GENERAL REGULATIONS CONCERNING BACHELOR S AND MASTER S DEGREES IN THE HEALTH SCIENCES 1. Overview of Structure and Required Studies in the Degree Programme in Health Sciences The Degree Programme in Health Sciences offers an interdisciplinary undergraduate (Bachelor's) degree and a graduate (Master's) degree in Nursing Science or Public Health. Within Nursing Science, students can choose between two study programmes: Nursing Management or Teaching of Nursing. The Master's degree can also be taken in English in the Master's Degree Programme in Health Sciences (Public Health/International Health). The Bachelor's Degree in Health Sciences is an undergraduate university degree that requires 180 ECTS credits. The course structure is organised in such a way that full-time students can complete the degree programme in three academic years. The degree requirements are successfully completed basic and intermediate studies and a set of core courses and free-choice courses. Intermediate studies include the Bachelor's thesis and a maturity test. The Master's Degree in Health Sciences is a graduate-level university degree that requires 120 ECTS credits. The course structure is organised in such a way that full-time students can complete the degree programme in two academic years. The successful completion of the Master's Degree Programme in Nursing Science requires the completion of advanced studies in Nursing Science, other compulsory studies required for the student s chosen study programme, and a number of optional studies. The successful completion of the Master s Degree Programme in Public Health requires the completion of advanced studies in the student s chosen major, alternative studies in Public Health and a number of free-choice courses. The advanced studies include the Master's thesis and a maturity test. The English-language Master's Degree Programme in Health Sciences comprises core courses, advanced studies, and other compulsory and freechoice studies. The detailed structure and content of the degree programmes and the order in which courses must be taken are specified in greater detail in the HES curriculum guide. Regulations concerning language proficiency for Bachelor's and Master's degrees are laid out in the Government Decree on University Degrees (794/2004) and the Language Act (423/2003). Regulations concerning other language and communications proficiencies, core courses, required free-choice
studies and internships included in the degrees are specified in the curriculum guide. 2. Electronic Personal Study Plan (ehops) To aid in the progress of his/her studies, each student compiles an electronic personal study plan (ehops). The plan is also used in academic counselling and for monitoring a student s advancement in his/her studies. Undergraduate students draw up their first personal study plan during the orientation course. The personal study plan must indicate the courses the student aims to take to complete his/her intended degree and their anticipated timing in at least the same degree of detail as they will be stated in the degree certificate to be awarded. For more information on the personal study plan, please contact HES. 3. Recognition of Studies Credits for courses taken at another institution of higher education in Finland or abroad may be transferred along with a student if they fit in with the objectives of the degree the student is currently pursuing. Credits can be transferred either by substituting courses included in the degree programme with the courses taken elsewhere or by incorporating the courses taken elsewhere into the degree as such, as free-choice courses. Course credits are accepted towards a degree only once, even if the course is included in more than one study module. The instructor responsible for a certain course decides whether some or all of the course credit can be transferred. Other cases of credit transfer are decided by the HES Dean or the Head of Study Affairs. 4. Deviating from the Established Degree Structure The Dean of the School of Health Sciences may, for justified reasons, decide to grant a student the right to deviate from the established degree structure. There is no deadline for submitting an application for such permission. 5. Recognising Course Credit from a Previous University Degree Language, communication and methodology studies taken as part of a previously earned university degree may be accepted towards a Bachelor's degree if their contents match the requirements of the degree programme in question. Other compulsory courses may also be accepted towards a Bachelor's degree if they have the same content and are part of the coursework necessary for a degree at the same level. Language, communication and methodology studies taken as part of a previously earned university degree may be accepted towards a Master's degree if the degree programme's curriculum guide includes such courses. Thesis credits cannot be transferred.
