Studying

Degree programmes

Acquaint yourself with the structure, content and guidelines of your degree programme by taking a look at the University of Lapland's study guide.

• Master's degree programme in Arctic Art and Design>
  
• Master's degree programme in Northern Tourism>
• Master's degree programme in Tourism, Culture and International Management (TourCIM)>

Elective and minor studies

As a student of the University of Lapland, you have a free choice of minor subjects and elective studies. You may select minor subjects and elective studies

• from studies offered by other faculties
• from the modules offered by the Language Centre
• from courses taken as an exchange student at a university abroad
• from the modules offered by the Lapland University of Applied Sciences.

When starting your studies, take some time to discuss your choice of elective and minor studies with your teacher tutor. Take a look at the minor subject and other study options >

Take advantage of online studies

You may complete some degree courses as online courses. Please note, however, that the degrees of the University of Lapland cannot be earned entirely online: the degree student's presence at the university is an essential part of studying towards these degrees. Studying online requires some initial effort, because students are required to familiarize themselves with the new learning environment and adopt new modes of working.

Online courses at the University use the following learning environments and applications:

• Moodle >
• Adobe Connect >

Language and communication studies

Language and communication studies at the University support your degree work and are a plus when you go to work after graduation.

Some of our master's programmes have as compulsory studies for the degree

• Academic Writing
  
• Academic Speech Communication.

In addition to compulsory language and communication studies, you can choose a module in foreign language and culture as one of your minors or take part in foreign-language courses and study units.

More about language and communication studies >

Gain international expertise at the University of Lapland

• Choose international minors.
• Complete foreign language courses and study units.
  
• Go on an exchange abroad.
• Do a traineeship abroad.
• Complete a short mobility period (e.g. an intensive course or a summer school) abroad.
• Join the Café Lingua discussion groups.
• Take part in the international activities of ESN Lapland, the Student Union and the student associations.
• Take part in the tutor and friendship activities for international students.

Read more about the international activities offered by the University >

What is RPL?

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is a procedure whereby credit is awarded on the basis of learning that has been acquired outside the degree programme in which you are currently studying. The purpose of RPL is to ensure that you do not have to spend time studying things that you already have demonstrably learned. You can apply for RPL credits for studies you have completed previously as well as for skills and knowledge acquired in other ways.

Applying for RPL credits

You can apply for RPL credits for studies completed elsewhere that you wish to include in the degree you are currently pursuing, or apply for RPL credits to substitute a part of your current studies with equivalent studies completed elsewhere. You may also have part of your studies substituted by other learning you have acquired in different contexts such as continuing education, work experience, short courses in the workplace, or through projects, positions of responsibility or hobbies.

Familiarize yourself with our RPL instructions >

Go for it – A traineeship abroad

A traineeship is an opportunity to test out your skills and knowledge in real-life labour market conditions while studying. Work experience will be a major advantage when applying for a job after graduation. Take time to consider different traineeship options in order to be able to find one that complements the skill set and knowledge you have gained during your studies and prepares you for your planned career path.

You can include a completed traineeship in your degree. The optimal timing of traineeship varies from one field of study to another.

Applying for a traineeship

It is entirely your responsibility to find and apply for a traineeship. The University receives traineeship offers and you may consider applying for these, too. Before applying for a traineeship, please present your traineeship plan to the teacher in charge of traineeships in your degree programme/faculty. Once your traineeship is approved, you can sign an employment contract with your employer.

• Option 1: Find a traineeship independently. Once you have agreed with your employer on the details of the traineeship, please ask the employer to fill in the traineeship data sheet and have the traineeship approved by the teacher in charge of traineeships in your degree programme/faculty.
• Option 2: Find a traineeship from among the traineeship offers advertised at the Aarresaari Career Services Network for Finnish Universities. Once you have found a traineeship, have the traineeship approved by the teacher in charge of traineeships in your degree programme/faculty.

Traineeship funding

• The university provides traineeship subsidies to participate in the funding of students' traineeships in certain degree programmes when the traineeship is included in the student's Master's Degree. Please check with your teacher tutor to find out whether you are eligible for a traineeship subsidy. The traineeship subsidy is paid directly to the employer to cover some of the expenses the employer incurs from providing the traineeship opportunity to the student.
• You are eligible for a traineeship grant in all Master's Degree programmes provided that the traineeship to be included in your degree is completed abroad. The amount of the grant depends on the selected traineeship programme as well as the length of the traineeship period. Read more about traineeships abroad and traineeship grants >
• Some employers offer salaried traineeship opportunities to students.
• You may also apply for external funding e.g. from foundations, organizations or funds to cover the costs of your traineeship.

JOO studies at another university

You can take advantage of the flexible study right (JOO) to complete individual courses or modules at another university. The JOO studies must be studies that are approved options within the Master's Degree or postgraduate degree you are currently pursuing at the University of Lapland.

The University of Lapland currently has a JOO cooperation agreement with the University of Oulu, which means that, as a student of the University of Lapland, you may pursue JOO studies at the University of Oulu provided that equivalent courses are not available at the University of Lapland. The JOO cooperation agreement between the universities of Lapland and Oulu allows you to choose the courses you want and to complete them free of charge in accordance with the study procedures of the University of Oulu.

