<p>This page provides answers to most questions concerning the communication and language studies included in the degree studies. In addition, you can find information on the free-choice elective studies, which can be completed at the Language Centre. In case the information you need is not here, please contact the service address at <span class="spamspan"><span class="u">kielikeskus.tau</span> [at] <span class="d">tuni.fi</span></span>.</p>


<h2><strong>Backlog in processing the applications for accreditation of prior communication and language studies</strong><strong> </strong></h2>

<p>We have received a large number of applications for accreditation of prior studies in Sisu. The applications are being processed in the order of their arrival. Due to the substantial number of applications, the processing takes longer than usual. In case you have questions about the process or how to apply, please refer to the <a href="https://www.tuni.fi/en/students-guide/handbook/uni/planning-studies-and-study-guidance/study-guidance-and-psp/recognition-prior-learning">Student’s Handbook</a>. Instructions can also be found below under the headline Credit transfer for communication and language studies. Sisu-related questions can be sent to <span class="spamspan"><span class="u">sisu</span> [at] <span class="d">tuni.fi</span></span>.</p>

<h2><strong>The selection decisions for the teaching starting in period 1 have been made and the late registration in ongoing</strong></h2>

<p>Once the selection has been confirmed, a late registration will open on the implementation website, during which you can enroll for any available or vacant places. As a rule, late registration is open until Sunday of the first week of the course.  When you re-enrol for the same implementation, you must first cancel your original enrolment and then re-enrol. </p>

<p><strong>A bug has been spotted on Sisu's new Registration tab. The bug affects late registration and the type of registration where Sisu confirms or rejects your registration immediately after you have registered. In these cases, you were previously not able to register at all if the teaching or the group you selected was full: the Register button was grey. Now, in the same situations, you can register but Sisu rejects your registration. Please read more in <a href="https://intra.tuni.fi/en/content/news/51513">intra</a>. </strong></p>

<p>Please note that all enrolments, which are done during the enrolment time are equal when the decisions to accept students to courses will commence. In other words, the enrolment time does not play a role in making the decisions. Instead, the decisions are made according to the selection criteria after the enrolment period has ended.</p>

<h2>Contact information</h2>

<p>Study services: <span class="spamspan"><span class="u">kielikeskus.tau</span> [at] <span class="d">tuni.fi</span></span></p>

<p>Language Centre's study services will answer your messages via the Efecte Service Management System. Use your tuni.fi address to send the message.</p>

<p>Visiting address, Hervanta Campus:<br>
Main building, 1st floor</p>

<p>Visiting address, City Centre Campus:<br>
Pinni B, 5th floor</p>

<p>For more information, visit <a href="https://intra.tuni.fi/en/content/service_profile/1363?tab=2">Units</a> in intra.</p>


Topical issues and contact information 

<h2>Language Centre's curriculum 2021-2024</h2>

<p>Please familiarise yourself with the Language Centre's curriculum either in the PDF file below or through the links, which take you to the Student's Guide's Curriculum section. The curriculum presented here includes all courses, which are taught in English. The language of instruction of other courses at the Language Centre is generally Finnish, and therefore sufficient Finnish skills are required. However, most of the more advanced classes in other foreign languages, e.g. Spanish and German, are taught in the target language, thus students with sufficient knowledge of the language may participate in those courses. The entire curriculum 21-24 can be found on the Finnish site of the Communication and Language Studies <a href="https://intra.tuni.fi/fi/opiskelu/opiskelu-0/viestinta-ja-kieliopinnot" title="Viestintä- ja kieliopinnot intrasivu">Viestintä- ja kieliopinnot</a> under the headline Kielikeskuksen opetussuunnitelma, siirtymäsäännöt ja vastaavuustaulukot.</p>

<figure role="group"><div class="embedded-file"><svg height="25" width="25" aria-hidden="true" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 24 24"><polygon points="22 18 22 20 2 20 2 18 0 18 0 20 0 22 2 22 22 22 24 22 24 20 24 18 22 18"></polygon><polygon points="12 18 18.55 11.46 17.09 10 13 14.09 13 2 11 2 11 14.09 6.91 10 5.46 11.46 12 18"></polygon></svg><span class="visually-hidden">Download</span><a href="https://content-webapi.tuni.fi/proxy/public/2022-10/language-centre-curriculum-2021-2024.pdf"><span>Language Centre's curriculum 2021-2024 pdf</span></a></div></figure>

