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The study programmes will change in autumn 2016. The main changes have to do with foreign language studies and general courses, says vice-rector for academic affairs Priit Reiska.

„Foreign language studies should be compulsory in all study programmes,“ he finds. Currently, obtaining a certain level in a foreign language is set as a requirement for graduation, but this does not allow us to offer specially tailored language courses to various fields and specialties.

General courses do not offer general competences. One idea to help students master the core competences, according to Reiska, is to move towards interdisciplinary project-based courses. Another plan is to enlarge the proportion of international courses, which makes it easier to assess overseas studies and internships as well as courses given by foreign lecturers.

“Most of our study programmes are viable, therefore I hope that they will not disappear, but change to keep up with the development of science and the expectations of the employers,” added Reiska.

Study programmes that correspond to the new focus fields are not yet in the works, but many interdisciplinary programmes are in the process of development, such as the learning games programme merging BFM with the Institutes of Informatics, Educational Sciences and Psychology.

This development is not only focusing on study programmes, but also specific courses. There is a plan to create project based interdisciplinary courses. “To ensure good quality, the idea itself must come from academic units, but we can support their execution centrally,” he added.

Developing a study programme, which is a cooperative task among colleagues, will generate a good opportunity to get acquainted with one another and the respective current study programmes. “Having met the representatives from the new units on the subject of study programme development, I can say all related parties have started mapping common interests and are making changes accordingly,” he confirmed.

 At the same time, people are used to teaching according to the current programmes, and changing this might pose a challenge. On the other hand working in cooperation will avoid doubling courses and help to create study programmes that offer a wide array of competences.

All changes planned for September 1^st 2016 will be discussed during this semester. The statute for the new study programmes will also be confirmed by the end of the semester.

Tallinn University has been gradually reducing the number of study programmes in accordance with the previous development plan and the contract made with the Ministry of Education and Research. During the last three years, the number of study programmes has dropped from 148 to 135.

In every Weekly, one question about the new development plan or structure will be answered. Please send your questions to sulev.oll@tlu.ee