Concept

Explanation

Course database

The database of the Avoinyliopisto.fi website, which contains information about all Open University courses organised in Finland. The course information available in the database is published and updated by the Open Universities and partner institutions.

Course organiser

There are 19 Open Universities and their several branches located throughout Finland. In addition, Open University courses are organised at some 300 partner institutions in about 150 localities. These partner institutions include polytechnics and summer universities, as well as full-time and part-time adult education institutions.

Course programme

Information relating to specific teaching is grouped into specific course programmes in the database. Course programmes (courses) are study modules or study units of various levels. A course programme contains information about the content of a study module or study unit, as well as about registration and the organiser.

Course type/Course level

At the Open Universities, it is possible to take courses of different levels:

• Basic studies (a study module of at least 25 ECTS) familiarise students with essential knowledge of the subject.
• Intermediate studies (a study module of at least 35 ECTS) deepen the knowledge acquired in basic studies about the central concepts, theories and research methods of the subject.
• Advanced studies (a study module of at least 60 ECTS) supplement and deepen knowledge acquired in previous studies.
• Language and communication studies
• Study skills courses
• Other courses

ECTS (ECTS-compatible credit) Credit

The workload of studies is expressed in ECTS-compatible credits (opintopiste, op) or credits (opintoviikko, ov) that ease the comparison of different studies. One ECTS-compatible credit equals approximately 27 hours of work. Prior to 1 August 2005, the workload was expressed in credits: one credit equalled 40 hours of work.

Equivalence

The content and requirements of Open University courses are equivalent to those of undergraduate education at the responsible university. Exceptions to this are mentioned in the equivalence section of the course programme:

• Studies can be accepted only as minor subject studies at the university in question.
• Studies are not directly equivalent to any undergraduate studies at the university in question.

Fees

The Ministry of Education regulates the course fees charged by the Open Universities. The course fee consists of costs accumulating from teaching arrangements, course material and student services based on an estimate of full-cost pricing. No fees are charged for the teaching itself.

Field of study

In the database, course information has been divided into 18 different fields of study. The grouping follows the national division of academic fields of study and is incompatible with the faculty divisions at various universities.

Independent of location (Long-distance courses)

The course does not involve teaching in a specific location, which means that the studying takes place through the Internet or independent study.

Method of completion

Methods of completion for studies in the database:

• Written examination
• Oral examination
• Essay writing
• Written practice
• Thesis or dissertation
• Project or practical work
• Work experience
• Portfolio
• Learning diary
• Participation in teaching
• Seminar
• Demonstration of skills

NYT! courses

Marketing information in the course programme; registration for such courses is taking place. When browsing the database or course listings, courses for which registration is taking place are marked with a NYT! tag ('nyt' is Finnish for 'now').

Registration

Registration always takes place at the Open University or the institution organising the course. Registration for the autumn term usually begins in August, for the spring term, in November–December, and for summer courses, in April–May. Some courses offer ongoing registration. More specific information about registration is available in the course programme or at the institution organising the course.

Responsible university

The university responsible for the courses organised.

Study method

The study method conveys as concretely as possible what studying for a specific study module or study unit entails. Such studying can include independent study, lectures, teaching in small groups, group work, a TV course or online study. A study module or study unit may comprise various study methods.

Study module
Study unit

Open University teaching is divided into study modules and study units. A study module consists of study units usually taken without registering for the entire module. In addition, some separate study units are not part of any study module.

Subject

Over 700 different subjects can be studied at the Open Universities. On most courses, the language of instruction is Finnish.

Time

The academic term in which a study module or study unit begins is always specified. Most new courses begin in the autumn term. Active Open University teaching also takes place in the spring term. Only some of the Open Universities provide courses in the summer. Summer universities, for example, offer a variety of courses.