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Move on up to the European North
Education is highly valued in Finland, and this good standard forms one of the cornerstones of the Finnish national strategy. There are 20 universities and 29 polytechnics in Finland providing higher education, all of which are internationally-oriented. The country’s good reputation in higher education, combined with the wide range of courses offered in English, attracts interest among an increasing number of international students.
The Finnish graduate school system was established in 1995. The system has expanded gradually and the number of schools has doubled since the beginning. During the three years between 2006 and 2009 the Ministry of Education is funding 124 graduate schools with 1,458 graduate students (including more than 300 international students) and 23 coordinators. Most of the graduate schools are network-type joint projects formed by several universities. In these graduate schools researchers work together with graduate students. The objective of the graduate schools is to provide systematic teaching and guidance for graduate students, in order for them to complete the doctoral dissertation in four years.
Research and the preparation of a substantial thesis are essential parts of the studies for both Licentiate’s degree and Doctoral thesis. The doctoral thesis is published and must be defended in a public disputation. In addition to research, both licentiate and doctoral programs include more general work in the discipline in focused study in an individual’s specific field of research. It is possible for a full-time student to complete a licentiate in two years and a doctoral program in four years, once they have completed a Masters degree, but in practice it often takes longer. There isn’t a set time limit. International students wishing to work for a doctoral thesis in Finland should contact the institution or relevant department that they are interested in and make sure that their own field of specialization is represented there.
Graduate students from other countries are considered for admission to all Finnish universities. The range of programs offered to international graduates is increasing on a yearly basis. International students interested in pursuing either a taught or research degree are advised to contact the university in which they are interested directly.
In Finnish universities, lectures, seminars, independent work and exams have traditionally been the main study methods. There is also a strong emphasis on self-study with students encouraged to do their own analysis, rather than rely entirely on information from lectures. Graduate students and lecturers in Finland typically build good relationships which often comes as a surprise to international students. But, this is an important feature of the graduate experience and helps students to direct their learning more effectively and find their own approach to work.
University education in Finland is funded by the State through the Ministry of Education, so students are just asked to pay an annual membership fee of between €40 and €85 for activities in the students’ union, including health services. Membership is compulsory for those studying for a graduate degree, but for those pursuing doctoral studies, membership is optional. Polytechnics do not charge tuition fees either, but a few institutions currently charge fees for tuition materials.
You can find more information about studying, practical training and youth exchange in Finland at http://finland.cimo.fi
Internationalization is a priority within all sectors of the Norwegian education system – nearly 11,000 foreign nationals are currently enrolled at Norwegian institutions of higher education.
Universities and colleges are to be found throughout the country and many of the major cities will have both a university and other higher education colleges. Traditional programs like humanities, social sciences and natural sciences are taught at all, but a bit of research will reveal that each institution has its own speciality areas too.
At the graduate level, each university and college will determine their own admission requirements – based on an academic evaluation of applicants. Applicants for Masters programs need to have obtained an undergraduate or Bachelors degree or an equivalent amounting to at least three years’ of study. At least 50 per cent of the first degree should have been in a subject that is directly relevant to the Masters program being applied for.
