Graduate Schools
At the
beginning of 1995 a new graduate school system was launched in Finland
to activate and to complement the traditional, researcher education
which was based highly on independent research. Most graduate schools
have been set up in co-operation between several universities and
research institutes. Most full-time postgraduate students study at
graduate schools. All universities are involved in the graduate school
system.
The Academy of Finland supports the graduate schools
nominated by the Ministry of Education by funding researcher training
courses as well as domestic and foreign travel by doctoral students.
The
graduate schools are linked with centres of excellence in research,
high-quality research projects, or nationally comprehensive and
scientifically wide-ranging co-operation networks. In addition to
universities, research institutes and enterprises participate in the
programmes. An important part of the instruction, which is jointly
organised, is formed by national and international intensive courses.
The graduate schools offer improved opportunities for full-time study.
It is hoped that this intensified researcher training will lower the
age of doctoral candidates, which would, among other things, promote
their employment prospects in the private sector. In 1998 the
operations of the graduate schools were evaluated and deemed to be
functioning well.
Open University Instruction
Adult
education provided by universities is mainly arranged at universities’
continuing education centres with an average annual number of 200,000
students. In 2004, 95,209 students attended continuing education
courses and 57,986 open university, (Finnish: avoin yliopisto, Swedish:
öppen universitetsundervisning) courses. Each university has a continuing education centre.
The
main purpose of continuing education is to provide academically
educated people with an opportunity to update their knowledge and
skills or to acquire new professional skills or qualifications. This
education also focuses on the application of the knowledge obtained
through the latest academic research and of the methods and models
based on the most recent scientific ideas. In addition, the provision
of education and training arranged on the basis of labour policy
considerations is one of the major tasks of continuing education
centres.
Open university education corresponds with
universities’ undergraduate education in terms of course contents and
requirements. Over 50% of students in open universities are women.
There are no formal admissions requirements in this form of education.
Open university education provides forms and models of study, which
diverge from the traditional; the teaching methods applied make it
possible to study irrespective of location. Open university education
is provided by continuing education centres, other university
organisations and various adult education institutions. One third of
all open university education is provided in the form of distance
learning, which utilises electronic communications complemented by
tutoring to ensure the efficient progress of studies.
It is not
possible to take degrees at the open university, but students, who are
subsequently granted the right to study a corresponding field at a
university, are entitled to get credit for the studies they have
completed at the open university.
Vocational specialization
studies are large-scale programs for further education training, based
on polytechnic degrees. Their scope is from 30 to 60 ECTS.
It
has been possible to study in open polytechnics since 1997, and all
polytechnics present this opportunity. The studies conducted there are
the same studies that are included in the polytechnic degree programme.
In 2004, approximately 13,000 students attended open polytechnics.
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