research seminars and is supported by methodological studies.
Tuition fees
There are no tuition fees for those students who
- have started their studies before 1st August 2017
- are citizens of EU/EEA/Switzerland
- have an EU Blue Card
- have a continuous residence permit card in Finland, Type A permit
- have a permanent residence permit card in Finland, Type P permit
- have an EU residence permit for third-country citizens with long-term residence permit card in Finland (Type P-EU)
- have an EU Family Member's Residence Card in Finland
If you are unsure about whether you'd be subject to tuition fees, check the 'Am I required to pay tuition fees?' section on the Studyinfo.fi application site.
The degree carries a tuition fee of EUR 10 800 / academic year for non-EU/EEA students. Applicants must submit relevant documentation together with their application.
Scholarships
EARLY BIRD -scholarship: If the first academic year is paid in full before 31 May, the amount is reduced by -1 500 eur (total to be paid 9 300 eur)
Academic award -scholarship: If the student completes 55 cr in the first year = 50% scholarship for the remaining study time (excluding overtime, which carries a separate fee). If the student completes 45 cr in the first year = 25% scholarahip for the remaaining study time (excluding overtime, which carries a separate fee).
Academic excellence -scholarship: At the time of graduation, students may be eligible for significant Academic Excellence scholarships. These scholarships are governed by the TAMK's R&D Fund. They can be based on final thesis quality, excellence in project work, exceptional practical training success or other grounds set by the Fund.
Structure of studies
21st century education (25 credits)
This module provides the participants with the skills, knowledge and aptitude required by an educational leader in the 21st Century. The objective is to link the academic learning theories regarding pedagogy and assessment to the day to day realities of classroom practice and how these are being shaped by new technologies and other drivers. At the same time participants will seek to understand the political and policy issues that shape educational leadership and the design of curriculum, assessment and learning activities and how these might change in the future.
Leadership (25 credits)
This module gives a comprehensive set of modern theories, practices and tools in the area leadership and management. The goal is to provide the participants with the necessary leaderships and management skills to lead multicultural and diverse individuals, teams and education organisations effectively and ethically. The module also prepares the students to successfully manage different change projects and to support continuous learning and innovation in their area of responsibility.
Academic research and practices (5 credits)
Free choice studies (5 credits)
Master's thesis (30 credits)
Timetable
The programme consists of 3 mandatory intensive weeks in Finland and individual and flexible online distance learning phases as follows:
Intensive week 1 in Finland: 19 - 23 August 2019
Intensive week 2 in Finland: 13 - 17 January 2020
Intensive week 3 in Finland: 17 - 21 August 2020
A fourth face-to-face meeting in Finland is optional during the last part of the studies. The main part of the studies takes place collaboratively on-line.
During the first and second semester you will learn the Master-level essentials about leading people, leading change and business and financial management. You will also consider and reflect upon various theories of learning and how your own views about learning and assessment impact your leadership decisions. You will examine leadership issues in curriculum design and implementation. The impact of educational technology and the affordances, opportunities and challenges that it provides will also be examined. These studies will be completed in collaboration with your student colleagues, during the intensive face-to-face weeks and then while working online with the support of TAMK facilitators. You will plan and further refine your development task topic and objectives and learn the basics of academic research. You will research your topic in theory and clarify the objectives and timeline of your development task (Master's thesis) that will ideally be done within your own education institution.
During the third (and fourth) semester you will work on your development project and potentially implementing the change in your environment using the lessons learned from the Master's program. You will deepen your understanding of successful change management by learning more about communication, conflict management and diversity management. You will consider the wider environment in which education takes place and its impact on educational policy and will scrutinise the emerging trends in education. Academic research methods will help you to conduct a high quality empirical research. In the fifth semester you will finalise and report your thesis results.
Final project
As an applicant, you must have a feasible plan on a Master's thesis proposal which is submitted at the time of application. The aim of this entity is to refine the initial practical development task into a disciplined final thesis based on the rules of academic writing. The writing of the final thesis is supported by seminars where you have the opportunity to report the progress of your work and to get feedback.
Career opportunities
Graduates qualify for leading positions in the field of education in multicultural environments. It is envisioned that graduates gain leadership positions in educational institutions in both the public and private sector. The degree provides graduates with the abilities and skills to work in governmental organisations, Ministries of Education and global NGO's.
