Chapter 1, Section 9 of the Higher Education Act (1992: 1434)
Education at the second cycle level shall involve a deepening of knowledge, skills and abilities in relation to the first cycle level and shall, in addition to what is required at the first cycle level:
• Further develop students' ability to independently integrate and use knowledge
• Develop students' ability to deal with complex phenomena, questions and situations
• Develop students' qualifications for professional activities that make substantial demands on the individual´s ability to work indipendently or for research and development work.
Learning outcomes for the two-year master's degree:
Knowledge and understanding
Following successful completion of the programme students should be able to demonstrate:
• knowledge and understanding in the main field of study, including both broad knowledge of the field and a considerable degree of specialised knowledge in certain areas of the field as well as insight into current research and development work
• specialised methodological knowledge in the main field of study
Skills and Abilities
Following successful completion of the programme students should be able to demonstrate:
• the ability to critically and systematically integrate knowledge, analyse, assess and deal with complex phenomena, questions and situations, even with limited information
• the ability to critically, autonomously and creatively identify and formulate issues, plan and, using appropriate methods, undertake advanced tasks within predetermined time frames and so contribute to the development of knowledge as well as the ability to evaluate this work
• the ability, in both national and international contexts, in speech and writing to clearly explain and discuss their conclusions and the knowledge and arguments on which they are based in dialogue with different groups
• the skills required to participate in research and development work or autonomous employment in some other qualified capacity.
Evaluation ability and approach
Following successful completion of the programme students should be able to demonstrate:
• the ability to make assessments in the main field of study informed by relevant scientific, social and ethical issues and also to demonstrate awareness of ethical aspects of research and development work
• insight into the possibilities and limitations of science, its role in society and human responsibility for its use
• the ability to identify their need for further knowledge and take responsibility for their ongoing learning
Thesis
For a two-year master's degree, the student must complete an independent work (thesis) of at least 30 ECTS in the main field of study. The independent work may consist of less than 30 credits, but at least 15 credits if the student has already completed an independent degree of at least 15 ECTS in the main field of study or equivalent from foreign education.
(Higher Education Ordinance 1993: 100 Appendix 2)