”How is it to study in a university of applied sciences in Finland?”

There are 24 universities of applied sciences in Finland, located in different parts of the country.

University of applied sciences (UAS) degree

• University of applied sciences degree is a higher education degree that gives you skills and competences to work in a variety of expert, planning and development positions.
• In universities of applied sciences, you complete a Bachelor’s degree.
• The extent of a university of applied sciences degree is 210, 240 or 270 ECTS, depending on the degree. The recommended duration of studies is 3.5 – 4.5 years. One ECTS equals to approximately 27 hours of student’s work.

Curriculum

Contents and intended outcomes of UAS study programmes are described in their curricula. Universities of applied sciences determine the contents and curricula of their study programmes. Thus, programmes with the same name may consist of different contents and specialisation options in different universities of applied sciences. It is a good idea to compare different options to be able to choose the right UAS study programme for your interests.

The structure of curriculum is generally the following, in all UAS study programmes:

• Basic studies often include language and communication studies, and other studies supporting general working life skills.
• Professional studies are the core of your degree and provide you with strong expertise needed in working life.
• Elective and optional studies are an opportunity to select studies on the basis of your personal interests and build an individually designed degree within the limits of the curriculum. You can complete elective studies in your own UAS or in other domestic or foreign higher education institutions.
• Practical training is where you apply your theoretical knowledge in practice and familiarize yourself with the tasks of your future professional field in different working environments. You can also complete your practical training abroad.
• The thesis usually is a working life-based, research and development work, with which you demonstrate your ability to apply your acquired skills and knowledge in practice. The extent of your thesis is 15 ECTS and it is usually done in the end of your studies. Completed theses are published online in Theseus database.

Different formats of study

Universities of applied sciences determine the formats of their study programmes so their implementation may vary between different UAS. Please check the format(s) of your intended study programme at Studyinfo.fi. More information on the implementation and formats of different study programmes is available at UAS websites.

A university of applied sciences degree can be completed either as daytime studies or blended learning studies.

• In daytime studies, contact teaching is arranged on weekdays, usually between 8 am and 5 pm. In addition to contact teaching, studies typically include online learning, group and project work, independent work and periods of practical training.
• Blended learning format makes it possible to combine work and study. This format includes less contact teaching than daytime studies. Contact teaching is organised, depending on the study programme and the UAS, during the daytime, in the evenings and at weekends, or as intensive contact teaching periods.

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