Bachelor's Degree Programme in Rehabilitation Counselling

Key learning outcomes

Graduates of the Bachelor's Degree Programme in Rehabilitation Counselling are experts in multidisciplinary rehabilitation and counselling work. Through your studies, you will learn to assess, plan, implement and develop rehabilitation pathways in a customer-oriented manner in multidisciplinary networks. The core professional competences of the programme include competence in rehabilitation service systems, in assessing needs and possibilities for rehabilitation, in rehabilitation planning and in rehabilitation counselling. As a rehabilitation expert, you will work in social, health, rehabilitation and employment services and organisations.

During your studies, you will familiarise yourself with the principles of professional ethics, customer-oriented guidance and high-quality encounters. You will be able to assess and describe the rehabilitee's overall situation, work ability and functional capacity, coping with everyday life and rehabilitation needs and to prepare rehabilitation plans in accordance with good rehabilitation practice. You will also learn to promote the rehabilitee's independent functional capacity, motivation for change, resources and the smooth running of everyday life. You will gain competence in teamwork and networking as well as in investigative, developmental and evidence-based work and entrepreneurship. Furthermore, you will familiarise yourself with the cost and impact perspectives of rehabilitation, the principles of sustainable development and how to act responsibly as a professional and a member of society.

Education content and professional growth and know-how

In the Bachelor's Degree Programme in Rehabilitation Counselling, you will acquire the capabilities to work in rehabilitation counselling, planning, coordination and development tasks. Your professional competence and identity start to form during the first year of studies through joint studies in the field of health and social services and through studies in transferable skills and fundamentals of rehabilitation work. As the studies progress, the emphasis is on professional studies in rehabilitation counselling. During the studies, you will also acquire competence in developing sustainable solutions, services and operating models.

The contents of the degree are based on the multidisciplinary and multicultural environments of rehabilitation, customer encounters, interaction and counselling, planning and coordination of rehabilitation services as well as service counselling and networking. The studies also examine social, health and rehabilitation services from ethical, economic, quality and effectiveness perspectives. The topics are discussed in theoretical studies and practical training at the individual, community and social level.

Flexible studies

The studies are part-time and require approximately 40 hours of work a week. Part-time studies combine independent studies, online learning, group work, contact study days in Jyväskylä, studification of work and practical workplace training. Studying in the programme requires an active approach to studying, willingness to take responsibility for one's own learning and to develop as an online learner, basic IT skills, and the possibility to participate in online teaching on weekdays and contact days in Jyväskylä. The time spent on campus depends on the courses you choose. Most of the studying is independent and group-based online learning, with the exception of practical training. Some of the studies are in English.

The studies progress flexibly according to your personal learning plan (PLP), which you prepare at the beginning of your studies. Your previously acquired competence will be assessed at the same time. If you have previously acquired competence in the social or health care sector, you can learn more about the accreditation possibilities in the study guide. The flexibility of the studies can be increased, for example, by studying during the summer, which can also shorten the study time. With complementary studies, practical training and the thesis, you can deepen your competence in accordance with your career plan.

You can choose your alternative or elective studies from EduJyväskylä partner institutions (University of Jyväskylä and Gradia) and international studies from European EUDRES higher education institutions. You can also choose from Finnish and foreign partner universities, such as other universities of applied sciences and universities. You can apply for accreditation of higher education studies that you have completed elsewhere.

Working life oriented learning

Working life-oriented learning is present throughout your bachelor's studies in the form of practical training promoting professional skills (45–55 cr), a thesis and various working life projects and development tasks. In addition to multidisciplinary and working life-oriented project studies, the programme allows you to develop your future working life skills, career paths and working life networks. You can also complete studies as part of national and international projects.

Career opportunities and employment

For graduates of the Bachelor's Degree Programme in Rehabilitation Counselling, possible work titles include instructor, rehabilitation counsellor, rehabilitation specialist, rehabilitation contact person, rehabilitation planner, customer counsellor, service counsellor, work ability coach, coordinator, career coach, professional rehabilitation counsellor, OMA coach, social counsellor or specialist.

After graduating, you can be employed by health care, social welfare, employment services, insurance companies, private providers of rehabilitation services and associations, among others. The expertise is also needed, for example, in the coordination and guidance of rehabilitation services in social and health centres and in the planning and counselling of rehabilitation related to work and functional capacity support.

Qualifications

A rehabilitation counsellor is a licenced social welfare professional.

Further studies

You may, after graduating and gaining at least two years of work experience, apply for a master's degree level education. You can continue your studies by applying for e.g. Master's degree programmes in universities, vocational teacher education or Master's degree programmes abroad. The university of applied sciences offers opportunities for competence development in various institutes, such as the open university of applied sciences, specialisation training and work-oriented continuing education.

Education planning

The planning of the curriculum has taken into account surveys on future working life and education, such as those conducted by the Competence Foresight Forum (OEF), the final report of the Soteko project (2023), the WHO Rehabilitation Competency Framework (2020), the competences of the Rectors’ Conference of Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences (ARENE 2022) and national reports related to the development and future of rehabilitation. The views and feedback of teachers, students, working life partners and representatives of partner universities have also been acknowledged in the planning of the educational content.

Contact Information

Anne Koivisto
Senior Lecturer, Rehabilitation and Social Studies
+358504426258
firstname.lastname@jamk.fi