Social Field Degree equivalencies?

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rrothhav
Posts: 51
Joined: Mon Jul 12, 2010 2:47 am

Social Field Degree equivalencies?

Post by rrothhav » Sat Nov 30, 2013 10:29 am

Hello! I have just completed my degree recognition process and the Finnish Board of Education tells me that my American Bachelors Degree of Social Work is the same as a Finnish Bachelors Degree of Social Work from a University. Yay, 50,000 dollars made my American degree equivalent to a Finnish one!
Here's my question:
My Sosionomi friends have the AMK degree and are able to find interesting jobs that I would also feel more then capable of doing. Is it so that my BSW qualifies me to apply for these jobs as well?
I am currently a kindergarten teacher and I know very well that this a job I'm great at, but not however technically qualified to do. And they have said I can't be a social worker because Finnish social workers have a Masters degree.
Does anyone know if a BSW from a University can also fulfill the Sosionomi qualification?
I'm hoping to switch jobs since my employer can't legally give me a permanent contract, and after three years in Finland, its time for stability. ;)
And as the Masters degrees in Social Work are only in Finnish and I need three years work experience to apply, its a bit of a pickle.
Does anyone know if I can then be considered a sosionomi, a bachelors level social services worker?

Update: I was in fact studying at Diak Järvenpää for a year but then my school loans came through for America so I finished the last year of the Social Work Program online and transferred my Diak credits as I figured University had to be higher level then AMK.
Last edited by rrothhav on Sun Dec 01, 2013 12:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.



Social Field Degree equivalencies?

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rrothhav
Posts: 51
Joined: Mon Jul 12, 2010 2:47 am

Re: Social Field Degree equivalencies?

Post by rrothhav » Sat Nov 30, 2013 12:23 pm

Yeah I saw this! Very unfortunately the next intake is 2015, and I won't have the required work experience that it would take for the union to give me study support....
Maybe the 2017 one! But I need something in the meantime to gain work experience.

rrothhav
Posts: 51
Joined: Mon Jul 12, 2010 2:47 am

Re: Social Field Degree equivalencies?

Post by rrothhav » Sun Dec 01, 2013 11:48 am

Hi, yes I did see that, however again the intake is 2015.
And anyways, I want to know if as a Bachelors of Social Work I can work as a Sosionomi, because my plan was to learn Finnish well enough to do the Masters studies in Helsinki, or the the Masters from a Helsinki AMK but not now, in a few years.
I have a boyfriend, I can't just uproot my life (again) and move to Lapland, you know? So I'd just like to know if a BSW can be seen as equivalent to a AMK Sosionomi.


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