Higher Education in Finland

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• Higher Education in Finland
• Why Finland?

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• Age
• 24
• 19
• 16
• 7

Universities 35 years
Polytechnics 3.54 years
The Finnish education system
General upper secondary education 3 years
Initial vocational education c. 3 years
Comprehensive school 9 years
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Finnish higher education offers plenty of choice

• an extensive network of institutions covering the
  whole country
• 20 universities and 29 polytechnics
• all institutions internationally oriented with
  special regional features
• for the moment no tuition fees for regular degree
  students and exchange students

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Finland is a slender lady with plenty of HEIs

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Universities

• 20 universities in a country of 5.2 million
  people
• 10 multi-faculty universities
• 3 universities of technology
• 3 schools of economics and business
  administration
• 4 art academies
• all institutions are state-funded
• 174,000 students

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Universities

• reform of the university degrees started in
  autumn 2005 transitional period up to 2008
• two-tier degrees lower Candidates (BA) and
  higher Masters degrees
• also post-graduate Doctors degree (4 years, 240
  credits)
• exception medicine and dentistry continue with
  the system of one cycle (Licentiates degree, 6
  years and 360 credits)
• BA takes appr. 3 years and 180 credits, MA 2
  years and 120 credits
• content of the degrees is also modified
• ECTS credit system fully adopted

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Polytechnics

• 29 polytechnics
• 8 fields of study Natural resources and the
  environment Natural sciences Technology,
  communication and transport Social sciences,
  business and administration Tourism, catering
  and domestic services Social services, health
  and sports Culture Humanities and education
• all institutions are state-funded
• 130,000 students

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Polytechnics

• non-university higher education with professional
  orientation
• study time
• 3.54 years to complete Bachelors degree
  (210240 credits)
• 1-1.5 years to complete the Masters degree
  (60-90 credits) after 3 years of work experience
• joint application system for Finnish students and
  now also for international students for
  Bachelors degree programmes (www.admissions.fi)
• ECTS credit system fully adopted

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International students in Finnish higher
education institutions

• Degree students (2005)
• Universities 4 940
• Polytechnics 4 320
• Total 9 260
• Exchange students (2005)
• Universities 4 629
• Polytechnics 3 068
• Total 7 697

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International Strategy for Finnish HEIs

• By 2010
• 28,000 student exchanges annually
• 10,00015,000 international degree students
• Emphasis on
• Bologna process
• increase of international programmes
• clarification of entry and residence requirements
  of students
• marketing of Finnish HE
• student services

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A large number of coursestaught in English

• close to 400 international study programmes
  taught in English
• courses ranging from short-term programmes to
  entire degree programmes
• an excellent choice of subjects spanning from
  high-tech know-how through to fine arts
• internationally acclaimed expertise in many areas
  e.g. ICT, bio-technology, forestry and
  environmental sciences, architecture and design

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Why Finland ?

• good and effective education system
• affordable higher education
• variety of programmes taught in English based on
  Finnish know how
• modern facilities and well trimmed student
  services
• peaceful and well-organised country
• advanced and unusual

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How to make your way to Finland?

• Exchange students
• many opportunities available from bilateral
  agreements to multinational programmes
• Degree students
• eligibility for higher education in own country
• entrance examinations mostly required
• good command of English
• application deadlines mainly from January to May

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How to make your way to Finland?

• Post-graduate students and young researches
• scholarships available
• - bilateral scholarships
• - CIMO Fellowships
• - post-graduate and advanced studies of Finnish
  language in Finnish university

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More information

• To discover Finland visit http//finland.cimo.fi