OULU UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES

OULU
Oulu is a city of about 130,000 inhabitants in the central part of Finland, on the shores of Bottenviken and close to the Swedish border. It is the largest and most important city in Northern Finland and it has some 20,000 students in higher education. Oulu has good rail and air connections with other Finnish cities as well as Swedish destinations. Oulu also has its very own signature grafitti, a downtown stayer that has survived repeated overpaintings. It reads “paska kaupunni” which means "shitty city" but probably refers to a song by Oulu-born Finnish rock musician Kauko Röyhkä. Oulu has a lively party scene and beautiful natural surroundings, both of which offer a lot in the recreational department.

OULU UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES
Oulu University of Applied Sciences (OUAS, formerly Oulu Polytechnic) is one of the largest universities of applied sciences in Finland with approximately 8,000 students (250 internationals), situated in one of the fastest growing areas of the country. The OUAS has 8 departments of e.g. Health & Social Care, Business & Information Management, Engineering, Renewable Natural Resources, and Music, Dance and Media etc. Both Bachelor's and Master's courses in English are provided for exchange students and are designed to be recognised in their home institutions.

ASSORTED FACTS

TUITION
Degree students are exempt from tuition, but all students pay the student union membership fee annually to get a student card. The student card allows students many benefits and discounts. Students also get a meal card that entitles them to inexpensive meals at student restaurants (max. 2.60 EUR/a meal). A sports pass is available for 10 euros/academic year.

ACCOMMODATION
Accommodation is available either on the private housing market or in the halls of residence. The apartments and rooms are in very good condition and include central heating, cooking and washing facilities and internet access. Both furnished and unfurnished rooms are available. The price range is 120-350 EUR, depending on size, location and standard.

KEY DATES
The autumn term runs from the end of August or beginning of September to the Christmas holiday. The spring term lasts from primo January to the end of May. There is a one week winter vacation in March and a ditto Easter vacation in April. There are no set examination periods; each school gives details regarding their respective examination periods later on in the academic year.

VISA
Neither a visa nor a residence permit is needed for Norwegian students.

CURIO
Oulu has an annual Music Video Festival of music video, cinema, live music, and air guitar world championships. Participants from all over the world gather to compete in air guitar playing skills. The judging panel includes Finnish guitarist Juha Torvinen, and prizes include a custom made 'Flying Finn' guitar and a special amplifier donated by Queen guitarist Brian May. The ideology behind the event is that "wars would end and all the bad things would go away if everyone just played air guitar".

LINKS: THE UNIVERSITY AND ANSA'S COUNTRY PAGES
www.oamk.fi/english/
www.ansa.no/land/finland