Business Arena Oy Looking for Talent!

Dear IB Alumni!

We are looking for enthusiastic students/alumni who have adopted or who have an idea of the following themes: effective cooperation between companies and institutions of higher education, science-to-business transformation and entrepreneurial universities.

We would like to invite you to visit our office in Kauppakatu Jyväskylä, in order to talk about the future where YOU might have an important role to play – possibly even a future career in/with Business Arena! If you want to know more, please send us a motivation letter, where you tell us about yourself with a description of your relationship to the themes above. All letters by email to tiina.saarinen(a)businessarena.fi by the end of September 2012!

Cheers,
Tiina & BA team

 

Grow Your Stars — Don’t Buy Them

An interview with Boris Groysberg, Professor, Harvard Business School. Many star performers hired from outside don’t perform as expected at their new company. So, develop stars within your company; for example, through strong training and mentoring programs.

How to Apply for JAMK’s Master’s Degree Programmes (conducted in English) 2012

International Business Management

Selection criteria
The requirements for eligibility are a bachelor’s level degree in the field of business and administration or other equivalent degree, and at least three years (36 months) of relevant work experience after the bachelor’s degree.

The application period is from 5 March to 3 April 2012 (until 4.15 pm. Finnish time, GMT+2). When the application period starts the online application form will be available at http://www.jamk.fi /english.

Please note, that applicants applying with a non-Finnish qualification need to send copies of the certificates to the admissions office. If certificates are written in any other language than Finnish, Swedish or English, you have to enclose authorised translations of the certificates in one of these languages. The translator must sign and stamp the translations. The copies of degree certificates and work certificates must be at our Admissions Office not later than 12 April 2012 (until 4.15 pm Finnish time, GMT+2).

Apply: application form (application period opens 5 March 2012)

Entrance examination

All the applicants who have demonstrated their eligibility will be invited to the entrance examination. Entrance examination will be organized in Finland 22 May 2012.

Student selection is based on the total score of the entrance examination, the grade of bachelor’s thesis, and work experience. Total points from entrance examination are 50 points. The applicant must score at least 20 points in the entrance examination in order to be admitted to the programme.

English language skills are assessed in the entrance examination on a pass/fail basis. An applicant who fails the language test one cannot be admitted to the programme.

Tuition fee for Non-EU/EEA citizens

The Master’s Degree Programmes conducted in English have a tuition fee for NON-EU/EEA citizens. However, there are no tuition fees for non-EU/EEA citizens who are equivalent to European Union citizens or non-EU/EEA citizens who have a right to permanent residence in Finland.

Non-EU/EEA citizens living permanently in Finland must provide certification of being considered equivalent to a European Union Citizen: a photocopy of the residence permit (the residence permit has the letter P).

The tuition fee for non-EU/EEA citizens is 8000€/academic year, but one has an opportunity to apply for a JAMK’s scholarship. The scholarship may cover maximum half of the tuition fee (max. 4000€). The scholarship application can be filled at the entrance examination.

If you have further questions regarding the tuition fee please contact us by email: admissions(at)jamk.fi

More about selection criteria

Admission points

Entrance examination	50 points
The grade of bachelor’s thesis	30 points
Work experience	20 points
Maximum points	100 points

Work Experience

The minimum requirement regarding work experience is at least three years (36 months) of relevant work experience after the bachelor’s or other equivalent degree.

JAMK accepts work experience also after a vocational college diploma or a higher vocational diploma (in Finnish opisto- tai ammatillisen korkea-asteen tutkinto) before completing a bachelor’s degree. If an applicant has completed one of these diplomas before graduating from the bachelor’s degree the work experience will be accepted also after the prior degree. Even in this case the minimum requirement of work experience from the field is 3 years (36 months).

Only the work experience that exceeds three years (required for eligibility) gives admission points; two month work experience from a relevant field equals to one admission point. The maximum amount of admissions points from work experience is 20 points. The work experience must to be from the field of the degree (used for applying) or from field that the applicant is currently applying. Applicant can count in work experience until 31 July 2012.

