Career

As a graduate from the Master's Programme in Particle Physics and Astrophysical Science, you will have excellent qualifications to continue with postgraduatre studies or for a career in diverse positions outside Academia both in Finland and abroad.
Career services

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  

  • gives career counselling and job seeking support, 
  • arranges info sessions, workshops and events, 
  • provides suitable job and traineeship offers for students,
  • shares university’s subsidy for traineeships and  
  • facilitates group mentoring programmes.

Check out the Career Services on the Instructions for students “Work and Career” and “Traineeships”. 

Career prospects

As a Master’s graduate, you could begin a career in research and development either in industry or at universities and other research institutes.

Potential employers and career opportunities include:

  • Research institutes in Finland and abroad (basic scientific research)
  • Universities and universities of applied sciences (teaching)
  • Industry, particularly high technology companies (applied research and development, managerial duties)
  • Software production, e.g., the game sector
  • Diverse planning and consulting positions

Master’s graduates with equivalent studies have embarked on careers in:

  • Research and teaching positions in Finnish universities and research institutes
  • Research and teaching positions abroad, for example at CERN (the European Organization for Nuclear Research), ESA (the European Space Agency), ESO (the European Southern Observatory), and NASA (the National Aeronautics and Space Administration)
  • Administrative positions, for example at the Academy of Finland or Business Finland
  • The business sector

The strong theoretical and analytical skills that you will acquire in the programme are in great demand in fields such as:

  • Data analysis (industry, media companies, game companies, financing)
  • Industrial research, development and consulting (at, e.g., Nokia, Ericsson, Apple, Sanoma, Spinverse, Supercell, Nielsen, Valo Research and Trading, Planmeca, Reaktor, Comptel, and Goldman Sachs)
Improve your career options with 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.

Doctoral education

After completing your Master’s degree, you can apply for doctoral training at the University of Helsinki or other top international universities. The most relevant doctoral programme offered at the University of Helsinki is Doctoral Programme in Particle Physics and Universe Sciences (PAPU).

Alumni of the Uni­versity of Helsinki

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.

Find alumni of the University of Helsinki on LinkedIn.

More about the programme