Things in your studies that might differ from what you are used to
A Typical Day
Lectures are held in the daytime, during regular office hours 8am - 4pm. The lunch break is usually 30-45 minutes, lunch hour starts at 11am and ends at 1pm. Lessons are held Monday - Friday, during the autumn and spring semesters. The hours may vary between different semesters. Every group has their own schedule.
Studies
An average course is usually somewhere between 2-5 credits. Longer courses can be up to 10 credits. One credit equals to a workload of 27 hours. Meaning that a course could include 10-12 hours of lectures and the rest 13-15 hours could be course work or preparation for the examination, the composition depends on the specific course and subject. The first lecture of a course is generally mandatory. You should participate in lectures as much as possible to ensure progress in your studies. The mandatory lectures of a course are indicated in the realisation plan.
Deadlines are set to be held. Although the study environment and teachers are relaxed, deadlines must be respected. Submit your coursework on time. Remember to always use references when writing coursework, if you fail to do so your coursework may be refused. If you have copied a text directly from another source mark it as a “citation” and include a reference from where you copied the text (book, chapter, website, blog, newspaper, or article).
Examinations
Examinations are arranged throughout the academic year. To take an examination for a course you must register for the examination 10 days in advance. If you do not register you cannot take the exam. A course has 3 set dates to take the examination, meaning you have three possible dates to take the examination. If you fail on all three occasions, you must retake the entire course the following year. If you wish to improve your score for the entire course, you can retake it once on one of the examination dates set for that course.
You cannot bring mobile phones, bags, or coats to the examination. These must be left at the front of the class. You should bring your own writing material to an examination. You are not allowed to leave the examination room in the first 30 minutes of the examination, nor enter the examination later than 30 minutes after the start of the examination.
Holidays
Saturday and Sunday are always free days. The winter holiday is normally 2 weeks in December-January and the summer holiday is 2,5-3 months between June-August.
Study Environment and Dress Code
Novia UAS is a mixed university. Students of all genders attend our university. In order to apply, there is no restriction upon gender, age, nationality, ethnicity, culture, or disability. Our university is accessible to all students.
Students wear casual clothing at the university. There is no uniform and there is no specific dress code. If you are completing your internship (such as in a hospital) you must follow the regulations at your practical training location. Some laboratory courses and/or practical training lectures at the UAS may require the students to wear lab coats or other special clothes (such as a nurse's uniform) appropriate for the training situation.
Disciplinary Measures
There are certain rules of conduct at the UAS, the Degree Regulations, these are not only Novia UAS' own regulations but are based on the Finnish law.
Students should behave appropriately using common sense when in the university facilities. We strive to provide a safe and comfortable study environment for all students. If a student behaves inappropriately they can be reprimanded as follows:
A student can be given a written warning if they disturb the lectures, act violently or threateningly, are found guilty of cheating, or otherwise disturb the order of the UAS. A warning can also be given to a student if they refuse to show a drug test certificate or have abused narcotics according to investigation.
A student, whose actions or negligence are serious enough, can be given a temporary suspension for a maximum of one year. This also applies if the inappropriate behaviour, which is the reason for the written warning, continues. A student can also be suspended from studies until the student accepts the controls and tests required to determine their state of health in connection to revoking the right to study, or until the student agrees to exhibit their criminal records in situations where studies entail extensive work among minors.
A student who disturbs the lectures, acts violently or threateningly, or endangers someone’s health or safety, can be requested to leave a lecture or event that is arranged at the Novia UAS. The right to participate in the education for a maximum of three work days can be witheld from a student, if: there is a safety risk for another student or person working at the UAS; their health and safety is endangered by the student’s violent or threatening behaviour in another educational facility; or the lectures/other educational activities are nearly impossible to accomplish due to the student’s disturbing behaviour. The President, a Lecturer, or a Student Counsellor can act jointly or independently and the actions taken must be registered. The actions taken are reported to the President and the Dean of the educational facility in question. The actions taken are documented so that they can be verified subsequently.
If a student disturbs the order during an examination or other similar assessment, and if the inappropriate behaviour continues despite reprimand, the examination supervisor can request that the student leaves the facility.
When a student’s examination or other performance is disrupted due to cheating or other disturbing behaviour, the supervisor informs the Head of Degree Programme about the reason for the disruption.
If a student is suspected of being guilty of offending good scientific practice, the recommendation “Responsible conduct of research and procedures for handling allegations of misconduct in Finland” by the Finnish Advisory Board on Research Integrity (TENK) is applied.