<p>or</p>

<p><a href="https://www.tuni.fi/studentsguide/curriculum/course-units/?q=lang.eng.&amp;sort=code:asc" title="English courses 2021-2024">English</a></p>

<p><a href="https://www.tuni.fi/studentsguide/curriculum/course-units/?q=lang.icc.&amp;sort=code:asc" title="ICC courses 2021-2024">Intercultural Communication (ICC)</a></p>

<p><a href="https://www.tuni.fi/studentsguide/curriculum/course-units/?q=lang.suv.&amp;sort=code:asc" title="Finnish as a foreign language (S2) courses 2021-2024">Finnish as a foreign language (S2)</a></p>

<h2>Language Centre's transitional provisions 2021-2024</h2>

<p>The Language Centre is responsible for defining the transitional provisions that apply to courses following the introduction of the new curriculum and for entering information about course equivalencies to the student information system Sisu. The transitional provisions will remain effective throughout the new curriculum period from 2021 to 2024. The faculties will review the communication and language modules that are included in degree programmes.</p>

<p>From the autumn semester 2021 onwards, the Language Centre will provide education in accordance with its approved curriculum for the academic years 2021–2024. All students will complete courses at the Language Centre in accordance with this new curriculum.</p>

<p>Students who first enrolled at Tampere University before 1 August 2021 will continue completing language and communication studies in accordance with the curriculum for the academic year 2020–2021 or an older curriculum. However, these students must log into Sisu to find out which new course is equivalent to a specific course included in the communication and language modules of their degree. As a rule, the new curriculum will include courses that are equivalent to the language and communication courses that students have completed earlier, although the number of credits carried by these courses may slightly vary. Students are responsible for ensuring that they earn the required number of credits to satisfy degree requirements.</p>

<p>The transitional provisions will mainly apply to students who first enrolled at the University between 2015 and 2020. Students who started their course of study before 2015 are advised to send an inquiry to the generic email address of the Language Centre (<span class="spamspan"><span class="u">kielikeskus.tau</span> [at] <span class="d">tuni.fi</span></span>) if they are unsure about anything.</p>

<h2>Equivalency tables</h2>

<p>Tables indicating the equivalences between courses included in the old curriculum (2020–2021) and the new curriculum (which became effective on 1 August 2021) can be seen below.</p>

<p>Finnish</p>

<figure role="group"><div class="embedded-file"><svg height="25" width="25" aria-hidden="true" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 24 24"><polygon points="22 18 22 20 2 20 2 18 0 18 0 20 0 22 2 22 22 22 24 22 24 20 24 18 22 18"></polygon><polygon points="12 18 18.55 11.46 17.09 10 13 14.09 13 2 11 2 11 14.09 6.91 10 5.46 11.46 12 18"></polygon></svg><span class="visually-hidden">Download</span><a href="https://content-webapi.tuni.fi/proxy/public/2021-11/equivalency_table_finnish_pdf.pdf"><span>Equivalency table Finnish pdf</span></a></div></figure>

<p>English and ICC</p>

<figure role="group"><div class="embedded-file"><svg height="25" width="25" aria-hidden="true" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 24 24"><polygon points="22 18 22 20 2 20 2 18 0 18 0 20 0 22 2 22 22 22 24 22 24 20 24 18 22 18"></polygon><polygon points="12 18 18.55 11.46 17.09 10 13 14.09 13 2 11 2 11 14.09 6.91 10 5.46 11.46 12 18"></polygon></svg><span class="visually-hidden">Download</span><a href="https://content-webapi.tuni.fi/proxy/public/2021-11/equivalency_table_english_and_icc_pdf.pdf"><span>Equivalency table English and ICC pdf</span></a></div></figure>


