Degree Student

Language and Communication Studies

The Language Centre is responsible for all language and communication teaching and development of teaching in the area.

Course Offering

Compulsory Language and Communication Studies for the Bachelor's Degrees

The aim of the language and communication studies common to all Bachelor's Degrees is to equip students with the ability to communicate orally and in writing in important working life tasks and roles.

Compulsory language and communication studies include:

  • English for Working Life, 4 ECTS credits​
  • Swedish for Working Life (for Finnish students), 4 ECTS credits
  • Communication Skills for Working Life, 3 ECTS credits
  • Finnish 1 (for foreign students), 4 ECTS credits

Elective Language and Communication Studies for the Bachelor's and Master's Degrees

The student may also choose elective language and communication studies. The contact lessons for elective studies are held in Rajakatu main campus.

Finnish Language for Foreign Students

Foreign exchange and degree students can study Finnish as a foreign language in groups of different levels. Language courses of different levels where teaching is in English are also offered as elective studies. See also Language Studies pages on the Elmo Student intra.

Completing Language and Communication Studies as Part of Bachelor’s Degree Studies

Languages and communication can be studied at Jyväskylä University of Applied Sciences as follows:

  • by taking part in language and communication teaching and by completing the tasks required for each course
  • by requesting accreditation of earlier language studies
  • by studification.

Demonstrating Language Proficiency in Bachelor's Degree Programmes (UAS)

The student of university of applied sciences must demonstrate in their degree studies or otherwise that they have achieved:

  • the skills in Finnish and Swedish that are required of state officials functioning in a bilingual office in a position requiring a higher education degree as per the Act on the Knowledge of Languages Required of Personnel in Public Bodies (242/2003), and are necessary for practising their profession and for further professional development, and
  • the written and oral skills in one or two foreign languages that are necessary for practising their profession and for further professional development.

The requirement stated in item 1 above does not apply to students who have completed their school education in a language other than Finnish or Swedish, or abroad. In such cases, the Head of Language Centre decides on the language requirements.

The Head of Language Centre may exempt a student partially or fully from the language requirements for the following reasons: the student does not have prior studies in the Swedish language, the student does not have prior studies in the English language or a professional has diagnosed the student with severe dyslexia or an issue connected to their health or functional capacity, for which the student has a medical certificate.

The grade of the second national language is marked in words (Good/Satisfactory) in the degree certificate, in compliance with the Government Decree on the Demonstration of Proficiency in the Finnish and Swedish Languages in the Civil Service (481/2003). The written and oral language skills are assessed separately. In accordance with the national guidelines, grades 1-3 correspond to the verbal grade “Satisfactory”, and grades 4-5 to the verbal grade “Good” in the assessment of the language skills referred to in the Act 424/2003.