Applying for the Faculty of Social Sciences
The application procedure varies according to different applicant groups. Therefore, the first thing to do is to find out to which applicant group you belong to:
- Degree students: Master's, Licentiate and Doctoral degrees
- Non-degree students: exchange and visiting students
Am I a Degree Student?
A degree student will already have earned his or her Bachelor of Arts Degree and is continuing in either Master's Studies or a Master's Programme. The duration for degree students is usually 2 years of full-time studies (check with each individual subject major) and the outcome after the student's thesis will be a Master's degree. There are two types of degree studies, both of which give deree students the same status, but slightly different in the structure of studies:
- Master's Studies are for those who are in the regular curriculum of The University of Turku. Depending on the subject major, Master's Studies follows the curriculum plan designed for Finnish students and may include minor subjects.
- Master's Programmes are specialised plans with a specific design mainly for international students. The study modules have been designed for the specialised field in question and is not part of the standard curriculum as in most subject majors.
- How to apply as a degree student
- Postgraduate students will already have earned his or her master's degree and is continuing studies for a licentiate or doctoral degree. The student must check with the individual faculty for all information about postgraduate studies. If you are interested in research or studies at a doctoral level, studies can be pursued in English in most fields.
- Information for postgraduate studies
Am I a Non-degree Student?
Non-degree students are not a part of any Master's studies or programmes although their studies allow them to receive university credit. These credits however do not lead to a degree at the University of Turku, but they are transferable. There are two types of non-degree students:
- Exchange students are those who have a formal agreement with their home university and the University of Turku. They may receive university credits which they may transfer their studies at their home university. Exchange students apply for specific exchange programmes and may also take part in supplementary programmes (i.e. programmes that do not offer a full curriculum such as North American Studies) offered at any of the universities in Turku. If you come to Turku through an exchange programme such as ERASMUS, NORDPLUS, ISEP, north2north, a CIMO scholarship or a bilateral agreement between your home institution and the University of Turku, you normally get information on the application procedure from your own university.
- How to apply as an exchange student
- Visiting students are those who independently come to the university without having a formal exchange agreement. Visiting students may be at the university for a variety of reasons. For example, he or she might already have a degree and wants to further his or her knowledge in a particular field or the University of Turku offers a programme or course unavailable at his or her home university which has no formal exchange agreement. Like the exchange student, the visiting student is not studying to complete a Master's degree. The main difference between a visiting student and an exchange student is that the visiting student does not have a formal agreement between an outside university and the University of Turku. This means that the status of a visiting student is limited and they have the right only to study in the courses or programmes to which he or she had been accepted. Because there is no exchange agreement, visiting students must pay for their own studies and are not entitled to the services and benefits provided for the exchange students.
- How to apply as a visiting student