Finnish Your Education at the University of Helsinki!

By now, you’ve heard plenty about people going to the US, Australia, or Singapore for university— and for good reason! These countries are full of top-of-the-line schools with amazing programs for international students. But we’ve got a secret for you—the other side of the world has exciting opportunities, too!

If you’ve been looking to pursue your studies in Europe, but prefer the road less travelled without sacrificing excellent prospects, the Nordic countries might be your best bet—specifically, Finland.

Finland, a.k.a. Fantasy Land

Located right above mainland Europe, Finland isn’t just high up on latitude—it ranks one of the highest in quality education! Going to school pretty much anywhere within the country guarantees exceptional education. It was also declared as the world’s happiest country for the second time in a row in the 2019 World Happiness Report. What makes it even better is that it’s also one of the safest countries to live in. Not only is it a secure, progressive, and cheery country, but it’s got beautiful, fantastical landscapes to boot. Expect your ‘gram to be decked out with beautiful shots of Nordic scenery. It’s almost too good to be true, but we’ve got good news—it’s all real, and you can definitely see it for yourself!

But which school is the best of the best?

Enter the University of Helsinki (UH).

One of Finland’s best schools, it’s located in the country’s capital, Helsinki. The University of Helsinki is Finland’s largest and oldest educational institution, as it was founded in 1640. It’s also part of the top 30 universities in Europe. Even more impressive? They’re part of the top 1% of research universities in the entire world. Overall, they rank competitively as among the top 100 universities globally. So not only is it one of the best universities in the world—it’s in one of the world’s most liveable cities, too!

The University of Helsinki offers such a wide variety of programmes—you can pick from almost a hundred! 35 of their Master’s programmes are taught in English, so you won’t have to worry about a language barrier. These vary from Atmospheric Sciences to Urban Studies and Planning. If you’re wondering about their undergraduate programmes and you’re a budding scientist, we’ve got good news—their Bachelor of Science is available in English.

Sweeten the deal with a scholarship

The best part is that the University of Helsinki offers scholarships for these Master’s programmes. These are available to high-performing students who have already earned their bachelor’s degrees. The university is all about making their quality education accessible to students even oceans away. Unlike many other scholarships, this one covers the entire duration of the Master’s programme— saving you a hefty amount of hard-earned money!

As an added bonus, the scholarship includes several benefits. One of these is a Student Union membership, which offers free or highly affordable health care services, student meal discounts in Unicafe restaurants, reduction in public transport costs, and Unisport services at lower prices. Most of your essentials will be covered, leaving you as worry-free as possible.

Itching to study at the university at the soonest possible time? Aside from their Bachelor of Science programme, they also have summer school!

Summer vacation, but even better

I think we can all agree that no one wants to study during summer vacation. After nearly a year’s worth of assignments and tests, everyone deserves a breather. But going on UH’s summer school programme is definitely more fun than your regular semester.

The Helsinki Summer School is open to students who have completed two years of university education. All that slaving away at your home university will definitely be worth the experience.

All of the courses are taught in English, and the best part is that you can have them credited at your university. The variety in the courses is mind-blowing—for one month, you can learn about 21st century digital storytelling, philosophy of food, or even heavy metal and hard rock music—and more! A summer programme with all that range? We love to see it.

The Helsinki Summer School courses are pretty intensive too, with 2 to 3 lectures a day. They offer way more than classroom learning, though. They have plenty of events, like an evening on an island, a surprise walking tour, and a wildlife and sauna trip! A summer programme and super fun guided tours? At UH, you can have both!

So, what’s the cherry on top? You’ll be studying in a new country and discovering new places. You’ll be meeting people from all around the world, and probably meet some of your friends for life. And, of course, you’ll be learning more about interesting topics and freshening up your professional skills!

Well, what are you waiting for?

The programme is fantastic for trying out the Finnish educational system, which is known for being very open and innovative. At the same time, you get to acquaint yourself with life in Finland, which is a great preview if you’re considering a Master’s programme at the university.

So, how does that sound? Excited to jumpstart your journey and see it from start to Finnish? Check out our Study Abroad blog section for tips and advice to get started! If you want to learn more about University of Helsinki, click here.