University of Tampere

Tampere, Finland
Website: www.uta.fi Founded: 1925 year Type of University:Public StudyQA ranking: 1865 pts. No. Students: 20178 No. Staff: 2100 Languages: Finnish Phone: +3583355111 Fax: +35832134473
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The University of Tampere (UTA) (Finnish: Tampereen yliopisto, Latin: Universitas Tamperensis) is a public university in Tampere, Finland offering undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes with 20,178 degree students and 1,981 employees as of 2016.

Founded in 1925 in Helsinki as the Civic College (Finnish: Kansalaiskorkeakoulu) and from 1930 onwards known as the School of Social Sciences (Finnish: Yhteiskunnallinen korkeakoulu), the institution relocated to Tampere in 1960 and was re-named as the University of Tampere in 1966. In 2016, its budget was €184.6 million of which 59% was government funding.

The university is set to merge with Tampere University of Technology and Tampere University of Applied Sciences in 2019.

The history of the university began in 1925 when the Civic College was founded in Helsinki. The college moved to Tampere in 1960 and became the University of Tampere in 1966. The anniversary year was launched in January with the Light into Darkness science fair. The event, which was organised in cooperation with other actors in the Pirkanmaa area, gathered over a thousand visitors to learn about new research results and interact with researchers.

The 90th anniversary gala and benefit concert on 7 March brought the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra to the university’s main auditorium. The proceeds were used to support the work of young scientists. The last week of April was dedicated to celebrating the day the University was founded with many different events. For example, on 29 April a jubilee conferment of Master’s and doctoral degrees was organised for persons who received their Master’s or doctoral degrees in a conferment ceremony in 1965. The anniversary year will also be celebrated in the opening ceremony of the new academic year and the graduation ceremonies in June and December.

The University of Tampere is a culturally-committed higher education institution with the social mission of educating visionaries who understand the world and change it. The profile of the University of Tampere accentuates the university’s multifaceted research and education on society and health. In its research, the University addresses the central issues in contemporary society. By providing critical knowledge and education, the university helps people and societies to improve their health and their cultural, social and economic well-being.

The basic values of the University are academic freedom, creativity and social responsibility. This means that everyone has an equal right to learn, to acquire knowledge, to participate and to make an impact on society. Tampere, the home city of the University is the third biggest city in Finland. 

UTA is featured in various rankings of the world’s leading universities. In the latest rankings, UTA ranked as follows:

  • Times Higher Education rankings: UTA in place 200-251
  • QS World University Rankings: UTA in place 551-600
  • QS Rankings by subject
    • Communication and media: 101
    • Medicine: 251
    • English language and literature: 251
    • Sociology: 251
    • Arts and Humanities (Faculty): 401
    • Life Sciences and Medicine (Faculty): 401
    • Biological Sciences (Faculty): 451

The city of Tampere with its 220 000 inhabitants is the third largest city in Finland and the largest inland city in the Nordic countries. In Tampere every sixth resident is a student which contributes to the relaxed and vibrant athmosphere of the city. Did you know that there are 8000 festivals and events in Tampere each year?

Tampere has frequently been voted the best Finnish city in terms of quality of life. All this with the beautiful lake surroundings guarantee that Tampere is your best choice.

UTA offers an inspiring environment to develop your skills

Our academic approach puts you in the centre of your own learning process. Rather than requiring you to absorb information, we value you as a contributor to our academic community and expect you to actively participate in classes. We want you yourself to discover the central point in the issues you are studying, to bring your own perspective into discussions, to question what you learn, and to build a convincing argument. As a graduate of UTA, you will be equipped with skills valued by employers, not only in your specific field, but also in gathering and distilling information, and presenting it to various audiences.

At UTA you are given a lot of freedom to plan and carry out your studies. You can, for example, include courses from other degree programmes in your own degree, which allows you to adapt your studies to your needs and expand your knowledge. With this freedom comes responsibility for your studies. We expect you to undertake your studies in a good academic manner, and ensure you graduate on time. You will, of course, be given help in planning, and are always welcome to ask our staff for help if you’re not sure what to do. You are at the centre of your studies, but we’re here to help you on the way.

UTA teaching is based on the latest research

The latest research, on which our teaching is based on, is carried out by many of our lecturers and professors themselves. We encourage our teaching staff to be the best teachers that they can be, and reward them for doing so. For example, we present the Ällästikku award for excellence in teaching and learning annually, and offer pedagogical training focused on university teaching to our teaching and research staff.

The wide-ranging and multidisciplinary profile of the University is given special emphasis in the university's strategy. UTA has developed innovative research perspectives towards the various aspects of society, health and welfare.

UTA offers you friendly student-teacher relationships

We're not so big on titles or hierarchies in Finland. In fact, it is most likely that you will be on a first-name basis with your professor, and might be having an informal discussion with a Vice-Rector in one of the university's many events. Our teachers, researchers and professors are approachable and eager to share their knowledge, and help you find your strengths.

The study groups in our international programmes are usually small, which allows our professors and other staff to get to know you personally. Our current and previous international students, such as Nirmal, are very satisfied with how approachable our staff are.

UTA is international

Studying at the UTA gives you a truly international and multicultural experience. Approximately 7 % of UTA students, and over 6 % of UTA staff have international backgrounds.  The student population of 15 000 includes 550 international degree students and 500 incoming exchange students.

In 2016, we have students from over 50 nationalities, with different backgrounds and experiences. By coming to the UTA you will therefore not only get to know Finland and Finns, but several other countries and nationalities as well!

UTA is among the top universities in the world

World university rankings recognise 1-3 % of the approximately 20 000 universities in the world. The most popular rankings include 200-500 universities, usually chosen by their number of publications and/or references. The University of Tampere is among these elite institutions.

The Finnish education system as a whole is highly esteemed around the world. In 2017, Finland was ranked 9th in the Universitas21 ranking for national systems of higher education, which evaluates national systems rather than individual universities. Finland has consistently been within 4th-9th places since the ranking was first published in 2012. In the QS Higher Education System Strength Rankings Finland was placed at 19 in 2016.

UTA is situated in Tampere - the best place to live in Finland

Tampere has been voted as the most popular place to live in Finland several times. It is a very student-oriented city, with approximately 40 000 of its 220 000 inhabitants being students. The city offers a wide variety of sports facilities, cultural experiences and excellent services in safe surroundings. Beautiful nature, efficient public transportation and other services, and versatile student discounts ensure that your life in Tampere is both comfortable and affordable.

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