Creativity and Arts in Social and Health Fields, Master's Degree

Degree
Master of Culture and Arts / Master of Health Care and/or Social Services
Extent
60 - 90 ECTS
Duration
1 - 1.5 years
Mode of studies
Language
English
Price
Tuition fees might apply

Studies

What is it like to study Creativity and Arts in Social and Health Fields

See our student Jonna's experience of studying Creativity and Arts in Social and Health Fields in Metropolia.

Why Study Creativity and Arts in Social and Health Fields with Us?

Creativity and Arts in Social and Health Fields (shorter CRASH) is a transdisciplinary Master’s degree programme aimed at professionals in the fields of culture and arts, social services and health.

Creativity and different ways to express it, as well as cultural activities and arts related experiences, belong to all people as part of a good and meaningful life. The aim of CRASH degree programme is to strengthen the professional competences needed when promoting health, well-being, inclusion and a sense of community in society through creativity and arts.

Upon graduation, students are able to reflect in a new way on the importance of creativity in human life and to reconstruct working practices from this perspective. The studies are designed to combine expertise from different fields locally and internationally, as well as to strengthen multidisciplinary and international collaboration skills of professionals.

How studies are carried out?

The education is carried out as blended learning. You will study together with a diverse group of professionals from fields related to culture, arts, social services and health care.

A special feature of the CRASH degree programme is the multidisciplinary collaboration initiated already in the application phase and carried out through the studies. Expert lectures, workshops, projects and group work with peers, as well as supervision support your learning. There are approximately four contact-teaching days a month, some of which are carried out with remote connection.

In the application phase, the applicants present their preliminary development / thesis idea, which will be further developed at the beginning of the studies. The aim is to build multidisciplinary partnerships combining the fields of culture, health care and social services.

Lectures, seminars, workshops and study materials are mainly in English. However, Finnish can be used as a support language and some written assignments can be prepared in Finnish as well.

The underlying premise of the CRASH programme is to foster a unique forum for co-creation and togetherness. In practice, community-building is emphasised throughout the studies, and students must commit to working together with others and actively participate in live and online teaching. The studies are advanced-level and rely on phenomenon-based learning.

What Will You Study?

The content of the degree program in CRASH is based on development processes (multidisciplinary project, research methodology studies and thesis), advanced-level professional studies in the theme of creativity, culture, art and well-being, as well as elective studies.

Future Career Prospects

The graduates are professionals in using creativity and arts in social and health fields. They are able to utilize the opportunities of creativity to support people's lives and well-being, promote the realization of cultural rights, evaluate the effectiveness of activities as well as reconstruct professional practices, structures and thinking.

The Master's degree in Creativity and Arts in Social and Health Fields CRASH provides strong competences to act as a developer, innovator, expert and leader in using creativity and arts in various operating environments in social and health fields. It also gives you competences to work in expert positions in the social and health sector as well as in the field of arts and culture, both nationally and internationally. In working life, you can act as a bold innovator of multidisciplinary practices in solutions related to health, well-being, creativity and inclusion.

See also: Laura Huhtinen-Hildén & co: What does it mean to use culture and arts in social and health fields? (article in Finnish, YP-lehti blog)

Lecturers

The study programme is enriched by the participation of international guest lecturers in addition to its regular teaching staff.

Degree Titles

Please note that this education alone doesn’t provide a qualification to work in the regulated professions in social and health fields for students from the fields of culture. The Finnish translation of the degree title will be one of the following:

Culture and Arts:

  • Musiikkipedagogi (ylempi AMK)
  • Muusikko (ylempi AMK)
  • Kulttuurituottaja (ylempi AMK)
  • Medianomi (ylempi AMK)
  • Muotoilija (ylempi YAMK)
  • Vestonomi (ylempi AMK)
  • Konservaattori (ylempi AMK)

Social and Health fields:

  • Apuvälineteknikko (ylempi AMK)
  • Bioanalyytikko (ylempi AMK)
  • Fysioterapeutti (ylempi AMK)
  • Geronomi (ylempi AMK)
  • Jalkaterapeutti (ylempi AMK)
  • Kätilö (ylempi AMK)
  • Optometristi (ylempi AMK)
  • Osteopaatti (ylempi AMK)
  • Röntgenhoitaja (ylempi AMK)
  • Sairaanhoitaja (ylempi AMK)
  • Sosionomi (ylempi AMK)
  • Suuhygienisti (ylempi AMK)
  • Terveydenhoitaja (ylempi AMK)
  • Toimintaterapeutti (ylempi AMK)
  • Ensihoitaja (ylempi AMK)

Application

Spring Joint Application for the English Degree Programmes:

  • 7 January 2026 - 21 January 2026

Separate Application on the Basis of Finnish Higher Education Studies

  • 1 May - 15 May 2026

Transfer Application

  • 1 May - 15 May 2026

Application instructions will be published on this website.

