Maturity test

A maturity test is a study unit required by Section 16 of the Government Decree on University Degree, through which the student demonstrates their knowledge of their field of study and their command of the Finnish or Swedish language. The thesis included in the student’s degree (bachelor’s thesis, master’s thesis, diploma thesis) cannot be approved until the student has taken the maturity test.

Maturity test

These maturity test guidelines were discussed in the meeting of the Education Management Group on 11/12/2018. The guidelines apply to all faculties of the University of Oulu. The guidelines will enter into force on 01/01/2019.

For you

Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine

In order to receive Bachelor´s degree a student must write as a part and in connection with his/her Bachelor thesis a maturity test for proving his/her familiarity with the subject of the thesis and for demonstration of good command of Finnish or Swedish.

If a student has taken a maturity test for the Bachelor's degree and demonstrated proficiency in a selected language, an abstract of the Master's Thesis written in this language may be approved as a maturity test of the Mater´s degree. For that the student must fill in the Maturity test of MSc –form and send the filled form to Kaisa Tuominen (Kaisa.Tuominen@oulu.fi).

In the abstract the student should present and analyze the material, research methods and results of the thesis.

The abstract should provide the following information

  • The topic of the thesis
  • The subject-matter, material and intention of the research
  • Research methods used (if the research is of a theoretical nature and based on certain written material, the main source books should be mentioned; if the research is of an empirical nature, the methods used should be mentioned)
  • Central research results
  • Conclusions and proposals for action made on the basis of the results
  • Keywords.

The length of the abstract should not exceed one page (font size 12, spacing 1.5).

The maturity test will be examined by a representative of the subject in question. The test will be assessed using pass/fail grading.

The decision regarding the approval of the test will be made by the Faculty Education Committee on the basis of the statement submitted by the examiner (teacher in major subject).

No credits are awarded for the maturity test.

Oulu Business School

Maturity test at Oulu Business School

Due to the corona virus situation, Students should contact the thesis supervisor to agree on a supervised online test or to take the maturity test in Examinarium.

The master’s degree maturity test evaluates the learning objective of written presentation with a standard question:

Present the outcomes of your thesis in relation to prior scientific research and discuss how the outcomes of your thesis can be utilised in business life or economic decision-making.

Student can do the maturity test after the manuscript presentation has been accepted by the supervisor. OBS maturity tests are written as electronic exams in camera-supervised room PR106. A student agrees beforehand with a supervisor on when to take the maturity test. A supervisor creates the exam in Exam-system and publishes it with a certain time period. A personal exam (e.g. maturity test) is available only for a certain student. A student receives a notification through e-mail: ”You have been created an exam. Please reserve date and time.” The e-mail includes a link to the Exam-reservation calendar, and the computer/seat is reserved at the same time. Instructions for students on how to reserve date&time and a computer/seat can be found from E-exam webpage. When registering, the student should check that the test code is correct: 721010S Maturity Test, Master's Degree.

Language of the maturity test is Finnish (or Swedish), unless the student has received previous education in a foreign language. Only in that case, language of the maturity test can be English. For more information about the language, contact: study.business(a)oulu.fi.

Faculty of Medicine

INSTRUCTIONS FOR STUDENTS ON TAKING THE MATURITY TEST AS AN E-EXAM

The maturity test is taken in the electronic examination system (EXAM). When using the EXAM for a first time log in to the system and accept terms and conditions of the system.

1. Agree on taking the test with your supervisor.

2. Your supervisor will prepare for you a personal maturity test in EXAM or, if she/he does not have access to the system, submits details of the test to faculty´s academic affairs for preparing the test.

3. You will receive an email message from the EXAM system about prepared test. Click “Register for the exam” and you will be able to choose the EXAM room (computer) either on Kontinkangas or Linnanmaa campus.

4. Remember to register for the maturity test course in Peppi! See code of the course in your study guide.

For possible further questions kindly contact faculty´s academic affairs by sending an email to study.medicine@oulu.fi.

Faculty of Humanities

Maturity Test for the Bachelor’s Degree

The language of the Maturity Test is assessed by an expert of Finnish or Swedish, the content being evaluated by the instructor of the degree programme. However, in case of Finnish Language and Saami Language, solely the instructor of the degree programme. The Maturity Test is approved by the Dean of Education based on the assessments of the language expert and the instructor of the subject.

Maturity Test for the Master's Degree

The Maturity Test in a Master’s degree can be completed in two alternative ways:

1. If Finnish or Swedish proficiency has not been demonstrated in the Bachelor’s degree, follow the Maturity Test instructions above.

2. If the Maturity test is included in the Bachelor’s degree, and the student has shown their proficiency in Finnish or Swedish, the abstract of the Master’s thesis, written in Finnish or Swedish (the language of student’s primary education), functions as the Maturity Test in the Master’s degree. If the thesis is written in a language other than their native language, students must also write an abstract in their native language (Finnish/Swedish).

Learning outcomes: Students are able to present the central methodological foundations, results and conclusions of their thesis in an expert, condensed and selective manner.