Language Centre's curriculum, transitional provisions and equivalency tables

<h2>Language Centre's teaching schedule</h2>

<p>Please see the Finnish site of the Communication and Language Studies for the teaching schedule of 2023-2024 and 2022-2023: <em>Viestintä- ja kieliopinnot, Kielikeskuksen opetustarjonta ja opetusmuodot</em>. All courses can also be found on the  Student Guide's <a href="https://www.tuni.fi/studentsguide/curriculum/course-units/?&amp;responsibleOrganisation=tuni-org-1010000009">Curriculum</a> section.</p>

<h2>Language Centre's teaching modes</h2>

<table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>
			<h4>Teaching Mode</h4>
			</td>
			<td>
			<h4>Brief Descreption</h4>
			</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Campus Teaching</td>
			<td>In-person class meetings<br>
			on campus at regularly<br>
			scheduled times. Can also<br>
			include some online<br>
			and/or hybrid meetings.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Online Synchronous</td>
			<td>Synchronous meetings<br>
			are arranged online<br>
			 according to course<br>
			schedule.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Online<br>
			Asynchronous</td>
			<td>All activities are online<br>
			and can be completed<br>
			asycnchronously.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Flexible &amp;<br>
			independent study</td>
			<td>Completely online,<br>
			designed for mainly<br>
			independent study.</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<figure role="group"><div class="embedded-file"><svg height="25" width="25" aria-hidden="true" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 24 24"><polygon points="22 18 22 20 2 20 2 18 0 18 0 20 0 22 2 22 22 22 24 22 24 20 24 18 22 18"></polygon><polygon points="12 18 18.55 11.46 17.09 10 13 14.09 13 2 11 2 11 14.09 6.91 10 5.46 11.46 12 18"></polygon></svg><span class="visually-hidden">Download</span><a href="https://content-webapi.tuni.fi/proxy/public/2022-07/kielikeskuksen_opetusmuodot.pdf"><span>Language Centre's teaching modes pdf</span></a></div></figure>


Language Centre's teaching schedule and teaching modes

<p>Students enrol for courses in the student information system Sisu. Instructions: <a href="https://www.tuni.fi/en/students-guide/handbook/uni/services-and-regulations-students/sisu-students/course-registration">Course registration</a>.</p>

<h2>Enrolment schedule, academic year 2023-2024</h2>

<p>In the first and third period the enrolment ends at various times depending on the language/course/implementation. Please check more details below and in Sisu.</p>

<table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td><strong>Teaching starts</strong></td>
			<td><strong>Enrolment starts</strong></td>
			<td>
			<p><strong>Enrolment finishes</strong></p>
			</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
			<p>In period 1</p>
			</td>
			<td>1.8.2023</td>
			<td>21.8./23.8./27.8.2023</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>In period 2</td>
			<td>18.9.2023</td>
			<td>9.10.2023 all courses</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>In period 3</td>
			<td>13.11.2023</td>
			<td>11.12.2023/8.1.2024</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>In period 4</td>
			<td>29.1.2024</td>
			<td>19.2.2024 all courses</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<p>For some individual courses, the enrolment time may vary.</p>

<p><strong>21.8.2023 enrolment finishes:</strong></p>

<ul>
	<li>Swedish (except for LANG.RUO.001 MAB Hervanta and MET LL as well as LANG.RUO.005)</li>
	<li>ICC</li>
	<li>English (except for LANG.ENG.001 Foundations of Professional and Academic Communication in English)</li>
	<li>Courses of interaction skills and academic writing in Finnish (LANG.PUH.001/002/003/004 and LANG.TIE.001/002/003/004</li>
	<li>Courses targeted at doctoral students LANG.ENG.009 and LANG.ENG.010</li>
</ul>

<p><strong>23.8.2023 enrolment finishes:</strong></p>

<ul>
	<li>LANG.001 ja LANG.002 Multilingual Introduction to Academic Language and Communication Studies</li>
	<li>Finnish as a foreign language (S2)</li>
	<li>Other foreign languages, e.g. German, Italian, Chinese, etc.</li>
	<li>LANG.RUO.001 Working Life in Swedish <strong>MAB Hervanta</strong></li>
	<li>LANG.RUO.005 Advanced Business Swedish</li>
</ul>

