The vocational education and training (VET) system in Finland is designed for both young people without upper secondary qualifications and adults already in the workforce. It provides the basic skills required in various fields and can lead to a qualification or serve as further education needed at different career stages.
The City of Helsinki’s vocational institution, Stadin AO (Helsinki Vocational College and Adult Institute), offers VET studies in Finnish and English. These institutions plan and implement an individual study path for every student based on their needs and in cooperation with working life. You can apply for VET flexibly throughout the year through rolling admissions.
After completing your vocational studies, you would then proceed to university-level education. The education of psychologists in Finland constitutes 330 ECT (about 5.5 years) studies: Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (180 ECT) and Master of Arts in Psychology (150 ECT). The master’s degree includes a clinical traineeship period of about 5 months.
Universities such as the University of Helsinki, Eastern Finland, Jyväskylä, Tampere, Turku, and Åbo Akademi University offer these programs. These universities are part of a network called Psykonet, which has served as the umbrella organization in the field of psychology since 1989.
Remember, vocational education and training in Finland is publicly funded and free of charge. You can apply through rolling admission if you have an upper secondary qualification, a post-secondary degree, or competence acquired in working life or previous studies. Application instructions can be found on the educational institutions’ websites.