INFORMATION FOR EXCHANGE STUDENTS
A student applying for an exchange student status in Media Studies must follow the general application protocol of Turku University. It can be found on the University's International Services' Internet pages:
http://www.utu.fi/en/studying/index.html
On the International Services' Internet pages You can find information about how to become a degree student.
You can also apply for exchange student status in Media Studies through e.g. Erasmus, Sokrates and Nordplus exchange programmes. Please always check with Your university or department what Your exchange study options are. In practise, the application is usually carried out through Your university's exchange agreements, so remember to check Your local application deadlines.
The next link will lead You to more specific application information and the Turku University application schedule:
http://www.utu.fi/en/studying/apply/non-degree/index.html
At Turku University, the courses are held mainly in Finnish, but students can take certain courses that have been separately agreed upon with the department's ECTS coordinator in English (or Swedish). Students can take, for example, written literature exams in English, and write essays on topics previously agreed upon. In addition, students can choose courses in English that are Internet-based, or organised by other departments, if inter-departmental agreements and teaching resources allow it.
In the Faculty of Humanities, especially Women Studies, North American Studies, and Baltic Sea Region Studies offer courses in English.
General information about exchange studies:
Survival and other Guides for International Students
Virtual Orientation
WHO TO CONTACT IN MEDIA STUDIES?
Nordplus Exchange programme
When You plan a Nordplus exchange, Your own university's Nordplus coordinator will help You. Contact the coordinator in Your own university first. The coordinator will advise You on how to get into an exchange programme.
Erasmus/Sokrates Programmes and Nordic Exchange
Media Studies' exchange coordinator is Professor Jukka Sihvonen.
Jukka Sihvonen is also the department's ECTS coordinator that approves every applicant's ECTS plans, negotiates course equivalence with students returning from exchange, and approves and confirms the study plans of the incoming exchange students.
Media Studies' Erasmus/ECTS coordinator:
Professor Jukka Sihvonen
tel. + 358 2 333 5273
e-mail: jukkasih@utu.fi
Foreign Postgraduate Student (The preconditions to become a postgraduate student)
EXAMINATIONS
In Finland, exchange students have to take written exams to receive credit units from the courses. Students have to read literature as indicated in the degree requirements, register for an written exam on the examination dates of the department or the faculty, and answer the given questions in essay form, which means a coherent and logically proceeding text that discusses the matter in question.
All the courses that require taking written exams on examination dates can be found in the Media Studies' degree requirements. It's possible to take most of them as written literature exams, even though there were lecture courses available (see Forms of learning and receiving credits). If a course is marked as a practise course, it can't be taken as an exam.
Students must register for the exams with a brown examination envelope that must be delivered to the Media Studies' grey examination envelope mailbox (Media Studies' department, Varia building, 3rd floor). If the student wishes to separately discuss the literature for the exam, or is after registration forced to change the examination date, or cancel the exam, please contact the teacher in charge of the course under examination. If anything regarding examinations is unclear, please contact also the Student Counsellor.
Lecture examinations
Lecture examinations are organised three times per lecture course, first of them is often held on the course's last lecture date, and the rest on separate dates. No registration is usually required, except when a lecture examination is held on a department examination date. The teacher will give further instructions during the course. A lecture examination can also be held during the lecture free week of the period.
Faculty examination dates
Faculty examination dates are meant for taking maturity tests (qualifying examination), and those literature exams that the department holds on faculty examination dates.
Department examination dates
Department examination dates are mainly meant for the re-examinations of the lecture courses, and for basic and intermediate studies' literature exams.
Summer examination dates
Summer examinations are organised twice a summer, usually at the end of June and at the beginning of August. The literature exams of the departments, other exams as specified by the departments, or maturity tests can be taken during summer examinations. You must always register for summer examinations by the end of May. The results won't be available until August or September.
Registering for examinations
The department or the faculty examination dates must be registered for at the department in question with the examination envelope no later than ten (10) days before the examination, which translates into the Tuesday of the week before the exam.
Examination results
The department will announce the results of the examinations on its notice board, and feed the results into the student register system within two weeks of the examination date. Students can find the results also on the University's Intranet exam results page (Wentti) with their own username and password. Click here to find Wentti:
http://www.utu.fi/opiskelu/wentti/
If it's not possible to release the examination results within the two weeks' time period, the department is obligated to inform the students of the exceptional conditions at the examination.
North American Studies
The American Film written literature exam that is included in North American Studies must be registered for on a department examination date. The examiner is lecturer Veijo Hietala. The registration must be made with the examination envelope no later than ten (10) days before the examination date at the department of Media Studies. Requests for the literature list: vhietala@utu.fi.
FORMS OF LEARNING AND RECEIVING CREDITS
EXAMINATION
An examination held in a lecture hall on a department or a faculty examination date is based on the matters discussed during lectures (= a lecture course's lecture examination), or on a good knowledge of the literature read (= written literature exam). During the examination, the student taking the exam will be given written questions which she/he must answer in an outlined manner that shows the student's knowledge of the course material.
The crucial criterion is not the length of the answer, but the ability demonstrated in the answer to outline and discuss the course literature, or things discussed at the lectures. Often the examination questions instruct the student to e.g. compare the views of various writers, to combine the contents of different books, and to give examples of the matter in question. But still, students are required to demonstrate abilities to apply the theories, and to think independently.
ESSAY
An essay is a text that discusses matters. Its style can vary from literary prose to scientific text. According to the dictionary, an essay is a rather short and popular paper. As a part of university level studies, an essay should be based on a scientific approach, and an in-depth knowledge of the subject matter.
In Media Studies, an essay can replace study units, or a literature exam; in some courses the essay is one part of the requirements.