6. Amending the Details of a Student's Right to Study and Studying for a Master's Degree Only A student who has previously completed a compatible academic degree and who has been admitted to the School of Health Sciences with the right to study towards a Bachelor's and Master's degree may under certain conditions apply for an amendment granting permission to study directly and only towards a Master's degree. By doing so, the student relinquishes his or her right to take a Bachelor's degree. The change in the details of the student's right to study may require the completion of additional courses. More specific instructions on amending the details of the right to study are given elsewhere. 7. Changing Majors or Study Programmes Students may apply for permission to change majors within the School of Health Sciences degree programme or to switch to another study programme as a special admission. Applications are free-form and must be submitted during the special admissions process. Further information about special admissions can be found at the University's website under 'Admissions' and on the HES website. What is important in the administrative decision whether or not to grant such permission is that student numbers in the degree programmes do not change significantly. Applications are submitted to the Head of Study Affairs. 8. Expiration of Studies Completed study modules, courses and maturity tests do not generally expire, and they count towards the degree to the original extent. A student may, however, have to take supplementary courses if this is deemed necessary for the continuation of his/her studies. More detailed information on the expiration of partially completed study modules and/or courses may be provided in the curriculum guide. If the curriculum guide has changed substantially since the student was first admitted, the student and his/her teacher must agree on how any unfinished modules can be completed. 9. Nursing Science and Public Health as Free-Choice Studies Nursing Science as a free-choice study module comprises basic and intermediate studies and separately indicated advanced studies. Students with a vocational qualification in healthcare (either a post-secondary specialist qualification or a healthcare or nursing degree from a university of applied sciences) are eligible to take Nursing Science courses in this programme. If the healthcare or nursing degree does not completely replace all the basic studies module credits, the courses deemed missing must be taken as independent studies courses and agreed on separately. Public Health as a free-choice study module comprises basic and intermediate studies and separately indicated advanced studies. Students enrolled in the Degree Programme in Health
Sciences and majoring in Public Health or Nursing Science may include courses from the other study programme as free choice studies in their degree. Any courses belonging to both degree programmes (Master s in Public Health and Master s in Nursing Science) can only be counted once towards a degree. 10. Registration of Credits Once successfully completed, course credit(s) are recorded in the studies register as specified in the University's Regulations on the Assessment of Studies. Also registered in the studies register are credits transferred from previously completed courses or other courses included in the degree on separate grounds. 11. Grading Grading follows the criteria and grading scale specified in the University s Regulations on the Assessment of Studies. The grading scale is either pass/fail or, for passed and numerically graded courses, between 1 and 5 (1=sufficient, 2=satisfactory, 3=good, 4=very good and 5=excellent). Study modules are also graded on a scale of 1 5. Further information on grading can be found in the curriculum guide. Unless otherwise indicated in the curriculum guide, the average grade for a study module is calculated as an ECTS credit-weighted average of all the course grades (1 5) in the module. Accepted Bachelor s and Master s theses are also graded on a scale of 1 to 5. The grade a thesis receives is given the same weight as any other course and will be considered in the grading of intermediate and advanced study modules just as any other course grade. The degree certificate a student receives after graduation will indicate the average grade and the total number of ECTS credits granted for each study module. 12. Examinations The examination procedure follows the University s Regulations on the Assessment of Studies and the regulations adopted in the School's curriculum guides. 13. Priority Order The course schedule is designed to allow students to take the courses required and advance unhindered in their studies in accordance with the curriculum guide. If only a limited number of students can be admitted to a course, exercise, seminar, group session or compulsory practice session, the class size and number of groups will be stated in the teaching schedule.
If there are more students enrolled for a course than there are seats available, priority is given to students for whom the course is compulsory. Students who are taking the course in accordance with the timing recommended in their curriculum guide have second-highest priority. If the curriculum guide does not limit a course to students in that specific degree programme, it is possible to reserve seats in the class for students from other degree programmes, students enrolled in Open University courses and students pursuing other, separate programmes or studies. If the course requires advance registration and the class size is limited, students must sign up for the course through the University's online system. If a student does not have a basic user account, he/she must sign up for the course by writing to the person in charge of the course. The Dean may grant exceptions to the priority order explained above for a good reason. 14. Bachelor's Thesis and Maturity Test In order to earn their Bachelor's degree, health sciences students must write a Bachelor's thesis as part of their intermediate studies. Thesis length and breadth, and mode of implementation are defined in the curriculum guide, and students must take the accompanying maturity test based on their thesis. The maturity test demonstrates that the student is familiar with the thesis field and has the language skills in the language of his/her schooling (Finnish or Swedish). Students who attended school in a language other than Finnish or Swedish generally take the maturity test in English. If this is the case, the maturity test will also be checked for language. Maturity tests are administered in accordance with the general instructions of the University of Tampere. The maturity test may be taken as an online examination on any available date, on the School's general examination date, or on another day by appointment. Students can sign up for the test after their thesis has been submitted for evaluation and their supervisor has agreed to it. For the test, students are required to write an essay on a topic provided by their supervisor and related to their thesis topic. The supervisor evaluates the test's factual content and a language instructor its language and style. The Bachelor's thesis is evaluated by the instructor who is in charge of the thesis seminar and approved (or not approved) by the Dean on the basis of the instructor s report.