Competencies
By the end of this program, participants will have:
- developed their skills in leading people
- a better understanding of self and values
- developed their communications skills
- developed trust building skills
- learned how to manage different stakeholders
- the ability to use new technologies when needed
- the ability to support diverse people
- considered when it is appropriate to use to use a business mindset in their educational context
- developed their own practical theories of learning and assessment
- understood the importance of evaluation and feedback in learning and leading
- evaluated technology from the standpoint of its ability to enhance learning
- understood the pedagogical foundations of successful and efficient learning technologies
- know-how to operate in a learning community interdependently
- an understanding of how educational policies can impact at the institutional level
- considered the formulation of education policy and its relationship with practice
- reflected upon the impact of politics and economics on educational policy
Internationalisation
Participants, with a variety of cultural backgrounds and located in different countires, bring a truly international aspects to the degree. Application of learned content happens in the students' own environment and thus in a global context.
Postgraduate study opportunities
TAMK's master's degree certificate offers you the possibility to apply for doctoral studies in other universities according to their admission policy.
Carefully read through the general eligibility criteria and the programme-specific eligibility criteria and see whether you meet them.
For additional questions on applying, application documents and application process, please contact our Admissions office. For questions regarding the content of the programme, please contact Ms. Päivi Mayor, paivi.mayor(at)tamk.fi.
TAMK Direct Application for Master's Programmes, spring 2019
Application period 9-23 January 2019
The student selection has two phases: the first phase is a compulsory pre-task, based on which the best-performing applicants are invited to phase two, an online interview. Admission is based on the online interview points. Click to see the admission criteria.
The student selection has two phases: the first phase is a compulsory pre-task, based on which the best-performing applicants are invited to phase two, an online interview. Admission is based on the online interview points. Click to see the admission criteria.
Eligibility criteria
To be eligible to apply to TAMK's Master's Degree in Educational Leadership, you must hold a suitable higher education degree and have a minimum of three years' (36 months) work experience from the relevant field after completing the degree.
You have until 31 July 2019 to complete work experience requirement.
Work experience must be informed as full months. Part-time work will be converted into full-time such that 150 hours or 20 full working days (at least 7 hours per day) correspond to one month of work. Work experience does not have to be continuous or obtained from the same employer. Work experience will only be accepted if it is verified by a work certificate provided by the employer. Entrepreneurship will be accepted as work experience if the applicant can produce a certificate stating that he/she is or has been covered under the statutory YEL or MYEL pension scheme for entrepreneurs.
Applicants who have completed a vocational college degree or higher vocational degree in Finland (in Finnish: opisto- tai ammatillisen korkea-asteen tutkinto)
For applicants who have completed a vocational college degree or higher vocational degree in Finland (opisto- tai ammatillisen korkea-asteen tutkinto) before completing the required Bachelor's degree, work experience completed after the lower degree will also be accepted. Applicants are still required to have a minimum of three years' work experience, and it has to be from the relevant field.
If the applicant has completed a vocational college degree or higher vocational degree in Finland (opisto- tai ammatillisen korkea-asteen tutkinto) before completing the required Bachelor's degree and has the required work experience between these degrees, the required Bachelor's degree must be completed so that the applicant can send a copy of the certificate to TAMK Admissions Office by 8 July 2019 at 15.00 Finnish time at the latest.
Degree completed outside of Finland
If you apply with a degree completed outside of Finland and you are NOT an EU/EEA-citizen, the degree has to be completed by the end of the application period (23 January 2019). You need to upload the copy of your degree certificate to your application form by 30 January 2019 at 15.00 Finnish time at the latest. If your original degree certificate is written in other language than Finnish, Swedish or English, you also have to upload a copy of its translation. The translation has to be done by authorized translator. The translation must be in Finnish, Swedish or English and it has to include the translator's signature and stamp.
Language skill requirements
Sufficient English language skills are required for degree programmes conducted in English. English language skills will be evaluated as a part of the pretask and the interview.
Intake
The 2019 intake for Master of Business Administration, Educational Leadership is 20.
Admission procedure
Intake
| Study option | Entrance exam |
| Master of Business Administration, Educational Leadership | 20 |
The student selection has two phases. The first phase is a pre-task and the second phase is an online interview. Applicants are admitted based only on the points of the online interview.
Pre-task
The instructions for the pre-task will be published at this website and Studyinfo.fi on 4 December 2018 at the latest. The pre-task has to be submitted by 30 January 2019 at 15.00 Finnish time.
Please find the instructions for the pre-task of this programme HERE.
Online interview
The applicants will be ranked based on the points of the pre-task and the 40 best-performing applicants will be invited to the online interview.
The interview will take place on 18-22 February 2019.
