University of Turku offers exchange students 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 teaching schedule for Autumn semester 2026 will be confirmed by 15 May 2026. You can change your study plan after you have arrived in Turku if necessary. The teaching schedule for Spring semester 2027 will be published by 15 November 2026.
Taking courses from other faculties
You can take courses from any faculty, but most of your courses should be from your own field.
NB! The Faculty of Medicine and Turku School of Economics can only accept exchange students, who are majoring in these subjects.
The Faculties of Law and Education can only accept exchange students from other faculties if there are places available and the students meet the course criteria.
Workload
The recommended workload 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.
UTU doesn't have any specific ECTS requirements. Please follow your home university's guidance on how many ECTS you should complete during your stay with us.
Courses
Courses are offered either during the autumn or the spring semester. Most courses last either a period or the whole semester.
- Autumn semester: Periods I & II the teaching starting at the beginning of September
- Spring semester: Periods III & IV the teaching starting at the beginning of January
Viewing semester information in the Study Guide
At the top of the webpage you'll find a green box under the title. Please click it to select Show timing as semesters.
1.a = Autumn semester, 1.s = Spring semester.
This will allow you to view which courses are held during your stay at UTU. This information can also be found on the course page, when clicking the green bar on top of the page. Some courses may not show this type of checkmark pictured in the image above, so it is better to check their schedule from the page itself.
If you do not see a green bar on top of the course page, it means the course information for the upcoming semester has not been updated yet. If you click on Show past courses, it will show you the previous schedules for this course. If a course has been held in the spring semester in the past, it will likely be held in the spring semester during your exchange, too.
Please use this information when making your study plan, even if the course information is not yet up-to-date! Make sure you choose courses that are offered during your exchange.
Please remember that the study plan you make during the application period is preliminary and subject to change.
Once you have selected your courses, please add them to your proposed study plan in SoleMove and to your Learning Agreement. Read more about the Learning Agreement here.
Our departmental contact persons or the course teachers can answer course-specific questions!
More information
Please check the level of studies from the study guide before you start filling the study plan.
Bachelor-level students may be able to take Advanced level studies, if they are on their last year of Bachelor's. Master-level students are welcome to take Intermediate level studies.
What Level in the Study Guide means:
- Basic studies: aimed toward students in their 1st to 2nd year.
- Intermediate studies: aimed toward students in their 3rd to 4th year.
- Advanced studies: aimed toward Master-level students or Bachelor-level students in their final year.
Course registration practices vary between faculties, departments and individual courses. You can find registration information on each course's Study Guide page. Generally, unless specified, course enrolment will be done through Peppi. The registration period for each course is also stated on the Study Guide. You will receive separate newsletters concerning course enrolment, Peppi, and more before the enrolment period for each semester starts.
NB! Making Learning Agreement does not guarantee your enrolment on the chosen courses, as separate enrolment is usually required!
The other possible methods of registration include attending the first lecture or emailing the teacher. Sometimes students are also asked to register in virtual learning environments (e.g. Moodle). If you are unsure about the registration method of a certain course, you can approach the teacher or a departmental contact person about it.
You can 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 reach out to 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 at the University of Turku can also take courses from the selection of 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 still be 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.
Faculty of Humanities and links to the study guide:
- Courses for exchange students, Faculty of Humanities including courses in languages, Gender Studies etc
- Finnish Culture Studies
- North American Studies
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!
For Finnish speaking applicants:
Kun teet opintosuunnitelmaasi, hae englanninkielisiä vaihto-opiskelijakursseja. Suomenkieliset kurssit ovat tällä hetkellä niin täynnä, että sinne on vaikeaa saada ylimääräisiä 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.
Please notice - Paediatrics is cancelled for Autumn 2025!!!! Next course in Paediatrics is held in Spring 2026.
Courses at the Faculty of Medicine are open only for students majoring in Medicine or Dentistry. Courses in Biomedicine, Public Mental Health and Nursing Science are open to those with suitable background knowledge.
Minor in Neuroscience offered by the Turku Brain and Mind Centre are open for everyone.
For Finnish speaking applicants:
Kun teet opintosuunnitelmaasi, hae englanninkielisiä vaihto-opiskelijakursseja. Suomenkieliset kurssit ovat tällä hetkellä niin täynnä, että sinne on vaikeaa saada ylimääräisiä 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.
The courses at the Faculty are available for everyone, but many courses require some familiarity with the subject matter.
They require, 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 Computing
- Department of Life Technologies
- 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 require, that the student has studied 2 years before coming to UTU. The courses they offer are on Master level.
Faculty of Social Sciences and links to the study guide:
- Asianet Courses for Exchange Students
- Department of Philosophy,Contemporary History and Political Science
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology
- Finnish and Nordic Society and Culture
- Inequalities, Interventions and New Welfare State
- Minor in East Asian Studies
- Minor in European Studies
- North American Studies
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.
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!
Course registration at UTU 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'll get more information at the beginning of August/ end of November, how to do this. Please follow your email!
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.