<p><strong>27.8.2023 enrolment finishes:</strong></p>

<ul>
	<li>LANG.ENG.001 Foundations of Professional and Academic Communication in English</li>
	<li>LANG.RUO.001 Working Life in Swedish <strong>MET LL</strong></li>
</ul>

<p><strong>11.12.2023 enrolment finishes:</strong></p>

<ul>
	<li>All other courses except for LANG.ENG.001 and LANG.TIE.001</li>
</ul>

<p><strong>8.1.2024 enrolment finishes:</strong></p>

<ul>
	<li>LANG.ENG.001 Foundations of Professional and Academic Communication in English</li>
	<li>LANG.TIE.001 Academic writing in Finnish</li>
</ul>

<h2>More information on enrolment</h2>

<h3>Accepting students to groups</h3>

<p>The decisions to accept students to a course will be made after the enrolment period ends. Sisu will display your admission status even before this confirmation, but please be aware that the status may be incorrect. Please wait until the enrolment period ends and your admission has been confirmed. It may take several days after the end of enrolment period to confirm your admission. The Language Centre's decisions are confirmed by both the Study Services and the teachers.</p>

<p>Please note that all enrolments, which are done during the enrolment time are equal when the decisions to accept students to courses will commence. In other words, the enrolment time does not play a role in making the decisions. Instead, the decisions are made according to the selection criteria after the enrolment period has ended. Before you enrol, please be sure to check that you have included the course in the language and communication module of your personal study plan (PSP).</p>

<p><strong>Please note! </strong>There are NO placement tests for students who plan to attend courses offered by the Language Centre. Students enrol for these courses as usual, and the admitted students will be selected based on the criteria described below.</p>

<h3>Late registration</h3>

<p>If you were not selected for a course, you may have been rejected because there were not enough places for everyone or because the places in your group selection were full. There may therefore still be space in some of the implementation groups. Once your selection has been confirmed, a late registration will open on the implementation website, during which you can enrol for any available or vacant places. As a rule, late registration is open until Sunday of the first week of the course.  <strong>When you re-enrol for the same implementation, you must first cancel your original enrolment and then re-enrol. </strong> You can also enrol for implementations for students from other faculties once their selections have been confirmed and the late registration period has started. However, please enrol for your own faculty's implementation first if there is one available and space is available.</p>

<p><strong>Please note! </strong>You will not be able to enrol in the late registration if there is no space available. In this case, the enrolment button will be greyed out in Sisu.  </p>

<p>If you do late-registration for an implementation, please then contact the group teacher by email to receive all necessary information to participate (e.g. a zoom link and access to Moodle).</p>

<h3>Cancellation and/or interruption of enrolment</h3>

<p>If you decide not to attend after having enrolled for a course, please inform the teacher as soon as possible. Cancel your enrolment or interrupt your attainment yourself in SISU to avoid unnecessary communication. You can <strong>cancel </strong>your enrolment in SISU once the students have been confirmed for the course and an extension period has been set for the implementation of the cancellation. As a rule, this setting is enabled for all Language Centre implementations, so you should be able to cancel your enrolment. If the extra cancellation period has expired and cancellation is therefore not possible, you can instead <strong>interrupt</strong> your enrolment in Sisu. Interruption can be made once the course has been started. <strong>Cancelling</strong> of enrolment and interruption of the course is done in the Study Calendar in Sisu, in the right-hand sidebar/window under the relevant course.</p>

<h3>Accepting students onto mandatory courses in English, Swedish and Finnish</h3>

<p>The unit-specific and programme-specific courses in English, Swedish and Finnish are primarily intended for students in the unit or degree programme in question. Other students can also be accepted onto these courses if there are seats available. If the number of students who enrol exceeds the number of seats available, the selection of students will primarily be based on a specific minimum number of credits. If necessary, Sisu will draw lots to determine which of the students who have earned the minimum number of credits are accepted onto the course.</p>

<h3>Accepting students onto elective language and communication courses</h3>

<p>If the number of students who enrol for a course exceeds the number of seats available, the selection of students will primarily be based on a specific minimum number of credits. If necessary, Sisu will draw lots to determine which of the students who have earned the minimum number of credits are accepted onto the course.</p>