In the application it is necessary to fill in work experience as whole months. Part-time work can be transferred into whole months, in a way that, 150 hours or 20 full workdays (at least 7 hours per day) corresponds to one month. Service in an army, non-military service or nursing leave is not considered as work experience.

Admission points from work experience can be recieved only from work experience from which the applicant has work certificate. If an applicant has worked as an entrepreneur it is necessary to provide to the admissions office a document which proves that the applicant has YEL- or MYEL-insurance.

The selection is not final until the original certificates have been checked. If the applicant has given false information about his/her qualifications, it may make him/her ineligible for admission. The original certificates will be checked at the student services in the beginning of studies.

Further Information

Master’s degree programme in International Business Management
Student’s wellbeing at JAMK

Is Grad School The Answer?

By Maro Onokpise

The dilemma that faces most undergraduates as they finish up their degrees is the decision to pursue higher education or get their careers started. There are obvious pros and cons to each path, but ultimately the decision is up to the individual.

After I completed my undergraduate degree, I was fortunate enough to land a great job with the The Gap Company.  When things didn’t work out, I tried my hand at graduate school until I could figure out exactly what it is I wanted to do.

If you find yourself in a situation where you’re debating whether to go on to grad school or jump in to the real world and find a full time job, there a few things to keep in mind as you make your decision. Keep the following in mind as you weigh your options.

Graduate School

Pros

Most people who favor going on to grad school typically recommend doing so right after you complete your Bachelors degree.  One of the primary reasons being that you are still in “school mode”.  You don’t have as many commitments and you can devote your time to your studies.

Given the fact that the economy has hit the 18-24 demographic harder than any other, the option to stay in school has become a more viable option.

Cons

The downside to continuing on to graduate school is the possibility of accumulating more student loans.  In the past, we were always taught to go to school, earn your degree and you’ll have a job waiting for you.  The reality is that is happening anymore.  Graduates are saddle with more debt and student loans than ever before.

Full Time Career

Pros

One of the biggest pros for waiting to go back to school is that real world experiences can teach you things that you could never learn in a classroom.  You have a better perspective on you can use your degree.  If you graduated with the wrong degree, you can find ways to couple your experiences and your education to put you in a better situation to a get job that’s better suited for you.

Related: What to do if You Graduated With The Wrong Degree?

Additionally, as you are beginning your career, you are making connections that you would not have made if you were still in school.  These are connections that could help you down the road as you try to find job opportunities in a very competitive job market.

Cons

The further out you push going back to school, the less of a likelihood that you will ever go back.  You may be well intentioned, and you may genuinely have a desire to go back to school, but life happens.  You may find that you love your career so much that it becomes difficult to leave.  You may have a family which  could make it difficult to relocate to another city for a university that offers your desired program.  You may also just be so far removed from academia that it’s just something that doesn’t appeal to you any longer.

There are certainly drawbacks and benefits to either option.  I am huge proponent of higher education.  However I say that with that caveat that college isn’t for everyone and graduate school is even less so.  Weigh your options and do what’s best for you and your future.

Source: http://jobtrakr.com/2012/02/14/is-grad-school-the-answer/

Information Skills Online Course (Tiedonhankinnan verkkokurssi) Available for Open JAMK students

Open AMK students can also participate in the expert knowledge acquisition online course. The course is worth five credits and held in the Finnish language.  Course will be implemented in the spring of 2012. Read more from the study guide or course announcement though I admit openly that I couldn’t find it from the JAMK website.  For more information about the Tiedonhankinnan verkkokurssi contact Christina Åberg, Information Officer, +358 400 375 011, kristiina.aberg (a) jamk.fi, Jyväskylä University of Applied Sciences Library

Courses in English

Click the link below for all the open AMK courses in English.  Yesterday was the deadline for application to open AMK but if you ask nicely perhaps you’ll get in .  If you’re interested please contact Miia Immonen, miia.immonen(a)jamk.fi +358 50 431 1533.

https://amp.jamk.fi/asio_v930/kurssiilmo/jamk/index.php?ss_lang=eng&asio=c2IzNzY0NjY2MDEzYmM2OWM4ZmI5YjZhODBhMTE5NzRmO2xlbmc7Z0FBO3I7Zmt1cnNzaXQ%3D