The admission results (application round from 2 Jan 2025 to 16 Jan 2025) have been sent to the applicants to the e-mail address given on their application form. The results can also be found in the My Studyinfo -service.
Greetings from the Changing Education Master’s Programme! We warmly welcome all our newly selected students to the programme and are eagerly waiting to get to know all of you.
We are planning and preparing everything to be ready for you to start your studies and looking forward to meeting you!
Studying in the programme will involve different types of teaching and learning arrangements ranging from engaging learning environments in the Minerva Plaza to traditional and digital learning environments.
Your studies in the programme will view educational systems as a whole, in all age ranges from early childhood education to continuous education, in all groups of individuals including those in marginalized positions, in all decision-making levels from families and individual teachers and learners to municipal, national and international decision-making on education. This comprehensive view is made possible by enabling exciting visits and training both in Finland and abroad.
Master’s level education at the University of Helsinki is a research-based education. In the CE programme this involves using theory to inform practice, and developing research competencies as a vehicle for change.
One Step Ahead (OSA) is the faculty’s first international student association founded by the first cohort of our students. Their mission is to create a community focused on research-based improvement of education. Find out more and join OSA already now to take part in their interesting events.
The Changing Education online media platform is a hub for discussion on groundbreaking research in education and a space for inspiring interviews with experts. All from a Changing Education perspective.
The platform was created by One Step Ahead ry (OSA), the international student association of the Faculty of Educational Sciences.
Other important student organisations for the CE students include:
Mainly in Finnish:
If you speak Swedish:
If you have questions about studying in the programme and student life in Helsinki, you can chat directly with some our student ambassadors to get answers (but please contact the Admission Services for questions related to admissions). Find our student ambassadors (Area of Study: Changing Education) and more information here.
You can also check the current board of OSA (the student association of the program) on the Changing Education website.
You can meet some of our teaching staff through the following links and videos:
You can meet some of our teaching staff through the following links and videos:
Professor Erika Löfström, Programme Director
Adjunct Professor, Senior lecturer Hanna Posti-Ahokas, Programme Vice Director
Associate Professor Kalle Juuti
Professor Emerita Hannele Niemi
Associate Professor Ben Cowley
Postdoctoral Researcher Caitlin Dawson
Minerva Plaza allows inspiring learning together.
For those students who intend to work in the laboratory-based neuroscientific research, please see the information of the Cognitive Brain Research Unit facilities.
CICERO Learning is a network of research in the areas of learning, brain and technology and offers our students facilities for state-of-the-art learning studies.
AGORA brings together scholars from a wide variety of multidisciplinary backgrounds, who share an interest in critical theories and methodologies in education. Members of AGORA are interested in questions such as social justice, equality, differences, power, global issues, collectivism and multiplicity.
Moving to a new country can be challenging with the challenge of adjusting to different surroundings and potential culture shock. For international students, there's also the practical side to consider, such as dealing with administrative processes, finding accommodation, managing living expenses, and getting used to a new education system. It is essential to be well-prepared.
If you are NOT a citizen of EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland and you plan to study in Finland for more than three months, you will need to apply for a residence permit. Please see the residence permit information on our Studies Services website and on the Finnish Immigration Service Migri website. You should start applying for the permit as soon as you have confirmed your study place. You will get more information regarding this from the university’s admissions services and from the nearest Finnish Embassy in your country.
For accommodation have a look at a list of useful hints and sources of information on the Studies Service website.
Take note that the cost of living in Finland is high, so you need to plan your finances accordingly. It is always wise to look for a source of funding once you have accepted your study place. Planning a budget for your studies is important as all the students at the University of Helsinki must fund their studies and living expenses themselves. Please remember to make arrangements for adequate funding for the entire period of your studies before leaving your home country. For more information please see information on cost of living and financial matters on our website.
Also take note that upon arrival, it will be advantageous to open a bank account at one of the local banks and to register your address with Digital Population Registration Office (DVV). Your student tutors will give you more guidance on these matters and you can also contact the University’s International Student Advice in case you have questions.
Start planning your studies once you have registered as an attending student and are in the process of travelling to Finland for the commencement of the academic year. There is a possibility of doing an internship abroad or in Finland after your first year of studies. If you are considering an internship, plan for it accordingly. The courses in the Changing Education master’s programme are research-based. Although you won’t be conducting research in every course, it is important that you brush up on the research methods you learned during your bachelor’s studies. You may also want to practice reading and dissecting academic text as you will spend a lot of time reading research articles.
During the orientation week, you will also receive support from your tutors and the CE team to make the start of your studies and moving process as smooth as possible!
The teaching officially starts on the 1st September 2025, but you should participate in the orientation activities for the new students already before the classes begin, starting from 25 August. You will find more information about the teaching periods on the studies page. During the orientation, a group of student tutors, senior students from CE, will help and guide you in the beginning of your studies. You will learn more about studying in our programme and get support with administrative matters. This will make it easier for you to start your studies and life in Helsinki.
The detailed information concerning the orientation and student tutors will be published in the Instructions for students in mid-August. During summer, in this same page you will also find the welcome letter by the tutors concerning some information about the orientation week. Make sure the CE programme is selected on the dropdown menu to access the correct information. Prepare for a full week of orientation and introduction sessions.
The international students in the Master's Programme in Changing Education can apply to the UNITalent Programme. It is designed to support international students in building professional networks in Finland and to gain insight into field specific working life. Students take part by attending monthly group meetings with hosting organisation for a period of three months. During the programme, the University Career Services also provides training in career management skills.
If you have questions regarding the content of the programme, courses or studies, please contact the siltavuori-student@helsinki.fi You can find more information and answers to the most common questions on the Student Services Instructions for students.
If you have questions related to the admissions and accepting your study place, please contact the Admission Services.