Syllabus
 Print
|
Outdoor Environments for Health and Well-being - Master´s Programme
Scope:
120 ECTS
Level affiliation:
2 - Second cycle
Degree
Degree of Master of Science
Programme code:
LM007
Responsibe faculty:
Faculty of Landscape Architecture, Horticulture and Crop Production Science
Applies to students admitted in
1. Autumn 2015 Visas nedan
2. Autumn 2019
3. Autumn 2020
4. Autumn 2022
5. Autumn 2023
Appendices
1. Decision
The Board of the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences decided on September 23, 2014 to establish the Outdoor Environments for Health and Well-being – Master’s Programme. The programme syllabus was decided on November 26, 2014 by the Board of Education to apply from the academic year 2015/16. The Outdoor Environments for Health and Well-being – Master’s Programme leads to a Degree of Master at advanced level and comprises 120 credits. The programme has the following programme code: LM007.
2. Prior knowledge and other requirements
2.1. Previous studies
To be eligible for the Outdoor Environments for Health and Well-being – Master’s Programme, the requirement is a Bachelor’s degree (undergraduate cycle) corresponding to a minimum of 180 credits.
Specific admission requirements including English language proficiency demonstrated as:
- English 6 or English Course B (from Swedish secondary school) or the equivalent.
Grade requirement: A minimum grade of Pass in the courses above.
The specific admission requirements according to the above can also be fulfilled by those having corresponding qualifications from present or former colleges or learning establishments. The requirements are also fulfilled if corresponding qualifications have been obtained in alternative ways. For entry to the different courses included within the programme, the specific entry requirements prescribed for each individual course apply.
It is further recommended that at least 15 credits have been taken within one of the following general disciplines: Landscape architecture, architecture, horticultural science, environmental science, ecology, geography, forestry, medicine, psychology, or pedagogy.
3. Intended learning outcomes
3.1 General objectives
In accordance with the Higher Education Act (1 chap, 9 §), second level education shall “involve a deepening of knowledge, skills and abilities relative to first level education and, in addition to what applies to first level education, shall
- further develop the student´s ability to independently integrate and use knowledge,
- develop the student´s ability to deal with complex phenomena, issues and situations, and
- develop the student´s potential for professional activities that demand considerable independence or for research and development work.”
3.2 Specific objectives for a Degree of Master
In accordance with the Appendix to the Ordinance for the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, students must fulfil the following objectives for a Degree of Master:
Knowledge and understanding
To obtain a pass for a Degree of Master, the student is required to
- demonstrate knowledge and understanding within the main area of the education, incorporating both broad knowledge of the area and essentially deepened knowledge within certain parts of this area, and a deeper insight into current research and development work, and
- demonstrate a deepened knowledge of methods within the main area of the education.
Skills and abilities
To obtain a pass for a Degree of Master, the student is required to
- demonstrate the ability to critically and systematically integrate knowledge and analyse, evaluate and manage complex phenomena, issues and situations, even with limited information,
- demonstrate the ability to critically, independently and creatively identify and formulate issues and to plan and, using adequate methods, execute qualified tasks within a given time frame and thus contribute to the extension of knowledge, and evaluate this work,
- demonstrate the ability to report and discuss in both national and international contexts, orally and in writing, their conclusions and the knowledge and arguments that form the basis for these in dialogue with different groups, and
- demonstrate the skills required to participate in research and development work, or to work independently in other qualified activities.
Evaluation ability and approach
To obtain a pass for a Degree of Master, the student is required to
- demonstrate the ability within the main area of the education to make evaluations with respect to relevant scientific, sociological and ethical aspects and demonstrate awareness of ethical aspects of research and development work,
- demonstrate an insight into the possibilities and limitations of science, its role in society and people’s responsibilities regarding how it is used, and
- demonstrate the ability to identify their need for further knowledge and take responsibility for developing their knowledge.
3.3 Precise objectives for the Outdoor Environments for Health and Well-being – Master’s Programme
Within the framework of the objectives in the degree description, SLU has specified the following precise objectives for the Outdoor Environments for Health and Well-being – Master’s Programme:
Knowledge and understanding
To obtain a pass for a Degree of Master, the student is required to
- identify perspectives and explain concepts on how people relate to outdoor environments with special focus on how they influence people’s experiences, well-being and development,
- describe and explain theories concerning the interactions between people and outdoor environments at different levels: physiologically, psychologically, socially and culturally,
- describe the role of outdoor environments for different user groups in a health-promoting or developmental context, and
- apply and adapt the knowledge to different local contexts.