<h3>Accepting students onto elective language courses for beginners (such as French 1)</h3>

<p>Sisu will draw lots to select the students who can be accepted onto the course.</p>

<h3>Accepting students onto elective courses for more advanced learners (from course 2 onwards, such as French 2)</h3>

<p>Sisu will draw lots to select the students who can be accepted onto the course; 50% of the seats will be reserved for students who must complete course to meet their degree requirements.</p>

<h2>Cancellation and change of teaching</h2>

<p>A group is cancelled if there are not enough students. The cancellation will be indicated in the teaching provision in the implementation information. Other possible changes, eg to the schedule, will also be announced in the same place. In addition, an automatic Sisu message will be sent to those enrolled in the implementation in question.</p>


Enrolling for course teaching

<p>The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) is an international standard for describing language learning, teaching, and assessing. It was developed by the Council of Europe, and it is widely used e.g., in institutions of higher education to describe the learning outcomes of language courses. This allows both national and international comparison. You can familiarize yourself with the language levels as described by the <a href="https://www.coe.int/en/web/common-european-framework-reference-languages/table-1-cefr-3.3-common-reference-levels-global-scale">Council of Europe</a>.</p>


Assessing your language proficiency level

<p>Upon your request, the Study Office of Tampere University will issue you with a certificate of your English language skills. Please send your rquest to the email address <strong><span class="spamspan"><span class="u">mobility.tau</span> [at] <span class="d">tuni.fi</span></span></strong>. The certificates are issued to students who are registered as attending at Tampere University, are applying for international student exchange or internship and are required by their prospective host university to provide a separate certificate demonstrating their English language skills. Your language skills will not be separately assessed, as the certificate will be based on the language courses that you have completed at our University. Certificates may be provided to verify that you have successfully completed foreign language courses that are or have been included in the Language Centre’s curriculum. You will receive the requested certificate by email.</p>

<p>Should you need a certificate of other foreign language courses than English you have completed at the Language Centre, send your request to <strong><span class="spamspan"><span class="u">kielikeskus.tau</span> [at] <span class="d">tuni.fi</span></span></strong>. Write <strong>Student Exchange + the language in question</strong> to the subject field.</p>


Language certificates

<p>The Language Centre organizes all language and communication studies included in the degree studies of all faculties. All degree programmes contain obligatory language and communication studies. In addition, the students may study languages according to their own interest as free-choice elective studies.</p>

<p>Please note that the language of instruction is generally Finnish, and therefore sufficient Finnish skills are required. However, in the case of following languages the courses are taught in English: Chinese, Finnish as a Foreign Language and Intercultural Communication, ICC (read about ICC under the headline Studies in Intercultural Communication). Also, most of the more advanced classes, e.g. Spanish and German, are taught in the target language, thus students with sufficient knowledge of the language may participate in those courses.</p>


Degree programmes' language and communication studies

<p>Finnish courses offered by the Language Centre range from A1 to B2 level. Check the contents and schedules in Sisu or in the Student guide's <a href="https://www.tuni.fi/studentsguide/curriculum/course-units/?q=lang.suv.">curriculum section</a>. You can also find information on Finnish courses on <a href="https://intra.tuni.fi/en/studying/curriculum-and-study-opportunities/courses-and-teaching-schedules/studying-finnish">Studying Finnish</a> site in intra (in English). In addition, you can familiarize yourself with the language levels as described by the <a href="https://www.coe.int/en/web/common-european-framework-reference-languages/table-1-cefr-3.3-common-reference-levels-global-scale">Council of Europe</a>.</p>

