Fachhochschule Kärnten - Spittal an der Drau

Double Degree Program - Double Impact /Health Management / FH Kärnten & JAMK

The Double Degree Program strengthens the European dimension in higher education, promotes international networking, and offers practical insights into health and social care in Austria & Finland.

Participants of the Spring School 2025 in Carinthia

Objectives

The Double Degree Program (DDP) in the Master’s degree in Health Management at FH Kärnten, in cooperation with JAMK University of Applied Sciences in Finland, aims to strengthen the European dimension in the education of future professionals and leaders in health and social care. This inclusive and innovative initiative of the Master’s programs in Health Management and Social Work offers students international perspectives on health and social systems and prepares them for a career in a globalized work environment. A special focus lies on integrating international study experiences within the part-time format of the curriculum. Especially for working professionals who cannot spend an entire semester abroad, the program offers a flexible and practice-oriented alternative: two blended intensive weeks – the Summer School in Jyväskylä (2nd semester) and the Spring School in Klagenfurt (4th semester) – as well as a broad range of online courses enable well-planned international experiences. The program is complemented by an English-language master’s thesis supervised by supervisors from both universities, as well as an optional one to two-week internship in Finland. The DDP comprises 30 ECTS, is fully integrated into the curricula, and is offered annually with a limited number of participants for voluntary enrollment. The intensive weeks combine theoretical input with excursions to best-practice organizations. All parts of the DDP are conducted in English. Regular Health Management students who do not complete the entire DDP may also voluntarily participate in the Summer School in Jyväskylä. The Spring School is a mandatory component for all Health Management students at FH Kärnten and is also open for JAMK students to participate voluntarily, regardless of DDP enrollment.

Background

The starting point for the Double Degree Program (DDP) was established over ten years ago through the personal contacts of Andrea Stitzel within the framework of joint research projects with the Finnish university JAMK. This collaboration laid the foundation for a sustainable program aimed at providing students from both institutions with international and intercultural competencies. The development of the program involved key stakeholders from both universities— including faculty members, administrative staff, and students—as well as external practice partners who contribute through excursions and student research projects. The close cooperation between the universities and continuous coordination with involved organizations enables a practice-oriented design of the curriculum. Internal framework conditions such as FH Kärnten’s strategic focus on international networking and interdisciplinary teaching, as well as the provision of resources for organizing the Blended Intensive Weeks, support the successful implementation of the program. External factors include differing national higher education regulations and accreditation requirements, which must be taken into account in the program design. Additionally, current developments in the health and social care sectors shape the program’s content. The university supports this good practice example by providing organizational backing, promoting mobility initiatives, and fostering collaboration between faculty members from both institutions. Regular meetings and joint teaching activities during the Blended Intensive Weeks ensure ongoing exchange and continuous development of the program.

(Implemented) Activities

Selected Activity: The Spring School (Blended Intensive Week – 5 ECTS) is a central activity within the Double Degree program and takes place annually in the 4th semester at FH Kärnten in Klagenfurt. The Spring School brings together master’s students from the Health Management program and JAMK students from various fields of study for an inspiring week full of exchange, diversity, and new perspectives. Not only do students travel here, but faculty members also visit each other annually to contribute to the program, exchange ideas, and collaboratively further develop the program and teaching. During this intensive week, students engage with topics related to culture, diversity, and different perspectives in health and social care. The goal is to develop a deeper understanding of transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary work — especially within an international and diverse group of participants. A special focus is placed on the Austrian health and social care system, which is made tangible through theoretical inputs and excursions to best-practice examples. Students thus gain practical insights into proven models and solutions. The thematic focus of the Spring School changes slightly each year, but what always remains the same is the concept of integrated health and social care. This represents a holistic approach in which medical-nursing, psychological, rehabilitative, and social support services — such as housing or work integration — are coordinated and connected in a needs-based way. Thus, the Spring School not only promotes professional knowledge but also fosters exchange across countries and disciplines, offering a space for joint reflection, networking, and the further development of innovative approaches for practice.

Results

The concept of the Double Degree Program (DDP) was newly revised in 2023 from Magdalena Collins, to better include part-time students and to ensure an improved science-practice transfer. In particular, theoretical scientific inputs are to be more strongly linked with practical examples—such as through excursions to selected organizations or through student research projects. One result of this revision is that in the winter semester 2024, twice as many students from Finland applied for the DDP in Austria as there were available places. Furthermore, in the following spring of 2025, the number of participants in the Spring School (both mandatory and voluntary) was higher than ever before since the DDP was introduced in the study programs.

Lessons learned

One of the biggest challenges is to effectively support the large number of students with diverse professional background during the Blended Intensive Week while simultaneously promoting both small group work and personal interaction among students within the larger group. We achieve this through careful planning of the pre-tasks for the Spring School, which students complete in advance to prepare them optimally for the content. Furthermore, it is important to carefully select the practical organizations for excursions and to plan these organizationally in advance to avoid disrupting the daily operations of the institutions despite the large number of participants. At the start of the Spring School, we additionally introduced the format “Spring Social – connecting cultures, sharing stories” on the first morning. This allows students to network intentionally and engage in cultural exchange, supported by an academic framework. This approach also aims to lower language barriers in an accessible way. A culinary welcome in the form of a buffet featuring Austrian specialties rounds off the introduction and creates a pleasant atmosphere. At the end of the Spring School, the annual format “Looking Back, Moving Forward: Lessons Learned of Spring School 20xx” takes place. Here, we reflect together with the students on their learning experiences and record the results. These insights directly feed into the planning of the next Spring School to continuously improve the program.

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