Oulu polytechnic - Survival Kit

Legislation passed in 1991 created a new type of vocational higher education in Finland, the polytechnic. These institutions operate in parallel with the universities and grant higher education degrees (B.Sc.), though their emphasis is more practical than that of the traditional university degrees.

Oulu Polytechnic is young but experienced. It began pilot phase operation in 1992. It was founded by combining many schools representing different areas: Business and Administration, Culture, Health Care and Social Services, Natural Resources and Technology and Communications. Even if Oulu Polytechnic itself is not that old, it certainly has traditions. The oldest schools in Oulu Polytechnic were founded over a hundred years ago.

Since the 1^st of August 1996 Oulu Polytechnic has been operating with a permanent licence which was given to it by the Ministry of Education and the Finnish Government among the first nine polytechnics. Nowadays 29 different undergraduate programmes leading to a higher education degree (B.Sc. hons) are offered. From autumn 2002 on also two polytechnic post-graduate programmes are offered. They lead to a new Finnish higher education degree: a polytechnic post-graduate degree.

Philosophy of teaching and learning

Oulu Polytechnic responds to the business and employment needs of Northern Finland by arranging and developing training at the higher vocational level. At present, over 6 500 students attend Oulu Polytechnic. Each year over 150 foreign students complete part of their studies at Oulu Polytechnic, and about 70 visiting lecturers teach at the Polytechnic. Usually they come within the framework of an EU Programme or an agreement made between Oulu Polytechnic and its partners.

In teaching and learning Oulu Polytechnic emphasises interaction between the student and his or her environment. In addition to traditional ways of studying, new methods calling for interaction, co-operation and communication skills are being applied.

Teaching is based on the principle of integrating theory with practice. Laboratory work and assignments enable the student to become a practitioner who is capable of reflective working and who is also interested in developing his or her own tasks.

The student is expected to take responsibility for his or her own studies, to be able to do them and to show commitment to the targets set.