Decisions and guidelines

According to a decision taken by the Vice Chancellor 2017-06-21, Uppsala University will offer a Master's Programme in Sustainable Destination Development, 120 credits, from autumn semester 2018.

Entry requirements

Academic requirements

A Bachelor's degree, equivalent to a Swedish Kandidatexamen, from an internationally recognised university.

Language requirements

Proficiency in English equivalent to the Swedish upper secondary course English 6. This requirement can be met either by achieving the required score on an internationally recognised test, or by previous upper secondary or university studies in some countries. Detailed instructions on how to provide evidence of your English proficiency are available at universityadmissions.se.

Aims

After completion of the programme the student can receive a two-year master's degree within the main field of study sustainable destination management. The layout of the programme also gives the student the possibility to get a one-year master´s degree after one year of studies. The programme will give the student the knowledge, skills and competences required for a qualified working life within the sector of sustainable destination development. The programme will give the students insights into how sustainable development can be achieved at the intersection between sustainability and destination development, with consideration taken to both regional needs and needs within the tourism industry. The programme will give employability within public development and strategic work as well as administration, in particular regarding natural- and cultural resources. In addition the programme gives employability within public and private destination management organisations, and within business development-, sustainability- and Corporate Social Responsibility work within regional, national and international corporations within the tourism industry and within public administration. The programme also gives competences to start and run tourism companies all over the world in tourism intensive regions.

The programme has three different specialisations and the students choose two of these: "Applied heritage politics", Sustainable nature-based destinations" and "Entrepreneurship for destination development". The programme connects to current research within the field of sustainable destination management, which gives good possibilities for the student to continue with doctoral studies. The degree project will be conducted within the fields of the specialisations. Graduated students are expected to work both nationally and internationally within the private and public sector as well as within academia.

Learning outcomes

According to the Higher Education Act, the following applies for second-cycle studies:

Second-cycle studies shall be based fundamentally on the knowledge acquired by students during first-cycle courses and study programmes, or its equivalent.

Second-cycle studies shall involve the acquisition of specialist knowledge, aptitudes and accomplishments in relation to first-cycle courses and study programmes, and in addition to the requirements for first-cycle courses and study programmes shall:

• further develop the ability of students to integrate and make autonomous use of their knowledge,
• develop the students' ability to deal with complex phenomena, issues and situations, and
• develop the students' potential for professional activities that demand considerable autonomy, or for research and development work.

Ordinance (2006:173).Objectives for a Degree of Master (120 credits) according to the Higher Education Ordinance, System of Qualifications.

Knowledge and understanding

For a Degree of Master (120 credits) students must

• demonstrate knowledge and understanding in their main field of study, including both broad knowledge in the field and substantially deeper knowledge of certain parts of the field, together with deeper insight into current research and development work; and
• demonstrate deeper methodological knowledge in their main field of study.

Skills and abilities

For a Degree of Master (120 credits) students must

• demonstrate an ability to critically and systematically integrate knowledge and to analyse, assess and deal with complex phenomena, issues and situations, even when limited information is available;
• demonstrate an ability to critically, independently and creatively identify and formulate issues and to plan and, using appropriate methods, carry out advanced tasks within specified time limits, so as to contribute to the development of knowledge and to evaluate this work;
• demonstrate an ability to clearly present and discuss their conclusions and the knowledge and arguments behind them, in dialogue with different groups, orally and in writing, in national and international contexts; and
• demonstrate the skill required to participate in research and development work or to work independently in other advanced contexts.

Judgement and approach

For a Degree of Master (120 credits) students must

• demonstrate an ability to make assessments in their main field of study, taking into account relevant scientific, social and ethical aspects, and demonstrate an awareness of ethical aspects of research and development work;
• demonstrate insight into the potential and limitations of science, its role in society and people’s responsibility for how it is used; and
• demonstrate an ability to identify their need of further knowledge and to take responsibility for developing their knowledge.

Within the framework of the learning outcomes stated in the Higher Education Ordinance, the students within the main field of study for the programme shall be able to:

• Display deep understanding for the complex systems and contexts within which destination development takes place, and be able to analyse these in a cross-border way in relation to the different dimensions of sustainability; the economical, the ecological and the social (K, S, J)
• Analyse and evaluate destination development and sustainability to gain nuanced and many-faceted understanding of possible problem solving for future destination development (K, S)
• Use ethical competence, create nuanced images of, specify, apply, negotiate and create consensus among a variety of stakeholders regarding values, principles, goals and visions for sustainable destination development (S, J)
• Think strategically, design and implement interventions, transitions, transformative management and innovations for sustainable destination development with consideration of various stakeholders and their needs (K, S)
• Cooperate and create a positive learning environment, and motivate and support common exploration of and problem solving for sustainable destination development, and display very good skills in communicating orally and in writing with a number of stakeholders (S, J)

K is for Knowledge and understanding, S is for Skills and abilities and J is for Judgement and approach.

Layout of the programme

The interdisciplinary programme in sustainable destination development has a layout with common courses for all students of the programme, and with three specialisations, from which the students choose. The common courses are an introduction to sustainable destination development, and advanced destination development (year 1 and 2 respectively), a project course and a method course, each of 7.5 credits. To that come 15 credits optional courses, or a 15 credits degree project, and a concluding degree project of 30 credits.

