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Study in the European North: Destination Nordic countries
Key terms often used to describe the five million Danes are: gender equality, tolerance and an easy-going attitude towards life. They tend to put a lot of focus on their individual freedom as well as on the quality of their social life. As most Danes speak English, students tend to find it easy to live in Denmark, even though they hardly speak any Danish - all this makes for an exciting environment in which to study your graduate programme.
Read more about studying and living in Denmark at www.studyindenmark.dk
Finland
Education is highly valued in Finland, and the high standard of education forms one of the cornerstones of the Finnish national strategy.
20 universities and 29 polytechnics provide higher education in Finland, all of which are internationally oriented and 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 2006-2009 the Ministry of Education will fund 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 older and younger researchers are working in research groups 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 studies in the discipline and studies in the student'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 after Masters degree, but in practice the time spent is often longer. No time limit is set. International students wishing to work for a doctoral thesis in Finland should contact the institution concerned or relevant department directly 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.
With the range of programs offered to international graduate increasing on a yearly basis, this is one of the most vibrant and exciting aspects of higher education in Finland. Students interested in pursuing either a taught or research degree are advised to contact the university in which they are interested direct.
In Finnish universities, lectures, seminars, independent work and exams have traditionally been the main study methods. Developing an approach to your study that is free and your own is regarded as common in Finland. Many students are also surprised at the strong emphasis on self-study and the analysis of texts as a source of information compared with lectures. Additional, the close relationship enjoyed between graduate students and their teachers is often a surprise to international students. This is an important feature of the graduate experience and helps students to develop their own unique approach to studying.
Since university education is funded by the State through the Ministry of Education, students annual membership fee of about �40�85 to cover their activities. Student health services are included in this fee. Membership is compulsory for those studying for their graduate degree, but for those pursuing their doctoral studies, membership is optional and may join the union only if they wish. Polytechnics do not charge tuition fees either, but a few institutions currently charge fees for tuition materials.
More information about Finland, studying, practical training and youth exchange is at http://finland.cimo.fi.
Norway