<table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td><strong>Language level description</strong></td>
			<td><strong>CEFR skill level</strong></td>
			<td><strong>Course</strong></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Basic language user</td>
			<td>A1</td>
			<td>LANG.SUV.001 Finnish 1, 3 op</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td> </td>
			<td>A1</td>
			<td>LANG.SUV.002 Finnish 2, 2 op</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Basic language user</td>
			<td>A2</td>
			<td>LANG.SUV.003 Finnish 3, 3 op</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td> </td>
			<td>A2</td>
			<td>LANG.SUV.004 Finnish 4, 2 op</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td> </td>
			<td>A2</td>
			<td>LANG.SUV.005 Finnish 5, 3 op</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td> </td>
			<td>A2</td>
			<td>LANG.SUV.006 Finnish 6, 2 op</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td> </td>
			<td>B1</td>
			<td>LANG.SUV.007 Finnish 7, 3 op</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td> </td>
			<td>B1</td>
			<td>LANG.SUV.008 Finnish 8, 2 op</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td> </td>
			<td>B1</td>
			<td>LANG.SUV.009 Finnish for Working Life, 2 op</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Independent language user</td>
			<td>B1</td>
			<td>LANG.SUV.010 Communication in Finnish 1, 2 op</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Independent language user</td>
			<td>B2</td>
			<td>LANG.SUV.011 Communication in Finnish 2, 2 op</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<p> </p>


Finnish as a foreign language

<p>The ICC courses are open for all students from undergraduate and graduate programs in Tampere University.  The language of instruction is English (B1, intermediate level), but please note that language fluency is not a part of the evaluation. Teaching is available on campus or online, and it involves active learning in multicultural groups as well as individual tasks.</p>

<p>Intercultural communication studies interactions between people from different cultural backgrounds, assuming that culture might play a role in these interactions. In the ICC courses, culture is seen as something that is constantly (re-) created by various factors such as participants’ languages, non-verbal communication, cultural assumptions, diverse contexts, and power relations. ICC aims to develop the ability to communicate and interact effectively in intercultural situations. These courses are recommended for students who want to critically analyze, immerse, and adapt to intercultural environments within the campus, workplace or society.</p>

<p>It is recommended to start with the course LANG.ICC.001 and then continue with the course LANG.ICC.002 or LANG.ICC.003. Nevertheless, students can take the courses in any order they prefer. The course LANG.ICC.003 targets Tampere University's students going on exchange, incoming exchange students and international students during their first year in the Tampere University.</p>

<table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Language level description</td>
			<td>CEFR skill level</td>
			<td>Courses (suitable for students from all degree programs)</td>
			<td>Recommended study path and additional information</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Language skills for an independent and fluent language user</td>
			<td>B2</td>
			<td>
			<p>LANG.ICC.001 Developing Internationalization Through Intercultural Communication</p>

			<p>(2 ects)</p>
			</td>
			<td>
			<p>We recommend this course for starting the ICC study path (but not compulsory).</p>
			This course in intercultural communication deals with content related to many different walks of life such as academic and social environments.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Language skills for an independent and fluent language user</td>
			<td>B2</td>
			<td>
			<p>LANG.ICC.002 Entering the Global Workplace: Interculturality and Communication</p>

			<p>(2 ects)</p>
			</td>
			<td>The themes of the course are especially related to working in multicultural and multilingual work environments in Finland and abroad.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Language skills for an independent and fluent language user</td>
			<td>B2</td>
			<td>
			<p>LANG.ICC.003 Engaging Interculturally in Exchange Studies</p>

			<p>(3 ects)</p>
			</td>
			<td>This course provides support for studying abroad in multicultural and multilingual university environments abroad and in Finland.</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>


Studies in Intercultural Communication (ICC)

<p>The Language Centre processes applications for the accreditation of communication and language studies included in a student's degree structure. <strong>You can apply for accreditation based on your prior certificated learning or prior experiential learning</strong>. The faculties manage the recognition of language and communication studies that are included in students’ elective modules.</p>

<p>Please read more about the University’s <a href="https://intra.tuni.fi/en/teaching/teaching-0/credit-transfer/credit-transfer-communication-and-language-studies">general accreditation guidelines</a> on communication and language studies. Further instructions provided by the Language Centre are found below. Please also see the <a href="https://www.tuni.fi/en/students-guide/handbook/uni/planning-studies-and-study-guidance/study-guidance-and-psp/recognition-prior-learning">University's guidelines</a> on recognition of prior learning.</p>

