The subject teachers in comprehensive and upper secondary schools (= peruskoulu and lukio in Finnish) are required to have completed, among other things, a programme in Pedagogical Studies. It is a 60-credit programme defined in the Statute 986/1998.
University of Helsinki arranges the Programme in Finnish, Swedish, and English. It is available for degree students at the University of Helsinki and non-degree students who already have completed their Master level degree at any University.
The Pedagogical Studies in English are called the Subject Teacher Educational Programme STEP. Please find more information on the Programme through the link on the left.
Please read more about the content and structure of the studies from the STEP programmes webpage
The next application round for studies starting in September 2023 will be arranged 16 February - 10 March 2023.
More detailed information and the actual application form can be found in Studyinfo.fi.
The formal eligibility after completing the Special Education Teacher Programme depends on the previous studies of the student.
It provides formal eligibility for Special Class Teachers, Early Childhood Education Teachers, and Special Education Teachers who may give additional support for the pupils and students.
The extent of the Programme is 60 credits and it is arranged in Finnish as a non-degree programme after graduation and in Swedish as a non-degree programme and as optional studies for degree students..
The formal eligibility of Special Education Teachers is defined in the Statutes 986/1998 § 8 and 540/2018 § 30.
The Subject Didactics Programme (= monialaiset opinnot in Finnish) is a compulsory part of the Class Teacher education. Class Teachers work with grades 1- 6 (age groups 7-13) teaching most of the school subjects in Comprehensive Schools.
In addition to the Class Teacher Education Programme itself, it is possible to obtain the formal Class Teacher eligibilty by
* combining Subject Teacher Elibility with Subject Didactics Programme, or
* combining a Master of Education degree with Pedagogical Studies and Subject Didactics Programme.
The 60-credit Programme is offered in Finnish for degree students at the University of Helsinki, and in Finnish and Swedish as a non-degree Programme.
The formal eligibility of Class Teachers is defined in the Statute 986/1998 § 4.