An essay is based on source materials that the writer examines, and discusses from the chosen point of view. An essay should also reflect the writer's own view and knowledge of the matters at hand. The writer must be able to distance oneself from the sources, and take a look at them from her/his own perspective, and substantiate her/his claims. An essay is more than a summary: its trademark features include personal opinion and scientific argumentation.
The structure and sources of an essay
In a good essay, the matters proceed logically, and the text can be divided into introduction, discussion, and conclusions. Essay writing is however not as controlled by rules as a seminar paper: it is allowed to present original thoughts, and to e.g. illustrate by quoting media texts. An essay can comprise of media text analysis, or Your own interpretations or experiences of them. The analysed material can even be annexed to the essay.
When it comes to source literature, the essay is very flexible. Sources can also be found outside the degree requirements, for example scientific journals make for great essay sources. Using the Internet is also allowed, but remember to be critical: as You go through Your sources, think about who produced them, what for, and are they scientifically valid. No source in itself is useless. What's important is how You use it.
PLEASE NOTE! Essay literature should always be discussed beforehand with the teacher in question.
Length and form
It's not the length of the essay that's important, but the demonstration of coherent thinking and in-depth discussion that utilises the sources. As a rule of thumb: 2 study points (1 study credit) equal 8 pages, 3 study points 10-12 pages, and 4 study points (2 study credits) equal 15-20 pages.
An essay should have a cover page that has a title, the writer's name, date of completion, student number, contact information, the teacher's name, and the examination that is replaced with the essay. Also type on the top of the page the School of Art, Literature and Music, Media Studies. Make sure to attach a list of all sources at the end of the essay.
In a Media Studies' essay, commonly accepted scientific reference practises should be used coherently throughout the essay. It is important to be able to differentiate between the writer's own thoughts, and references to previous studies.
Leave a 3-centimetre wide marginal on the left rim of the page, and 2 centimetres on other rims.
Appearance
Line spacing 1.5. Recommendable fonts include the most common and easiest to read, Times or Times New Roman (font size 12) or Arial (font size 11). Use a bigger font size in the titles, and make them bold if needed.
Essay feedback
As You leave Your essay to the teacher, make an appointment for commentary at the same time. Ways to get commentary: short comments via e-mail, written comments on marginals, oral comments during office hours.
LECTURE DIARY
A lecture diary is supposed to improve analytical and critical thinking. The key is to use the diary to evaluate each lecture's topics separately, and relate them to Your earlier studies and interests.
You can e.g. discuss the following topics in Your lecture diary: What were the central themes and points of view of the lecture? How were they handled in the lecture situation? How does it relate to Your earlier knowledge of the subject? What were the most interesting points made? What would You have liked to hear more from?
In a lecture diary, You can connect the lectures to other discussions, or research literature, widen the points of view that were presented in the lecture, give Your own examples, or focus on just one theme. Most importantly, use substantiated arguments and present Your thinking about the lecture's meaning and importance.
Good commentary usually incorporates at least some of the following:
- It brings up a theme, a claim, a question, or a concept from the lecture (but don't summarise the lecture!)
- It analyses the presuppositions on the background of the thoughts and claims presented during the lecture
- It discusses the research tradition the lecture was based on, and/or what kinds of discussions it connects to
- It questions the chosen claim and the meanings it carries
- It argues i.e. presents a point or two that substantiate the questioning of the claim, or some alternative way on thinking
LECTURE PASSPORT
A lecture passport is suitable for the advanced studies in Media Studies. It can be used in Media Studies' own visiting scholars' lectures, series of lectures organised by the School of Art, Literature and Music, or on occasions that focus on a topic close to the thematic of Media Studies. The students that work on their Master's thesis can collect marks on their passports e.g. from lectures, seminars, or other occasions relating to their thesis. You can also take part in other occasions, such as working groups at seminars and doctoral dissertations, if it makes sense in respect to Media Studies.
By taking part in at least five (5) occasions, and by writing 1-2 pages of lecture diary of each occasion, You will receive 2 study points (1 study credit) in Your advanced studies module.
Ask the lecturer, the event organiser, or anyone else in charge to mark Your study passport.
The diaries will be read by a staff member, whose research and teaching interests are the closest to the lecture's topic.
You can obtain study passports from the Department Secretary or the Guidance Counsellor.
STUDY GROUP
A study group is an alternati ve way to receive credits for a study module. It's a group of students whose studying is based on reading literature and preparing small group collaborations about it that are presented to the whole group. A study group can be founded by a teacher or by students. A study group always has a study plan.
When it's the students that create the study plan, a teacher in charge of the study module must accept it, before the group meets for the first time.
A study group functions independently, even though a teacher, who always takes part in at least the first, and the last meeting of the group, supervises it. Every participant commits to working for common learning goals. If study groups are not an option at Your department, You can actively set up Your own group, or suggest forming one to Your department's teachers.
FOREIGN POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS
The preconditions to become a postgraduate student
In order to be accepted as a postgraduate student in Media Studies, the applicant must have an upper degree from a Finnish university, or an equivalent foreign degree. In addition it is required that the student has passed the Media Studies' advanced studies, or other parallel study modules in Communication or Arts with at least a good (3) grade average. The department's professors will decide on the equivalence and co-ordination of the major subject's advanced studies.
The applicant will be evaluated based on the applicant's research plan for the doctoral dissertation, and the department's ability to offer guidance related to the applicant's theme. Organising the financing for the research is the applicant's responsibility.
WHO TO CONTACT REGARDING POSTGRADUATE STUDIES?
Media Studies' postgraduate coordinator:
Professor Jukka Sihvonen
tel. + 358 2 333 5273
e-mail. jukka.sihvonen@utu.fi
More information about postgraduate studies can be found in the Turku University Faculty of Humanities postgraduate study guide (in English):
http://www.hum.utu.fi/en/research/