Study Guide

#savoniaUAS

Curricula starting in 2022 and earlier

Savonia's new Study Guide (curriculum starting in 2023 and after) can be found here.

EY20SP Degree Programme in Environmental Engineering

This curriculum is a translation of the curriculum of the Finnish degree program.

Methods and implementation

In Savonia, the pedagogical starting point is the Open Innovation Space (OIS 2.0) model. It combines high-quality education with research and development activities close to working life. Work-related education emphasizes students' motivation and commitment to studies. The development of students' expertise is promoted in various learning environments, by enabling diverse, time- and place-based year-round study and by making extensive use of the study of work. Comprehensive student guidance and the identification and recognition of prior learning are part of the students' personal study plan.

Savonia's environmental engineering students have access to one of Finland's finest teaching and research laboratories. The laboratory has, for example, a small-scale surface water plant, a wastewater treatment plant and a biogas plant, which offer students a unique opportunity to learn how to purify water and produce renewable energy under conditions similar to real plants. The laboratory and its work-based research projects also offer students a wealth of interesting laboratory work and research projects.

The working life orientation of the education offered by Savonia is realized through the diverse networking of teachers. Networks also ensure that staff skills are up-to-date and continuously developed. The staff creates learning situations and supports student learning. The study office, library and information services, international services and other support services help with studying. The training follows the principles of accessibility and sustainable development.

The starting points for teaching planning are in up-to-date competence and development requirements. The training is planned, implemented, evaluated and developed in cooperation with students, working life and partners. This ensures that the curriculum of the degree program meets the needs of working life. Cooperation is based on open interaction, sharing of knowledge and learning together.

Annual project work develops the student's skills for the needs of working life. The first-year project “Sustainable Development and the Needs of Society” helps to understand how sustainable development is visible and how it can be taken into account in the built environment. The second year project “Experimental Development of Water Technology” introduces students to experimental activities related to water treatment, for example, and deepens students' theoretical and practical knowledge of environmental chemistry. At the same time, the purpose of the project is to develop project work and teamwork skills. The third-year “Case project” has an external client whose environmental problem is solved by the project team. Each group chooses its own topic, which determines the priorities to which the teaching supporting the project relates.

The aim of the study is to increase the student's professional expertise. With his studies, he grows into an initiative and an independent expert. Students' self-direction is emphasized in teaching and supervision from the beginning of their studies. The responsibility for learning lies with the student himself, and the goal of learning is a deep understanding of what has been learned.

The aim of the supervision is to support studies in their various stages. At the beginning of the studies, the emphasis is on a personal study plan, in which the previously acquired competence is also identified. As the studies progress, emphasis is placed on career guidance, which supports the orientation of expertise, the development of working life skills and employment. Savonia teachers and other staff guide and support the student in defining and achieving personal professional goals. The aim of all supervision is to make the student's own use of time more efficient and to evaluate his or her own activities and thus improve his or her ability for continuous learning.

International skills are an important part of an engineer's skills. Each student must include in his / her personal study plan at least 5 cr of studies completed in a foreign language. The student can emphasize internationalization in his or her personal study plan by also choosing studies from the English-language offer offered by Savonia's other degree programs. Internationality can also be strengthened through a student exchange lasting a semester or a year or by completing an internship abroad. In addition to Savonia student exchange programs, environmental engineering students have the opportunity to complete a double degree at a German or Chinese partner school. With the help of this, at least 60 ECTS credits in English are offered to environmental engineering students. The degree program in Environmental Engineering also offers foreign students the opportunity to become exchange students in Savonia. As a result, some of the basic studies also have English as the main language of instruction, which enables the development of the international skills of all students.

Assessment guides and reviews the achievement of the student's study competence objectives. The subject of the assessment is the whole learning event, ie the achievement of knowledge and skills in accordance with the teaching objectives, the attitude and ability to take responsibility required for both study and working life. The evaluation of the courses is based on the evaluation criteria prepared for each course.

The working life orientation of Savonia's education is realized through the diverse networking of teachers. Networks also ensure the continuous development of a student’s substantive expertise. The staff creates learning situations and supports student learning. Student services, library and information services, international services and other university services help with studying. The training follows the principles of accessibility and sustainable development.

The studies in the curriculum can be implemented either in full or in part as online studies. Some of the studies are organized as online studies throughout the year, regardless of time and place. The course may also include part-time courses, the study and completion of which is supervised and supported online. Online implementation can also be an alternative way of completing the course.

Some of the courses are either entirely or partly in English, as language skills are an essential part of an engineer's professional skills. The English-language implementations also enable exchange students to participate in study courses, thus promoting the growth of the international skills of all students. In connection with the implementation of English-language courses, learning is ensured, if necessary, with support material in Finnish and a professional vocabulary.

Extra mural activities can be a flexible way to gain credits, especially in the final stages of studies. The competence included in the degree is acquired in part by doing work and performing agreed tasks. Work experience is not automatically credited. In some cases, the student's leisure activities and hobbies can also develop his or her professional skills so that studying is possible.

Recognition of extra mural activities or work experience begins at the student's initiative and the related plan is made and approved by the course teacher in advance. If the student's work tasks fit the competence objectives of the course, it is possible to study. The curriculum may also include a study course designed specifically for study (eg project studies).

Learning in the workplace or in hobbies is planned on the basis of the competence objectives of the course in cooperation with the teacher of the course. The work tasks presented by the student are assessed whether they in themselves produce sufficient competence in relation to the objectives or whether additional performance is required to achieve the competence. Competence can be supplemented, for example, with a presentation or a report.

We reserve the right to make changes to the curriculum due to the need to update the content being studied.