The abstract should feature:

  • The topic of the thesis.
  • Topic, data and aim of the research.
  • The used research methods (if the study is theoretical in approach and based on certain written material, the most important sources must be mentioned; if the study has an empirical approach, the used methods must be mentioned).
  • Central research results.
  • Conclusions based on the results and suggestions for measures to be taken.

The abstract must fit on one page (font size 12, 2000–2500 characters without spaces).

The Maturity Test is assessed by an instructor of the degree programme and accepted by the Dean of Education.

Students whose native language is not Finnish or Swedish may write the Maturity Test in their native language or in the language of their thesis. The Maturity Test can be written in a native language if this language is represented at the Faculty or at the Language and Communication unit.

Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering

Maturity test is taken mainly in Exam.

The teacher will agree on the means of the maturity test together with the student. Student will return the exam as agreed.

The teacher will make sure that the student has shown enough familiarity with knowledge on the subject. The teacher will also make sure that the student has used correct language. The teacher can also ask help for checking the language.

The teacher can arrange an interview on Teams, on Zoom or over the phone with the student if the teacher suspects that the student has not written the maturity exam himself.

Please, find further information on maturity test guidelines

Faculty of Education and Psychology

The maturity test is completed as either an electronic exam in Examinarium or by arrangement agreed with the supervisor, after the thesis supervisor has given approval to submit the thesis to Laturi.

If the student has completed a maturity test in a lower university degree, the maturity examination for the Master's degree is replaced by the abstract of the thesis.

Faculty of Science

Follow the general instructions above.

Faculty of Technology

Follow the general instructions above.

Information Processing Science

Maturity Test for Bachelor's Degree

Maturity test will be held in the Examinarium. Please contact to your supervisor about taking the maturity test.

The text written by the student in maturity test must demonstrate knowledge about his/her field of study and good command of his/her native language. In case the student has taken a maturity test for his/her Bachelor's degree in Science or some other academic degree or degree in college he/she does not have to show his/her language skills. In this case, Bachelor’s abstract substitutes the maturity test. If the student has got a special permission to use language other than Finnish or Swedish in completing his/her studies. Supervisor who have been appointed to that role will assess the text written for the maturity test.

Please note the following concerning the language used in writing the text for the maturity test. In case the student has completed his/her primary and secondary education with Finnish as the language of teaching, he/she has to write the text for the maturity test in Finnish. If the student has completed his/her primary and secondary education with Swedish as the language of teaching, he/she has to write the text for the maturity test in Swedish.

The length of the text written for the maturity test is approximately one exercise paper (i.e. four pages, and about 500 words). The text will have to be written in an essay form, written according to the topic of the thesis, and it has to be analytic and consistent. In the text the student will present and analyse the material of his/her study, employed research methods and results. No credits will be given for completing the maturity test. The title of the maturity test is given (as a rule) by the B.Sc. thesis supervisor.
The text must meet the following minimum requirements:

  • The handwriting must be readable with distinct upper and lower case letters and spaces between words.
  • The text must have a well-outlined structure and it must form a consistent whole;
  • The text must be clearly divided in well-defined paragraphs.
  • The text must have a title. The title and the text must match.
  • The student should master the basic rules of spelling and use of punctuation marks.
  • The relationship between clauses and sentences must be expressed clearly. Serious mistakes in referring should not occur.
  • The word order in a sentence should be unambiguous and in conformance with the presented information.
  • The style must be formal.
  • It should be possible for the person assessing the text to be able to interpret its meaning. The writer should not assume that he/she has read his/her thesis.

The text might get rejected if it includes major and recurrent problems in some of the aforementioned areas or if it has many errors.

Maturity Test for The Degree of Master of Science

In case the student has in the course of his/her completed Bachelor level studies (or in the completed studies in a college or in the Master level studies) written a maturity test and proved his/her language skills in Finnish or Swedish, an abstract of the Master’s thesis will be accepted as showing the required competence instead of writing the text for the maturity test. In this case the text does not have to prove the language skills of the student in Finnish or Swedish. However, the text must still show knowledge of the student's field of study.

The abstract must include

  • the topic of the study;

  • the object of the study, material used and the aim of the study;

  • research methods used (If the study is theoretical in nature and is based on literature, the student must mention the most significant source texts. In case the study is empirical in nature, the student must mention the research methods used.);

  • the essential results of the study;

  • conclusion and suggestions for future actions based on the results; and

  • keywords.

The abstract must fit on one page (font size 12, line height 1,5). Otherwise, the abstract is free-from and there is no official template.

In the abstract the student will showcase and analyse the material of his/her study, research methods and results according to the guidelines above. The supervisor or a faculty members who have been appointed to that role will assess the text written for the maturity test. The text will be assessed with a pass/fail grading. No credits will be given for completing the maturity test.

If the student has not demonstrated his/her language skills in Finnish or Swedish in his/her Bachelor's degree, or in some other his/her basic degree, the student must take the maturity test as required for the Bachelor's degree. In this case the student must demonstrate the required level of language. The rules for choosing the language are the same as for Bachelor's degree.

