When applying to a degree programme, the application system will ask you to supplement your application with the necessary enclosures. These enclosures must be submitted by the deadline specified. Enclosures arriving after the relevant deadline will not be considered. The deadlines are specified in the instructions for the submission of enclosures.
If you demonstrate your language proficiency with a diploma, university studies, the Finnish National Certificate of Language Proficiency or a language test administered by the University Helsinki, you must follow the instructions for the submission of enclosures.
If you demonstrate your language proficiency with another language test, follow the instructions below.
You can demonstrate your language proficiency through a Finnish matriculation examination as follows:
You need not submit a copy of your certificate if you completed a matriculation examination in or after 1990 or if you will complete it in spring 2024. The University will receive information on matriculation examinations and their grades from the register of the Matriculation Examination Board. Please, note that if you are completing the Finnish matriculation examination in the spring 2024 and use it to prove your language skills, it is enough that the University of Helsinki receives your exam results from the register by 14 June 2024. In exceptional cases where information cannot be obtained from the register, you will be contacted and asked to supplement your application.
If you completed a matriculation examination prior to 1990, you must submit an officially certified copy of your matriculation examination certificate or of a separately completed foreign-language test in English. If you prove your language skills and eligibility for higher education with the same certificate, you need only submit one copy.
You can prove your language skills with the International Baccalaureate® (IB) Diploma Programme (DP) or the International Baccalaureate® (IB) Career-related Programme (CP), if your programme has been completed in English.
If your IB examination has been completed in a language other than English, you can prove your language skills with the the following grades:
Submit an officially certified copy of your diploma. If you intend to complete your degree in the summer of 2024, you must submit a copy of the official grade predictions (Candidate Predicted Grades) provided by your school.
Alternatively you can order a Transcript of Grades from IBO and ask them to send it to the Admissions Services of the University of Helsinki. University of Helsinki will get the final grades electronically from IBO.
If you demonstrate your language proficiency and eligibility for higher education with the same certificate, you need only submit one copy.
You can prove your language skills with the European Baccalaureate. The following grades are accepted as proof of language skills:
Submit an officially certified copy of your certificate. If you intend to complete your degree in the summer of 2024, you must submit a copy of the official grade predictions provided by your school.
If you demonstrate your language proficiency and eligibility for higher education with the same certificate, you need only submit one copy.
You can demonstrate your language proficiency through a Reifeprüfung / Deutsches Internationales Abitur examination by:
If you have completed your examination in the Deutsche Schule Helsinki, and your examination did not include a test in English, the Finnish-language certificate of equivalence can be used. The minimum grades required for the advanced and basic syllabi are same as above.
Submit an officially certified copy of the four-page German-language certificate Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife. If you intend to complete your degree in the spring/summer of 2024, you must submit a copy of the grade page of the certificate, available in advance. If you have completed your examination in the Deutsche Schule Helsinki, please submit also the Finnish-language certificate of equivalence.
If you demonstrate your language proficiency and eligibility for higher education with the same certificate, you need only submit one copy.
You can prove your language skills with upper-secondary education conducted in English in the following countries:
Submit a copy of your certificate. If your upper-secondary education was completed in the Nordic countries, the language of instruction must be stated on the diploma.
If you demonstrate your language proficiency and eligibility for higher education with the same certificate, you need only submit one copy.
Minimum requirement:
Please note that the University of Helsinki only accepts IELTS Academic test scores. Tests taken at the general level will not be accepted as proof of the applicant’s language skills.
The IELTS Indicator test is also accepted.
You can submit your IELTS results in one of the following ways:
IELTS Academic:
OR
IELTS Indicator:
It is advisable to book your test date well before the application period has started as it may take some time after the test date for your test score to be published.
IELTS scores are valid for two years and the score must be valid throughout the application period. This means that the test score must not expire before to the application deadline.
Minimum requirement:
The Special Home Edition of TOEFL iBT is also accepted.
or
It is advisable to book your test date well before the application period has started, as it may take some time after the test date for your test score to be published.