<p>These guidelines apply to students on all campuses.</p>

<h2>Accreditation of prior certificated learning</h2>

<p>The recognition of prior learning is possible for formal studies completed at Finnish and foreign higher education institutions. The recognition of prior learning and credit transfer requires that they correspond to the learning outcomes of the degree. For communication and language studies, you can apply for accreditation by making a substitution application in SISU.</p>

<h4>Proceed like this</h4>

<ol>
	<li>Add the course you want to substitute to your study plan first. You can make the application from the “Substitutions” tab of the course info (open by clicking on the course code).</li>
	<li>Click on “Go to application” and fill in the application form. Under “Studies or Knowledge to be Added”, select “Completed Studies”.</li>
	<li>As a rule, the applying for accreditation is based on individual study units, so please set the equivalent of the course to be substituted as a substitute.</li>
	<li>If your previous studies do not include a course that meets the learning outcomes, but the content is integrated into several study units or modules, please indicate the study units or modules in question as a substitute. You must attach a description of the content of the course or module in question, showing that you have achieved the learning outcomes of the study unit to be substituted.</li>
	<li>If you are applying for substitution based on more than one course, please include the details of their completion separately on the form.</li>
	<li>Add to your application <strong>the transcript of records in Finnish and English</strong> of the studies you have completed in Sisu (if the studies were completed abroad, only add the English transcript). If you have a completed degree, please also add your degree certificate.<br>
	<strong>Please note!</strong> If you do not include an English-language transcript, information about your prior learning will appear in Finnish in your English-language transcript of records issued by Tampere University (other information in English).</li>
	<li>Attach a description of the course (objectives, content and, in the case of language studies, CEFR level) of the substituting course.</li>
	<li>You will be able to add more attachments even after you have submitted your application up until your application is processed. To add more attachments, go to My profile &gt; Applications and decisions.</li>
</ol>

<h2>Accreditation of prior experiential learning</h2>

<p>You can also apply to be credited for prior learning that you have acquired outside the formal system of education either through non-formal learning (such as professional development, non-degree adult education programmes) or informal learning (such as work experience, hobbies, positions of trust) which correspond to the learning outcomes of the course to be substituted.</p>

<p>Please note! The compulsory course “Working life in Swedish” included in the degree cannot be substituted by other acquired competence.</p>

<p><strong>Proceed like this</strong></p>

<ol>
	<li>You must first assess for yourself whether you have the competences required for the course to be substituted. First you should look at the course description of the course to be substituted and pay attention to the learning outcomes and the content of the course.</li>
	<li>Add the course you want to substitute to your study plan. You can make the application from the “Substitutions” tab of the course info (open by clicking on the course code).</li>
	<li>Click on “Go to application” and fill in the application form. Click on “Studies or Knowledge to be Added” first, then select “Other Prior Learning”.</li>
	<li>Attach to your application an essay (approx. 2 pages) in which you
	<ul>
		<li>Describe what kind of experience you have gained and where (such as jobs, courses, hobbies, and positions of trust).</li>
		<li>Describe what you have learnt and how the acquired skills relate to the learning outcomes of the course you want to substitute. Provide a detailed but concise description of your acquired competence.</li>
		<li>Analyse your prior learning, demonstrate how it matches the learning outcomes of the course, and state the reasons that support your claim for exemption from this course.</li>
		<li>Write your essay in English if you are applying for a substitution for an English language course, otherwise write your essay in Finnish or English.</li>
	</ul>
	</li>
	<li>To provide evidence of achieving the level of learning required, you must add relevant documents as attachments to your application in Sisu (such as certificates of employment, portfolios, learning diaries, publications, written reports, or other documentation of your learning).</li>
	<li>The approval will be assessed based on the attachments you have submitted. You will be able to add more attachments even after you have submitted your application up until your application is processed. To add more attachments, go to My profile &gt; Applications and decisions.</li>
</ol>


Credit transfer for language and communication studies

<p><strong>1. I tried to enrol for a course, but Sisu claims that I do not meet the "Course is included in the primary study plan" requirement, even though the course appears in my primary study plan.</strong></p>

