Master's Degree Programme in Education and Learning

General Requirements

You are an eligible applicant for Master’s studies if

• you have a nationally recognized first cycle degree – usually a Bachelor’s degree – from an accredited institution of higher education,
• your degree consists of at least 180 ECTS (European credits) or three years of full-time study,
• your degree gives eligibility to masters level studies in the country where it was issued,
• your degree is in a relevant field for the Master’s degree programme that you’re applying to. Please check the section on programme-specific admission requirements for detailed degree requirements.

Language Requirements

Applicants must have excellent English language skills and a certificate that proves those skills. You can indicate your language skills by taking one of the internationally recognized English language tests. 

Applicants must reach the minimum required test results to be considered eligible to be accepted to the University of Turku. No exceptions will be made. Read more about the language requirements, recognized qualifications, required levels and exemptions here.

Before you start preparing your application, always read the full admission requirements on the application portal Studyinfo.fi

Who can apply?

Persons who have completed a Bachelor’s degree in education, adult education or special education are eligible to apply to the programme. Also, applicants who have a Bachelor’s degree from other fields of study, and who have either an official teacher’s qualification, or who can prove a clear affinity to educational sciences, are eligible to apply to the programme. The applicant must indicate e.g. major or minor studies in the field of education in their transcripts, and/ or provide proof of relevant work experience in the field of education. Assessment of affinity to educational sciences will be based on the content and the extent of the evidence provided.

NB. Applicants who have completed a Finnish first-cycle polytechnic degree called ammattikorkeakoulututkinto must have either completed basic and intermediate studies (altogether min. 60 ECTS) in education, special education or adult education, OR have completed basic studies (min. 25 ECTS) in education and can prove a clear affinity to educational sciences are also eligible to apply to the programme.

Verified proficiency in the English language is needed. See the webpage for recognized qualifications, required levels and exemptions:  https://www.utu.fi/en/study-at-utu/language-requirements-for-masters-degree-programmes

The application and all the relevant enclosures must be submitted to the electronic system by the application deadline.

The decision for admission will be based on the evaluation of:

• verified proficiency in English language
• programme specific eligibility
• the field of applicant’s previous degree(s)
• the amount, relevance and grades of the courses in the degree(s)
• motivation letter

Admission criteria

The number of students to be admitted to the programme is 20 at the most: a maximum of 20 students to the single degree option and among the 20 best scoring applicants a maximum of 5 students will be admitted to the double degree option. The admission is based on the scoring criteria, which are explained below. The purpose is to acquire an understanding of the applicant’s qualifications and motivation regarding the requirements of the programme.

The applicants are evaluated and ranked using the criteria mentioned below. The 20 highest ranking applicants will be admitted to the single-degree programme. The maximum 5 double-degree applicants who are most suitable for the double degree option out of the 20 highest ranking applicants will be admitted to the double degree programme.

The eligible applications will be scored based on their previous studies (0 to max. 25 points) and the Letter of Motivation (0 to max. 15 points), with a maximum of 40 points achievable. The following describes the scoring in more detail:

Previous studies and affinity to educational sciences maximum 25 points

Bachelor’s or higher degree 0-7 points

• Bachelor’s or higher degree with major in Educational Sciences 7 points
• Bachelor’s or higher degree in other fields of study and a teacher qualification or affinity to educational sciences 5 points

Academic performance in previous studies 0-10 points

Thesis or research paper(s) title and abstract 0-5 points

The applicant should include the title and abstract of a previously completed Bachelor’s or Master’s thesis or of a research paper in the application form. As part of the response to this question the applicant must provide proof (e.g. indicate where the corresponding course credits can be found in their enclosures, or where the research paper was published). Applicants who have not finalized the thesis for their studies yet can submit a prospective thesis title and abstract accompanied with a statement from the thesis supervisor. The statement must verify the topic of the thesis in progress and that the degree includes a thesis. Applicants who do not provide proof will earn no points in this section. Title and abstract will be graded based on the focus, quality and relevance.

Individual research courses 0-3 points

• research methodology courses
• specialization courses relevant for research
• 1 point per course, up to 3 points

The applicant must indicate these individual courses in the application form. The courses should be part of the applicant’s transcript of records.  

Letter of Motivation maximum 15 points

The Letter of Motivation (maximum 4000 characters including spaces), written in the applicant’s own words, is part of the application form. NOTE: an applicant is scored on all three themes indicated below. In addition, applicants for the double degree option are expected to state the reasons why they would like to study also at the University of Regensburg.

An eligible application must achieve minimum 6 points for the Motivation letter to be admitted.

The Letter of Motivation should cover the following three themes:

• Describe your reasons for applying for the programme (explain your expectations and its contribution to your personal and professional development)  
• Describe your suitability for the programme (explain how your strengths and background such as previous studies and work experience connect to the programme)  
• A topic of research interest (explain why and how you are planning to investigate it)  

Double degree application evaluation

The 5 double degree students will be selected out of the 20 highest ranking applicants overall. The double degree applications will be scored based on the motivation to study in the double degree programme, and the research orientation and its relevance to the key research areas at the University of Regensburg, as stated in the motivation letter.

