11 - Finland - Curriculum

country: Finland

University Education

University degrees are regulated by Government Decree on University Degrees. The scopes of degrees are stipulated in the decree pertaining to degrees and the university degree regulations. Universities and their faculties decide on degree regulations and curricula.

The scope of first cycle degree, usually called the Bachelor’s degree is at least 180 ECTS, in other words, three years of full-time study. The minimum scope of the second cycle degree’, called the Master’s degree in most fields, is 300 ECTS, in other words, five years of full-time study (or 120 ECTS, in other words 2 years, after completing the Bachelor’s degree). The scope of Master’s degrees aimed at international use can be 90 ECTS.

In most fields, it is also possible to take a voluntary (postgraduate) Licentiate degree, which takes about two years after Master’s degree. The full-time studies for a Doctor’s degree take four years after the completion of a Master’s degree. In the fields of medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine, the higher academic degree is Licentiate. The studies take 5–6 years, and their scope is 300-360 ECTS. Studies have been organised into study units, the extent of which varies and which may include several types of work: lectures and other guided instruction, exercises or other independent work, set-book examinations, seminars and so on. In most fields, the study units form larger modules at three levels: basic or introductory studies, subject or intermediate studies and advanced studies.

The lower academic degree consists of basic and subject studies in the main subject (or degree programme), including a Bachelor’s thesis, and studies in one or more subsidiary subjects. For the higher degree, students must complete advanced studies in the main subject and prepare a Master’s thesis, in addition to the Bachelor’s programme. In the arts, the thesis may also be artistic proof of learning and skills. All students must complete courses in the native language, in the other national language and in one or two foreign languages. Degrees may also comprise either compulsory or optional practical training. In addition to the compulsory studies, students may include extra courses in their degree.

Universities also organise courses and modules in foreign languages (usually English). All universities have language centres that offer both compulsory and optional language courses in a variety of languages.

The degree structure has been renewed in all fields of study except medicine and dentistry. The new two-cycle degree system was adopted by Finnish universities in the academic year 2005-2006. Thus students would have to complete a bachelor’s degree (3 yrs) before they can begin to study for a Master’s degree (2 yrs). In the old system, even in the fields were it existed, the Bachelor-level degree was optional, and it was possible to proceed directly to a Master’s programme. In the transitional phase, until 2008, universities grant degrees according to both the old and the new system. At the same time, Finnish degrees were reformed to be compatible with the ECTS-based system.In the reform the present decrees governing university degrees will be revoked and replaced by one Government Decree on university degrees. Education leading to the officer’s degree at the National Defence College takes four years and consists of 160 credits. The degree programme includes a thesis and a period of about four months of inservice training. The postgraduate degree, the general staff officer’s degree, consists of a senior staff officer course (34 credits) and a general staff officer course (50 credits). The degree includes researcher training and an extensive thesis. The degree can be completed in about two years.

Professionally Oriented Higher Education

Studies leading to polytechnic degrees are organised as degree programmes, which may include different specialisation areas. The degree programmes are designed and organised by the institutions and are oriented towards some field of working life requiring professional expertise and development. The Ministry of Education confirms each degree programme, but the institutions themselves design the curricula.

The polytechnic degree programmes consist of basic and professional studies, optional studies, practical training to promote professional skills and a diploma project.

The Ministry of Education has usually confirmed the scope of the degree programmes as being equivalent to 210 or 240 ECTS credits (3½–4 years of full-time study). The degrees of midwife, musician, music pedagogue, maritime engineer and sea captain, however, have a scope of 270 ECTS credits. Finnish higher education institutions have determined the scopes of studies in terms of ECTS credits as from the beginning of the 2005/2006 academic year. One credit,, is equivalent to about 40 hours of student work; one academic year comprises approximately 60 ECTS. Full-time students must complete their studies within no more than one year over and above the standard duration of the studies, unless the institution makes a specific exception. The scope of polytechnic post-graduate degrees and in the future also upper polytechnic degrees will be 60-90 ECTS, cf. 6.1.2. and 6.3.. The scopes of degrees in polytechnic adult education are as for young people, but the time spent completing the studies is usually less, averaging 2.8 years.

Polytechnic studies are offered in other languages that Finnish and Swedish in all fields. The most common language of instruction is English. Polytechnics generally also have language centres that offer both compulsory and optional language courses in a variety of languages.

Since 1.8.2005, students have had the possibility to complete polytechnic Master's degree. These degrees are meant for people who have completed a polytechnic or any other applicable degree in higher education, and who have a minimum of three years of work experience. Polytechnic Master's degrees should amount to a minimum of one year and maximum of a year and a half of full-time study (60-90 ECTS). The degree can be concluded flexibly while working at the same time, and without having to leave the job market.

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Date: 2009
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