Yliopistot ja korkeakoulut

"Teachers open doors, but you must walk through them by yourself."
(Chinese saying)

Higher Education

• Higher education includes studying at universities of applied sciences and universities. Degrees of higher education include:
• Upper and lower level university degrees
• Post-graduate degrees: licentiate and doctoral degrees
• Degrees of a specialised doctor, specialised dentist and specialised veterinarian
• Officers’ degrees from the National Defence University
• Degrees from a university of applied sciences

Universities of Applied Sciences

Studies at a university of applied sciences are usually very practical. When you graduate from a university of applied sciences, you have a profession.

Studying for a university of applied sciences qualification usually takes between 3.5 and 4.5 years. A matriculation examination or a basic upper secondary level vocational qualification is required to get into a university of applied sciences. Applications are dealt with through the joint application process for universities of applied sciences.

More information on universities of applied sciences is available on the Finnish National Board of Education website in Finnish, Swedish and English. Also the Opintoluotsi.fi website contains information on the universities of applied sciences in Finnish.

The Koulutusnetti website contains information on applying to a university of applied sciences.

Universities and Institutes of Higher Education

Universities and institutes of higher education offer courses leading to undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. The Koulutusnetti website has information on who can apply to universitiesand how.

Higher university degree usually refers to the Master’s Degree (maisterin tutkinto), lower university degree refers to the Bachelor’s Degree (kandidaatin tutkinto). After you have completed your Master’s Degree, you can obtain your Licentiate’s Degree or PhD.

Information on studying in universities or other institutes of higher education can be found, for example in:

• The website of the Finnish National Board of Education in Finnish, Swedish and English
• The Opintoluotsi.fi website in Finnish, Swedish and English.
• From the websites of universities and other institutes of higher education

A list of Finnish universities and other institutes of higher education is available on the Koulutusnetti website.