kokonaisopintoviikkoihin

Kokonaisopintoviikkoihin is a Finnish term used in higher education policy and curriculum planning to describe the practice of organizing a student’s workload and credits into complete opintoviikkoja, or study weeks. In Finnish higher education, an opintoviikko represents a unit of study associated with a week’s worth of work toward a course’s credit load, typically aligning with the semester’s structure.

The concept arises in discussions about workload management, student wellbeing, and scheduling. Its aim is to create predictable, evenly distributed workloads across the academic term by planning and delivering materials, assignments, and assessments in a way that fills whole study weeks rather than leaving tasks scattered irregularly. Proponents argue that it supports planning, reduces peak workloads, and helps students manage time more effectively.

Implementation typically involves weekly modules or blocks within courses, with readings, tasks, and assessments scheduled to correspond to specific weeks. Curricula may be designed so that the total weekly workload matches agreed-upon credit targets (for example, a set number of hours per week per course), and coordination across courses within a program ensures coherence of the overall study plan. Flexibility remains important, as some disciplines require variable pacing due to laboratories, clinical placements, or internships.

The term is not a universal standard, but rather a planning principle found in program-level documentation and policy discussions. It complements broader approaches to curriculum design, learning outcomes, and student support.

See also: opintoviikko, opintopiste, ECTS, opinto-ohjelma.