<p>This problem can be caused by having a different version of the course in your study plan versus your enrolment. Please go to the Student's guide &gt; <a href="https://www.tuni.fi/studentsguide/handbook/uni?page=8058">Course registration</a>. Scroll down to the section titled <em>Problems with enrolling for a course</em> to read more about the possible scenarios that may cause this problem and find instructions for resolving them.</p>

<p><strong>2. Is there a way to substitute the course LANG.RUO.001 Working Life in Swedish (3 ECTS), which is a mandatory course based on my degree structure?</strong></p>

<p>For detailed instructions, please go to the section titled <em>Credit transfer for language and communication studies</em> on this page.</p>

<p><strong>4. My existing degree structure includes the course KKRUYHT - Swedish Written and Oral Skills (which carries 4 credits), but now I have to complete the course LANG.RUO.001 - Working life in Swedish (which carries 3 credits). How can I earn the remaining one credit towards my degree?</strong></p>

<p>As a rule, the language and communication courses that you have completed earlier will be equivalent to the language and communication courses included in the new curriculum, although the number of credits carried by the courses may slightly vary. It does not matter if the scope of your mandatory language and communication studies falls slightly short because of this reason. However, you must attend other courses to ensure that you earn the required number of credits to complete your degree.</p>

<p><strong>5. Where can I see all the courses that are offered by the Language Centre and included in the new curriculum?</strong></p>

<p>All the Language Centre’s courses included in the new curriculum can be found in the Student’s guide. To read more about the courses, <a href="https://www.tuni.fi/studentsguide/curriculum/course-units?">see the curriculum in the Student’s guide</a>. To browse the courses offered by the Language Centre, click on <em>Faculty/organisation</em> on the left and select the Language Centre from the list that appears on screen.</p>

<p>The new curriculum can also be found in the Student’s handbook as PDF file. This information can only be found on the Finnish site <a href="https://www.tuni.fi/opiskelijanopas/kasikirja/uni?search=viestint%C3%A4%20ja%20kieli&amp;page=4835">Viestintä- ja kieliopinnot</a>. Please see the section titled <em>Kielikeskuksen opetussuunnitelma 2021-2024</em>.</p>

<p><strong>6. I received the grade L in the matriculation examination in the English language at upper secondary school. Do I still have to complete all the mandatory courses in the English language?</strong></p>

<p>No language and communication studies can be replaced with grades received in the matriculation examination. You can claim credit for certificated learning that you have completed at another educational institutions in Finland or abroad or for experiential learning that you have gained outside the formal educational system. For detailed instructions, please go to the section titled <em>Credit transfer for language and communication studies</em> on this page.</p>

<p><strong>7. I enrolled for a course well in advance but was not accepted. Why is this? What are the criteria for course admission?</strong></p>

<p>It is possible that the number of places in the course was limited, or your preferred groups were already full. Places may still be available in the other groups or in the course implementation rounds that are primarily intended for students in the other faculties. You can still try to enrol during the late enrolment period. To view the course admission criteria, please see the section titled <em>Enrolling for course teaching and selection criteria</em> on this page.</p>

<p>The late enrolment period will open after the list of students accepted onto the course has been confirmed. During the late enrolment period, students can enrol for the course for as long as places remain available. <strong>Please note that you will need to cancel your original course enrolment first.</strong> Then you can re-enrol. Please be sure to primarily enrol for the course implementation round that is intended for students in your faculty, if such a course is available and if places are still left.</p>

<p><strong>Please note!</strong> Late enrolment will only be enabled if there are places left on the course. If all the course groups are already full, the enrolment button will be disabled in Sisu and you will not be able to enrol.</p>


Tampere University Student's Handbook

Communication and Language studies

Tampere University Student's Handbook

Communication and Language studies

OpenTopical issues and contact information

OpenLanguage Centre's curriculum, transitional provisions and equivalency tables

OpenLanguage Centre's teaching schedule and teaching modes

OpenEnrolling for course teaching

OpenAssessing your language proficiency level

OpenLanguage certificates

OpenDegree programmes' language and communication studies

OpenFinnish as a foreign language

OpenStudies in Intercultural Communication (ICC)

OpenCredit transfer for language and communication studies

OpenFAQ - Frequently asked questions