Iðjuþjálfinn - 01.08.2011, Blaðsíða 26

26 • IðjuþjálfInn 1/2011
Introduction: Why should you that are looking for further education consider
an international Master Program in
Occupational Therapy? I could motivate
this in many ways as one of the staff in the
program but never as good as in this lived
experience below written by one of our
students in the program, Sarah Matovu
from Uganda. Read this article (published
in African OT­journals) and consider the
possibility for this experience for yourself.
Then read more about the program and
here more opinions from students in a video
at our web­site:
www.ot­euromaster.nl
If you already are in another Master
Program it is also possible to take a single
module in the program (module 2­4) for
going deep into specific OT­theory.
Consider this opportunity – it will
change you ­ if not your whole life ­ at least
what you think about science and about our
profession.
Hans Jonsson
Research Director of the European Master
Program Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm
and Hogeschool van Amsterdam
It all begun in 2007 when I got an
email saying, I have been admitted
for the European Masters of Science
in Occupational Therapy, after I had
sent numerous applications to several
Universities all over Europe. It was a very
exciting moment and after 2 weeks I get a
parcel with hand outs, the study guide for
the entire course and the pre­course. This
is when it dawned on me that the process
had actually begun.
The European Masters of science in
Occupational Therapy is an International
Consortium Joint degree with the
University of Brighton, Eastbourne,
United Kingdom, University College
Sjælland, Næstved, Denmark, Amsterdam
University of Applied Sciences, Netherlands,
Zurich University of Applied Sciences,
Switzerland and Karolinska Institutet,
Stockholm Sweden. This course provided an
experience of a life time for me.
The course is divided into six modules
with each module carried out in a different
country as indicated in the figure below.
This makes it even more exciting because
you get to explore the Universities as well
as the countries. What other course would
create such a vast amount of exposure. For
each module in the various countries was
divided into preparatory module task (56
hours) orientation, class work (80 hours)
intensive classes with tutoring and lectures
and then assignments (200 hours) papers.
The preparatory work, gave me time
to have an understanding of what the
module was about, but also share contextual
experience on Occupational therapy with
fellow students during the face to face
lectures, which were quiet informal and
gave me the opportunity to freely express
myself and share opinions even argue about
the information that was being given.
The sessions were highly interactive that
motivated me to greatly contribute to my
own learning process.
I also got to appreciate the staff that
were highly engaging and had a vast wealth
of information as professional researchers,
therapists and individuals with a different
kind of culture, socialization and life context
than mine. I also got the opportunity to
interact with PhD students, guest lecturers
from other universities like; Gail Whiteford.
Although the face to face lectures were
intense, we got a lot of support from the
lecturers and would even get individual time
to discuss our ideas for the thesis and get in
put from them.
Cohort 9 was one of the most diverse
groups with students from Germany,
United Kingdom, Austria, Uganda, Norway,
Switzerland, Chile, Denmark, Netherlands
and Georgia. I got to appreciate the cultural
diversity and also use it as a learning
experience. English being the media of
communication for the OT­ Euro masters
did not come as a challenge, because the
students used the opportunity to express
themselves sometimes in their mother
Module 1 Module 2 Module 3 Module 4 Module 5 Module 6
University of
Brighton in
Eastbourne,
United Kingdom
University
College Sjælland
in Næstved,
Denmark
Amsterdam
University
of Applied
Sciences, The
Netherlands
Zurich University
of Applied
Sciences,
Switzerland
Karolinska
Institutet in
Stockholm,
Sweden
Own country
12 ECTS 12 ECTS 12 ECTS 12 ECTS 12 ECTS 30 ECTS
Week 2-13
Wk 3-4 in class
January
Week 14-25
Wk 16-17 in
class
April
Week 32-43
Wk 34-35 in
class
August
Week 45-6
Wk 47-48 in
class
November
Week 8-19
Wk 18 in class
April
Week 20-4
Wk 4 exam
January
Exploration of
concepts of
Occupation and
Research
Societal and
scientific
aspects of
Occupational
therapy &
Occupational
science
Scientific
reasoning
about Human
Occupation,
Diversity, Culture
and Participation
Enhancing
and evaluating
Occupational
Performance
Planning a
research project
placed within the
knowledge of the
discipline
Conducting a
research project
within an area of
the discipline
Assessment
Critical literature
review
Assessment
Position paper
Assessment
A report on a
small scale
qualitative study
Assessment
A report on a
small scale
quantitative
study
Assessment
Research design
Oral
presentation
Assessment
Thesis
Oral
presentation
Attending the European Masters of science in
Occupational Therapy as a student from Africa
By Sarah Matovu, MSc Occupational Therapist. Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Mafeteng Lesotho