Master's Study in Finland: Requirements and Degree Types

As the country that tops global happiness rankings, Finland has a rich culture and is known as the hometown of Santa Claus. Its social welfare system is also highly developed. Living in Finland can be very fulfilling. As a Nordic country, it is certainly a good study abroad option. So, what do you need to study for a master's degree in Finland, and what degree types are available?

Master's Admission Requirements

1. You must have completed a four-year full-time undergraduate program and obtained a graduation certificate and bachelor's degree.
2. The major you apply for must match the major you studied as an undergraduate. Transfer applications are not accepted, and your grades must be good or above.

Language Requirements

An IELTS score of 6.0 or above.

Master's Degree Types

1. DEGREE STUDENT

After passing the Finnish undergraduate entrance examination as a regular student, you enter a five-year master's program. You start from freshman year and receive the same treatment as Finnish students. To apply for this type, you must be in your senior year and about to receive, or already have received, a bachelor's degree in order to qualify for the entrance exam. Once admitted, your bachelor's credits can be transferred accordingly, so you do not need to start again from first year.

2. GUEST STUDENT/FREE MOVER

This is not a degree program, so no entrance exam is required. Some courses require tuition fees. It is limited to one year, meaning you can take courses at the school for one year, but no degree will be awarded. It is similar to an audit student. If you do not care about earning a degree and only want to learn and improve yourself, this is not a bad choice.

3. IMP STUDENT

This refers to students in an international master's program, and no entrance exam is required either. Generally, students spend their first year studying as GUEST STUDENTs without paying tuition. After their grades and credits in the first year meet certain standards, they can officially become DEGREE STUDENTs. Upon graduation, they receive exactly the same master's degree as students in the five-year DEGREE program.

4. EXCHANGE STUDENT

This is offered to students from schools that have partnership agreements with Finnish universities. Finnish schools and overseas schools reach cooperation agreements and send their own students to each other's campuses for exchange study.

Which Application Path Is Better?

If applicants can find an IMP program in a Finnish university that matches their major, it is best to apply as an IMP STUDENT, because they can apply directly to the department for that major. In general, studying in an IMP program allows graduation in two years.

If there is no IMP program, the graduation timeline cannot be guaranteed. You must enroll directly into the five-year DEGREE program, usually take the entrance exam, and, after passing, become a DEGREE STUDENT as a freshman. Although credits can be transferred, there is no guarantee of how many will be accepted, so graduation usually takes longer than two years.