Studying at the polytechnic

As already mentions in the description of the Finnish education system, the principle of the Finnish polytechnics can be compared to the German system of "Fachhochschulen". The system of polytechnics is quite young, they are founded at the beginning of the 90's. Therefore, the equipment is mostly quite modern and comfortable. The study duration amounts to 3.5 years and ends with a final thesis work. Courses are held in small groups and it exists a free and easy tone with the teachers - sometimes, they are addressed even with their first names. At several polytechnics, there are special studies, which contain or even completely exist of courses taught in English. This offer is addressed particularly to foreign students, some of them even do their entire study in Finland.

There's a little habituation needed for the course system at the Finnish polytechnics, when you come from a straight-structured German "Fachhochschule". At the "Fachhochschule" of Kiel, it is usual that the seminars receive all the same number of lecture hours and ECTS points. Which achievements must be done exactly, depends thereby on the lecturer. At the polytechnic of Turku/Salo, it is it more that the courses possess different credits and lecturer hours that strongly deviate from each other. But the system is actually quite simple, once you have understood it - each Finnish credit means 40 hours of work. A course with 3 credits (by the way 4.5 ECTS) means thus 120 hours of work. That's a lot - finally we must get 20 credits for the Socrates scholarship => meaning 800 hours of of work (distributes on 14 to 16 weeks).