The två selective specialisations are:

• Sustainable nature-based destinations
• Entrepreneurship for destination development

These specialisations are 22.5 credits each and the students get essentially deepened knowledge within the chosen fields. The students choose two of these specialisations, and take the first year 1 and the second year 2. The degree project synthesizes the themes of the two specialisations.

The teaching is to a large part interactive with practical exercises. The layout of the courses gives the students both relevant knowledge, specialisation within chosen fields, and skills to practice their knowledge within sustainable destination development. The students contribute with their respective subject background and experiences in individual- and group work. This provides valuable training for working life.

The course content within all specialisations is adapted to suit possible doctoral studies as well as professional activity within corporations and authorities. Critical thinking and writing skills are essential parts of the programme and are important in professional life. These skills are applied in an independent degree project of at least 30 credits, which can be conducted within the university, at a company or an authority.

Instruction

The teaching of the master programme build upon the different experiences and the knowledge that the students bring into the interdisciplinary education. The students are expected to participate and contribute actively to the teaching and take great responsibility for his or her-own, as well as the other students´, learning. The teachers of the programme have the main responsibility to create good conditions for active individual and collective learning. The teaching is designed and continuously developed through a respectful dialogue between teacher and students, where all contribute to renewal and mutual learning.

The teaching is based on student active pedagogy, and forms of teaching in the programme are lectures, seminars, study visits, problem based- and case exercises, research based problems and project works. In a project course the students practice and apply the knowledge gained during previous courses for analysis, leadership and communication. In the project course and in the degree project the students will work with current issues of tourism industry- and/or regional development, to find concrete solutions. The students will therefore already during the education meet the reality outside the classroom and put their knowledge into practice.

Written and oral communication training occurs during the entire programme to give the students good communicative skills. The language of instruction is English.

Degree

Upon request, a student who has received a pass grade in a course is to receive a course certificate from the higher education institution. Upon request, a student who meets the requirements for a qualification is to receive a diploma from the higher education institution.

A Degree of Master is a so called general degree, which means that the student achieve the degree in its main subject according to the criteria below, regardless of the courses being part of the program or not, therefore there is a possibility also to include single subject courses in the degree.

Regulations according to Higher Education Ordinance

A Degree of Master (120 credits) is obtained after the student has completed course requirements of 120 higher education credits with a certain area of specialisation determined by each higher education institution itself, including at least 60 higher education credits with in-depth studies in the main field of study. In addition, the student must hold a Degree of Bachelor, a Degree of Bachelor of Arts in…, a professional degree worth at least 180 higher education credits or an equivalent foreign qualification.

For a Degree of Master (120 credits) students must have completed an independent project (degree project) worth at least 30 higher education credits in their main field of study, within the framework of the course requirements. The independent project may comprise less than 30 higher education credits, but not less than 15 higher education credits, if the student has already completed an independent project at the second level worth at least 15 higher education credits in their main field of study, or an equivalent project in a foreign educational programme.

A Degree of Master (60 credits) is obtained after the student has completed course requirements of 60 higher education credits with a certain area of specialisation determined by each higher education institution itself, including at least 30 higher education credits with in-depth studies in the main field of study. In addition, the student must hold a Degree of Bachelor, a Degree of Bachelor of Arts in…, a professional degree worth at least 180 higher education credits or an equivalent foreign qualification.

For a Degree of Master (60 credits) students must have completed an independent project (degree project) worth at least 15 higher education credits in their main field of study, within the framework of the course requirements.

Local regulations

A Degree of Master (60 credits) may, except for courses on advanced level, contain one or several courses on basic level comprising not more than 15 higher education credits. A degree of Master (120 credits) may, except for courses on advanced level, contain one or several courses on basic level comprising not more than 30 higher education credits. The course or the courses are meant to provide such additional competence as is needed for in-depth studies in the main field of study and cannot be included in the student’s basic degree.

For a Degree of Master (120 credits) students must have completed an independent project (degree project) worth at least 30 higher education credits.

Other directives

In order to be admitted to a later part of the programme the student must:

• fulfil the general and specific entry requirements for the programme.
• have 15 credits of courses relevant to the programme, at Master's (advanced) level, in addition to the Bachelor's degree.
• have sufficient prior knowledge to be able to follow the programme at the level at which the student is admitted, which means that the student is able to study at least 15 credits from the programme outline (for the semester to which the student is admitted). The other 15 credits are specified in the individual study plan.

All points above must be satisfied, and the courses completed (modules do not count), at the latest by the deadline for supporting documentation of qualifications (see below). Students can only be admitted to a later part of a programme or a specialisation within a programme if there are available places in the programme in the semester in question.

An individual study plan for the first semester should be established by the programme study counsellor.

For studies starting the autumn semester the application period is 15 March - 15 April. Supporting documentation of qualification for the application may be submitted no later than 1 June (for autumn semester). For studies starting the spring semester the application period is 15 September - 15 October. Supporting documentation of qualification for the application may be submitted not later than 1 December (for spring semester). If the specified dates for the application deadline or completion date fall on a public holiday, the deadline is postponed to the nearest following weekday. After the last application day, it is possible to submit a late application until the beginning of the semester. Late applications will be handled in the order they are received.

If the number of applicants is larger than the number of available places according to the dimensioning applicable, the selection criterion of average grade on prerequisite courses from a higher education institution (courses relevant to the programme) is used.