English

Maturity Test for the Bachelor's Degree

After you have finished your Bachelor's Thesis and uploaded it to Laturi (it need not be assessed yet), agree on the maturity test with the teacher of your Bachelor's Seminar and Thesis -course. In all other cases (e.g. if the teacher of your Bachelor's Seminar and Thesis -course does not work at the university anymore), please contact Tiina Keisanen by email (tiina.keisanen (at) oulu.fi) to agree on the maturity test.

Maturity test for the Master's Degree

Please note the following information on the abstract of the Master’s Thesis (Pro gradu -tutkielma), which also serves as the maturity test for the Master’s Degree:

Students majoring in English write their abstracts in English. In addition, in order to fulfil the requirements of the maturity test (kypsyysnäyte) for the Master’s Degree they also need to write the abstract in their mother tongue (Finnish, Swedish or native language, i.e. the language of the maturity test for the Bachelor’s Degree). If a student has taken a Bachelor’s degree in another Finnish university or university of applied sciences, the same applies.

Students who have taken their Bachelor’s Degrees abroad (regardless of their mother tongue), please contact Lead Specialsist Oili Sievola in the Academic Affairs for instructions; you will have to take the maturity test as described above for the Bachelor’s Degree.

Epidemiology and Biomedical Data Science

Kindly note that In Master´s Programme in Epidemiology and Biomedical Data Science a summary of student´s thesis serves as a maturity test and no separate test must be taken.

Thesis summary must be attached to the thesis and approved by the thesis supervisor.

For possible further information kindly contact coordinator Miia Halonen miia.halonen(at)oulu.fi.

Biomedical Engineering MHSc

Kindly note that in the Master´s Programme in Biomedical Engineering all students will take maturity test as instructed above.

For possible further information kindly contact Eveliina Seppälä eveliina.seppala(at)oulu.fi.

Medical and Wellness Technology

In the Degree Programme in Medical and Wellness Technology all students will take a maturity test in connection with the Bachelor´s AND Master´s thesis as instructed above.

For possible further information kindly contact Eveliina Seppälä eveliina.seppala(at)oulu.fi.

Biochemistry

Follow the general instructions above.

Geography

Follow the general instructions above.

Biology

Follow the general instructions above.

Physical Sciences

Follow the general instructions above.

Subject Teacher training, FSci

Follow the general instructions above.

Computational biology and data-analysis

Follow the general instructions above.

Mathematical Sciences

Follow the general instructions above.

Process and Environmental Engineering

Follow the general instructions above.

Industrial Engineering and Management

Follow the general instructions above.

Subject Teacher training, Chemistry

Follow the general instructions above.

Architecture

Follow the general instructions above.

Geosciences

Follow the general instructions above.

Mining engineering and mineral processing

Follow the general instructions above.

Chemistry

Follow the general instructions above.

Mechanical Engineering

Follow the general instructions above.

Civil Engineering

Follow the general instructions above.

Subject Teacher training, FHum

Follow the general instructions above.

Archeology

Follow the general instructions above.

History

Follow the general instructions above.

Information Studies

Follow the general instructions above.

Literature

Follow the general instructions above.

Cultural Anthropology

Follow the general instructions above.

Logopedics

Follow the general instructions above.

German language and culture

Follow the general instructions above.

Swedish Language

Follow the general instructions above.

Finnish Language

Follow the general instructions above.

Saami Culture

Follow the general instructions above.

Science Communication, MA

Follow the general instructions above.

Saami Language

Follow the general instructions above.

History of Sciences and Ideas

Follow the general instructions above.

Subject Teacher training

Follow the general instructions above.

Learning Sciences

Follow the general instructions above.

Primary Teacher Education

Follow the general instructions above.

Psychology

Follow the general instructions above.

Learning, Education and Technology

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Music Education

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Special Education

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Intercultural Teacher Education

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Early Childhood Education

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Education Science and Educational Psychology

Follow the general instructions above.

Education and Globalisation

Follow the general instructions above.

Business Analytics MSc (Tech)

Follow the general instructions above.

Digitalisation, Computing and Electronics

Follow the general instructions above.

Electronics and Communications Engineering

Follow the general instructions above.

Biomedical Engineering MSc (Tech)

Follow the general instructions above.

Computer Science and Engineering

Follow the general instructions above.

Dentistry

Follow the general instructions above.

Medicine

Follow the general instructions above.

Health Sciences

Follow the general instructions above.

Economics and Business Administration BSc

Follow the general instructions above.

International Business Management (BSc EBA)

Follow the general instructions above.

International Business Management (MSc EBA)

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Financial and Management Accounting (MSc EBA)

Follow the general instructions above.

Business Analytics (MSc EBA)

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Marketing (MSc EBA)

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Finance (MSc EBA)

Follow the general instructions above.

Economics (MSc EBA)

Follow the general instructions above.

Economics and Business Administration MSc

Follow the general instructions above.