Summer Universities in Finland

In brief

There are  20 summer universities in Finland. The courses are held in 132 localities, both in cities and smaller towns throughout the country. Every year the summer universities enroll nearly 62 000 students, including over 1 100 international students.

Summer universities give an opportunity for both personal and professional development. They operate in tight contact and permanent collaboration with Finnish universities. Courses are open to everyone regardless of age or prior education. It is essential to notice that summer universities offer short-term courses, in other words they do not offer degree programmes. The language of instruction is mainly Finnish but some courses are taught in English. Among our non-finnish speaking students the most popular courses are on Finnish language and culture .

In addition to student fees, summer universities receive their funding from the state and municipalities. Summer universities take part in educational and cultural projects that aim for regional and European development. Therefore our role as educators is important.

The planning of the programme is done on a yearly basis in co-operation with the universities. Interdisciplinary programmes at the summer universities are produced in the fields of cultural studies, European studies, Finnish language and culture, art, dance, music, theatre, education, environmental sciences, health care and social sciences. Please note that the study programme varies according to the summer university.

What Summer universities offer

• Open University, where the programme is carried out according to the requirements of the universities and the credits are equal to the credits at Finnish universities

• Vocational continuing education
• Preparatory and extramural courses
• Studia General Lectures
• Seminars and events on cultural and regional issues
• Univeristy activities for the third age

The fees usually vary from 70 euros to 200 euros. Please note that summer universities do not award grants for either Finnish or international students and all the expenses must be covered by the student him or herself. Students are accepted in the order of registration. The prerequisities and application dates for the courses are not uniform, so please contact the appropriate summer university for more information. Additional information is given by the Association of Summer Universities in Finland.