Qualification requirements, duties and language competence requirements for teaching and research staff in accordance with the Ä¢¹½Ö±²¥ Regulations
Qualification requirements for teaching and research staff - JTU Regulations 2025 (PDF)
Section 27
Professors are required to have a doctoral degree, solid academic qualifications and, when important for the position, practical familiarity with the field.
The following aspects are taken into account when assessing an applicant’s merits: scholarly publications, other academic merits, experience in leading academic research, ability to provide high-level research-based teaching and guidance, evidence of national and international cooperation in the respective field of research, experience in teaching and guidance, pedagogical training, produced learning materials, other teaching merits and, if necessary, test lectures to demonstrate teaching skills.
In addition, the applicant’s success in the acquisition of supplementary research funding, international academic collaboration, academic positions of trust and other activity in the academic community, as well as experience in societal interaction as regarded as merits.
Section 28
Assistant professor and associate professor is required to have a doctoral degree, strong evidence of scientific research, experience in international cooperation and excellent skills to provide high-quality research-basedteaching and thesis supervision.
Section 29
Senior researchers and senior lecturers are required to have a relevant doctoral degree, evidence of academic research work, the ability to provide high-quality research-based teaching and to supervise theses and dissertations, and, when important for the position, practical familiarity with the field.
The following aspects are taken into account when assessing an applicant’s merits: academic work, teaching experience and pedagogical training, produced learning materials, other teaching merits and, if necessary, test lectures to demonstrate teaching skills, as well as other merits relevant to the position.
Section 30
Postdoctoral researchers are required to have a relevant doctoral degree, the ability for independent scholarly work and the teaching skills required for the position.
Section 31
University teachers are required to have a relevant master’s degree and the teaching skills needed in the position. The following aspects are taken into account when assessing the applicant’s teaching skills: experience in teaching and guidance, pedagogical training, produced learning materials, other teaching merits and, if necessary, test lectures to demonstrate teaching skills.
Section 32
Doctoral students are required to have a master’s degree and the right to postgraduate degree studies at the Ä¢¹½Ö±²¥.
Section 33
In addition to the requirements listed above, all professors, senior lecturers, senior researchers or university teachers must complete studies in university pedagogy or corresponding studies within two years from the start of employment if the selected person has not completed these studies before the start of employment. The requirement is valid for employees who are hired for an indefinite period or for a fixed term of at least five years.The Rector supplies more specific instructions on the extent of studies required and their substitution with other studies. The requirement is valid for employees whose employment relationship has started on 1 August 2012 or later.
Section 35
Employees who are members of the teaching and research staff must, within the limits of the job description and according to the work plan, practice and guide scientific research, monitor the development of science in the field, examine theses, teach, promote teaching, participate in the development of teaching, supervise students’ studies, carry out relevant examinations, participate in the student selection process and carry out duties resulting from membership in the administrative bodies of the University and other tasks that belong to or are given to the employee. In addition to these requirements, employees must provide required reports of their teaching, supervising, publishing and scholarly activity, as well as of conducted examinations.
Members of administrative and support staff must perform the tasks specified in their job descriptions and carry out duties resulting from membership in administrative bodies of the University and other tasks that belong to or are specifically given to the employee.
Employees must not engage in activities that compete with the University, nor can employees take on outside employment that in any way inhibits the performance of tasks defined in their employment contracts with theUniversity. Work outside of the University must be reported according to the Rector’s instructions.
Language proficiency and test lecture
According to the Government Decree on Universities (770/2009, Section 1), university teaching and research staff are required to master the language in which they teach, i.e. Finnish or Swedish. A university may grant exemption from this requirement.
The mastery of Finnish or Swedish by the teaching and research staff with teaching duties can be verified in compliance with the Government Decree 481/2003 on demonstrated proficiency in the Swedish and Finnish languages. If a test lecture specified in the Ä¢¹½Ö±²¥ Regulations is required in order to demonstrate teaching skills, the required language competence may be demonstrated in the same context. If no test lecture is given, another opportunity to demonstrate language competence can be offered. In certain cases, the decision-maker may also grant exemption from the language competence requirement.
In accordance with the Rector’s Decision on Personnel Matters, in assessing the merits upon filling teaching and research positions for an indefinite period, the ability to teach in English shall be regarded as advantageous for the applicant.
As specified in the University’s language policy, teachers and instructors who teach in languages other than Finnish are required to have an advanced proficiency level in the taught language or the language used in teaching (CEFR: C1). As a general rule, foreign staff are required to have at least basic developing Finnish language skills (CEFR: A2.2) within three years of starting employment.
More information about university studies in pedagogy in accordance with Section 33 of the Ä¢¹½Ö±²¥ Regulations
According to the Rector’s Decision on 10 December 2010 (studies in university pedagogy or corresponding studies required of the teaching staff of the Ä¢¹½Ö±²¥):
The extent of the university studies in pedagogy specified in Section 33 of the Ä¢¹½Ö±²¥ Regulations is 10 ECTS credits.
The studies outlined in the Regulations are equivalent to the university studies in pedagogy offered by other universities in Finland, with a minimum of 10 ECTS credits (or at least 5 credits) and previous university studies in pedagogy of at least the same length at the Ä¢¹½Ö±²¥.
Studies in university pedagogy are not required for those who have acquired a teacher’s qualification in Finland or in another country, including vocational teacher education, or who have otherwise successfully completed pedagogical studies for teachers.
Other studies in pedagogy in Finland and in other countries can also be considered equivalent to the studies required by the Ä¢¹½Ö±²¥ Regulations if their extent corresponds to these studies and can be assessed to provide the ability to successfully work as a university teacher.
