Altogether, the size of the bachelor's degree is 180 credits (ideally divided evenly across three years, although there is room for some variation). The degree includes a common core of 49 credits, disciplinary modules that feed into multiple specialisations, and at least 6 credits of Finnish and/or Swedish.
Ideally, the first year, you will complete:
At the end of the first year, you will pick the specialisation you are targeting (however, the requirements for different specialisations have significant overlap, and there are thus opportunities to switch between them also later).
The second year, you will complete:
The third year, you will complete:
Structurally, the LAS degree then consists of 49 credits of common studies (unpacked in detail further below), at least 6 credits of Finnish/Swedish, and a number of disciplinary modules and individual elective courses.
Because the programme is designed to grant you not just common critical analysis skills, but also a distinct (inter)disciplinary expertise profile, the disciplinary modules you include in your degree at the end need to fulfil the requirements of at least one of the specialisation options (also sometimes called study tracks) described below, each of which also directly corresponds to one Master's programme eligibility.
(For details on the modules referenced in the requirements, see even further down)
Students in the Data Science study track acquire skills to write and use computer programs for data science in cross-disciplinary applications, and they learn the fundamentals of the mathematical and statistical methods underlying modern analytical methods. The students also learn at least the basics in one or more other disciplines of their choice. The study track accommodates a substantial amount of freely chosen studies to support various multi-disciplinary combinations or a deeper insight into computer science. The studies include hands-on exercises and projects to learn practical skills and to gain cross-disciplinary experience.
Requirements (min 75cr):
The Digital Humanities specialisation is built upon combining methodological modules from data science and statistics with substance modules covering one or more humanities application areas.
Within these boundaries, you will be able select your sweet spot anywhere between a very data science-heavy or a humanities-heavy degree, depending on where you want to continue after the programme, and what kind of an expert profile you're looking for (data scientist–bridge builder–humanities scholar).
Requirements (min 60cr):
How do living organisms survive, adapt, and thrive in a changing world? This study track explores the foundations of ecology, evolution, and biodiversity, with a special focus on how species adapt to diverse environments from boreal forests to tropical ecosystems. You will learn how ecosystems function, how life has evolved, and how adaptation connects the smallest traits to the grand patterns of biodiversity. Through courses that combine theory, fieldwork, and research practice, you will gain the tools to understand global environmental challenges, appreciate the richness of life on Earth, and see how ecological and evolutionary perspectives inform broader debates on sustainability, resilience, and human–nature relations. Students also gain practical skills in ecological observation, data analysis, and interdisciplinary collaboration that prepare them to engage with complex real-world problems.
Requirements (min 95cr):
During your studies in the Economics of Natural Resources study track, you will learn how environmental problems, such as climate change and eutrophication, can be included in economic decision making. You will also gain an economic understanding of agricultural production systems, supply chains, markets and policies. Together with the Economics study module, you will learn methods and theories of microeconomics and apply those to topical issues related to natural resource use and food systems. You will study both how economic actions affect natural resources, food systems and the environment, and the preferred environmental behavior of the society and how it compares to the behavior in the markets. You will learn how policies can be designed to utilize natural resources sustainably and to reduce negative environmental impacts at the least cost. In this study track, you will apply mathematics and microeconomics to issues related to resource management, agriculture and food.
Requirements (min 60cr):
Studies in the Resource Management of Global Forests will give you a broad overview of the use of global forests and skills in cutting edge technologies of data-driven natural resource management. You will learn practical skills in geographical information system applications and understand the principles and building blocks of spatial data infrastructures and their importance in societies. You will gain understanding in tropical forests and allied production systems, namely forest management and agroforestry, and the relationship between those activities and land use, rural and forest-dependent livelihoods, biodiversity, and conservation. We will also familiarize you with the concept of multi-objective resource management planning as well as give you an insight in policies and decision making beyond practical operations and applications.
Requirements (min 50cr):
The Social Data Science study track emphasizes the application of data science methods to real-world social issues, such as inequality, healthcare, finance, and social media, using diverse data sources like surveys, register data, open governmental and business data, and digital trace data.
The study track accommodates a substantial amount of freely chosen studies to support various multi-disciplinary combinations or a deeper insight into social sciences. The studies include hands-on exercises and projects to learn practical skills and to gain cross-disciplinary experience, ensuring that students can apply data science methods within social science contexts effectively.
Requirements (min 60cr):
Depending on your specialisation, you will graduate from the programme as either:
While each of the specialisations already directly matches one Master's eligibility criteria, these do not encompass all the sensible disciplinary combinations available. Thus, when planning your studies (even if you're not planning on continuing at the University of Helsinki for your Master's), you should instead start from the complete list of requirements below for the different Master's options available from the programme (the official information on these is in the
As you can see, both the specialisations and the master’s options 1) share plenty of the same modules and 2) leave plenty of space for free elective modules, additional language studies and individual courses (30 to 75 credits to be exact, depending on what you're targeting). Together, these ensure you have space in the programme to explore its disciplines, without any of your courses going to waste, nor needing to lock in too early to a fixed trajectory.
Finally, if you want a different view of the structure of the whole degree, you can go to the official
The following 15-credit modules make up the basis of the interdisciplinary expert profiles on offer in the programme (in alphabetical order, grouped by faculty):
The precise contents of these modules, down to the course level, are available from the main curriculum information system by clicking through the links.
Apart from these modules, the programme also includes plenty of space for electives, which you can choose from a wide and varied selection of
At a minimum, your degree will include at least 6 credits in Finnish and/or Swedish, but we heartily encourage our students to take more. To this end, the degree has place for, and we provide a total of
In addition, the Language Centre of the University of Helsinki provides