1.1 A Word from Mr Pentti Rauhala, President of Laurea Polytechnic, Ph.D.

Laurea Polytechnic welcomes students to join the Laurea learning experience. As Finland's third largest polytechnic, Laurea provides students, whether Finnish or foreign, a multitude of options with regard to what and where to study. Within some twenty Degree Programmes in six fields of study, Laurea offers a great variety of study modules also in English. The Laurea curricula are designed so as to reflect the state-of-the-art in professional life within the national and international contexts, providing students with a critical, cooperative and developmental work approach.

Foreign students are regarded as growing resources of cultural and professional insight for our institution, an ingredient that gives the necessary finishing touch to the Laurea learning environment. In return, we expect our foreign students to observe the professional ethos of Laurea. We look forward to all our students playing an active positive part in their new work community, even if they as exchangees stay only for a few weeks or months.

This handbook is Laurea’s fifth comprehensive Student Information and ECTS Guide in English. I hope the Guide together with our tutor teachers and international tutor students will help both our degree students with non-Finnish background as well as our incoming Erasmus or other exchange students in tayloring an optimal study path from among the English language study offer of our Institutes. I believe the Guide will also serve the Academic Staff of Partner Universities as a more in-depth orientation into Laurea and its learning strategies.