Degree Programmes and Major Subjects in the Faculty of Humanities
There are three degree programmes in the Faculty of Humanities, dividing in several major subjects.
Archaeology is the science that studies humans and cultures with the help of material sources they have left behind, such as objects, structures or chemical changes in the soil due to human activity. Archaeology is multidisciplinary in nature. Archaeology is a humanistic science, but it has traditionally had many links with the natural sciences, particularly in terms of research methods. The goal of archaeological research is to understand and explain culture and changes of culture. An archaeologist is a versatile expert in material culture, research and conservation. Archaeologists work in cooperation with land users, planners and environmental protection authorities. Protecting archaeological cultural heritage is a part of protecting the environment, and the ethical goal of archaeologists is to retain as much of the past as possible for future generations.
In general basic studies of archaeology and cultural anthropology, students get an overall view of archaeology and cultural anthropology. The studies include, for example, the prehistory of Finland, Finnish folklore and the birth of cultures. The focus area for archaeology is the study of the archaeological cultural heritage of northern Finland and other northern areas within a global context. In addition to mastering basic knowledge of the subject, teaching focuses on universal cultural processes and research technologies pertaining to the processing of source material. A key goal of the studies is to offer the students the ability to complete the process of conducting archaeological research independently. This consists of gathering a dataset, analysing it, interpreting it and presenting the results in writing. Student exchange programmes with several universities abroad offer students of archaeology excellent opportunities to study abroad for a short time.
The study of archaeology provide necessary skills for museum work, antiquities administration and research positions. It is also essential for those seeking to protect and manage cultural heritage. For aspiring history teachers, taking archaeology as a minor subject provides a good foundation for teaching the development of humankind before literary sources began. Furthermore, studies in archaeology create a solid foundation for all-round education and an understanding of the northern identity for people working in various cultural positions. At the University of Oulu, therefore, archaeology is therefore available as a minor subject to all students.
Minors that complement archaeology include cultural anthropology, history, art history, museology, geology, geography, biology and environmental studies in the humanities.
Cultural anthropology studies humans, communities, and the social construction of behaviour during different times and at different corners of the globe. Our aim is to learn to understand different kinds of cultures and to analyse how culture shapes human lives.In the increasingly connected and international contemporary world, knowledge of cultural diversity on local and global levels is crucial in order to understand social issues and problems. The Cultural Anthropology programme in Oulu specializes in northern cultures, contemporary cultural trends, cultural interaction, and environmental, medical, and applied anthropology.At the University of Oulu the Cultural Anthropology and Archaeology programmes have shared basic level studies. Get to know the field.
Welcome to the Department of History at the University of Oulu. We are a dynamic, accomplished community of around 30 scholars and PhD students. Our innovative faculty offers teaching and carries out research on several nationally and internationally significant focus areas. Our particular expertise includes Arctic history, cultural identities, encounters and interactions, environment and health, gender history, ICT and the politics of historical memory. Our research is methodologically diverse and multidisciplinary in orientation. Our teaching is entwined with our research, encouraging students to get engaged with the latest historical knowledge.
The study of history prepares students to work in a wide variety of professions and to participate as critical and informed citizens. The study of history develops skills that are of utmost importance, for instance, in research, teaching, media, civil service, content creation and public relations.
History of Sciences and Ideas at the University of Oulu is the only one of its kind in Finland. The staff consists of two professors and three university lecturers. There are also three post-doctoral researchers affiliated with the unit. In 2019 there are about ten doctoral students in the discipline and ca. ten students attain their MA-degrees annually.
History of Sciences and Ideas has two interrelated perspectives on history. History of ideas or intellectual history focuses on beliefs, hopes and fears of past peoples – on the ways in which people have thought about society, nature and human nature. Intellectual historians also study ideologies, concepts and all kinds of “isms” or belief systems, such as liberalism, socialism and nationalism. Here in Oulu, researchers study the Enlightenment and its legacy, utopianism and a wide spectrum of political ideas from conservatism to anarchism.
History of science explores changes in the understanding of science and how scientific practices have evolved over time. Historians of science also exam how scientific data has been collected and analysed, what sort of knowledge has been considered “scientific” and how science interlinks with politics, culture and ideologies. In our unit, research topics include history of medicine, psychology and psychiatry as well as evolutionary theories, physical sciences and the scientific "revolution" of the 17th and 18th centuries.
