Your choice of specialisation and optional courses allows you to profile your skills in the direction you aim to follow for your future career.
Studies are part of your career. At the University of Helsinki, all degrees include career planning. The Career Services at the University of Helsinki, in cooperation with degree programmes, supports the growth of your expert identity as part of your studies and with separate services.
From the start of your studies until one year after the completion of your degree, the Career Services supports your career path.
Career Services
Check out the Career Services on the Instructions for students “Work and Career” and “Traineeships”.
Although many of the graduates of the programme continue to doctoral training (PhD), it also gives you qualifications for specialist jobs outside Academia. The Master of Science (MSc) is a generalist degree, giving you the ability to work in basic and applied research and to act as an expert in public administration, the private sector and biotechnology companies.
The professional titles of graduates in molecular biosciences include senior researcher, entrepreneur, forensic chemist, research and development chemist, product manager, senior officer, editor and teacher, so your future profession and employment can be as unique as you are.
The teaching in the Master’s programme is based on cutting-edge research, so your education will be closely related and applicable to emerging fields such as bio-economy, nanotechnology, personal health and biological drugs. Some hot development areas in biotechnology include renewable energy and environmental technology. These sectors will require new kinds of specialists, who possess a wide and comprehensive understanding of molecular life sciences. After graduation, you could act, for example, in health life sciences as a quality manager or a laboratory specialist, scientific writer, clinical research monitor, or as an expert in administration.
In the Master’s Programme in Genetics and Molecular Biosciences, you will acquire a Master of Science degree (MSc). It makes you eligible for admission to postgraduate/doctoral studies.
Finnish or Swedish speaking students also have the possibility to qualify as biology teachers, provided that certain criteria are fulfilled. If you were admitted into the programme in 2019, you will not be able to apply for a study right in pedagogical studies during your Master's studies. However, you can apply for a study right after you have completed the Master's degree.
If you have selected genetics and genomics as your specialisation and are fluent in Finnish or Swedish, you will be eligible to continue your studies towards qualifying as a hospital geneticist, provided that you have chosen the required courses and modules during your studies. More information on qualifying as a hospital geneticist (in Finnish).
Although it is easy for international students to get by with English in the Helsinki region, learning Finnish will significantly improve your career options after graduation.
The University of Helsinki offers free Finnish language courses for enrolled international degree students. The beginners and intermediate level courses are not only a way to learn the language, but you also learn more about Finnish culture and get to network with other international students across the fields.
Information about the Finnish courses for international students in the Instructions for students.
The Master’s degree makes you eligible for admission to postgraduate/doctoral studies. The strong research orientation of the programme provides you with an excellent background for doctoral studies and a research career in Finland or abroad.
At the University of Helsinki, the relevant doctoral programmes include:
More information about doctoral education at the University of Helsinki.
If you have selected genetics and genomics as your specialisation, are fluent in Finnish or Swedish, and have taken the required courses and modules during your studies, you will be eligible to continue your studies towards qualifying as a hospital geneticist.
After graduation, the world is wide open and full of possibilities. How can you venture forward to make the career path you want? What kind of work would you like to do? What kind of life should you lead? The Helsinki alumni community is there to support you as you transition from the University to the world of work.
All previous University of Helsinki degree and exchange students, as well as staff, are our alumni. As a member of the University of Helsinki alumni network, Finland’s largest network of experts, you get valuable support, knowledge and contacts for your working life.
More information about the Helsinki alumni community and its activities.