Wanderlust and Other Adventures: Academic Difference

There are a lot of differences between attending a Finnish University and a University in the United States, and though this list is not exhaustive of all the possible differences, it might be useful to others who are wondering how the two might differ and what to expect while studying abroad.


Academic Differences:

The Finnish university is similar to the US one, but it also has some major differences.

 

For example attending classes and seminars is not the only way to proceed in your studies. Here are some examples of requirements on completion of course units and methods of assessment:

 

 

◊ participation in classroom work and an examination consisting of e.g. a written paper and/or an oral examination

 ◊ participation in classroom work, reading of a set text books and an electronic exam or a written exam at the end of the course or on a general examination day

◊ participation in classroom work and work assignments, e.g. a reflective course diary or an essay on the topic(s) defined by the lecturer

◊ a written exam, an electronic exam or an essay based on independent study

The requirements on completion of course units are available on the curricula. 
The semester also starts later than the one at MC does and the general feel of the classroom culture and student/teacher culture is different. Though professors can be talked to they might not be as welcoming and inviting as the professors here at MC. It will always go on a case by case basis however.

Credits:

The extent of a degree is given in credits (in Finnish "opintopiste", short form "op"). The average input of 1600 working hours needed for studies of one academic year corresponds to 60 credits. One credit corresponds to one ECTS credit. An American and Canadian Bachelor takes 4 years of which every year 30 Credits need to be attained. This means that to convert ECTS to American Credits and Canadian Credits, you have to divide the American Credits and the Canadian Credits by two. To convert your American and Canadian Credits to ECTS you have to multiply the American and Canadian credits by two.

Support:

Support is offered at the University of Tampere in the form of tutors and there is also support in the form of a chaplain, the international offices can help with some things, and through the student union. It seems to me that MC offers more help without being asked and that if you need help at Tampere you need to seek it out yourself.

Full-Time Status:

In order to be considered a fulltime student at MC you need a minimum of 12 credit hours. From what I can figure out a full academic year requires you to have a minimum of 60ECTS credits in Finland. That means for my half semester I need 30ECTS credits or the equivalent of 15 American credits.

Grades:

Scale	Grade Description	U.S. Grade Equiv.
5	Excellent	A
4	Very Good	B+
3	Good	B
2	Satisfactory	C+
1	Sufficient	C
0	Fail	F