4.1 Credit transfer for studies and know-how
4.2 Credit transfer for studies completed abroad
4.3 Participation in teaching and supervision
4.4 Language skills
4.5 Enrolment on courses
4.6 Assessment of completed courses
4.7 Amendment request
4.8 Retake of study performances and improvement of grades
4.9 Alternative study modes
4.10 Expiry of studies
4.11 Degree certificate
4.1 Credit transfer for studies and know-how
The Government Decree on Polytechnics (352/2003 § 14) states the following on credit transfer for studies: Universities of applied sciences shall see to it that students are allowed credits for corresponding studies completed in other Finnish or foreign higher education or other educational institutions on grounds laid down in the degree regulations and to substitute other studies of the same standard or corresponding practical training or work experience for studies or practical training required for the degree.
A prerequisite for credit transfer is that the studies have been completed at an equal or higher level of education. Degree studies that form a general eligibility requirement for the education cannot be transferred.
Higher education studies are transferred according to the curricular objectives of the degree programme the student is completing. Students gain full credit transfer for studies completed in the same degree programme in another university of applied sciences. If the student has studied in another degree programme in another university of applied sciences or has completed university studies, the aim is to transfer the studies as far as they correspond to the studies in the degree programme.
Transferred studies are taken to the study register with the received grades if there are ones. In other cases, transferred courses are taken to the study register as passed.
Bachelor´s theses of earlier completed degrees cannot be transferred.
It is possible to have credit transfer for earlier acquired know-how in universities of applied sciences.
Students´ earlier know-how is usually mapped at the beginning of the studies when the personal study plan is constructed. An opportunity to show his/her skills can be arranged for a student who has possibly achieved the target level required by Pirkanmaa University of Applied Sciences on the basis of an earlier degree, work experience or additional studies. Similarly, when a student can be considered to have already completed a part of the course, (s)he can supplement the earlier learned.
Identification methods of earlier acquired know-how include e.g. skills tests, portfolios, assignments and ex-aminations, with which the student demonstrates that (s)he has attained the course objectives.
Courses or parts of courses can be transferred by means of identification and recognition of earlier know-how. The decision on recognition of earlier acquired know-how is based on the know-how demonstrated by the student regardless of where and how the know-how was acquired.
The student takes the initiative to credit transfer for know-how. The know-how is identified and recognised by the teacher in charge of the course. The decision on credit transfer for know-how is made by the education manager or education coordinator. The teacher in charge of the course enters the transferred courses to the study register. Evaluation follows the course assessment plan.
Top of Page
4.2 Credit transfer for studies completed abroad
Pirkanmaa University of Applied Sciences follows the credit transfer system approved by European Union and thus studies and practical training passed abroad are fully transferred to the completed degree.
Transferred studies and practical training are entered to the study register with grades if there are ones.
Outgoing exchange students have to fill in the written learning agreement form before departure. The learn-ing agreement is accepted by the director of education, head of international affairs and teacher tutor. After the studies abroad, the receiving higher education institution has to give a transcript of records and/or a cer-tificate including the implementation of studies and study success.
Credit transfer can be denied only if the student does not attain the level required by the receiving higher education institution or fulfil the conditions set by the participating higher education institutions.
If the student does not fulfil the requirements set for the studies abroad, an individual grant or part of it can be claimed to be returned. In Pirkanmaa University of Applied Sciences, decisions concerning interruption of international student exchange and practical training and calling of students to the home country as well as related claims for recovery are made by the president on the vice president´s proposal.
Pirkanmaa University of Applied Sciences only sends students to the higher education institutions with which it has a valid agreement.
Top of Page
4.3 Participation in teaching and supervision
Students participate in supervision and tutoring as agreed in the personal study plan.
Studies and related teaching are organised as courses. The student has the right and obligation to participate in the work forms of the courses in the degree programme in such a manner that the course objectives are attained. Some studies require compulsory attendance. If the studies require compulsory attendance, it has to be written into the course requirements.
Course objectives, contents and teaching methods are described in the degree programme section of the study guide. Students have to be present the first time the class meets when the course-specific work forms, requirements, completion order, schedules and assessment grounds are agreed on in written. A medical certificate or other justified reason accepted by the teacher has to be presented in case of absence.
Any potential prerequisites for courses, parts of courses or practical training must be passed prior to the beginning of the course.
In universities of applied sciences, degrees include practical training according to the degree programme curriculum. The aim of the practical training is that the student in a supervised manner gets acquainted with the practical work assignments that are central especially from the viewpoint of professional studies as well as application of knowledge and skills in working life.
In the bachelor´s thesis, students apply and develop their knowledge and skills in practical expert tasks related to the professional studies. In foreign-language degree programmes the bachelor´s thesis is written in the language of instruction.
Students have to write a maturity test on the field of the thesis to demonstrate their familiarity with the field and Finnish language skills or in foreign-language degree programmes their skills in the language of instruction.
Top of Page
4.4 Language skills
Students are required to demonstrate that they have attained through studies included in their university of applied sciences degree or otherwise
1) such proficiency in Finnish and Swedish as is required of state officials functioning in a position requiring a higher education in a bilingual office according to the Act on the Knowledge of Languages Required of Per-sonnel in Public Bodies and that is necessary for practising the profession and for professional development and
2) such oral and written proficiency in one or two foreign languages as is necessary for practising the profes-sion and for professional development.
The president can exempt students from all or some of the Swedish language proficiency requirements on special grounds and also if the student has received his/her school education in some language other than Finnish or Swedish or the student has received his/her school education abroad. The student has to com-plete equivalent number of other agreed studies.