We will organize an online Q&A session on Wednesday 7 January 2026 at 8 - 9.00 a.m.
Join us online to ask about applying and learn more about CRASH-studies. Event Zoom-link.

Ask more about applying

Mai
Salmenkangas
Senior Lecturer
Mai.Salmenkangas [at] metropolia.fi

Senior Lecturer

Sanna
Kivijärvi
Senior Lecturer
Sanna.Kivijarvi [at] metropolia.fi

Principal Lecturer

Laura
Huhtinen-Hilden
Principal Lecturer
Laura.Huhtinen-Hilden [at] metropolia.fi

Head of Degree Programme

Jukka
Väisänen
Senior Lecturer
Jukka.Vaisanen [at] metropolia.fi

Scholarships and tuition fees

This fee applies only to non-EU/EEA degree students. Annual tuition fee 12 500 € for those, whose right of study starts after 31 July 2024

There is no tuition fee for EU/EEA students.

Read more on tuition fees

Read about scholarships

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You will receive information 1–3 times a year about our Master's degree programmes, application schedules, and studying with us.

Applying

  • Application period
    -
    Start of studies
    autumn 2026
    • Culture
    • Health Care and Social Services

    Instructions for applying

    In the spring 2026 Joint Application 1 to higher education, you can apply to degree programmes that start in the autumn of 2026. The application period starts on the 7 January 2026 at 8 am and ends on the 21 January 2026 at 3 pm (local time in Finland).

    All the information needed to apply can be found on the national Studyinfo.fi portal. At Studyinfo.fi you can find descriptions of degree programmes, application criteria, application instructions, application forms and much more.

    Application fee

    Applicants who are not citizens of the EU, EEA or Switzerland are required to pay an application fee in order to apply to higher education studies. The application fee of 100 euros is collected for applicants from countries outside EU/EEA seeking education leading to a degree in higher education. The Finnish National Agency of Education will collect the application fee in connection with filling in the Studyinfo application form. There is no application fee for Finnish or EU citizens.

    The application fee does not guarantee that you will be offered admission to studies. The application fee is not refunded if you cancel your application or are not offered admission.

    More about application fee in Studyinfo.fi.
    Questions about application fees? Contact applicationfee [at] oph.fi (applicationfee[at]oph[dot]fi)

  • Application period
    -
    Start of studies
    autumn 2026
    • Culture
    • Health Care and Social Services

    The transfer application is aimed at all students enrolled in studies leading to a Finnish higher education degree and:

    • who wish to transfer their study rights from one Finnish higher education institution to Metropolia so that the degree title remains the same or changes
      OR
    • who wish to transfer their study rights within Metropolia from one degree programme to another, so that the degree title changes.

    Students transferring within Metropolia in such a way that the degree title remains the same, are not considered as "transfer students" and have their own separate application procedure available on Metropolia's Students' Guide. Please note that it is not possible to transfer from abroad.

    Students applying for a transfer should note that their maximum study period or the period for which they are entitled to receive student financial aid will not be extended due to the transfer. The maximum study period is calculated from the date on which the student accepted the study place in the previous higher education institution.

    All the information needed to apply can be found on the national Studyinfo.fi portal. At Studyinfo.fi you can find descriptions of degree programmes, application criteria, application instructions, application forms and much more.

    Application fee

    Applicants who are not citizens of the EU, EEA or Switzerland are required to pay an application fee in order to apply to higher education studies. The application fee of 100 euros is collected for applicants from countries outside EU/EEA seeking education leading to a degree in higher education. The Finnish National Agency of Education will collect the application fee in connection with filling in the Studyinfo application form. There is no application fee for Finnish or EU citizens.

    The application fee does not guarantee that you will be offered admission to studies. The application fee is not refunded if you cancel your application or are not offered admission.

    More about application fee in Studyinfo.fi.
    Questions about application fees? Contact applicationfee [at] oph.fi (applicationfee[at]oph[dot]fi)

  • Application period
    -
    Start of studies
    autumn 2026
    • Culture
    • Health Care and Social Services

    The Application on the Basis of Finnish Higher Education Studies is aimed at those who have completed higher education studies in Finland. The completed studies must be accreditable to the degree programme to which you are applying in accordance with the curriculum of the degree programme. When applying for a master's degree, your studies must in principle be from the corresponding level (master’s degree / EQF7 level). Read the selection criteria; the required credit points (ECTS) and other possible threshold conditions are mentioned in the student selection criteria on Studyinfo. Studies are taken into account regardless of whether they have been completed as open studies or in education leading to a degree, or whether the right to study is valid or has expired.

