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Universities in Finland

Åbo Akademi University

Turku, Finland
Åbo Akademi University is a Swedish language university based in Turku, Finland. Founded in 1918, the school has spread its activities in Vaasa, Jakobstad, Helsinki, and on Åland. The university consists of twelve departments: The faculty area of Arts: Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Education, Faculty of Theology, Department of Psychology and Logopedics; The faculty area of Social Sciences: School of Business and Economics, Department of Social Sciences, Department of Political Science, Department of Law; The faculty area of Natural Sciences: Department of Biosciences, Department of... See full description.

Academy Access

Espoo, Finland
Academy Access Ltd is a school of economics based in Helsinki. It offers various interesting opportunities to students, such as an Exchange Semester in Malaysia, one Year master's degree from the University of the excellent beaches of Australia's dream, and other educational options in Berkeley College in New York, Diablo Valley College, Griffith University Australia, and others.

Arcada Polytechnic

Helsinki, Finland
Arcada is an accredited institution of higher education, specialized in the applied sciences. Located in Helsinki, Finland, Arcada was founded in 1996 with the mission to promote the Finland-Swedish language and culture. It strives to fully meet the needs and requirements of the Finland-Swedish population. Arcada offers 16 degree programs, four of which are in English. The fields of study in which these programs are organized are Social Services, Health Care, Sports, Business Administration, Technology, and Media. On top of that Arcada has made available specialization studies,... See full description.

Degree Programme in IT, School of Technology, Rovaniemi Polytechnic

Rovaniemi, Finland
The degree in Information Technology offered by Rovaniemi Polytechnic (Finland) is part of the Bachelor of Engineering at the School of Technology. The goal of this program is to provide students with knowledge of implementation, structure, and functions of software systems utilized in the software engineering world. Career options such as a software designer, software engineer, ADP designer, System Specialist, Maintenance expert etc are potentially possible for an IT graduate. Rovaniemi Polytechnic (Finland) is part of the Lapland University Consortium.

Häme Polytechnic

Valkeakoski, Finland
Häme Polytechnicaka HAMK University of Applied sciences is an advanced educational institution situated in Hameenlinna, Finland and with over 8000 students studying there. Having a vast collaboration with over 100 Universities worldwide, the school proves to offer education at its best. These partnerships also enhance transfer of credits between universities interested students. The institution provides master’s, bachelor’s and double degree programs, awarding the necessary degrees in the respective areas. The school claims to have highly experienced and highly trained tutors who... See full description.

Pohjois-Savo Polytechnic

Varkaus, Finland
Pohjois-Savo Polytechnic, which recently was renamed the Savonia University of Applied Sciences, is one of the largest and most versatile universities of applied sciences in Finland.  Their crack team of experts aims to educate professionals in six different fields of studies, and their unique and flexible degree programs offer students the opportunity to study full-time or part-time through the university’s distance/online format. Savonia UAS works diligently to serve the businesses in its community. The school’s research and development (R&D) activities offer... See full description.

University of Helsinki

Helsinki, Finland
The University of Helsinki – among the best in the world The University of Helsinki is one of the best multidisciplinary research universities in the world. The high-quality research carried out by the university creates new knowledge for educating diverse specialists in various fields, and for utilisation in social decision-making and the business sector. The University of Helsinki is an international academic community of 40,000 students and staff members. It operates on four campuses in Helsinki and at 17 other locations. Founded in 1640, the University of Helsinki wants to... See full description.

Vaasa Polytechnic

Vaasa, Finland
Vaasa Polytechnic, also known as VAMK, is a modern and international University of Applied Sciences which provides high level theoretical and practical oriented education in Finnish and in English, both at the Bachelor level in full-time and part-time education as well as the professional Master´s degree level. About Vaasa Polytechnic The main areas of focus at Vaasa Polytechnic are high technology, international business, and health care and social services. VAMK takes a special interest in combining the traditional entrepreneurial spirit of the region with ... See full description.

Varsinais Suomen Kansanopisto

Paimio, Finland
Varsinais Suomen Kansanopisto is a cost-free adult educational institution specializing in the various fields of art.  Studies are offered at both the undergraduate and graduate levels and are aimed at both traditional and non-traditional artistic subjects and professional fields.  In addition to traditional, degree-focused programs, Varsinais Suomen Kansanopisto also offers a number of themed short-courses.  Art education is also provided to students with various physical and mental handicaps. Varsinais Suomen Kansanopisto:  Background The educational activities... See full description.

Universities in Finland by City:

EspooHelsinkiJyväskyläKuopioOuluPaimioRovaniemiTurkuVaasaValkeakoskiVarkaus

About universities in Finland

Finland’s universities, like the rest of its education system, are among the best in the world. The Finnish government takes responsibility for educating each and every citizen, which means free education is available all the way through graduate school for students who can get admitted. At present, the availability of free public education is not limited to citizens of Finland – foreigners and exchange students can also take advantage of the free educational services paid for by the Finnish government. There have been efforts in the government in recent years to change this policy due to budget pressures, but for now it remains in place. People come to Finland to study a number of different subjects, but universities here are especially well known for their programs in architecture and design.

The system of higher education in Finland is split into two parts: universities and polytechnics (ammattikorkeakoulu in Finnish). Essentially, the universities teach academic subjects and are designed to prepare students for graduate school, whereas polytechnics teach more applied subjects and are usually terminal – that is, graduates from polytechnics rarely go on to get more advanced degrees. In the past, the division between universities and polytechnics was rigidly maintained by the academic establishment in Finland, but this is rapidly changing as a result of reforms initiated by Finland’s accession to the European Higher Education Area. The EHEA, an overarching governing body designed to help European countries integrate and standardize their education systems

Thanks in large part to EHEA-mandated changes, Finland’s degree system now follows more or less the three-tiered system that is familiar in the United States and many other Western countries: an undergraduate degree (Bachelor’s), an intermediate graduate degree (Master’s), and an advanced graduate degree (Doctoral). Because of the inclusion of polytechnics, Finland’s version of this system is slightly different from the one that exists in other countries, but the basic contours are similar. At the Doctoral level, Finnish universities offer two different degrees – a PhD and a Licentiate. Both of these degrees require the same degree of academic achievement and coursework, but the Licentiate does not have the complex dissertation process required for the PhD.

The college admissions process in Finland is heavily standardized, and entrance exams play a huge role in determining the final decision. In fact, college admissions decisions are based solely on test scores and grades – there are no essays, no interviews, and no holistic views of applicants of the sort that American colleges and universities use to evaluate applicants. It’s purely a numbers game, which is seen as more objective and therefore more fair by college authorities. Fortunately, the college entrance examinations are more comprehensive than standardized tests in places like China or the United States, so it’s easier for well-rounded students to do well. Nonetheless, competition for spots in Finnish universities is quite intense as a result of their quality, the limited number of spaces, and the fact that the education is free.