TOEFL scores are valid for two years and your test score must be valid throughout the application period. This means it must not expire prior to the application deadline.
Minimum requirement:
or
It is advisable to book your test date well before the application period has started, as it may take some time after the test date for your test score to be published.
Please note that only tests taken after 2005 are accepted. Please also note that the University of Helsinki only accepts C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency, no other Cambridge language tests are accepted.
Minimum requirement:
The PTE Academic Online test is also accepted.
Upload a copy of test score with your Score Report Code to the application. Your results will be verified from the test organiser.
It is advisable to book your test date well before the application period has started, as it may take some time after the test date for your test score to be published.
PTE Academic scores are valid for two years and the test result must be valid throughout the application period. This means it must not expire prior to the application deadline.
Please note that the test is not currently organised for applicants to Bachelor’s programmes, but if you have taken the test earlier, you may use it to prove your language skills when applying to Bachelor's programmes as well.
You can prove your language skills with the language skills level test for University of Helsinki applicants organised by the Helsinki University Language Services. The test includes the following sections: reading comprehension, grammar and vocabulary, writing and oral skills.
Minimum requirement:
The Admission Services will check your test result from the Language Services. You do not need to send a copy of your test result to the Admission Services.
Minimum requirement:
Upload the copy of your National Certificate of Language Proficiency test score as a PDF file to the application.
Your results will be verified from the test organiser.
You can prove your academic English language skills with a university degree or polytechnic/university of applied science degree completed in English in one of the following countries: EU/EEA countries, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Dominica, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, the Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, Hong Kong, India, United Kingdom, Jamaica, Cameroon, Canada, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Namibia, New Zealand, Nigeria, the Philippines, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, United States of America, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Please note that your degree/programme must be taught and assessed entirely in English.
A degree completed at a Finnish university with English as the major subject is also an acceptable way of proving academic English language skills.
If your degree includes transfer credits from outside the specified country/area or courses conducted in a language other than English, the degree might not meet the requirement.
If you verify your language skills with your higher education degree, the language of instruction must always be indicated clearly on the educational documents. A conditional acceptance of your language skills with your future degree is also possible. However, this can be done acceptably only if you indicate your language skills with the same degree as your university eligibility.
If you completed the degree or studies demonstrating your language proficiency in Finland in or after 1995, you need not submit copies of your diploma or transcript of studies because the University of Helsinki will receive the relevant information via the electronic Studyinfo records. In exceptional cases where information about your previous studies cannot be obtained from the records, you will be contacted and asked to supplement your application.
If you completed the degree or studies demonstrating your language proficiency in Finland prior to 1995, you must submit copies of your diploma and transcript of studies.
If you completed the degree or studies demonstrating your language proficiency in a country other than Finland, you must submit copies of your diploma and transcript of studies as well as authorised translations unless the original documents are in Finnish, Swedish or English.
NB! Documents submitted with applications will not be returned to applicants. Please do not submit your original certificate with your application.
You can prove your language skills with foreign language studies in English as degree studies completed in a Finnish university or university of applied sciences and as defined by Government Decree on University Degrees (794/2004) or University of Applied Sciences Degrees (1129/2014). The degree does not have to be completed.
If you completed the degree or studies demonstrating your language proficiency in Finland in or after 1995, you need not submit copies of your diploma or transcript of studies because the University of Helsinki will receive the relevant information via the electronic Studyinfo records. In exceptional cases where information about your previous studies cannot be obtained from the records, you will be contacted and asked to supplement your application.
If you completed the degree or studies demonstrating your language proficiency in Finland prior to 1995, you must submit copies of your diploma and transcript of studies.
NB! Documents submitted with applications will not be returned to applicants. Please do not submit your original certificate with your application.
Minimum requirement:
The University of Helsinki must receive the results of the SAT tests directly from the test organiser (College Board). You must select the University of Helsinki (code 0483) as the recipient of your results when registering for the test. If you have taken the test at an earlier date, you must request a report of the results to be separately submitted to the University of Helsinki. Instructions for the submission of results are available on the College Board website.