Become a JOO student at the University of Lapland

The University of Lapland offers JOO studies to students of other universities in all its fields of study and study modules focusing on study and development of Arctic cultures and societies.

The studies listed below are not included in the JOO agreement:

• Major subject studies in art education
• Teacher's Pedagogical Studies
• Basic Studies in subjects to be taught at school

Read more about the fields of study offered at our university >

Applying for JOO Studies

Familiarise yourself with the JOO application form and the directions for filling out the form. There are two JOO application periods per year with application deadlines on 30 April and 31 October.

For further information, please contact the Head of Study Affairs of your faculty.

Accessibility at our university

Our university seeks to be an accessible place where any barriers to studying, physical or otherwise, are removed, as far as is reasonably practicable. If you are a student with a health problem, disability, or learning difficulty, accessibility becomes particularly important. The University is committed to promoting equality of opportunity to study and has set up individual study arrangements to ensure that the opportunity is realized.

The accessibility work of our university is based on the Non-discrimination Act and accessibility is included in the University of Lapland Equality Plan.

Individual study arrangements

The University is committed to making every effort to ensure that your specific access requirements are met for the entire duration of your studies. If you have specific access requirements, please consult the guidelines, fill in the Application for individual study arrangements form and return it to the Head of Study Affairs, Janette Tolppi. Our University seeks to be as accessible as possible, with the needs of our students with individual requirements being met wherever possible for the entire duration of their studies.

Examples of individual study arrangements:

• additional exam time
• specialist equipment, for example a computer, for completing exams
• a separate room for examinations
• a larger workspace
• attention to physical barriers to access.

Get in touch with the accessibility contact persons

Individual study arrangements:
Janette Tolppi, Head of Study Affairs,
Piritta Akujärvi, Coordinator

 email: yksilolliset.jarjestelyt(at)ulapland.fi.s

Accessibility contact person at the University of Lapland:
Maija Törmänen, University Social Worker, Well-being services for students
firstname.lastname (at) ulapland.fi

Student Union:
Adviser of Educational and Social Affairs
edunvalvonta (at) lyy.fi

Student key fobs

The University of Lapland has an access control system that allows students 24/7 access to certain campus facilities. If you would like to study in the university main building outside the opening hours of the university, you need to request a key fob. The key fob enables you to access the university main building between 7:00 and 23:59, and allows you to access certain workspaces on campus 24/7.

Access to on-campus facilities

You may access the on-campus facilities only through the designated doors (the doors as specified in the terms and conditions you received upon issuance of the key fob). Your personal key fob will open only the doors to the areas you are authorized to access.

The key holder is responsible for the safekeeping of the key and shall not pass the key to anyone or use the key to give anyone access to the university premises. Upon issuance of the key, the key holder agrees to the terms and conditions as specified in the university key control and access policy. Failure to comply with the terms and conditions may result in termination of access.

Request a key fob

Students of the University of Lapland and the Lapland UAS can request for a key fob by filling in a Key holder agreement form at the information desk in the main lobby of the University of Lapland. Keys are issued from Monday to Friday between 9:00–15:00 (and outside these hours upon request.) Bring a current and valid identity document that contains a photograph. Please note that being registered as an attending student is a prerequisite for key issuance.

Further information:
Facility officer Hanna Aakkonen
Tel. +358 40 526 2384
firstname.lastname (at) ulapland.fi

Student tutoring as part of your studies

Every new student is appointed a personal tutor who acquaints the students with the practicalities of study and student life in Rovaniemi during the first year of study. The student tutors are students of the same degree programme/field of study who are in their second year or higher. Student tutoring is an important part of the guidance services provided to the students of the University of Lapland.

Student tutors can earn credits for their activities. In addition, tutors receive a fee for their work.

Submit a student tutor application

The Student Union of the University of Lapland (LYY) is responsible for the student tutor application process, selection and training of student tutors. The annual application period for student tutors starts early in the spring term, the tutors are selected at the beginning of April and training is provided for them at the end of April.

Read more about the tasks of the tutor and the tutor application process >

GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) and other similar artificial intelligence-based text editors or text generators—generally referred to as large language models (LLM)—are interactive artificial intelligence-based applications that can be used to generate content based on user input. Artificial intelligence-based generators can be used to produce, for example, written text, images, sound, and video. The University of Lapland’s guidelines on the use of language models cover all the modes of expression mentioned above.

The University’s guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence-based tools have been outlined by the University of Lapland’s Teaching Management and Development Committee and addressed by the Strategic Steering Committee during spring 2023. The focus of the University’s guidelines is on critical and reflective use of artificial intelligence-based tools. A language model should be thought of in positive terms as a useful tool that can bring advantages. The use of language models is allowed, provided that the user, for example in connection with submission of an assignment, explains how language models have been used when completing the assignment.  However, language models must not be used for producing the final content of an assignment or a thesis, and content created using a language model must not be presented as the student’s own work. Teachers may deviate from the recommendations, but the students must be clearly informed of any exceptions to the guidelines and the reasons for the exception must be clearly stated at the beginning of the course.

If you have any questions or concerns about the use of artificial intelligence-based tools on a particular course, please contact the teacher directly.

The University of Lapland’s Guidelines on the Use of Artificial Intelligence-Based Tools are available on the University’s website under Studies > Studying.