FINLAND - ISEP University of Tampere

To be eligible to participate in this program, students must meet the following requirements:

• Good academic and judicial standing during time of application AND time of participation in program
• Undergraduates must have completed at least two semesters of study at Lake Forest College AND have junior status or higher before participation. 
• At least 18 years of age by the program’s departure date. 
• Be able to stay at the host program for the duration of the semester, including through the exam and travel periods
• Minimum GPA of 2.75.  

Students applying to ISEP must apply for an Exchange option (in any country) as a first choice but may apply to a Direct option as a back-up. Direct options may have an additional cost (see a financial section for more information).

Tampere, a city of green parks and clean water, lies on an isthmus between two lakes, on the banks of the Tammerkoski rapids. Once a center of industry, textile and paper manufacturing, Tampere is now a hub of the IT industries. The largest inland city in Scandinavia, Tampere offers many cultural attractions, including theater, film, music festivals, and museums, as well as an adventure park consisting of seven attractions: Aquarium, Dolphinarium, Planetarium, Observation Tower, Art Museum and Children’s Zoo.

Tampere, which achieved university status in 1966, is one of the largest universities in Finland. The University does not have a campus as such; classes are offered in Tampere’s downtown area and in Pori, a town on the west coast of Finland, about 75 miles west from Tampere. Also affiliated with the university are the University Library, the Language Center, the Computer Center, and the Finnish Social Science Data Archive. Students at UTA may study at other institutions in and near Tampere, such as the Tampere University of Technology. 

Unique in Finland or of national standing are UTA’s programs in American studies, environmental policy, journalism and mass communication, Russian language, Russian studies and social sciences. The university also runs a theater academy that trains professional actors.

The large number and variety of Russian language course together with the Russian Studies program from an extensive and versatile study module for those who have a special interest in Russian language and culture. 

Learning is assessed by exams, essays, and continuous assessment. The dates for major exams vary with the field of study 

Students typically enroll in 10-20 hours of class per week. A term runs for 16-18 weeks. Students should take 30 Finnish/ECTS credits to earn 4 Lake Forest credits.

COURSES TAUGHT IN ENGLISH

Programs offered in English: Master’s degree programs in the Schools of Management, Social Sciences & Humanities, Communication, Media & Theatre, Medicine, Health Sciences and the Institute of Biomedical Technology. 

Also, the following subjects are offered in English: English Philology, Finnish Culture and Society, North American Studies and Russian Studies. 

Furthermore, every subject offers some courses specially designed for exchange students.

Except for the courses noted above, the instruction is in Finnish. It may be possible for students to earn credit for some courses taught in Finnish by completing English reading lists and writing papers in English. The university offers free instruction in Finnish as a foreign language. An intensive pre-placement summer school on Finnish Language and Culture is offered free of charge in August. 

HINTS FOR RESEARCHING COURSES

See Courses information here.

For up-to-date information on course units offered in foreign languages during the academic year, please see the teaching schedules.

If the course unit you are interested in is not taught during the semester, you can check if it could be completed through independent study, e.g. by taking a book examination or writing an essay. To check this, there are links in the Teaching Schedule from the names of the Schools to the descriptions of course units in the curriculum. If you cannot find the requested information there, please contact your international coordinator for more information.

Exchange and visiting students of the University of Tampere can complete studies also in the two other higher education institutions in Tampere: Tampere University of Technology (TUT) and Tampere University of Applied Sciences (TAMK). You should check beforehand that studies taken in these institutions will be approved by your home university. TUT and TAMK are both Erasmus eligible. Please note that Unipoli studies will not show on your UTA transcript. Instead, you will get a separate transcript from each institution upon request. The maximum amount of Unipoli studies is limited to 40% of the exchange studies per semester, and to 10-12 credits for degree students per semester. For up-to-date Unipoli study modules with instructions on how to apply, please see the left-hand navigation for more information.

• Tampere University of Technology
• Tampere University of Applied Sciences

Please review the ISEP country handbook for more information on the education system.

ORIENTATION

Orientation will be held at the beginning of each semester. The program will include introductions to the University of Tampere and life in Finland in general. Students will be shown the University buildings, libraries, recreational facilities, and advisory services. Orientation will also include a guided city tour by bus (free of charge for exchange students). Exact times and locations for the orientation sessions will be provided to the students upon arrival. 

ARRIVAL INFORMATION
The host will provide arrival directions with acceptance packet.

STUDENT ACTIVITIES

The Student Union of the University of Tampere and the Erasmus Student Network frequently organize social activities and trips for international students. A wide range of sports services is offered in the University sports center.

ISEP students are housed in student residence halls with access to shared cooking and laundry facilities. A housing stipend is provided to cover the rent. A monthly meal stipend is provided which can be used to prepare or purchase meals. 

For all approved programs for guaranteed financial aid transferability, students pay their Lake Forest College tuition plus a program fee. The program fee for a semester with the ISEP Exchange includes orientation, on-site director, college fees, housing, and the equivalent of 19/meals per week.  

Here is an estimated budget for the Fall 2018/Spring 2019 programs:

Tuition rates and program fees are subject to change each year, but this information was up-to-date as of January 2018. We will notify applicants, and update this page if the program fee or other estimates change.

You can discuss with Financial Aid your specific aid package and your expected family contribution.

Keep in mind that you may spend more or less in certain areas like personal expenses, travel, meals, or airfare, depending on exchange rates and your own spending habits. Classroom or lab fees are not included in this estimate and will depend on your course registration choices.  

Don’t forget to apply for scholarships! A great listing can be found here.