Instructions for applying for teacher and researcher positions

Applicants for teaching and research positions at the Faculty of Social Sciences are kindly asked to follow the Faculty instructions below. When recruiting, we follow the principles and recommendations of the responsible researcher evaluation.

The person performing the university's teaching and research position is required to master the language in which he or she must provide teaching.

In universities where a degree can be completed in both Finnish and Swedish, the person performing the teaching and research position is also required to have at least satisfactory oral and written skills in Finnish and Swedish. The University may grant exemption from these language proficiency requirements as laid down in the Code of Conduct.

Swedish

These requirements cover all Swedish-language positions.

When the language of instruction is Swedish, the language proficiency recommended for successfully attending to the duties of the position corresponds with level C2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. At the faculty’s discretion, level C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages may be accepted as a minimum Swedish language proficiency requirement.

During the application process, language proficiency is demonstrated with documents, an interview and a teaching demonstration. If needed, applicants may be requested to provide further clarification of their language proficiency.

In Swedish-language positions, language proficiency can be verified in the following ways
  • A Civil Service Language Proficiency Certificate, a National Certificate of Language Proficiency or Swedish language proficiency demonstrated through studies can be used as part of demonstrating Swedish language proficiency in the following manner:
  • Civil Service Language Proficiency Certificate: excellent oral and written skills (C 2), good oral and written skills (C 1)
  • National Certificate of Language Proficiency: skill level 6 (C 2), skill level 5 (C 1)
  • Studies:
    • Education completed in Swedish and a maturity test completed at a higher education institution in Swedish / a matriculation examination with at least magna cum laude approbatur in Swedish as a native language / a matriculation examination with at least eximia cum laude approbatur in Swedish as a second language (C 2)
    • Education completed in Swedish / a maturity test completed at a higher education institution in Swedish / a matriculation examination with a passing grade in Swedish as a native language / a matriculation examination with at least magna cum laude approbatur in Swedish as a second language (C 1)

Instead of or alongside a certificate, Swedish language proficiency can also be demonstrated in other ways. In assessing applicants, language proficiency will be taken into account both when assessing applicants’ qualifications for appointment to the position in question and their mutual ranking.

English

In practice, teaching and research tasks require good English language skills.

A curriculum vitae (CV) is an overview of an individual’s studies, professional career, academic merits and other achievements. The aim of the template is to provide guidelines for the writer of a CV so that the individual’s merits are presented as comprehensively, truthfully and comparably as possible. We ask applicants use the cv model created by The Finnish National Board on Research Integrity (TENK).

Published works and works accepted for publication are listed according to Ministry of Education and Culture. See the national classification for publications (by default in Finnish; you can change the language from the top right corner of the website).  



For each publication, give a complete literature reference, indicating the authors and the title of the article or publication as well as the publisher. Please number the list of publications and clearly indicate the five most important publications for the position / research plan.

At the University of Helsinki, teaching skills are assessed when recruiting teaching and research staff, as well as when applying for the title of docent. Teaching skills are assessed as a whole, taking into account

  • pedagogical training and thinking
  • teaching experience and development
  • thesis supervision experience
  • the ability to produce learning material
  • other teaching merits
  • a demonstration of teaching skills.

The assessment encompasses both the teaching merits and qualifications described on the electronic form provided for this purpose and the public demonstration of teaching skills. A five-step scale, in which the grade ‘good’ represents the intermediate level (Regulations on Degrees and the Protection of Students’ Rights, section 37), is used for the assessment. The assessment of teaching skills is governed by the Regulations of the University of Helsinki and by a rector’s decision (HY/8046/00.00.06.00/2022) on the practices for the assessment of teaching skills at the University of Helsinki.

In accordance with the Regulations and the rector’s decision, the minimum requirements for teaching skills vary between positions. This will be taken into account when assessing teaching skills and their sufficiency in relation to the position to be filled.

Assessment of teaching qualifications and merits

As part of an application process, applicants will be asked to complete an electronic form outlining their teaching qualifications and merits in specific areas. As the assessment of these qualifications and merits is based on the responses given on the form, please answer each question carefully. And acquaint yourself with the evaluation matrix before filling out the e-form.

The overall assessment of teaching qualifications and merits focuses on the following areas:

  • Pedagogical training and thinking
  • Teaching experience at various levels of university education, and development of teaching
  • Thesis supervision experience
  • Production of learning material
  • Other matters demonstrating teaching qualifications and merits
  • A demonstration of teaching skills (the teaching demonstration has its own evaluation matrix, see for more information below)

The requirements of each assessment criteria are described in the evaluation matrix. Each of the assessment criteria will be graded according to the matrix. The overall grade for teaching skills is not necessarily the mathematical average of the assessed areas; rather, different areas may compensate for each other or be emphasised to varying degrees in relation to the position in question and its requirements.

Demonstration of teaching skills

The demonstration of teaching skills is open to the public. The duration of the actual demonstration is 20 minutes. Before the teaching demonstration, the applicant can briefly describe (max. 5 minutes) the target group, learning outcomes and context. After the teaching demonstration, the teaching skills committee and the audience may pose questions for up to 10 minutes. The teaching demonstration is attended by the teaching skills committee, members of the appointment committee and, potentially, other audience members.

At the demonstration, the applicant should teach as in a genuine teaching situation. The demonstration may also include ‘meta-speech’ about how the applicant would implement a section in a real teaching situation. The applicant is expected to interact with the audience as if they were students in the target group.

In the case of a recruitment process, the topic, target audience and language of the demonstration of teaching skills will be announced to the applicant in advance. In contrast, those applying for the title of docent can choose their own topic. Applicants must submit a short syllabus (max. 2 pages) to the HR specialist.

Preparing for the demonstration of teaching skills

  1. Draw up a syllabus (max. 2 pages), paying particular attention to the pedagogical implementation of teaching and justifying your decisions. Explore the matrix for the assessment of teaching skills. The syllabus, which should apply to the entire course, must include details of the course target group, the central learning content and outcomes, the teaching and learning methods, as well as the assessment and feedback practices of the course. The course may be part of existing degree requirements, or it can be an independently designed entity. The course syllabus will be taken into account as part of the assessment of the teaching demonstration.

    Prepare a 20-minute demonstration of teaching skills related to the course introduced in the syllabus. The teaching should be carried out in a manner that corresponds to the applicant’s understanding of good teaching. During the demonstration, the applicant can use teaching equipment as they see fit. The teaching room has the usual educational technology equipment.

    The assessment of the teaching demonstration (see the assessment matrix below) focuses on the following areas:

  • Learning outcomes, target group and context
  • Teaching content
  • Teaching methods and aids
  • Assessment of learning
  • Interaction and time management
  1. Deliver your teaching demonstration on the agreed date and time, and answer questions from the audience after your demonstration. Applicants receive a written assessment of their teaching demonstration and skills.