University of Helsinki graduates who have completed a master’s degree, a Bachelor of Science (Pharmacy) degree or a kindergarten teacher degree have excellent job prospects. Five years after graduating, 95% of the survey respondents were employed, 1% were unemployed and 4% were outside the workforce. Those outside the workforce consist of, for example, full-time students. The share of gainfully employed graduates in the workforce was very high at 99%.
More than four-fifths of the survey respondents are satisfied with their degree in terms of their career, have a job whose requirements correspond to their academic qualifications, and are able to use the knowledge and skills acquired at university in their job.
Graduates from the 11 faculties of the University of Helsinki find employment in a wide range of specialist roles. Five years after graduation, approximately 17 % of the survey respondents worked with customers and patients and 15 % were employed in the teaching and education sector and 15 % worked in administration, planning and development, and over one in ten did research work.
One in three respondents worked in companies, and 27% worked for municipalities. Other significant employers include the government, universities and the third sector.
For further information on the employment of master's graduates from different fields can be found in the career monitoring report of master's graduates (PDF). Also, please see the faculty-specific pages below.
Doctoral graduates from the University of Helsinki have excellent employment prospects. Three years after graduating, 98% of the survey respondents were employed, 1% were unemployed and 1% were outside the workforce. The share of gainfully employed graduates in the workforce was very high at 98%.
More than four-fifths of the survey respondents have a job whose requirements correspond to their academic qualifications, are able to use their knowledge and skills acquired at university in their job, and are satisfied with their degree in terms of their career.
More than 45% of doctoral graduates work primarily in research. In general, doctoral graduates hold a wide range of roles, depending on their fields of education and research. One-third of doctoral graduates find employment in the university sector, 22% in companies and 13% in the government sector.
Further information on the employment of doctoral graduates from various fields can be found in the career monitoring report of doctoral graduates (PDF).
A recent University of Helsinki career monitoring survey shows that almost all master’s graduates from five years ago and doctoral graduates from three years ago are currently employed. As in previous surveys, the respondents are satisfied with the compatibility of their degrees with their careers.
Read more: High satisfaction and low unemployment among University of Helsinki graduates
Job market situation of Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry graduates 5 years after graduation
The job market situation of the Faculty’s graduates of 2017 was good in autumn 2022, with 98% of the survey respondents being employed, 1% unemployed and 1% outside the workforce.
Companies are the most significant employer for the Faculty’s graduates (59% of the graduates of 2017). The primary nature of the graduates’ duties is best described as administration, planning and development (23%) as well as research (17%).
Job market situation of Faculty of Arts graduates 5 years after graduation
The job market situation of the Faculty’s graduates of 2017 was good in autumn 2022, with 93% of the survey respondents being employed, 2% unemployed and 6% outside the workforce.
The employment of the Faculty’s graduates in different employer sectors and positions varies significantly according to field of education. A total of 30% of the 2017 graduates work in education, whereas 16% work in administration, planning and development and 13% in communications and media. Companies are the biggest employer for the Faculty’s graduates (32%) followed by municipalities (26%).
Job market situation of Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences graduates 5 years after graduation
The job market situation of the Faculty’s graduates of 2017 was good in autumn 2022, with 93% of the survey respondents being employed, 0% unemployed and 7% outside the workforce.
Companies (35%) and the university sector (26%) are the most significant employers for the Faculty’s graduates of 2017. The primary nature of the graduates’ duties is best described as research (36%) as well as administration, planning and development (16%).
Job market situation of Faculty of Educational Sciences 5 years after graduation
The job market situation of the Faculty’s graduates of 2017 was good in autumn 2022, with 95% of the survey respondents being employed, 1% unemployed and 4% outside the workforce.
The municipal sector is the most significant employer for the Faculty’s graduates (68% of the graduates of 2017). Education best describes the nature of the graduates’ primary duties (61%).
Job market situation of Faculty of Law graduates 5 years after graduation
The job market situation of the Faculty’s graduates of 2017 was excellent in autumn 2022, with 98% of the respondents in employment, 0% unemployed and 2% outside of the workforce.
The business sector is the most significant employer for the Faculty’s graduates (50%), with the government in second place (34%). Legal work best describes the nature of the Faculty graduates’ primary duties (83%).
Job market situation of Faculty of Medicine graduates 5 years after graduation
The job market situation of the Faculty’s graduates of 2017 was excellent in autumn 2022, with 100% of the survey respondents being employed, 0% unemployed and 0% outside the workforce.
