Study In Finland In English: Can I Study In Finland Without Writing IELTS or TOEFL? Tips For Successful Proof Of Language Proficiency

Truth be told, having an International degree from a reputable foreign University is something that most employers place high value on. But this largely depends on your country of origin and residence. In some countries, having a Foreign degree increases your chances of landing a good job.

Now this is subjective, especially when it comes to your Country of residence. It is not in every country that you will find employers who are crazy about foreign degrees. For example, in Finland, employers place Finnish degree on a high pedestal. So having a Finnish degree as a foreigner living in Finland will without doubt increase your chances of getting a job in Finland.

This is understandable as Finland is definitely one of the best countries to study in. The Finnish education system is well known and respected all across the globe. Finnish universities and polytechnics offer courses in English for international students both at the bachelor, Masters and PhD levels.

As someone who moved to Finland 6 years ago to study at the University of Lapland, and having also studied in other schools in Finland, I would say that the student environment in most Finnish universities is very friendly. As an international student, you will find that most of the universities have a very flexible study pattern and the atmosphere is quite international.

 This also depends on the university and the city you live in. Without doubt, some Finnish cities are more international than others. I once wrote a blog post on this sharing my experiences of life in two Finnish cities. You can read it here; Moving To A New City In Finland; Why Finland? Life Between Two Finnish Cities Rovaniemi And Pori. The Good And The Challenging. 

How To Study In Finland In English

In Finland, there are over 400 English taught bachelor and Masters degree programmes in over 13 Finnish universities and 22 universities of Applied sciences. There are over 20,000 international students in Finland. – Data from Study In Finland Info page; https://www.studyinfinland.fi/

You can apply to degree programmes offered in English in Finland. Now in order to gain admission to study in Finland, most universities have requirements and these may differ depending on the school you are applying to, and the course in question. Here is a very detailed post you will find very helpful; Study in Finland VERY DETAILED Info For Those Who Would Love To Know About The Courses, How To, Scholarship, How Much Is It? PhD Funding, etc .

If you are an English speaking student, worry not. In Finland, most people speak English quite well. At the universities, most, if not all, of the lecturers speak pretty good English and same goes with the university staff. This is a relief for many International students in Finland because it does take a while to get to speak Finnish and settle down in Finland.

By the way, I just posted a new video on YouTube where I shared 6 Things In Finland That Will Frustrate You. Things That Will Make Your Life In Finland Challenging .

Proof of English Language Proficiency.

Now, if you would like to study in Finland in English, one of the major requirements is to prove that you can understand and speak English well enough to study in it. There are several ways you can prove your language proficiency and also exceptions, depending on your country of origin and the university you are interested in.

However, if you are not excepted, one of the ways you can prove your English language proficiency is to provide a certificate of English language proficiency test. It could be  International English Language Testing System (IELTS), Test Of English As A Foreign Language (TOEFL), Pearson Test Of English (PTE), or some other test. However, IELTS and TOEFL are both widely written and recognized in universities all over the world.

Writing IELTS or TOEFL

If you are planning to write the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or the Test Of English As A Foreign Language (TOEFL), then you need to note these points;

1. It is always advised to apply on time. Make sure you sign up to take the test early enough so that by the time the test result is processed and published, you are still within the application time of the university. After the test, the results could take up to 2 weeks or more to be published, depending on the test organizers. 

2. Note that most universities may require that the Test result is sent directly to them from the test organizers. Test results sent by the applicant are rejected. During my application time, that was the requirement from my own university. I wrote TOEFL and my result was sent directly to the University. Just make sure you submit your Institution’s Code to the test organizers so they can directly forward your result to the university.

However this may not be the case for some other universities. They accept original certificates as well as copies of the original depending on the type of test you did, for example IELTS. So it is advisable to check with your intended university to know what their requirements are. Note also that the university always verifies your test results from the organizers.

3. Your Test result has to be valid throughout the application period and even beyond. Most universities in Finland require that your English language proficiency certificate is valid for at least 2 years from the test date.

4. The language requirement and minimum test score of a university may not be the same as the previous year so make sure you stay up to date with your intended university and their language requirements.

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