Space physics curriculum and associated learning goals for graduate students at the University of Helsinki.
Abstract
The rapid growth of space research in Finland some 30 years ago brought a need to formulate a space physics curriculum at the University of Helsinki. We started with an advanced course in space plasma physics mostly for PhD students and gradually developed other courses for Master's and Doctoral programmes. At the beginning the teaching was mostly in Finnish and we also developed teaching material, including a text-book, in the native Finnish language. As the number of foreign students increased, the teaching language became in practice English. The curriculum covers the entire space weather chain from the Sun to the surface of the Earth.
The University of Helsinki PhD degree requires coursework that can be tailored according to the research focus and personal interest of individual students. The students can select courses from physics, astrophysics, computer sciences etc., providing them with a set of skills that can also later be used beyond the confine of academic institutions. This flexibility in coursework requirement is also useful for foreign PhD students who may have a different background from students educated in Finland. Our lecture courses include a lot of homework exercises as we aim to train confident problem solvers well versed in the fundamental physics of our discipline. Teaching material is distributed through electronic course platforms. Students are also encouraged to participate in summer schools and related studies elsewhere. For example, technology-interested students are recommended to include space technology courses at the nearby Aalto University into their curriculum. Our PhD theses consist typically of 4-5 peer-reviewed articles in leading journals of the field, where the student should be the main author in at least two, and of an introductory part written by the candidate. Thus, our students exit with their degree in hands and the necessary tools to develop as independent and competitive space physics scientists. In this communication we will review the typical space physics curricula taught at the University of Helsinki and highlight the associated learning goals.- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2019
- Bibcode:
- 2019AGUFMED42A..01O
- Keywords:
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- 0810 Post-secondary education;
- EDUCATION;
- 0820 Curriculum and laboratory design;
- EDUCATION;
- 7899 General or miscellaneous;
- SPACE PLASMA PHYSICS;
- 7999 General or miscellaneous;
- SPACE WEATHER