A bachelor's thesis instructor must submit his/her report not later than three weeks after the student takes the maturity test, unless the Dean has granted an extension. A passed and graded Bachelor's thesis cannot be resubmitted (section 11 of the Regulations on the Assessment of Studies). Further instructions on writing a Bachelor's thesis are available from HES. A student who is dissatisfied with the grade given for his/her Bachelor's thesis may submit a written request for reconsideration to the Dean not later than fourteen (14) days after the grade was announced and he/she had access to information on the application of assessment criteria in his/her case. If a student is dissatisfied with the decision following his/her request for reconsideration, he/she may submit a request for reconsideration to the University Council of Appeals not later than fourteen (14) days after the announcement of the decision. The decision of the University Council of Appeals cannot be appealed. 15. Master's Thesis and Maturity Test In order to earn their Master's degree, health sciences students must write a Master's thesis as part of their advanced studies. Thesis length and breadth, and mode of implementation are defined in the curriculum guide, and students must take the accompanying maturity test based on their thesis. At the Master s level, the maturity test demonstrates that the student is familiar with the thesis field and has the language skills in the language of his/her schooling. Students who received their schooling in Finnish or Swedish need not demonstrate their language skills in the maturity test if they have already done so in the maturity test they took at the undergraduate level. Students who attended school in a language other than Finnish or Swedish generally take the maturity test in English. If this is the case, the maturity test will also be checked for language. Maturity tests are administered in accordance with the general instructions of the University of Tampere. Once ready, the Master's thesis is submitted in electronic format for evaluation, filing and addition to the Library's collection not later than fourteen days before the maturity test, according to the instructions provided by HES and the University Library. The Library s instructions can be found at http://www.uta.fi/kirjasto/en/publishing/thesis.html and the HES instructions on its website. Students must submit a one- to two-page summary in Finnish and English with their thesis. A scientific article that has been published or submitted for publication in a scientific journal can be submitted as a Master's thesis if the student's supervisor and the examiners deem that it satisfies the requirements
(with respect to quality, scope, etc.) set for a Master's thesis. The article may be co-authored as long as the student is the sole or first author. At least two examiners appointed by the Dean must give their report on the thesis. Both examiners must have PhDs, and at least one of them must be employed by the University of Tampere or be a docent at the University of Tampere. The examiners must submit their reports within three weeks from the date the student took the maturity test, unless there are particular reasons for extending this deadline. The examiners' reports are submitted to the student at least four days before the thesis is awarded a grade. If the student wishes to respond to the reports, he or she may do so at this time. If the student does not submit a response, the Dean will accept the thesis based on the examiners reports. A student who is dissatisfied with the grade of his/her Master's thesis may submit a written request for reconsideration to the HES Board not later than 14 days after the grade was announced and he/she had access to information on the application of assessment criteria in his/her case. If a student is dissatisfied with the decision concerning his/her request for reconsideration, he/she may submit a request for reconsideration to the University Council of Appeals. The decision of the University Council of Appeals cannot be appealed. A passed and graded Master's thesis cannot be resubmitted (Section 11 of the Regulations on the Assessment of Studies). The thesis may be co-authored by two or more students or written as part of a more extensive research project. If the thesis is co-authored, each student's individual contribution must be shown and evaluable. Also, the workload of each student must correspond to the workload required of an individually written thesis. With co-authored theses, each student's contribution is evaluated individually. Co-authored theses can be written on a topic cutting across two or more disciplines. In such cases, an examiner will be appointed for each discipline represented. 16. Applying for a Degree Certificate and Graduating Once a student has completed all the courses required for his/her degree, he/she applies for a degree certificate from HES. The application must be submitted on a form that can be accessed on the HES website. Application forms are also available in hard copy at the HES office. The Dean issues degree certificates on application. Students must personally ensure that all necessary courses and study modules are registered before applying for a degree certificate. The degree certificate for a Bachelor's degree in Health Sciences will indicate the total number of ECTS credits earned, the overall grade received for health sciences studies and the
grade received for the Bachelor s thesis. Both basic and intermediate studies affect the overall grade. The degree certificate for a Master's degree in Health Sciences will state the total number of ECTS credits earned for advanced studies, the grade received for the advanced studies module, and the grade received for the Master s thesis. Free choice studies will be included on the certificate if the total number of credits taken in the subject exceeds a minimum of ten ECTS credits. Studies under the ten-credit limit will be indicated on the certificate under "Other Studies" 17. Curriculum Development To develop the degree programmes and prepare the curriculum guides, HES may appoint working groups or committees consisting of instructors, students, and, if needed, representatives from other schools, institutes, units or universities. 18. Entry into Force and Transition Provisions These regulations enter into force on 1 November 2013.