    Application period: 4 May 2026 8:00 am - 31 October 2026, all times refer to local time in Finland.

    In flexible admission (i.e. rolling admission) the study places are filled in the order in which applications are received, so that all applicants who meet all the student selection requirements are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis until the application ends or the study places are filled.

    All the information needed to apply can be found on the national Studyinfo.fi portal. At Studyinfo.fi you can find descriptions of degree programmes, application criteria, application instructions, application forms and much more.

    Note: Many degree programmes accept applications on a continuous basis. However, applicants who are required to pay tuition fees should carefully consider the timing of their application. In most cases, it is not advisable to begin studies in the middle of a term (either autumn or spring), as tuition fees cannot be paid for only part of the term. For this reason, it is generally best to apply well in advance of the start of the term, so that studies can commence from the very beginning.

    Application fee

    There is an application fee of 100 euros. The application fee is collected for applicants from countries outside EU/EEA seeking education leading to a degree in higher education. The Finnish National Agency of Education will collect the application fee in connection with filling in the Studyinfo application form. There is no application fee for Finnish or EU citizens.

    More about application fee in Studyinfo.fi.
    Questions about application fees? Contact applicationfee [at] oph.fi (applicationfee[at]oph[dot]fi)

    The application fee does not guarantee that you will be offered admission to studies. The application fee is not refunded if you cancel your application or are not offered admission.

More information on the application process

Tel. +358 9 7424 5902, Mon-Wed 10 am – 12 pm

Leave your question with a form

See all contact details for Admission Services

Starting studies

Welcome to study for a degree at Metropolia!

Congratulations! You have been admitted to Metropolia University of Applied Sciences and we are delighted to have you as a new member of our vibrant community of more than 16 000 students!

You have made an excellent choice - Metropolia offers you unique multidisciplinary opportunities throughout your studies with its strong connections to working life and active role in innovations built around socially significant phenomena.

We are happy to have you with us and help you with any questions you might have. Welcome to Metropolia!

The below information applies to students who have been accepted to study for a full degree at Metropolia. Make sure to complete all the steps in order to secure your study place.

Starting CRASH studies 2026

Welcome to study in Master's Degree Programme in Creativity and Arts in Social and Health Fields (CRASH)!

Compulsory orientation day 2026

  • Thursday 27 August, 9AM–3PM: Lectures, workshops, practical orientation, getting to know your fellow students and the teaching staff (live, Arabia Campus, Soiva: Muotoilijankatu 1B, Helsinki, room AS102)

Schedule for studies

Studies will be organized mainly on Thursdays and Fridays between 9 AM – 3 PM. There will be approximately 4-5 contact teaching days a month during the autumn 2026 and spring 2027 semesters. The final semester (autumn 2027) will mainly center around independent work and advising meetings regarding the master’s thesis.

Please note: as part of mandatory studies, all CRASH students will participate in a Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) organised together with three European universities. Please make sure to make space for the BIP Programme in your calendar. If joining the BIP programme will not be possible due to force majeure reasons, an independent study option will be provided. However, please utilise this option only if absolutely necessary.

Studies are scheduled as follows (changes may occur):

Teaching days, autumn 2026

Please note: days marked with * are reserved only for students in the Social and Health track. Students in the Arts and Culture track may choose the course as an elective, if they wish.

When we meet face to face, it will take place at the Myllypuro Campus or at the Arabia Campus in Helsinki.

August

  • Thu 27 Aug (live)
  • Fri 28 Aug (live)
  • Mon 31 Aug individual study plan discussions, approx. 20 min/student (online, Zoom) The schedule for the ISP discussions will be shared, and amendments can be made on Thursday August 27.

September

  • Fri 4 Sept (online)
  • Thu 17 Sept (live)
  • Fri 18 Sept (live)*

October

  • Thu 1 Oct (live)
  • Fri 2 Oct (online)
  • Thu 22 Oct (online)
  • Fri 23 Oct (live)*

November

  • Thu 5 Nov (online)
  • Fri 6 Nov (online)
  • Thu 19 Nov (online) (morning 9AM–12PM only for social and health track students, afternoon 1PM onwards for everyone)
  • [Fri 20 Nov (online) BIP related check / can be cancelled if considered unnecessary]
  • Sun 22 Nov -– Sat 28 Nov (live) Blended Intensive Programme week

December

  • Thu 3 Dec (online)
  • Fri 4 Dec (live)*
  • Thu 10 Dec (live)
  • Fri 11 Dec (live)

As some changes may occur, please carefully check the final schedule before the semester starts. Information about how to orientate yourself to the studies will be shared with new students through e-mail.