Selection between applicants with equal points
If two or more applicants earn the same admission points from the online interview, they will be ranked on the following basis:
- pre-task points
- order of preference
If the admission points are still at a tie after ranking applicants based on the above-mentioned criteria, the application system will automatically draw the order.
Work experience
To be eligible to apply to TAMK's Master's Degree in Educational Leadership, you must hold a suitable higher education degree and have a minimum of three years' (36 months) work experience from the relevant field after completing the degree.
You have until 31 July 2019 to complete work experience requirement.
Work experience must be informed as full months. Part-time work will be converted into full-time such that 150 hours or 20 full working days (at least 7 hours per day) correspond to one month of work. Work experience does not have to be continuous or obtained from the same employer. Work experience will only be accepted if it is verified by a work certificate provided by the employer. Entrepreneurship will be accepted as work experience if the applicant can produce a certificate stating that he/she is or has been covered under the statutory YEL or MYEL pension scheme for entrepreneurs.
For applicants who have completed a vocational college degree or higher vocational degree in Finland (opisto- tai ammatillisen korkea-asteen tutkinto) before completing the required Bachelor's degree, work experience completed after the lower degree will also be accepted. Applicants are still required to have a minimum of three years' work experience, and it has to be from the relevant field.
Entrance exam
Online interview
Based on the results of the pre-task, the 40 best-performing applicants will be invited to the online (internet) interview. The interview will take place on 18-22 February 2019. The exact date and time of the interview will be announced in the email invitation. Applicants can participate also from outside of Finland via internet. Applicants do not need to travel to Tampere for the online interview.
The online interview is tied together with the pre-task and will test applicants' motivation and suitability to the field of study. Applicants will be alloted a time between 18-22 February 2019 and must be prepared to be interviewed (i.e. have a computer with microphone and camera available) at the time given. Please note that interviews will be arranged during office hours Finnish time.
Applicants are admitted based on the points awarded from the interview only. The maximum amount of points from the interview is 50. Minimum of 10 points are required in order for the interview to be accepted.
The invitation emails to the online interview will be sent on mid-February 2019.
English language skills are evaluated as a part of the pre-task and entrance exam. There is no pre-reading material for the online interview.
The pre-task and interview results are only valid for the one specific application period.
Pre-task
The instructions for the pre-task will be published at this website and Studyinfo.fi on 4 December 2018 at the latest.
Please find the instructions for the pre-task of this programme HERE.
The pre-task has to be submitted by 30 January 2019 at 15.00 Finnish time.
It is possible to score maximum of 50 points from the pre-task. Minimum of 10 points are required in order for the pre-task to be accepted.
Special arrangements for entrance exam
If you have special needs which should be taken into account when arranging your online interview, please fill in the application form and deliver it with the other required enclosures to TAMK Admissions Office by 30 January 2019 (3 pm Finnish time).
You need to describe your special needs and the grounds for special arrangements in the application. Please enclose any relevant copies (e.g. medical certificate).
Application form (The form opens in December.)
If you do not deliver the application in time, TAMK has no responsibility to make any special arrangements. If the need for special arrangements arises or is discovered between the end of the application period (23 January 2019) and the online interview/entrance exam, you must deliver the special arrangement application without delay to TAMK Admissions Office.
The special arrangement decision only applies to one application round.
How to apply
Application step-by-step
- Check your eligibility for the degree programme of your choice
- Read admission criteria carefully
- Prepare and send the pre-task by the deadline
- Apply via Studyinfo.fi portal during 4 December 2018 - 23 January 2019 (3 pm Finnish time)
- Upload requested attachments to your application
- Apply for special arrangements (only if needed)
- Take part in the online interview
- Accept the offered study place
- Pay the tuition fee if needed
- Register as present (you may register as absent for the first academic year for the legal reasons only)
- Join the TAMK community!
For detailed instructions please read Application Process.
Enclosures
Compulsory pre-task
When applying to Master's Degree Programme in Educational Leadership, you have to submit a pre-task by 30 January 2019 at 15.00 Finnish time at the latest.
The pre-task submission is only possible during the application period. The instructions for the pre-task will be published at this website and Studyinfo.fi on 4 December 2018.
The applicants will be ranked based on the points of the pre-task and the 40 best-performing applicants will be invited to the online interview.
Application Documents
All applicants (regardless of the country of the educational background) have to upload the school and work certificate copies to their application form by 30 January 2019 at 15.00 Finnish time at the latest.
