University of Turku offers exchange students both non-degree programmes and individual courses taught in English as well as one programme in Finnish.
Individual courses and programmes intended for exchange students are available in our Study Guide. Please see faculty-specific offerings and restrictions below!
The new study guide for the acdemic years 2024 - 2027 will be published in mid May 2024.
The teaching schedule for Autumn semester 2024 will be confirmed by 15 May 2024, which means you will need to come up with a study plan based on the 2023-2024 curriculum. You can change your study plan when you have arrived in Turku if necessary. The teaching schedule for Spring semester 2025 will be published by 15 November 2024.
Taking course from other faculties
You can take courses from any faculty, but most of courses should be from your study field.
NB! The Faculty of Medicine and Turku School of Economics can only accept exchange students, who are majoring in these subjects and there is an agreement to these study fields.
The Faculties of Law and Education can only accept exchange students from other faculties only, if there are free places on the courses and the students meet the course criteria.
Work load
The recommended work load is 30 ECTS credits for a semester and 60 ECTS credits for an academic year. You may also combine courses from different fields and faculties provided you meet the prerequisites for the course.
Courses
Courses are offered either during the autumn or the spring semester. Most courses last either a period or the whole semester. Periods I & II are held in the autumn semester and periods III & IV in the spring semester.
At the beginning of the webpage you'll find a blue box. Please click it to select Show timing as semesters. 1.a = Autumn semester, 1.s = Spring semester.
When checking the course description and you don't see any timetable, please click "Show past courses". It will show you the previous timetables of the course.
Make sure you choose courses that are offered during your exchange!
Please remember that the study plan you make during the application period is a preliminary one and subject to change.
Once you have made your course choices, please add them to your proposed study plan in our application programme and to your Learning Agreement. Read more about the Learning Agreement here.
Our departmental contact persons can answer your course-specific questions!
More information
Please check the level of studies from the study guide before you'll start filling the study plan.
If you are a Bachelor student and you'll have studied 2 years before your exchange in Turku, you can take Master Level courses.
In the study guide
- Basic course are for 1st - 2ndyear students
- Intermediate courses are suitable for 3rd - 4th year students
- Advanced studies are for Master level students or if you have studies 2 years at your home uni before the exchange.
Course registration practices vary between faculties, departments and individual courses. When you arrive in Turku please see the course implementations on the Study Guide or confirm with the person in charge or with the departmental contact person how to enroll for the courses you have selected. NB! Choosing a course on your Learning Agreement does not guarantee your enrollment on a course as many courses require advance enrollment.
The most common methods of registration include online registration in the new study system Peppi (during registration periods), attending the first lecture of the course or an email to the teacher. Sometimes students are also asked to register in virtual learning environments (e.g. Moodle).
You can also work on your BA/MA thesis while in Turku, but please note that half of your work load must be comprised of coursework. If you need a supervisor for your thesis in Turku, you should find them yourself.
NB! If you are a doctoral student, you can focus on your doctoral dissertation or research project(s) while in Turku, but you can also take courses if you wish.
Exchange students of the University of Turku can also complete studies at the adjacent Åbo Akademi University (ÅAU). For more info on studies at ÅAU, see this page and the ÅAU website. NB! At least 50 % your studies must be, however, completed at UTU.
Courses for Exchange Students
Courses at the Faculty of Education are primarily intended for students majoring in Educational Sciences. If you are studying to be a subject teacher (majoring e.g. in History, Languages or Natural Sciences), you can email education@utu.fi to ask for available places on courses.
The courses taught in English are part of the international Master's Degree Programme in Education and Learning. Therefore you are expected to have at least 2 years of academic studies in Education before your exchange period begins.
School Experience course is open to the exchange students of the Faculty of Education who study to become teachers. The course is very popular, and that is why we have to give priority to the exchange students nominated to the Faculty of Education. If there are places left, exchange students from other Faculties, studying to become subject teachers, may be admitted too.
NB. In some cases the grading is done on a pass-fail -scale and it is not possible to get a numerical grade. The grading scale for each course is explained in the course description.
Register for the courses in the study register system Peppi, at the beginning of the semester.
Before that you must activate your UTU user account via online identification system.
The Faculty of Humanities offers a range of courses e.g. in culture and arts studies as well as languages. The Faculty offers a non-degree programme in North American Studies and in Finnish Culture Studies. NB! Studies at the Department of English are intended for students majoring in English Language, Literature or Linguistics. The courses to languages and other subjects you'll find here.
The courses of Turku Law School (TLS) are primarily intended for students majoring in Law. Students can also take TLS courses offered by Åbo Akademi University. A separate study right must be applied for ÅAU courses.
Please note that the Faculty of Law can accept students majoring in other subjects only in case there are free places on the courses and the students meet the course criteria.
See more about Turku Law School here!
Courses at the Faculty of Medicine are open only for students majoring in Medicine or Dentistry. Courses in Biomedicine and Nursing Science are open to those with suitable background knowledge.
Please notice - the course Emregency Medicine is cancelled for Spring 2024.
Minor in Neuroscience offered by the Turku Brain and Mind Centre are open for everyone.
For Finnish speaking applicants: Kun teet opintosuunnitelmaasi, varaudu jo etukäteen valisemalla myös englanninkielisiä vaihto-opiskelijakursseja. Suomenkieliset kurssit ovat tällä hetkellä niin täynnä, että sinne on vaikeaa saada opiskelijoita mukaan.
For Finnish speaking applicants: Unfortunately you cannot take any courses in Finnish, but please choose your courses from the study guide for the exchange students. The Finnish courses are so full, that it is very hard to find a place there.
Faculty of Science and links to the study guide:
The Faculty of Science offers courses e.g. in Natural Sciences and Mathematics. See here for available studies! The courses at the Faculty are available for everyone, but many courses require some familiarity with the subject matter. They recommend, that the student has studied 2 years before coming to UTU. The courses they offer are on Master level.
Faculty of Technology and the links to the study guide:
- Department of Life Technologies
- Department of Computing
- Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering
The Faculty of Technology offers courses e.g. in Biochemistry and IT. See here for available studies! The courses at the Faculty are available for everyone, but many courses require some familiarity with the subject matter. They recommend, that the student has studied 2 years before coming to UTU. The courses they offer are on Master level.
In addition to individual courses, the Faculty of Social Sciences offers non-degree programmes in Finnish and Nordic Society and Culture, European Studies and East Asian Studies. Students can also complete courses within the Finnish University Network for Asian Studies.
Minor in neuroscience offered by the Turku Brain and Mind Centre are open for everyone.
Head here for more information on courses!
Courses at the Turku School of Economics (TSE) are available only for students majoring in Business Studies (e.g. Business Administration, Economics or Marketing). TSE operates in two different cities, in Turku and in Pori.
Turku School of Economics, Turku Campus:
Turku School of Economics, Pori Campus:
- Courses of Autumn semester
- Courses of Spring semester
- See this page too for courses offered in Pori.
See the academic calendar of TSE here.
Course registration at the TSE is done in the study register system Peppi. As a general rule, you will need to register to a course in Peppi in order to participate. Self-study courses with no contact teaching can make an exception.
You must activate your UTU user account via online identification system for log in credentials to Peppi, more information prior to the start of your exchange.
For Advanced-level courses you need to have completed at least 25 ECTS credits beforehand in the subject in question.
The Centre for Language and Communication Studies offers courses in Finnish and in other languages to all incoming exchange students. Please note that most courses you intend to take must be taught at a faculty and not at the Centre for Language and Communication Studies. The recommended amount of language courses is 2-3 courses.
Head here to see the available courses!