Degree Programme in Building Services Engineering
Objectives
The core competence of BSE is based on a profound knowledge of HVAC systems and the management of energy efficiency of buildings. You learn about the phenomena of science and how to apply them to solve technical problems. The main part of building services engineering is HVAC, which includes heating, ventilation and air conditioning, as well as water and sewage systems in buildings.
During your studies, you gain diverse abilities for HVAC tasks. After graduating, you will have an educational qualification for HVAC design or site management jobs required by Finnish building regulations.
Degree programme description
The common competences in degrees of universities of applied sciences include learning competence, ethical competence, working community competence, innovation competence, and competence in international activities. The competences of the Degree Programme in Building Services Engineering involve system competence, indoor environment, energy efficiency, design competence, implementation competence, management, and maintenance.
The core competence of BSE is based on a profound knowledge of HVAC systems and the management of energy efficiency of buildings. You learn about the phenomena of science and how to apply them to solve technical problems. The main part of building services engineering is HVAC, which includes heating, ventilation and air conditioning, as well as water and sewage systems in buildings.
During your studies, you gain diverse abilities for HVAC tasks. After graduating, you will have an educational qualification for HVAC design or site management jobs required by Finnish building regulations.
Your studies include practical training and optional studies that can either deepen your BSE knowledge or widen your perspective on entrepreneurship or digital technology.
Complementary competence at Xamk
Complementary competence comprises students’ optional studies. Complementary competence deepens or expands the core competence of the degree programme and allows you to specialise in a particular area. For professional optional studies, you can choose from individual courses or study modules in accordance with your personal study plan. The complementary competence selection includes Xamk-level multidisciplinary online studies, field-specific studies, and degree programme specific studies.
Other optional studies included in complementary competence are higher education courses that students can freely choose. You can choose up to 15 ECTS credits of other optional studies. You may also complete complementary competence study modules or courses from the selection of other higher education institutions, where applicable. The scope of complementary competence is, depending on the scope of core competence studies, 45–120 ECTS credits in degrees comprising 210 credits and 60–120 ECTS credits in degrees comprising 240 credits.
Implementation of studies
Building engineering studies can be studied either as daytime or blended studies at the Mikkeli campus. Daytime studies start in the autumn and blended studies at the beginning of the year.
In daytime studies, the prior education requirement is a secondary degree. In daytime studies, teaching is from Monday to Friday, between 8:00 and 16:00. Teaching is carried out on the Mikkeli campus for the first three years. The studies of the autumn semester of the 4th year are organised as remote teaching. After this, the last six months of the studies have been reserved for doing the bachelor's thesis.
In blended studies, the prior education requirement is a secondary degree and three years of work experience in the field.
It is possible to complete blended studies alongside work. Teaching is organised at the end of the week/weekends (Thursday evening and Friday and Saturday days) on average twice a month. Part of the teaching is held on the Mikkeli campus and part is remote teaching bound to time and place (scheduled). The amount of contact and distance teaching varies from year to year and from semester to semester, depending on the courses in progress. In contact teaching, the aim is to do something practical and work in laboratories. Teaching is organised for three and a half years, of which the last half year (spring of the 4th year) is organised entirely as distance teaching. After this, the last six months of the studies have been reserved for doing the bachelor's thesis.
Flexible study opportunities
At the beginning of the studies, you prepare your personal study plan (PSP) which helps you make choices related to the studies, practical training, bachelor’s thesis and international activities. We make every effort to ensure that you can plan your studies in the best way possible, according to your own life situation.
The studies are implemented using various methods:
· lectures
· independent assignments
· teamwork
· online studies
· projects with companies and other organisations
· projects carried out at South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences
· examinations
· practical training.
Career opportunities
Typical jobs for a Bachelor of Engineering in BSE are, for instance, HVAC designer, project engineer, site manager, HVAC controller, facility manager, production manager, marketing engineer or teacher. As an engineer, you can also be an entrepreneur. There are also jobs available abroad in international cooperation and in export business. In the future, there will be a greater need for experts on energy efficiency issues.
After you have graduated, you have the option to apply for master’s degree studies at Xamk Master School. The eligibility for master’s degree studies requires that you have a relevant bachelor’s degree and a minimum of two years of relevant work experience after graduation. The Master’s Degree Programme in Building Services Engineering focuses on the energy efficiency of buildings and the indoor climate.
RDI and cooperation with world of work
A wide network of companies supports your studies. You can carry out a part of your studies in real-life working tasks. You can also use our university's RDI projects as your study environment. Both local and national enterprises in the HVAC field, as well as public organisations, are actively involved in the degree programme. There are visiting lecturers on several courses, and enterprises organise courses on their equipment and field of expertise.
Intensive collaboration with working life is an essential part of every degree programme. It is possible to integrate studies and work on different levels and in different ways. In addition to the traditional practical training and bachelor's thesis writing, you can participate in different work-related projects. The projects may be carried out together with students of your own field or other fields of study. Several research, development and innovation projects give you the possibility to connect your studies with tasks offered by the world of work. You can also use your own workplace as a learning environment, provided that your work corresponds with your field of study (formalisation of learning).
The Project Office of BSE develops your project management skills in a real-world project done for real clients. Also, practical training and thesis work give you an opportunity to learn about companies and their way of working and developing.
Learning environments
Xamk offers excellent facilities to support your learning. A significant part of the studies take place outside the classroom. Innovation and project environments (e.g. Xinno, Xentre, CampusIT and Logistiikkaverstas Logistics Workshop), different simulation environments and teaching restaurants, online learning environments and working life and RDI projects facilitate your learning. You can also conduct your studies in two authentic local environments: in the forest and at sea.
The studies of BSE take place mostly on the Mikkeli main campus. There are up-to-date classrooms and appropriate IT equipment available on campus. Students can use our recently renovated, all-round HVAC laboratory for many different measurements and laboratory tasks. A modern project work environment is in your use right next to the laboratory. For online learning, we use the Learn environment. Social media tools are used to share information with study groups, etc.