The application documents you need to upload are:
- Bachelor's/higher education degree certificate
- Transcript of records of the degree
- Work certificates stating the minimum of 36 months of work experience after graduating to the degree
- Curriculum Vitae (CV)/Résumé
If your document is in other language than Finnish, Swedish or English, you also have to upload a copy of its authorised translation made by authorised translator. The translation has to be in Finnish, Swedish or English and it has to include the translator’s signature and stamp.
Work certificates should be on company headed paper, unofficial testimonials by email or hand-written documents cannot be accepted.
The original certificates will be checked from admitted applicants at the beginning of the studies.
TAMK may withdraw the admission if you do not deliver the certificates by the deadline or if you have given false information.
Document proving exemption of tuition fee
All applicants must upload to their application form a copy of one of the following documents to establish their citizenship and/or residence status. This pertains to the legislation on tuition fees for those accepted students who are not citizens of countries of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland or holders of certain residence status in Finland. In case you hold a residence permit, upload that copy instead of passport copy, as it will also exempt you from payment of tuition fees.
You must upload the copy to your application form by 30 January 2019 at 15.00 Finnish time at the latest.
All submitted documents must be ones carrying a photograph, so they can also be used to establish identity. The copy must be fully legible and the photo must be identifiable.
Indicate which document you are referring to:
- Passport ID page or ID card of EU/EEA/Switzerland which states citizenship
- Passport ID page (all other citizenships)
- EU Blue Card
- EU Family Member's Residence Card in Finland
- Type A permit (continuous residence permit in Finland)
- Type P permit (permanent residence permit in Finland)
- Type P-EU permit (EU residence permit for third-country citizens with long-term residence in Finland)
Admission results and appeals
Results
Results for August 2019 intake will be published around 15 March 2019.
All applicants
- See their results by logging in to Studyinfo.fi portal
- Receive an e-mail/a letter stating their result and points
Admitted applicants
- Receive also a notice of admittance by e-mail
- Must confirm the offered study place in time
Confirm the offered study place in time
Admitted applicants must confirm their study place by 8 July 2019 (3 pm Finnish time) at the latest by logging into Studyinfo.fi portal. If the confirmation has not been done by the set date and time, the applicant will lose the offered study place.
Non-EU/EEA students: To qualify for the Early Bird -scholarship you must have accept the offered study place within 7 days of being accepted!
Confirmation of the study place is binding and cannot be altered or cancelled.
If you are later admitted from the waiting list, you have 10 days to confirm your study place. Please read your e-mail regularly in order to receive the possible admittance e-mail in time. The final day of admittance is 31 July 2019.
Original certificates
The original certificates will be checked at the beginning of the studies. Student admission is conditional until TAMK has checked the admitted students' original school- and work certificates at the beginning of the studies.
Original certificate delivery instructions are given in the admission letter. TAMK may withdraw the admission if you do not deliver the original certificates by the set date or if you have given false information.
One study place
You can only accept one study place among Bachelor's/Master's degrees in Finland starting during the same academic semester (1 Aug-31 Dec/1 Jan-31 Jul). Even if you register as absent or quit your studies, you cannot accept another study place during the same academic semester.
Applicants who are accepted to the degree programme which they placed highest in the order of preference on the application form, cannot choose a study place from lower preference options at the confirmation stage.
This is a national policy to ensure that as many applicants as possible get a new study place annually.
Enroll for studies
When accepting the study place, you also have to register as present or absent to your studies at TAMK on the Studyinfo.fi portal.
According to Finnish legislations, first-year student may register as absent for the first academic year for the following reasons only:
- Finnish military service under the Conscription Act (1438/2007), Non-Military Service Act (1446/2007), or Act on Women's Voluntary Military Service (194/1995);
- maternity, paternity or parental leave;
- the student cannot begin studies due to being incapacitated by personal illness or injury.
If you register as absent, you must prove the legal grounds for your absence. TAMK requires you to present these documents by 8 July 2019 (3 pm Finnish time). Documents must be delivered to TAMK Admissions Office.
If you register as absent in your first academic year, but fail to deliver sufficient clarification regarding the grounds for your absence within the deadline, you will lose your right to study.
Appeals
If you believe that there has been a mistake in the student selection or the set admission criteria have not been applied correctly, you can submit a written request for rectification of the student selection decision addressed to TAMK Board of Examiners within 14 days after the student selection results have been published.
Always check the admission criteria of the programme first and contact TAMK Admissions Office before writing the request. If the issue cannot be solved by the admissions officials, you are advised to submit a written request for rectification.
Form and content of request for an administrative review: The document requesting an administrative review shall indicate the particular decision for which the review is requested, the amendment that is being sought in the review requested and the grounds for requesting the review. (Administrative Procedure Act, Section 49d)