Information Studies is a field of Humanities and Social Sciences, and related to Communication Studies. It examines the creation and production, organization, seeking and retrieval, dissemination and sharing, as well as the usage and impact of information in different environments of human activity and society. The emergence of the Internet has increased the demand for information specialists in various professional fields. The degrees grant both formal and practical qualifications for specialist work such as research or design of information services and related process in libraries, archives and museums, as well as in the information management and service units and research institutions of the public sector and private businesses.In the University of Oulu, the degree programme has a link with TIEMA, a Master's Programme in Science Communication, and through a selection of minor subject studies have the opportunity to become communication-oriented Information Specialists.
Giellagas Institute for Saami Studies has a nation-wide responsibility to organize, introduce and provide Saami language and cultural studies and research at the academic level. The Giellagas Institute houses two major academic subjects, Saami Linguistics and Saami Culture. In Saami linguistics the major teaching language is Saami while the studies of Saami Culture require skills in Finnish, in addition to Saami and English.
The role of science, research and technology is becoming increasingly important, both from the social and economic viewpoint. Therefore, it is very important that the public and decision-makers will have access to up-to-date and understandable information about science. Master’s Degree Programme in Science Communication (TIEMA) is designed to meet this challenge by providing its students with an opportunity to become experts in science communication and popularisation. The TIEMA Degree aims to facilitate students’ practical communication skills as well as their understanding of scientific knowledge. The Programme comprises 120 credits, leading to the completion of the M.A. Degree within two years with the possibility of continuing towards a Ph.D. The teaching language of the programme is Finnish.
English today enjoys a special status as the global language. It is written, spoken and understood throughout the world and has become the most important medium not only for international communication of all sorts (casual and informal, commercial and industrial, political and diplomatic, etc.) but also for the dissemination of scientific and scholarly research. This high status of English as a global language demands correspondingly high standards in those wishing to use the language for professional, academic, or even personal reasons.
The English curriculum is designed to address this need for high quality English learning by offering a carefully graded mix of courses focusing on the four core areas of English:
- Language Skills
- Linguistics
- Literature
- Culture
The English program at the University of Oulu will not only introduce you to one of the world’s great literary, cultural, and linguistic traditions, and prepare you to participate in the twenty-first century’s global dialogue, but will also give you a competitive edge in many language-oriented professions ranging from teaching to editing, communication to mass media.
At the University of Oulu, the research is focused on sociolinguistics, especially the research of Northern Baltic-Finnic minority languages and Northern Finnish spoken language, as well as the research of learner language, interaction and cognitive semantics. The Northern perspective is emphasised in the selection of research data and topics. The aim of Finnish studies is to train multidisciplinary language professionals, particularly for the needs of Northern Finland. The department is committed to continuous, student-centred development of instruction. The study of Finnish language, or Fennistics, is a humanistic science concerned with teaching and researching the usage, structure, different forms of variation and development of language. Studies of Finnish language in the Faculty of Humanities are intended for students who either are native speakers of Finnish or have near-native competence in Finnish. The department does not offer language courses in Finnish, but rather the curriculum includes different linguistic approaches to the Finnish language. Students holding a BA degree from a foreign university with Finnish as their major subject can apply to the MA programme. Study guidance is provided by Professor Jari Sivonen.
German Language and Culture
Literature is a free major subject. Students of Literature can choose subsidiary subjects from related disciplines freely according to their interests and career plans. Finnish is a free subsidiary subject for students of Literature, often chosen by the students with the goal of becoming employed in the field of education or communications.We understand literature as an aesthetic phenomena that is closely entwined with its cultural and social context.
Giellagas Institute for Saami Studies has a nation-wide responsibility to organize, introduce and provide Saami language and cultural studies and research at the academic level. The Giellagas Institute houses two major academic subjects, Saami Linguistics and Saami Culture. In Saami linguistics the major teaching language is Saami while the studies of Saami Culture require skills in Finnish, in addition to Saami and English.
Swedish Language
Research in the Research Unit of Logopedics (RULOGO) is concentrated into four multidisciplinary focus areas:
1. Typical and disordered language abilities throughout the lifespan
2. Social communication and its difficulties
3. Hearing, speech perception and auditory processing and their difficulties
4. Speech, language and communication interventions and their efficacy.
Practically all our research projects are conducted with national and international research collaborators.