Master’s Degree Programme in Bioeconomy Development

Key learning outcomes

After completing the Degree Programme in Bioeconomy Development, you
- master the multidisciplinary knowledge base of the bioeconomy sector and comprehensively understand the relationships between different perspectives in terms of changes in the bioeconomy and related business activities
- have a comprehensive, critical and development-oriented method of working when acting as an expert in bioeconomy development
- are able to analyse and predict changes in the operating environment of the national and international bioeconomy sector
- are able to develop and reform activities, methods and processes that promote bioeconomy growth at individual, community and regional levels
- are able to produce new information that can be applied in practice to the development of bioeconomy
- will be able to critically assess the causal relationships between the general development of the bioeconomy sector and the limited development measures with an overall approach.

Education content and professional growth and know-how

In the Degree Programme in Bioeconomy Development, you will develop your expertise as a part of a multi-disciplinary research-based learning team. You will become familiar with the methods for developing and reforming services, processes and operating models that promote the change and growth of business activities in the bioeconomy sector. You will learn how to take ecological, technological, economic, cultural and social perspectives into account in your work.

You will learn to predict the national and international developments on the bioeconomy sector. You will develop business models in the sector based on your organisation's needs. You can act as a bioeconomy expert and development coordinator in both public and private organisations.

The degree programme consists of 60 credits. The studies are structured as follows:

Bioeconomy Development 20 cr
-Bioeconomy, Human and Society 5 cr
-New Technologies in Growing Bioeconomy 5 cr
-Bioeconomy Economy and Operating Environment 5 cr
-Ecological Basics of Bioeconomy 5 cr

Elective studies 5 cr
Thesis 30 cr

Studies in the degree programme are based on the principles of research-based learning and group work both in terms of study units and the thesis.

Flexible studies

The studies consist of part-time studies with a large part of the studies completed through online learning and remote assignments. The studies include regular face-to-face learning every month either in classroom learning at the Institute of Bioeconomy or as remote meetings through webinars.

Students have a choice of alternative or elective studies offered by partner universities in Finland and abroad, such as other universities of applied sciences (CampusOnline), universities and educational institutions involved in the EduJyväskylä collaboration (University of Jyväskylä and Gradia).

Higher level studies completed elsewhere may be accredited as part of your degree. The student must have a certificate or some other document to prove that they have completed the studies. Skills acquired elsewhere can also be described and demonstrated to enable accreditation. Further information is available on the web pages for students.

Working life oriented learning

The thesis helps you apply the perspectives of advanced professional studies that you have learned in the degree programme. Depending on the subject of your thesis, you can apply your competence either to the development needs of your workplace or to the new bioeconomy development challenges offered by the assignment for your thesis. The thesis process begins immediately at the beginning of the studies and progresses gradually, combining theory with the practical needs in the working life through the topic of the thesis; this means that the best way of connecting your studies to the growing bioeconomy needs in the working life is to consider possible topics for your thesis even as you’re applying for the degree programme.

Career opportunities and employment

The Master's degree in Natural Resources is right for you if you strive for career development and want to strengthen your competence in the rapidly developing bioeconomy sector. After completing the Degree Programme in Bioeconomy Development, you can work in demanding expert and development tasks in the bioeconomy sector. Graduates from the programme work in many positions: as factor managers, inspectors, entrepreneurs and researchers.

Qualifications

The Master's Degree in Natural Resources gives you the qualification to work in a position or a task that requires a Master's degree.

Further studies

The graduate may apply to continue on to postgraduate studies in science or arts at universities (Act 558/2009, Section 37) and in the school of professional teacher education. Studies can be continued by applying for corresponding post-degree education at universities abroad, for example. A university of applied sciences also provides opportunities for continuing education in the form of specialisation studies, open studies, an online study portal (CampusOnline) and working life based continuing education.

Education planning

The planning of the degree programme has begun based on the feedback related to the competence needs of the sector that the Institute of Bioeconomy received in their research and development activities. The perspectives related to the planning and development of the degree programme and the impacts of the measures taken are regularly discussed in the Advisory Board of the Institute of Bioeconomy.

Contact Information

Hannariina Honkanen
Principal lecturer, School of Technology
+358504325820
firstname.lastname@jamk.fi