Bachelors, masters and doctors from the University of the Arts Helsinki are happy with their education
In 2018, the University of the Arts Helsinki (Uniarts Helsinki) conducted a bachelor’s graduate survey for bachelors who graduated within the same year as well as a career monitoring survey for masters who graduated in 2013 and doctors who graduated in 2015. The career monitoring surveys were conducted as a national collaboration with the Aarresaari network.
Based on the survey results, bachelors, masters and doctors of Uniarts Helsinki are overall satisfied with the quality of the education that they received and would recommend their education to others. Bachelors who graduated in 2018 find that Uniarts Helsinki provides high-quality teaching. The most common wish was that it should be easier to find information and support related to studies, that there should be more guidance in study planning, and that there should be new and improved teaching methods in use.
Master’s and doctoral graduates who answered the survey find that their Uniarts Helsinki degree has made them well prepared for the professional life. Based on the career monitoring of masters and doctors, the degrees should provide more support for skills related to negotiation, management, organisation, coordination and entrepreneurship, in particular.
After the first years of employment after graduation, Uniarts Helsinki’s masters have worked for over seven employers on average, which is almost triple the number of employers compared to the national average. Up to 93% of the master’s graduates who answered the survey had worked as an entrepreneur or been self-employed or a freelancer after their graduation. According to their answers in the survey, the master’s graduates feel that the biggest factors that have contributed to their employment has been their ability to communicate their competence to others, their networking and the impact of their prior job experience.
According to Uniarts Helsinki’s Senior Head of Academic Affairs Sanna Kotajärvi-Söderholm, the survey reinforced the general impression that had been built based on prior surveys and reports.
“Our alumni regard Uniarts Helsinki as a high-quality university where its students can develop into creative professionals with excellent cooperation, performance and learning skills. With that being said, there is always room for improvement. Artistic fields are on the frontline of the job market revolution, which is why it’s important to continue developing Uniarts Helsinki’s ability to provide its students the necessary skills for life and work after graduation.”
In 2018, a total of 169 bachelors graduated from Uniarts Helsinki, and 150 (88.8%) of them answered the bachelor’s graduate survey. 75 (32.5%) of the 231 masters who graduated from Uniarts Helsinki in 2013 responded to the career monitoring survey for masters. 11 (55%) of the 20 doctors who graduated from Uniarts Helsinki in 2015 responded to the career monitoring survey for doctors. The results of the career monitoring surveys are available in full in this report and in the reporting portal Vipunen.
Further information:
Planning Manager Alina Savolainen
tel. 0400 792 089
alina.savolainen@uniarts.fi
The Bachelor’s Graduate Survey is a national feedback survey for students who have completed a bachelor’s degree. The survey gathers information on how satisfied students are with their university and what kinds of experiences they have about their studies. The survey is sent to all university students who have completed a bachelor’s degree or corresponding studies.
Universities monitor the career development of masters and doctors as a collaboration with the Finnish Aarresaari network of academic career services. The career monitoring survey for masters is sent to graduates five years after completing a master’s degree or a bachelor’s degree. Employment of doctors is monitored 3 years after their graduation. The purpose of the career monitoring surveys is to produce comprehensive data on the quality of employment found by academic graduates and on how well their university education meets the competence demand in the job market. The results are used in curriculum planning, student guidance and development of education. The Bachelor’s Graduate Survey is part of the universities’ funding model, and the career monitoring surveys will be included in the funding criteria as of 2021. The survey results are also available via the Töissä.fi website.