The strengths of the teaching in the Faculty lie in its comprehensiveness, its breadth, and its sound basis in research. Students learn especially to master various research methods. The degree structure is flexible and offers students a wide range of opportunities.
Degrees
According to the degree structure decided in the Europe-wide Bologna process, the basic degrees at the University of Turku are divided into the Bachelor and Master levels.
Bachelor level
- Bachelor of Social Sciences (valtiotieteiden kandidaatti, VTK)
- Bachelor of Psychology (psykologian kandidaatti, PsK)
- Bachelor of Arts (humanististen tieteiden kandidaatti, HuK), in Speech and language pathology
All bachelor level degree studies at the Faculty of Social Sciences are conducted in Finnish.
The students are normally expected to complete their Bachelor’s degree in 3 years. According to the degree requirements the Bachelor’s degree consists of 180 ECTS credits
Master level
Master level degrees at the Faculty of Social Sciences are:
- Master of Social Sciences (valtiotieteiden maisteri, VTM)
- Master of Psychology (psykologian maisteri, PsM or filosofian maisteri, FM)
- Master of Arts (filosofian maisteri, FM), in Speech and Language Pathology
- Most master level studies at the Faculty of Social Sciences are conducted in Finnish. The Faculty offers two master's degree programmes in English: the Master's Degree Programme in East Asian Studies and Master’s Degree Programme in Inequalities, Interventions and New Welfare State.
The Master's degree usually takes 2 years to complete. According to the degree requirements the degree consists of 120 ECTS credits.
Postgraduate degrees
The following postgraduate degrees are available for study at the Faculty of Social Sciences:
- Licentiate of Social Sciences (valtiotieteiden lisensiaatti, VTL) and Doctor of Social Sciences (valtiotieteiden tohtori, VTT)
- Licentiate of Philosophy (Psychology) (psykologian lisensiaatti, PsL) and Doctor of Philosophy (Philosophy or Psychology) (filosofian tohtori, FT or psykologian tohtori, PsT)
Most of the research and postgraduate studies carried out in the Faculty of Social Sciences takes place in small-scale projects. In recent years, however, the Faculty has also been involved in several national graduate school projects. In addition to the national graduate schools supported by the Ministry of Education, the Faculty nowadays coordinates two graduate schools of its own.
In Finnish, the term jatko-opiskelija (postgraduate/graduate) usually refers to post-Master's level studies, Licentiate or PhD (doctoral) studies, due to the fact that most students finish with a Master's degree as their first degree. Most of the research and postgraduate studies carried out in the Faculty of Social Sciences take place in small-scale projects.
The faculty also now has a doctoral programme of social sciences, which provides courses for doctoral students. For more on doctoral studies at the faculty, please follow the links on the left.
The goal of doctoral training at the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Turku is to prepare students for demanding positions in research and teaching as well as in functioning as experts in various fields.
What are postgraduate studies all about?
In Finnish, the term jatko-opiskelija (postgraduate/graduate) usually refers to post-Master's level studies, Licentiate or PhD (doctoral) studies, due to the fact that most students finish with a Master's degree as their first degree. The Faculty of Social Sciences awards the following postgraduate degrees: Licenciate and Doctor of Social Sciences, Psychology and Philosophy.
According to the Government Decree on University Degrees (1039/2013), the objective of scientific postgraduate education is that the student becomes well-versed in his/her own field of research and its social significance;
- gains knowledge and skills needed to apply scientific research methods independently and critically and to produce new scientific knowledge;
- becomes conversant with the development, basic problems and research methods of his/her own field of research;
- gains such knowledge of the general theory of science and of other disciplines relating to his/her own field of research as enables him/her to follow developments in them; and
- gains sufficient communication and language skills and other skills to function in working life in extensive and demanding expert and development roles and in international cooperation.
This document refers to all studies after a master’s degree up to a doctoral degree as postgraduate studies.
Postgraduate education environment
Most of the research and postgraduate studies carried out at the Faculty of Social Sciences takes place in small-scale projects. Apart from this, all doctoral candidates of the faculty belong to the University of Turku Graduate School (UTUGS) and one doctoral programme belonging to UTUGS.
The doctoral programmes available for doctoral candidates of the Faculty of Social Sciences are:
1) Doctoral Programme of Social and Behavioural Sciences
2) Doctoral programme on Inequalities, Interventions and New Welfare State
3) Doctoral Programme in Clinical Research
>> Want to know more about Doctoral Training at the Faculty of Social Sciences, send e-mail
Become a student
International students can join the Faculty of Social Sciences in three main ways: as exchange students, by applying to the Master's Degree Programmes in English or by becoming doctoral students. If you are proficient in Finnish, you have many more options besides those mentioned above. Please see the equivalent Finnish site for more on these.
Facilities and Fees
Students admitted to the Faculty of Social Sciences can complete their studies free of charge. The Faculty provides the students with library services of a very high quality and top-level computer facilities. However, students most also find their own means of funding their stay in Turku.
Studies available in English at the Faculty of Social Sciences
There are several course options available for exchange and visiting students at the faculty. You are required to make your own learning schedule. Sometimes you will need to be in touch with several departments and persons in order to have all the information you need. You can also always contact the International Office if you need assistance.
In case updated information for the next academic year is not available, applicants should use the current information when writing their preliminary ECTS Learning Agreements.
Please note that the official language of the University of Turku is Finnish. The majority of courses are taught in Finnish.
Programmes and courses in English
Master's degree programmes
The faculty offers two master's degree programmes in English, Master's Degree Programme in East Asian Studies (EAST) and Master's Degree Programme in Inequalities, Interventions and New Welfare State (INVEST).
The EAST programme offered by the Centre for East Asian Studies is available to qualified students, both Finnish and international, interested in deepening their knowledge of contemporary East Asia. This Master's programme offers systematic training in East Asian Studies regardless of your previous disciplinary background.
The INVEST programme is designed to give students rigorous training on social inequalities and welfare, effective social policy or intervention design, and using advanced statistical methods to measure data on these topics. There is a strong emphasis in developing students quantitative research skills, and the students will be linked with the research groups of INVEST. The programme is available to both Finnish and international students.
Non-degree programmes
There are also non-degree programmes taught in English at the Faculty of Social Sciences:
- Finnish and Nordic Society and Culture
- Minor in East Asian Studies
- Asian Programme (Finnish University Network for Asian Studies)
Other Courses in English
In addition to the international non-degree programmes, the departments of the Faculty of Social Sciences may offer some courses in English.
Contact information
Exchange studies
- International Office, incoming(at)utu.fi
- Faculty of Social Sciences Study Counsellor, oposoc(at)utu.fi
Bachelor's and Master's degree studies
- Admission Services, admissions(at)utu.fi