For the Faculty’s graduates, the municipal sector is clearly the biggest employer, at 60%. Companies are in second place at 13%. Work with customers or patients best describes the tasks of the Faculty’s graduates (74% of the respondents).
Job market situation of Faculty of Pharmacy graduates 5 years after graduation
The job market situation of the Faculty’s graduates of 2017 was good in autumn 2022, with 88% of the survey respondents being employed, 3% unemployed and 9% outside the workforce.
Companies are the most significant employer for the Faculty’s graduates (68% of the graduates of 2017). Work with customers/patients best describes the nature of the graduates’ primary duties (41%).
Job market situation of Faculty of Science graduates 5 years after graduation
The job market situation of the Faculty’s graduates of 2017 was good in autumn 2022, with 94% of the survey respondents being employed, 4% unemployed and 1% outside the workforce.
Companies are the most significant employer for the Faculty’s graduates (49% of the graduates of 2017). The primary nature of the graduates’ duties is best described as research (28%) as well as administration, planning and development (20%).
Job market situation of Faculty of Social Sciences graduates 5 years after graduation
The job market situation of the Faculty’s graduates of 2017 was good in autumn 2022, with 95% of the survey respondents being employed, 2% unemployed and 3% outside the workforce.
Graduates of the Faculty of Social Sciences find employment in various sectors and duties. The most significant employers are companies (32%), the municipal sector (25%) and the government (16%). The most common description of the graduates’ primary duties is administration, planning and development (22%), but the spectrum of primary duties is very wide among the Faculty’s graduates.
Job market situation of Faculty of Theology graduates 5 years after graduation
The job market situation of the Faculty’s graduates of 2017 was good in autumn 2022, with 88% of the survey respondents being employed, 8% unemployed and 5% outside the workforce.
The employment of the Faculty’s graduates in different employer sectors and positions varies significantly according to study track. The report examines the graduates of 2015–2017 together.
For those who graduated from the A1 study track, the third sector (incl. parishes) is clearly the most important employer (72%). Ecclesiastical work describes the work 52% of the respondents who graduated from the A1 study track.
68% of the graduates from the teacher education study track are employed in the municipal sector. 64% say they mainly work in education.
The graduates from the A2 study track have the widest range of work tasks and employer sectors.
Job market situation of Faculty of Veterinary Medicine graduates 5 years after graduation
The job market situation of the Faculty’s graduates of 2017 was excellent in autumn 2022, with 100% of the survey respondents being employed, 0% unemployed and 0% outside the workforce.
For the Faculty’s graduates, the business sector is clearly the biggest employer, with companies employing 31% of the graduates and 22% of the graduates having their own company or being self-employed. Work with customers or patients best describes the tasks of the Faculty’s graduates (64% of the respondents).
The University of Helsinki collects information on the placement of graduates in professional life and the skills needs of employers by conducting career monitoring surveys. The surveys are implemented by Aarresaari, a national employment and career services cooperation network of all Finnish universities.
Career monitoring surveys are sent each year to all those who completed a master’s degree, a Bachelor of Science (Pharmacy) degree or a kindergarten teacher degree five years earlier as well as to those who completed a doctoral degree three years earlier.
Career monitoring surveys can help to explain the employment opportunities available after graduation.
Career monitoring data are important to the career considerations of both prospective and current university students. Even though it does not provide any concrete answers regarding what students or applicants should do, this information is a valuable tool for reflecting on one’s choices. In what kind of positions have earlier graduates found employment? Which factors were important to them in finding a job? What kind of knowledge and skills should students develop develop during their studies from the point of view of their professional career? No other source provides information on these matters in as comprehensive a manner as the survey.
Career monitoring helps develop teaching and education.
Degree programmes review the results of career monitoring surveys each year. The results have been used to develop studies that meet professional skills needs, such as career and project-based courses.
Professional life is changing – Which skills are in demand?
The transformation of work is a hot topic, a phenomenon that can only be understood by monitoring, analysing and studying it. The results of the career monitoring survey will be thoroughly analysed, as well as processed by the faculties, degree programmes and doctoral schools. As well as developing the content of education, the results will be utilised, among other things, in career guidance activities and on courses supporting career planning.
The results of the career monitoring survey affect the funding granted to the University of Helsinki.
The survey responses are used to assess and compare, for example, the quality of graduate employment and the satisfaction of graduates with their degrees.