Skills and abilities
To obtain a pass for a Degree of Master, the student is required to
- identify fields of application at different scale levels that may promote health and contribute to solutions to current societal problems,
- assess the quality of outdoor environments and their potential to health, wellbeing and human development
- select adequate methods and strategies for empirical studies of the interactions be-tween people and physical environments
- make evaluations and suggest measures to develop outdoor environments to enhance health, well-being and development,
- be able to prepare and develop activities for different target groups to promote health or development
- be prepared to take active part in the development of environments and organisation of nature-assisted activities
- demonstrate ability to apply the subjects of the master’s programme to other education or professional experiences
Evaluation ability and approach
To obtain a pass for a Degree of Master, the student is required to
- show good judgement in ethical considerations regarding views, methods and approaches within the field, and
- constructively and critically evaluate theories, projects and proposals that are generated within the field.
4. Possibilities for further study
The student who has completed the education in the Outdoor Environments for Health and Well-being and obtained the Degree of Master, fulfils the specific requirements to be accepted for further studies, among others, the following education at SLU:
- Education at postgraduate level.
The postgraduate research subjects into which entry is possible are given in the appendix, and have been decided at the Faculty.
5. Content and outline
5.1 Courses
The courses included in the Outdoor Environments for Health and Well-being - Master’s Programme are decided on by the Programme board for landscape architecture and horticulture and are presented in the appendix to the education plan, which also contains a description of the course structure. The objectives and content of the courses are described in the course plans for the individual courses.
5.2 Structure and content
The programme is aimed at students from different academic or professional fields and provides scientific perspectives and concepts within the relevant subjects in a cross-disciplinary context that can be used to understand and explain the interactions between people and the physical outdoor environment, as well as to apply the acquired knowledge in different societal contexts. Concrete examples and applications are starting points for different projects, activity designs and investigations. Students are given tasks to practice different methods used to survey the use and experience of outdoor environments. Research methods aiming at training the ability to study and critically assess different types of activities promoting health or development from a scientific perspective are an important part of the programme, as is the ability to analyse outdoor environments and their qualities regarding experience, health and development, using scientifically based analysis models.
A master’s thesis project concludes the programme, and provides further depth within the field, at the same time as it gives opportunity to integrate the new knowledge with the bachelor studies.
6. Examination
Each course includes one or more examinations. Courses will in general be graded using one of the grades U, 3, 4 or 5. The requirements for course grades are outlined in an attachment to the syllabus.
Grades will be determined by an examiner appointed by SLU. General rules and guidelines for assessment and grading are presented in internal directives for grading systems and examination rights and in regulations governing education on the first and second cycles at SLU.
7. Degree
7.1 Degree to which the education programme leads
A Degree of Master of Science with a major in Landscape Architecture according to the programme syllabus for Outdoor Environments for Health and Well-being – Master’s Programme will be awarded on completion of the course examinations (Pass grades) to the value of 120 credits, with the following requirements:
- a maximum of 15 credits courses at first level [According to the Local System of Qualifications, 2018-01-01: a maximum of 30 credits of courses at first cycle level].
- a minimum of 30 credits programme courses of in-depth study within Landscape Architecture (A1N, A1F),
- a minimum of 30 credits of independent work (degree project) within Landscape Ar-chitecture (A2E)
The course requirements must at the same time fulfil the following requirements:
- a minimum of 60 credits programme courses according to the study plan established, and
- an independent work (degree project) in accordance with the study plan established and with regulations for the programme.
There is additional requirement of a completed Degree of Bachelor, Professional Degree or the corresponding overseas qualification of a minimum of 180 credits.
The student fulfilling the examination requirements for the Degree of Master will be supplied with an examination certificate upon request. The examination certificate will be associated with the title Degree of Master of Science with a major in Landscape Architecture.
This examination certificate shall show that the degree fulfils the requirements according to the programme syllabus for Outdoor Environments for Health and Well-being - Master’s programme. Specific course requirements are described in the programme’s study plan, which is decided on by the Programme board for landscape architecture and horticulture and presented in the appendix to the education plan.
7.2 Other degrees to which the education programme render possible
The courses included in the Outdoor Environments for Health and Well-being - Master’s Programme also allow the following degrees to be obtained provided that the SLU requirements on general examinations are fulfilled:
- Degree of Master, 60 credits, with a major in Landscape Architecture.
8. Miscellaneous
8.1 Eligibility
Course credits obtained from a different higher education, inside or outside of the country, can be eligible for inclusion in the Outdoor Environments for Health and Well-being - Master’s Programme. However this does not apply if there is an essential difference between the educations. Eligibility will be assessed in individual cases. Subject to assessment, corresponding knowledge and skills acquired in professional activities can also be deemed eligible.