Credits and grades

The Finnish national credit allocation and accumulation system is equivalent to the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS). This means that credits (opintopiste) are the same as those in the ECTS. One year of full-time studies requires about 1600 hours of work and corresponds to 60 credits (30 credits per semester). Lectures, exercises, seminars, independent studies as well as examinations have been included in this estimate of required work load of a student.

As a result of the Bologna process, the higher education institutions in Finland adopted a new credit system, European Credit Transfer and Accumulation system (ECTS) in 2005. ECTS was developed by the Commission of the European Communities in order to provide common procedures to guarantee academic recognition of studies abroad. It provides a way of measuring and comparing learning achievements, and transferring them from one institution to another. This is achieved through the use of a common ECTS credit unit and a common ECTS grading scale. ECTS also facilitates access to information on foreign curricula.

ECTS makes use of two important documents: the information package, which provides general information on the host institution, as well as detailed descriptions of the degree and non-degree programmes and courses available; and the transcript of academic record which indicates the courses completed by the student abroad and the number of ECTS credits earned. The transcript shows both the local and the ECTS grades assigned to each course. These documents are used by the institutional and departmental ECTS coordinators, appointed by each university to deal with the administrative and academic aspects of ECTS. It is their role to advise students concerning ECTS.

Grades

Grading of courses at the University of Eastern Finland follows two basic practices: 1) Pass or Fail, or 2) applying a numerical scale with grading from 0-5 (maximum) for passed courses.

The performance (exams and assignments) of each student is compared to the goals of the course. If you want to discuss the principles of grading, please do so at the beginning of the course. Questions concerning credits should be directed to the contact person named in the course description or to the instructor of the course at the first meeting.

The studies completed at UEF will be saved in the Oodi system. A Transcript of Academic Record is the document listing all the courses the student has completed at UEF. Please note that failed or other non-completed courses are not shown in the UEF transcript. The student can use WebOodi for checking the completed courses and getting a digitally signed transcript of records (under Tools – Transcripts and certifications of student status). These digitally signed documents are official only in their digital form and not as paper-printed copies. However, if you need the official paper version of your transcript of records with signature and stamp, please contact Student and Learning Services. Remember to include your student number or date birth to your email so that you can be found in the register.

Exchange students should remember to request for the transcript when their exchange period is ending, because in most cases some courses will still be missing from the records at this point. You can make a request for the transcript by filling out the Departure Information Form and returning it to the International Mobility Services. Transcript will be sent to your address when it is ready.

Degree students who have completed all the required courses, the thesis and the maturity test are required to fill out a certificate application form and return it to the faculty office. Further information about degree certificates and graduation can be obtained from the faculties.