Opportunities for foreign students

A recent news report said that Finland wants to attract more international experts by improving foreign students’ employment prospects after graduation.

According to the report, the plan is to make it easier for foreign students to seek work in Finland after they complete their studies.

A central objective of the Finnish education policy is to offer all citizens (and foreign students alike) equal opportunities to receive education and help build their future careers. And the structure of the educational system reflects these principles.

I think that for foreign students to have the opportunity and their employment prospects improved after graduation is something that should encourage those who want to further their education.

Study programmes

The Finnish educational system has often attracted admiration even from other highly advanced and well-known rich countries and it is regarded as one of the best in the world. As I keep saying, I admire the educational system very much.

According to the Study in Finland portal, Finnish higher education institutions currently offer over 500 bachelor’s and master’s degree programmes taught in English. There are also countless doctoral degree programmes.

Most of the Bachelor’s degree programmes taught in English are offered by universities of applied sciences (UAS), whereas most of the Master’s programmes taught in English are offered by universities (see www.studyinfinland.fi).

It is important to find the right programme for yourself.

Relevant subjects to study

It is always wise to study subjects that are relevant for the career path you want to pursue and, more importantly, for which there are likely to be favourable employment prospects.

According to another news report, the most popular English-language programme in recent years is the Bachelor of Health Care (Nursing) courses.

Others are Engineering and Technology; Business and Management; Computer Science and Information Technology (IT); Natural Sciences and Mathematics; and Education and Training.

Previous subjects studied

I also see the need for a foreign student to study subjects in the home country that can easily be pursued in further studies abroad.

That is, you have to choose carefully the subjects you study and have it in mind to obtain high marks or a good performance. The fact that Finland is encouraging or trying to attract foreign students does not mean it should be a dumping ground for any low level stuff (next time, I may write about the grades that can help with admission to a Finnish university).

For example, Sociology and Anthropology are quite popular subjects in Finnish universities, but as far as I know, Archaeology is not. Therefore, someone who studied archaeology may have to shift to either sociology or anthropology (which is closer to archaeology).

All in all, the subjects relating to health, technology and the natural sciences are likely to be favourable in terms of employment prospects after graduation.

Pathway Studies to Finland

Another opportunity is the UAS Pathway Studies to Finland programme, which I recently learned about and is provided by the Universities of Applied Sciences (UAS) in Finland (see www.uaspath.fi).

Such a programme offers applicants a convenient way to gain admission to degree programmes in Finland.

The UAS Pathway Studies are ideal for those interested in pursuing Bachelor’s degrees in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and International Business (IB).

One can apply to a study programme and start studying at home through online in English with experienced Finnish teachers. After the first year of study (and 60 ECTS credits), you will have the chance to join the programme in Finland and complete the Bachelor’s degree in 2-4 years.

The pathway studies are fully accredited as part of the student’s degree, and in practice it means that the student will be able to continue his or her studies in Finland as a second year student.

In addition, opportunities in numerous fields await the student after graduating. He or she can even take part in internship programmes and start building their future.  I found such a programme very intriguing notwithstanding the fact that the programme attracts a tuition fee. Thank you.                                                        

The writer is a Ghanaian

lecturer at the University

of Helsinki, Finland