The first cycle is the lower academic degree, the Bachelor’s degree (180 ECTS credits/3 years) and the second cycle the higher academic degree, the Master’s degree (120 ECTS credits/2 years). The third cycle encompasses postgraduate studies leading to a postgraduate degree: Licentiate or Doctoral Degree.
The degree system in medicine and dentistry continue to have only one cycle. In medicine, students study directly for the postgraduate degree of licentiate, which is 360 ECTS credits in total, with a normative study time of six years. The degree in dentistry is also the licentiate degree, which is 330 ECTS credits and takes five and a half years.
The optional pre-doctoral postgraduate degree of licentiate can be completed in two years of full-time study after the Master’s degree.
The degree programmes and curriculum structures can be found from Peppi Study Guide.
The curricula at the University of Oulu are competency-based. Learning outcomes are set at a threshold level which all students must meet in order to pass the course or the study module and proceed to the next level of studies. Learning outcomes have been devised so that they can be achieved upon the completion of a course or a degree.
As of 2005, all Finnish universities began using the ECTS grading system (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System). The number of ECTS credits is based on the amount of work required to achieve desired learning outcomes for a course or a study module. Today one ECTS credit corresponds to 27 h of work making the student workload in full-time study (60 ECTS credits) 1600 hours per academic year.
At the University of Oulu, the curricula are planned so that the overall study load 60 ECTS credits are evenly distributed into two terms (30 credits / term).
The basic unit of content and structure of teaching is a course (course), the scope of which is stated in credits. One course may include a wide range of study and teaching work: lectures, exercises, study of literature, internships or acquaintances in working life, etc.
The curriculum (Study guide of the University of Oulu) describes for each course the course name, code, scope in credits, teaching language, learning outcomes, contents, teaching methods, prerequisites, learning material, study methods, assessment methods, assessment criteria, assessment scale, and person in charge.
There are different levels of courses; basic studies, subject studies and advanced studies. There may be a letter P, A or S at the end of the course code to indicate the level of the course. All study courses at the University of Oulu can be found in Pep's study guide.
University of Oulu Education Regulations 18 § regulates: "The language of teaching and research in the University is Finnish. Using some other language than Finnish in teaching, research and study attainments is stipulated in the curriculum of a degree programme. A student has a right to use Finnish language for their study attainment that will be assessed, excluding language studies, even when the language of instruction is other than Finnish."
The language of learning is the language in which you complete a course or other study component (for example, the language in which you write your answers to exam questions). The language of learning may be different than the language of instruction or your own native language. The Peppi's course catalogue includes information on the language of instruction for each course and study module. The nature of the degree programme or course (such as a foreign language) may require that you complete a course in a certain language. Similarly, when you complete a degree in English, you will generally complete your studies in English. In English-language degree programmes, teaching and teaching materials are in English. However, it is also possible to complete study credits (exams and other assignments) in Finnish.