Early Childhood Education and Care
The foundation for a sustainable future lies in early childhood education and care.
These studies prepare you to become an expert of early childhood education and care and social pedagogy. You will achieve a strong ethical competence for working in social services and you will learn to promote the well-being of children and families using a socio-pedagogical approach.
We believe that the best learning outcome is from a combination of theory and practice. The strength of this degree programme lies on the use of creative and practice-based client work methods.
Objective
You will gain valued skills and knowledge in promoting the well-being of children and families in early childhood education and care (ECEC). In addition, you will be skilled in incorporating principles of social counselling to support people’s growth in society. You will learn the Finnish language to help manage different client situations in Finnish working life. The program integrates creative and art-based methods into client work, fostering support and community engagement.
In Finland, early childhood education and care (ECEC) is based on goal-oriented education, upbringing and care, with an emphasis on pedagogy. Pedagogical competence means the ability to plan, implement, and evaluate pedagogical activities for a group of children in multiprofessional cooperation. In your studies, you will develop a deep understanding of how to foster community and inclusiveness in ECEC; how to support participation and a child’s holistic development. Your development-orientated pedagogical approach will be based on dialogical encounters with children and families.
Studies are based on collaboration at multiple levels. We emphasize learning in teams and multiprofessional and interdisciplinary cooperation. Students work together to solve development tasks with work-life partners. HAMK is part of RUN European University which creates possibilities for international collaboration during studies. In addition, we focus on collaboration between staff and students to foster an inclusive and comprehensive educational setting.
Finnish language in studies
You will start your studies in English, and there is no Finnish language proficiency requirement at the time of admission.
Throughout your studies, you will complete 25 ECTS of Finnish language courses to support your language development. In addition, you will practice and use Finnish language in various early childhood education and social care settings.
As your Finnish skills improve, the use of Finnish language will gradually increase in your studies. This will prepare you to work effectively in Finnish early childhood education and social care environments after graduation.
Students are selected using two selection methods:
- Admission on the basis of SAT-test results
- Admission on the basis of the points awarded for the entrance examination
Applicants can choose whether they take the SAT test or participate in the entrance examination.
- SAT test (only for IB not required) is the alternative for taking the entrance examination. Reading, writing and speaking + mathematics: https://www.studinfo.lt/egzaminai/sat (400 in reading and writing and 400 in math). Only SAT (not STA subject) is accepted. SAT scores must be sent directly to HAMK from test centre: school code 6894. Results must be submitted untill May 31
- Online entrance examination and interviews (5 times during the application). Applicants are invited to entrance examination after they submitted an kastu online application form. Applicants who passed written part of entrance exam are invited to the interview. After the interview applicants get their offer. First entrance examination is organized at the start of November and later on almost every month until May.
Bachelors of Social Services can be employed in the areas of early childhood education and care, child welfare, youth work and adult social work. The degree prepares students to work as social pedagogues in early childhood education and care in multiprofessional cooperation with teachers and childcarers. They can also work as counsellors in child welfare institutions and other residential facilities, as family support workers, coordinators of services for the elderly, case managers, activity directors, counsellors in substance abuse and mental health services or as service coordinators.
