The University of Eastern Finland is the first in Finland to offer an Open University route to an English-taught Bachelor’s programme in social sciences.
The University of Eastern Finland is expanding Open University routes to English-taught degree programmes in social sciences.
The university’s first English-taught Open University route to the Bachelor’s Degree Programme in Lifelong Learning and Sustainable Development was opened in autumn 2023. This autumn, a new Open University route has been introduced, offering an opportunity to apply for the Bachelor’s Programme in Social Sciences — currently the only English-taught Bachelor’s programme in social sciences in Finland.
Open university studies offer a modern, flexible path towards degree studies. The Basic Studies in Social Sciences (25 ECTS) can be studied online at the student’s own pace, providing eligibility to apply for the degree programme. The studies consist of courses in sociology and social policy, and they help students understand society as a subject of research, social structures and the functioning of the welfare state. The first English-taught Open University route to the Lifelong Learning and Sustainable Development programme is aimed at people interested in the themes of sustainability and responsibility, and in promoting them through education and learning.
According to Teppo Eskelinen, University Lecturer at the Department of Social Sciences, the Open University route plays a key role in advancing accessible higher education.
"Studying at the Open University and aiming for the Open University route particularly supports combining work and studies. The new route lowers the threshold for starting higher education and responds to the needs of an increasingly international labour market. The English-taught Bachelor’s programme offers an opportunity for those interested in studying social sciences and opens doors for students moving to Finland," Eskelinen explains.
The application period to English-taught degree programmes takes place in annually in January. Through the Open University route, up to five applicants will be admitted to the Bachelor’s Programme in Social Sciences. Eligible applicants must have completed the Basic Studies in Social Sciences module (25 ECTS), meet the programme's language proficiency requirements, and achieve the highest scores on the What is Society course.