Top of Page
4.5 Enrolment on courses
Courses or parts of courses are mainly enrolled on through the WinhaWille student interface.
If more students enrol on a course or part of course than can be taken, priority is given to students for whom the course in compulsory. In elective studies, students are taken in the enrolment order. Directors of education can accept closer instructions regarding graduating students.
Courses or parts of courses can be cancelled if enough students do not participate in them.
Top of Page
4.6 Assessment of completed courses
Written assessment plans are made on assessment of courses or parts of courses. They describe the de-tailed assessment principles. The assessment plan is discussed on the first lesson of each course or part of course.
Completed courses are evaluated on the scale excellent (5), good (3-4), satisfactory (1-2) and fail (0).
Exceptionally, the scale pass/ fail can be used if it has been separately agreed on in the assessment plan.
Studied completed abroad are assessed on the scale A = excellent (5), B = good (4), C = good (3), D = satis-factory (2), E = satisfactory (1) and FX = fail (0).
Assessment shall be completed within four weeks after completion. The period of time can be extended with two weeks at the most if agreed on in the assessment plan of the course or part of course. Summer studies are assessed by the end of September. The student is given notice on the assessment and the assessment is entered into the record of credits.
The student has the right to receive feedback on the completed course, familiarise himself/ herself with the assessed study performance and be informed of the application of assessment criteria in his/ her own case.
The teacher has to store the study performances for the period of time stated in the archive regulations after the results have been published.
Top of Page
4.7 Amendment request
If the student is dissatisfied with the evaluation of his/ her study performance or with credit transfer for stud-ies or know-how, (s)he has the right to submit an amendment request either in written or orally to the teacher who has evaluated the study performance or the education manager or education coordinator who has made the credit transfer decision. If the student is dissatisfied with the amendment request decision, (s)he may submit a written amendment request on it to Pirkanmaa University of Applied Sciences´ board of examiners in 14 days after being informed of the decision. The decision of the board of examiners cannot be appealed.
The board of examiners, which deals with the amendment requests, consists of a chair, who is a principal lecturer in the university of applied sciences, and two other members, who are teachers. The members of the board of examiners have personal deputies. The board of Pirkanmaa University of Applied Sciences nomi-nates the chair and the members of the board of examiners as well as their deputies.
Top of Page
4.8 Retake of study performances and improvement of grades
Courses and their parts have been defined in the curricula.
The examination or other assessed performance directly belonging to the implementation of a course or a part of course is always counted as the first completion attempt. If the student does not pass the examination or does not take part in it, (s)he still has two attempts left. If the student is unable to present an acceptable reason for his/ her absence in the retake examination (s)he has enrolled for, (s)he forfeits one retake oppor-tunity.
A failed performance is to be retaken on the days set in the degree programme at the very latest in 12 months after the first attempt in the course or part of course. If the student does not pass any of the retakes in a year, (s)he has to reattend the course or part of course.
The student has the right to try to improve the grade of passed courses or parts of course once and no later than in 12 months on the set examination days of the degree programme in accordance with the assessment plan. Improvement of grades normally takes place in connection with the examination of an equivalent course or part of course.
Top of Page
4.9 Alternative study modes
Students may also complete studies through Finnish Online University of Applied Sciences. Before application, students have to make sure that the course conforms to their personal study plan from their teacher tutor. The application procedure to the Finnish Online University of Applied Sciences studies has been described closer in the study guide section Virtual Studies.
Students of Pirkanmaa University of Applied Sciences can participate in open higher education studies of Pirkanmaa University of Applied Sciences and TAMK University of Applied Sciences by paying a registration fee. Students have to pay the normal course fee for participation in open higher education studies of other universities of applied sciences.
Studies can also be completed in diverse projects and working life oriented development assignments coor-dinated by research and development services.
Students can complete part of their studies abroad through exchange programmes. More information on the-se possibilities can be found in the study guide section on student and trainee exchange or on www-sites at International.
Top of Page
4.10 Expiry of studies
The general expiry time for studies is eight years. In exceptional cases, the director of education can decide on shorter expiry times in some field of study.
Top of Page
4.11 Degree certificate
Pirkanmaa University of Applied Sciences awards the student a degree certificate for the degree (s)he has completed and a transcript of records as an appendix to it. The degree certificate states the degree and its extent, title, name of the degree programme and option, key contents of the degree and assessment of the completed studies. The study modules to be evaluated are determined separately in each degree programme. The degree certificate also states the title of the bachelor´s thesis, marking of the taken maturity test and its language as well as the language proficiency level. The transcript of records provides the more detailed contents of the studies and the received grades. In addition, the student receives a Diploma Supplement for international use and an English transcript of records.
Those graduating from the English degree programmes receive both Finnish and English degree certificates. The Degree Programme in Emergency Care includes the nursing degree and a separate degree certificate is given on it. The options of Public Health Nursing and Midwifery are based on the nursing degree and a separate degree certificate is given on it.
Each degree programme and unit has a three-member collegial body of examiners for the purpose of awarding degrees. They are nominated by the board of Pirkanmaa University of Applied Sciences. Students submit a written application for the degree certificate to the collegial body of examiners mainly three weeks before the planned graduation day. The director of education makes decisions regarding shorter time limits on the proposal of the education manager or education coordinator.
The degree certificate is signed by the president and the vice president in charge of education. The director of education and education manager or education coordinator sign the transcript of records.
Upon request, the student is entitled to have a transcript of records including the completed studies and grades during the studies.
Top of Page
