Demographic changes are progressing and present new challenges for our societies, politics, the economy, and health systems. Do you want to be part of the effort to address these challenges and contribute to a brighter future for our community and society? The European Joint Master’s programme “Active Ageing and Age-friendly Society, may be a perfect fit for you!
The interdisciplinary and international Joint Master’s programme “Active Ageing and Age-Friendly Society” (EMMA) is conducted by five partner universities: Carinthia University of Applied Sciences (CUAS), from Austria, which is also the coordinator of the joint programme, the University of Lisbon (UniLisbon), from Portugal, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), from Greece, University College Cork (UCC), from Ireland, and Karelia University of Applied Sciences (KareliaUAS), from Finland.
The Joint Programme EMMA addresses the effects of demographic change by offering interdisciplinary and transnational studies. Studies in EMMA prepare you to develop and implement innovative models on ageing and promote future-oriented concepts of Active Ageing and an Age-Friendly Society.
Curriculum
The contents of the EMMA Joint Programme emerged from the Erasmus+ Cooperation Partnership Project EMMA (2020 – 2023), which was co-funded by the European Union (see Kuisma & Timonen 2024).
The curriculum combines interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches of ageing research, including areas such as social sciences, politics, economics, technology, and health, in both theory and practice. Students acquire in-depth knowledge and critical perspectives on active ageing and societal changes associated with demographic shifts. These skills help to face the effects of demographic change and to shape the future.
Contents of the Curriculum of the Joint Programme EMMA:
60 ECTS Core Modules:
- Transdisciplinarity in Active Ageing
- Research Methodology in Active Ageing
- Dissertation/Master Thesis, Master Thesis Seminar and Difensio
15 ECTS Core of Choice Modules (three out of four, depending on prior education):
- Physical, Psychological and Cognitive Ageing Processes
- Social Dimensions of Active Ageing
- Promoting Healthy and Active Ageing
- Technology for Active and Healthy Ageing
45 ECTS Elective Modules (three out of six):
- Advanced Technology and Ageing
- Advanced Skills in Research and Entrepreneurship
- Ecological sustainability and ageing
- Advanced Health Promotion
- Economics and Ageing
- Advanced Social Dimensions of Active Ageing
EMMA for students
The Joint Programme EMMA offers you the opportunity to acquire valuable skills that are in high demand across various professional fields – from business, economy and technology to fields of social work, administration, politics and public health. The career prospects are diverse and future-oriented. EMMA offers you:
- Active Ageing and Age-Friendly Society as central concepts of the programme
- In-depth knowledge of ageing in interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary perspectives
- Expertise in designing and implementing future concepts of active ageing
- Essential knowledge in the field of interdisciplinary ageing research
- Individual specialization through four core of choice modules and six elective modules
- Practice-oriented teaching that combines theoretical learning with real-world applications from international teachers
- Teachers and researchers from a wide variety of disciplines: social sciences, health sciences, economics, technology, architecture, etc.
- Intergenerational approaches to understand Active Ageing and Age Friendly Society in a broader context
- Flexible study model: The EMMA Master offers a study model that can be tailored to your individual needs: It is 100% online with synchronous and asynchronous elements. It includes 1 on-site intensive week in the 3rd semester at CUAS in Carinthia, Austria. Teacher and peer-to-peer support are included.
Who can apply for EMMA?
The programme is offered globally. Admission requirements for the EMMA Programme include a Bachelor’s degree in social sciences, Health Sciences, Technological Sciences, Sport Sciences, Economic Sciences and related fields or equivalent ECTS Level 6 qualification (see here for details).
Start of studies and admission
The start of the Joint Programme EMMA will be in the winter semester 2025, when a minimum number of students is reached and the Master’s programme has been positively accredited by A3ES (Agency for Assessment and Accreditation of Higher Education).
Student admissions are handled directly by the coordinator CUAS of the Master’s programme and the process is defined by the EMMA Scientific Board, which will consider the student’s previous qualifications, language proficiency and motivation in deciding on admission and referral. Applicants apply for admission to the EMMA Master Programme by completing the online application form, following the guide for applicants available on the EMMA Master Programme website, and uploading the required documents.
Student fees
Student fees (tuition fees) cover mandatory administrative/operating expenses related to student participation in the programme and the administration of the EMMA Master Programme. Regular tuition fee for the EMMA Master is 12.810 € for the study circle 2025/2026. Additional costs may arise for diploma fees or repeating semesters.
Read more about the EMMA Joint Programme on the website of the CUAS.
References:
Carinthia University of Applied Sciences, 2025. Active Ageing and Age Friendly Society
Kuisma, R. & Timonen, L. 2024. The European Master in Active Ageing and Age-friendly Society (EMMA): Final Report. Karelia University of Applied Sciences. https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-275-425-7
Text:
Terhi Myller, PhD, principal lecturer at Karelia University of Applied Sciences