OPO.Doc Where Do I Find Information? (National Board Of
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Where do I find information? www.oph.fi (National Board of Education) in Swe, Fin or English www.ammattinetti.fi The ministry of labour www.mol.fi/avo www.koulutusnetti.fi/koulutusnetti/ (search for an education or a university in Finnish or Swedish) or go to Æ” linkit” www.opintoluotsi.fi/en-GB/ Study in the US: www.fulbright.fi US and SAT tests: collegeapps.about.com/?once=true& Career profiles: www.collegeboard.com/html/careerbrowser.html In the UK: www.britishcouncil.fi/education/education-sessions.htm www.ucas.ac.uk/ In Sweden: www.syoguiden.com/ plenty of information about related things + tests www.studera.nu Abroad in general: www.cimo.fi www.maailmalle.net/Resource.phx/maailmalle/lisatietoja/julkaisut.htx IBO pages http://ibo.org/diploma/recognition/directory/index.cfm http://ibo.org/universities/listalluniversities.cfm?country_name=U.K. what you need in uni http://www.hse.fi/EN/themes/t1/wellbeing/skills/ (kauppis_study skills) http://www.howtostudy.org/overview.php (how to study?) http://www.ucc.vt.edu/stdyhlp.html (study skills) http://www.ib-source.com/title_info.php?id=3167 (IB books) http://www.anagnosis.gr/index.php?pageID=40&la=eng (IB books) OPO.doc Education in Finland is free of charge at all levels when it leads to a qualification. Expenses may, however, arise from accommodation, meals, travelling, study materials, as well as health care and student organization charges. OPO.doc Universities The extent of the Bachelor’s degree is 120 credits and that of the Master’s degree 160-250 credits. The length of studies varies, depending on the field and type of degree. A lower degree usually takes 3-4 years and a higher degree a further two years. Higher education establishments also offer study programmes in languages other than Finnish or Swedish, for example Master’s degree programmes in English. It is also possible to register for university-level studies at a university and some other higher education establishment without aiming at a degree. After a higher degree, those interested can study for a Licentiate’s or Doctor’s degree. Applications for postgraduate studies must be made to the higher education establishment concerned direct. Universities and continuing education centres also offer opportunities for other further studies. In the Link Directory are listed the universities in Finland. More on this subject in Opintoluotsi: http://www.opintoluotsi.fi/en-gb/Linkindex/Categories.aspx?classID=FDB1D873-06E1-4A1E- A19B-1C7EE7ECBBE1 Link Directory: Universities More on this subject on the Internet: How to apply to education in Finland / National Board of Education Information on applying to universities in Finland. http://www.oph.fi/english OPO.doc Polytechnics Polytechnic graduates are qualified to apply for expert duties in their own field. A polytechnic degree takes 3.5 - 4.5 years to complete. In some fields of education, teaching is also provided in languages other than Finnish or Swedish, particularly English. In addition, students can complete part of their studies at educational institutions abroad. The entrance qualification is an initial vocational education or the matriculation examination. The educational institution may also accept an applicant whose knowledge and skills are otherwise sufficient to cope with the education - for example, studies completed abroad. The selection criteria vary from one educational field to another. Applicants are awarded points for school performance, work experience and entrance examination (if any). Application should be submitted through the national joint application system or by contacting the educational institution concerned direct. Students wishing to apply for the adult education programmes and foreign language programmes should contact the institutions direct. If students have completed their previous studies in some language other than Finnish or Swedish, the educational institution may show flexibility in their general Finnish or Swedish language requirements. The education may be full or part-time study. For example, students who are working can study part time. Polytechnic graduates can go on to do postgraduate studies at either a polytechnic or a university. After a few years of work experience, they also have the option of completing the qualification of 'vocational trainer' through a separate training programme. The open polytechnic is another channel for supplementary studies. In the Link Directory are listed the polytechnics in Finland which offer programmes in foreign languages. OPO.doc Higher Education in Finland In 2005, the degree structure of Finnish universities was amended to become more compatible internationally. All programmes are based on a joint European credit transfer system (ECTS), which facilitates international transparency and recognition of Finnish degrees at a global level. There are 20 universities in Finland: of these 10 are multi-faculty universities, 3 are universities of technology, 3 are schools of economics and business administration, and the remaining 4 are art academies. The application system varies from one educational field to another. The entrance exams are generally an important part of the selection process. Universities themselves select their students from among those who are qualified to study in higher education. Applicants who have completed their studies abroad and are qualified to study in higher education in their former country can apply to study at universities and other higher education establishments in Finland. In higher education, the first degree is either a Bachelor’s or a Master’s. In some fields, such as medicine, the first degree is a Licentiate‘s degree. Some university degrees prepare their students for a given profession, such as pharmacy or medicine, while others provide the competence to work in a variety of positions, for example in teaching, research, planning and administration. General Information The university degree system has been undergoing reform since the early 1990s. At present degree structures are evolving in line with the Bologna Declaration, and a new two-cycle Bachelor-Master structure is the prevalent model. The two-cycle degree system with the Bachelor’s and the Master’s was adopted by Finnish universities in all fields except medicine and dentistry in August 2005. At the same time the Finnish study credit system was replaced with the European ECTS credit system. Continuing education centres at the universities provide professional education for university graduates as well as organise Open University instruction. Information about Open University courses in English. http://www.avoinyliopisto.fi/english/ Undergraduate degrees: Bachelor's and Master’s The full-time studies for the lower degree (Bachelor) last three years, the extent of the degree being 180 credits. The studies for Master’s degree take two years after lower degree, the extent being 120 credits. The first degree in medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine is a master-level degree called Licentiate. The extent of these degrees varies from 200 to 250 credits and the programmes require approx. 6 years of full-time study. These degrees should not be confused with the licentiate in the other fields of study, i.e. the licentiate as a pre-doctoral degree. Educational responsibility in different fields is regulated by field-specific degrees. The degrees are mostly lower or higher academic degrees, i.e. Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees (both are undergraduate degrees in Finland) or postgraduate degrees, i.e. Licentiate’s degree on some optional fields of study and Doctor’s degrees. Postgraduate degrees: Licentiate’s degree and Doctoral thesis The operation of the Finnish university sector is based on the unity of research and instruction. Doctoral studies (jatkokoulutus/påbyggnadsutbildning), in particular, are closely linked with the research work done at universities and international institutions. Licentiate (2 years) and Doctor’s (4 years) degrees are postgraduate degrees in Finland. Students can start working for a doctorate as soon as they have obtained the Master's degree. In medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine licentiate is currently a master-level degree, after which doctoral studies can be commenced. OPO.doc Research and the preparation of a substantial thesis are essential parts of the studies for Doctoral thesis. The doctoral thesis is published and must be defended in a public disputation. In addition to research, Doctoral programmes include studies in the discipline and studies in the student's specific field of research. It is possible for a full-time student to complete a doctoral programme in four years after Master’s degree, but in practice the time spent is often longer. No time limit is set. International students wishing to work for a doctoral thesis in Finland should contact the institution concerned or relevant department directly and make sure that their own field of specialisation is represented there. Studies contain several types of work The degrees usually consist of studies in one main - or major - subject (pääaine/huvudämne), and in one or more subsidiary - or minor - subjects (sivuaine/biämne). Studies in a subject are composed of study units of various extent. They may contain several types of work: lectures and other instruction, exercises, essays or other independent work, set-book examinations, seminars, and so on. The units can be compulsory or optional, or of free-choice. In all programmes, it is possible to take extra courses in addition to what is required for