Education in Finland

Education in Finland is becoming more and more popular every year. High positions of Finnish universities in world rankings, interdisciplinary studies, and moderate tuition fees attract foreign students to this northern country.

Cost and structure of education in Finland

EU/EEA/Swiss students can study in state universities for free regardless of the language of instruction.

Higher education in Finland is carried out in two types of educational institutions — universities (yliopisto), engaged in scientific research, and universities of applied sciences or polytechnic institutes (ammattikorkeakoulu, AMK) with a more practical focus. In addition, there are colleges (ammattiopisto), which also offer vocational training.

The options for admission to universities in Finland

Foundation — Preparatory programs in Finland

There are no preparatory courses before entering a university in Finland. After the ninth grade, students can enroll in high school preparatory programs specifically designed for foreigners. Such courses include Finnish and English language studies, maths, science and social sciences, and student counseling. Some educational institutions allow you to combine the preparatory year with high school by transferring credits. The requirement for admission to such courses is knowledge of Finnish or Swedish at level A2, as well as the completion of nine grades of high school.

College — Vocational education in Finland

There are several ways to get professional qualifications: internships, work experience, and college education. Regardless of the path chosen, all students pass the final exam (näyttötutkinto).

Colleges (ammattiopisto) are considered to be a part of non-compulsory secondary education and are primarily designed for students who graduate from the ninth grade of a secondary school. Education here lasts three years, at least five months of which are devoted to internships and practice.

Finnish colleges offer training in seven main areas: humanities and pedagogy, sociology, business and management, art, technology and transport, natural resources and ecology, social, physical and mental health, as well as tourism, economics, and hotel business.

The curriculum consists of four main parts:

• Specialized vocational training (135 credits);
• General subjects (35 credits);
• Electives (10 credits);
• Additional subjects (depending on the program).

Graduates of such programs may seek employment or continue their studies at universities or technical schools. Some colleges also offer dual programs that allow you to simultaneously receive a bachelor's degree.

Bachelor’s in Finland

Bachelor’s (kandidaatin tutkinto) is the first stage of higher education in Finland. Such programs last for about 3 years at universities (180 credits), and from 3.5 to 4.5 years (210 — 270 credits) — at universities of applied sciences (ammattikorkeakoulututkinto). The programs of polytechnic schools are practice-oriented and are not equivalent to the programs of ordinary universities, which place greater emphasis on science. In this regard, graduates of such universities must complete special "bridge programs" for admission to the non-professional master’s.

The curriculum includes theoretical and practical classes, work on independent projects, visits to workshops and seminars. Writing a scientific paper (thesis) is also very important. The first two years are usually occupied by the study of compulsory subjects, and the third (and fourth) year — by electives, studies at foreign partner universities, internships or work on the thesis. Many universities allow particularly diligent and well-performing students to shorten their studies by six months or a year.

Training programs can vary greatly depending on the university: each educational institution has the right to use its own teaching methods, textbooks and the sequence of presenting material.

Master’s — Graduate / Postgraduate in Finland

Master’s (maisterin tutkinto) in Finnish universities takes two years on average. To graduate a student needs to get 120 credits. Almost all universities in Finland offer master's programs in English.

At the universities of applied sciences, a master's (programylempi ammattikorkeakoulututkinto) lasts less than 1.5 years (60-90 credits), but for admission, you must have relevant work experience: at least two years after receiving a bachelor's degree. In some areas (art, music, dance, theater, etc.), work experience can be replaced by creative works and merits. Universities of applied sciences have a rather flexible schedule and allow students to combine study with work.

A prerequisite for admission is the compliance of bachelor’s to the area of expertise of the selected master's program.

Some Finnish universities offer combined graduate and undergraduate programs, which last 5 years. In addition, specific programs (veterinary medicine, medical business) can take from 5 to 6.5 years.

Doctoral studies — Postgraduate in Finland

Doctoral programs (tohtorin tutkinto) in Finland can only be offered by universities. Their duration is usually four years (240 credits). There are two options for doctoral studies:

• National programs are related to research relevant to the country and have common directions in all state universities. Such programs are usually well funded by the government.
• Doctoral research programs allow students to choose the topic of scientific work on their own. These programs are not much different from doctoral studies in other countries — a student should contact the supervisor and propose a topic for future research.

The educational process consists of dissertation work, seminars, conferences, and theoretical studies. The final exam is divided into two parts: a review of a written dissertation and an oral debate.

In addition, many universities offer job opportunities for doctoral students. In this case, the duties of the teacher are added to the study and research responsibilities. The average student salary in this position is 2,007 USD per month.

Licentiate (lisensiaatintutkinto) is an alternative doctoral program available to master's graduates. It takes two years, during which students do research work, and also attend practical and theoretical classes. In general, the degree of a licentiate is rated lower than the degree of a doctor, but it can be a good option for students planning to pursue a more practical scientific career.

Scholarships and grants in Finland

Foreign students in Finland who have to pay tuition fees can receive financial assistance in the form of grants and scholarships. State scholarships apply to graduate and doctoral students, but undergraduate students can rely on funding from universities and private organizations. The conditions and amounts of financial assistance may vary: scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students are awarded on the basis of academic performance and academic achievements, doctoral students receive grants based on relevance and interim research results. The scholarships of some private organizations have additional conditions (for example, a scholarship for orphans from the company CustomEssayMeister or a scholarship for women in the business field from the University of Nexford) and are issued after the evaluation of motivation letters.

Student visa to Finland

EU/EEA citizens do not require any visas to study in Finland. However, they need to get a certificate of registration from the police upon arrival.

Students from all the rest countries should obtain either a student visa (for studies which take less than 90 days) or a residence permit (for degree courses. The latter is issued for one or two years and has to be renewed annually.

To apply for a visa, you will need the following documents:

• Passport;
• Passport photos;
• Student visa application;
• Proof of financial solvency (at least 661 USD per month);
• Health insurance;
• Invitation from the university and confirmation of admission.

The electronic application fee is 413 USD (the processing time is 1-3 months), while the paper application will cost 531 USD (processing time is 4-5 months).

Working while studying in Finland

According to the laws of Finland, non-EU/EEA students have the opportunity to work for no more than 25 hours a week on average during academic terms and full-time during holidays. For EU/EEA nationals working time is not limited.

It is worth noting that students are unlikely to fund their education with part-time jobs — finding a job with a part-time schedule is quite difficult, and for employment, you need to speak Finnish.

Finland does not establish a minimum wage; each company decides this issue on its own. It is difficult to say what kind of salary a foreign student can receive since it depends on the sphere. For example, a store consultant earns about 12 USD/hour.

Immigration opportunities

Finnish university graduates from non-EU/EEA countries can apply for a special job seeker visa. Such a permit is issued only once, lasts a year and cannot be extended. After successful employment, foreigners have the opportunity to obtain a work permit and stay in Finland.

Finnish citizenship is available after residing in the country for five consecutive years.

Employment prospects

Finland. In this northern country, the unemployment rate is less than 9%. Among young professionals, 21% do not have a permanent job. Therefore, the graduate will meet with fairly high competition in the labor market. In addition, the need to learn Finnish and the bias towards foreigners don’t help matters.

Europe. Finland is a member of the Bologna process, therefore its diploma is recognized in Europe. A Finnish diploma is an indicator of high competence and creative thinking; employers value this highly.