Are you wondering about studying in Finland or finding your career path? Come and meet SIMHE Counsellors!
During the spring semester 2023 you can find SIMHE Study and Career Counsellors at the Guidance Corner in the Kaisa House (Fabianinkatu 30) on the following days from 1 to 3 PM:
Please check from this website if there has been any changes before visiting us. You do not need to book an appointment. Please note that we might not be able to serve all customers if there is a lot of queue.
If you want more information, please contact simhe@helsinki.fi
Recruiters will sift through roughly hundreds of CVs on average for the advertised jobs. This creates tough competition for the job seekers and requires a presentation that differentiate you from other job seekers. This workshop will help you to creatively present yourself in Finnish work market, finding your unique design & placement, and document customization.
Come to learn about typical job interviews in Finland and how to prepare yourself. We will also practice interviews together!
You can schedule a personal counselling meeting. We can discuss your background, career plans, dreams, and what kind of education, degree or training would be the best option for you in higher education. We will meet online in Zoom. You will get more information about Zoom by email when your booking is confirmed.
Please contact us: simhe@helsinki.fi
Before the meeting consider the following:
The duration of the meeting is no more than one hour. If necessary, the discussion may be continued with a new meeting.
We are here to help you! Check the answers to frequently asked questions or contact us by e-mail: simhe@helsinki.fi.
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With this information we'll be able to help you better.
The University of Helsinki offers guidance for immigrants who are interested in studying in a Finnish University or University of Applied Science. The University’s guidance services you will give information on how to apply for studies. If you have already studied in higher education, we can advise you in continuing or supplementing your studies in Finland.
If you want to work in Finland in an occupation that is regulated (for example teacher, psychologist, nurse or medical doctor), you need to get your degree recognized.
Finnish National Agency for Education (OPH) grants decisions for people working in the field of education, such as teachers.
If you want to work as a teacher in Finland, you need to apply for a decision of your foreign degree. For more information, please see Finnish National Agency for Education for more information.
National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvira) grants the right to practice as a licensed healthcare professional and the use of the occupational title of a healthcare professional. For more information, please see National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health for more information.
You can contact the SIMHE Service after you have gotten the recognition decision. We will help you regarding supplement studies!
Full List of regulated professions: Finnish National Agency for Education - regulated professions
Employers assess foreign qualification themselves when recruiting employees if national legislation does not specify qualification requirements for the position. If you have a profession that does not appear in the list of regulated professions, you do not need to ask for recognition of your degree.
Studies in Finnish as a foreign language are available at the Helsinki University’s Open University. You can find Finnish language courses here: Finnish courses
If you apply for a degree programme in Finnish or Swedish, you need to prove your Finnish or Swedish language skills first. Your language skills must be at least on the level B2. On how to prove your language skills, please see the degree programme’s requirements listed here: Proving your language skills
If you are unable to submit all the enclosures usually required for application, or if your enclosures do not meet the country-specific requirements, contact simhe@helsinki.fi. In your message, state your application number and that you are a refugee. Also, explain why you cannot submit all the required documents (for example certified copies, certificate of language proficiency etc.) For more information: Applicant with a refugee status.
You can study courses of most faculties without being a full time student. In the Open University, you can study for your own pleasure, in order to learn new things or study courses in the field of your interest to improve your language skills and vocabulary. Studies in Open University are subject to a fee. See more details about the Open University here: Studies in Open University
The Open University offers some courses in English, but most of the courses are only in Finnish. More options are available for degree students. Most faculties can grant a right to pursue their studies as a non-degree student. Non-degree studies are subject to a fee and they will not lead to a degree.
You can check the structure and scope of the degree programmes here.
More info on non-degree studies, and how to apply to them, please read the following web page: Instructions for students - Non-degree studies
As a rule, the right to complete non-degree studies cannot be granted if the studies in question can be completed at the University of Helsinki Open University.
University of Helsinki is a member of the Supporting Immigrants in Higher Education in Finland (SIMHE) network. The network aims to support immigrants in their studies in higher education and in integration. The other higher education institutions in the network are Universities of Turku and Jyväskylä, and Metropolia, Karelia and Oulu Universities of Applied Sciences.
The activities aim at guiding immigrants in questions regarding the Finnish higher education system. In addition to guidance in applying to education, the subjects can be, for example, the processes of recognition of prior learning, and complementary studies. The goal is to speed up the immigrants integration and to facilitate entering a position in the Finnish labour market matching the immigrants professional profile.