Quality education

A core task of the University of Tampere is to educate students to become responsible academic citizens and experts who will be able to find employment that matches their qualifications after graduation. Such graduates will be able to make an impact on society and feel at home in national and international working environments.

The university offers broad and professionally oriented education in the arts and sciences. The university also responds to the challenges of lifelong learning in its own fields of study. This is achieved by offering adult education programmes that help to meet the demands of working life and that maintain and upgrade expertise.

Educational reform in the period 2010 – 2012

The University will launch a comprehensive educational reform. The number of study programmes with separate admission tests will be reduced and in the future applicants will be admitted to broad, strategically motivated study programmes. Moreover, the overall admission rate will be reduced in order to guarantee more time for teaching and tuition. The aim is to ensure that a significantly larger number of students will graduate within the target completion times.

• There will be an organizational shift from subject-based education to degree programmes. Students will complete the bachelor’s degree in broad-based candidate programmes in which studies can be selected over unit boundaries. After the bachelor-level, students will be able to choose from a number of discipline-based master’s programmes. Freedom in the choice of minor subjects will remain a distinctive characteristic of the University of Tampere.
• The curricula for the degree study programmes will be based on learning outcomes. Study plans and curricular arrangements will enable the students to complete their studies within the target completion times. The curricula will be reviewed every three years on the basis of the feedback received on the study programmes and on the basis of the changing labour market demands.
• Teaching quality at the university will be ensured by added training in university pedagogy. Pedagogical merits will play a systematic and increasing role in the recruitment, salary structures and career promotion of teachers. Teachers will be encouraged to use methods which motivate students to good and ethically sustainable, multicultural learning. Open learning environments will also form part of student education. From the beginning, students will be guided towards applying their critical skills in the search and assessment of information and knowledge and in their use and construction of their acquired knowledge.
• International staff and student exchange will be increased through financial incentives and language training. The quality of international degree programmes will be ensured and the number of foreign degree students will increase. International, flagship programmes will be offered in the areas of strength and in cross-disciplinary contexts. Furthermore, a centre for international education will be established at the university to coordinate all international education.
• Regional university co-operation will be expanded by offering joint degree programmes and joint services. New joint degree programmes will be launched in the biosciences and in economics and administration in cooperation with Tampere University of Technology.

The implementation of the University’s education strategy will be overseen and monitored by the Education Council appointed by the Rector.