The Curriculum of the Master’s Degree Programme in Education and Learning with course descriptions can be found here: EdLearn Curriculum

The studies are divided into different study modules as follows:

Orientation and general studies 24 ECTS

• Compulsory courses, including academic English and intensive Finnish

Advanced studies in Educational Sciences 75 ECTS

• Compulsory courses in Educational Sciences 25 ECTS
• Internship 10 ECTS
• Master’s Thesis 40 ECTS

Elective studies 21 ECTS

• Optional courses

The Master’s degree in Education and Learning is a two-year programme which trains experts and researchers for various tasks in the field of education, both nationally and internationally.

The EdLearn Programme aims to train experts in the areas of research on learning and sociology of education. This is achieved by observing education from both micro and macro level perspectives throughout the basic studies and electives as well as in the Master's theses.

The curriculum emphasises 21st century skills in the areas of

• learning skills (e.g. critical thinking, problem solving, metacognition, and life-long learning)
• life skills (e.g. communication, collaboration, cultural awareness, and networking), and
• literacy skills (information, ICT, and mathematical skills and scientific literacy).

These skills are addressed throughout the curriculum through content, study arrangements and in the Master's thesis project. The Master's thesis is also considered an important opportunity for specialisation in the Programme.

The Master’s thesis research subjects in the Programme are divided into two main research areas that correspond with the departments of the Faculty of Education: 1) research related to learning and education, and 2) research related to educational policy and sociology of education.

In the area of learning and education, the themes of the theses can relate to e.g. the following main areas of research:

• teaching and teacher education,
• scientific and mathematical thinking in the digitalised world,
• multiculturalism, equity, and societal change,
• well-being, participation, and avoidance of marginalisation,
• expertise and higher education, and
• early childhood education.

In the area of educational policy and sociology of education, on the other hand, the theses can relate to e.g. the following themes:

• comparative research on education systems and education policies,
• young people’s educational transitions and trajectories,
• educational inclusion, equity and justice, and
• research on higher education, lifelong learning and working life.

In both areas, quantitative, qualitative and mixed and /or multi method approaches of data collection and critical analysis are employed, often within comparative designs.

As a part of the advanced studies, the students write a Master’s thesis on the field of educational science. A Master’s thesis should demonstrate the student’s

• ability to think scientifically,
• mastery of the required research methods,
• familiarity with the topic of the thesis, and
• ability to communicate in a scientific context.

There are two main research areas for Master’s theses in the Programme: 1) research on learning and education, and 2) research on educational policy and sociology of education.

Examples of thesis topics:

• Attendance Policy Moderates the Influence of Achievement Goals and Transfer of Training.
• Analysis of educational transfer and policy changes after PISA in Japan and Finland.
• Achievement goals, learning strategies and exam performance in English learning: a study among undergraduate EFL learners in China.
• Children with hearing problems in elementary school environments in Pakistan and in Finland.
• Developmental trajectories towards the concept of rational numbers: a latent transition analysis of third to sixth grade students.
• Extracurricular language activities in higher education: perspectives of teachers and students.

The Finnish-German Master Programme in Education is a double degree option that leads to the obtaining of two different degrees: a Master of Arts in Education at the University of Turku and a Master of Arts Erziehungswissenschaft (Educational Science) at the University of Regensburg, Germany. In a similar way to the single degree option, the double degree option takes two years to complete and comprises 120 ECTS credits. The language of study is English.

A maximum of five students among the best scoring applicants from the Master’s Degree Programme in Education and Learning can be admitted for the double degree option. Selected students will spend the spring term of the first year of studies at the Institute of Education of the University of Regensburg. The specific research areas at the University of Regensburg are vocational education and continuing education, professional learning and development.

Visit the website of the University of Regensburg for more information.

Students of the Education and Learning Programme will become experts in research on learning and sociology of education. Students will be able to conduct analytical and critical research in two key research areas: 1) research on learning and education, and 2) research on educational policy and sociology of education.

The Master's Degree Programme in Education and Learning does not provide the students with formal teaching qualification.

Hear from a student about the benefits of this programme.

Students of the Master's Programme in Education and Learning will become future experts for public, private and civil society sectors. Graduates of the Programme could work as e.g.

• researchers,
• educational experts,
• coordinators,
• educational consultants,
• educators, or
• administrators.

NB. The Master's Degree Programme in Education and Learning does not provide the students with formal teaching qualification.

After completing the Master's Degree in Education and Learning (Master of Arts degree), students can apply for postgraduate studies for a doctoral degree in Philosophy at the University of Turku.

The Graduates are eligible to apply for a position in the University of Turku Graduate School, UTUGS.  The Graduate School consists of 16 doctoral programmes which cover all the disciplines and doctoral candidates of the University.

Together with the doctoral programmes, the Graduate School provides systematic and high quality doctoral training. UTUGS trains highly qualified experts with the skills required for a professional career in research or other positions of expertise.