NOTE: 1 ‘study point’ (opintopiste, op) is exactly equivalent to one ECTS credit point.

Turku/Åbo Degree Students

North American Studies (NAMS) offers an interdisciplinary program, drawn from various departments of the University, which can be taken as a minor subject. The Program is open to all degree students registered at the University of Turku, Turku School of Economics, and Åbo Akademi University, and also to all exchange and international students.

For degree students, the program can be taken either to Basic Studies level (25 op) or Intermediate Studies level (35 op), i.e. for a total of 60 op. Each module in North American Studies (except for the written American  Voices seminar report and the final interdisciplinary seminar) is worth 4 or 8 op, and normally lasts one semester (two quarters).

Exchange and International Students

Exchange and international students are welcome to take any class taught in the North American Studies program, and are encouraged but are not required to take the obligatory classes. Exchange students who need a different pattern of completed studies to meet the requirements of their home university, such as either more or fewer study points (ECTS credit points) than would normally be awarded, are encouraged to consult the Program Coordinator to negotiate a customized study package.

Note for Old Curriculum Students

The new division into Basic and Intermediate Studies is only available for those transferring to the new curriculum. Please note that it is not possible to transfer partly, e.g. in one subject. If you wish to transfer, you must transfer in all your subjects. Students following the old curriculum need to follow the old regulations i.e. 20-30 old credits (ov) for the whole program. NOTE: 2 ‘study points’ (opintopiste, op) are exactly equivalent to one old Finnish credit (ov).

Students who transfer to the new Bologna curriculum and who have taken their introductory course under the old system for 4 ov will be compensated 1 op for their attendance in the American Voices seminar, which in the new regulations is a separate item and not a part of the introductory course. If students choose to follow the old curriculum, they must complete their degree by the end of August  2008.

Registration

All students intending to take any class or module offered under the North American Studies program are required to register in advance with the program Coordinator (keith.battarbee[at]utu.fi), if possible no later than Monday 11 September 2006 for classes held in the Autumn Semester, and no later than Monday 8 January 2007 for classes taught in the Spring Semester.

Curriculum

Degree students who take North American Studies as a minor within a Turku degree start by taking the obligatory introductory class An Introduction to the United States, taught in the Autumn Semester (Wednesday afternoons 16-18), which offers an introduction to contemporary American society and to working in an interdisciplinary program.

Students then choose 2 electives from  the modules available, either by taught classes or by independent study. Electives may be taken concurrently with the introductory class. In addition, to complete the 25 op for Basic Studies, each student is required to attend the American Voices seminar held in October each year and to submit a written report on this (1 op).

Students proceeding to Intermediate Studies are required to take the class The Making of Canada, taught in the Spring Semester, and 2 more electives from  the modules available, either by taught classes or by independent study. Degree students who choose to complete only Basic Studies for 25 op may use The Making of Canada as one of their Basics electives.

The student can then proceed to the final Interdisciplinary Seminar (10 op), for which students propose a North American topic of their own choice which involves a multidisciplinary approach. Group projects, involving more than one student, are warmly encouraged. In addition, to complete the 35 op for Intermediate Studies, each student is also required to attend a second American Voices seminar held in October each year and to submit a written report on this (1 op).

Where an elective is a taught class, students from the North American Studies program take part alongside students from the Department offering the class. If places on particular classes are restricted, priority has to be given to that Department’s  own students. Students who also hold the right to study in the department concerned may choose whether to register their credits under the subject concerned, or under North American Studies: in the latter case, students are personally responsible for informing the Program Coordinator.

The grades given for Basic Studies and for Intermediate Studies as a whole are the average of the grades obtained for the relevant modules.

The introductory class is taught in English; all of the book exams may be taken in English; occasionally, however, classes may be offered which are taught in Finnish or Swedish. The choice of language used in classes and for written assignments is at the teacher's discretion.