Finnish Language Courses
Who can study Finnish with us?
Our Finnish language courses are open for anyone who studies Finnish as a second or a foreign language. There are courses for different levels of learners. We offer courses throughout the the year.
Please note that if you live outside Finland and want to join our contact teaching courses, you will need to take care of issues such as travel arrangements, accommodation and visas (if required) on your own.
Our online courses are suitable for everyone, including people who do not currently live in Finland.
Why study Finnish with us?
You can study a wide range of Finnish courses with us. We offer Finnish language courses for foreigners and immigrants throughout the year. There are 3 separate semesters: autumn, spring and summer. Each semester, we offer several courses on different levels. We may also offer theme courses where you can, for example, improve your speaking or writing skills.
The skill levels are set according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) to make it easier for you to find a suitable course. If you are not sure which course to choose, please contact our office. We are happy to help you find the course that suits you the best.
Our courses are target-oriented. Each participant who completes a course will get a certificate. An exam is often held at the end of the course. The exam tests the skills learnt on the course and shows that participants have reached the target skill level.
Autumn courses continue on the spring term, which means that you can study with us the whole academic year without a pause. The summer courses form an entity of their own. During one summer, students can participate in up to 4 beginners courses or alternatively up to 2 intermediate or advanced level courses.
Our Finnish language courses are held in Tampere or online. More information about the classrooms and/or learning platforms will be sent to the participants by email approximately 1 week before the lessons start.
Courses on autumn and spring terms
| Beginners’ / elementary level courses | Intermediate and advanced level courses | |
| Textbook Suomen mestari 1 | Textbook Suomen mestari 3 | |
| Finnish for Beginners 1 (0 to A1.2), chapters 1-4 or 1-5 | Intermediate Course in Finnish 1 (A2.2 to B1.1) | |
| Finnish for Beginners 2 (A1.2 to A1.3) | Intermediate Course in Finnish 2 (B1.1 to B1.2) | |
| Textbook Suomen mestari 2 | Textbook Suomen mestari 4 | |
| Finnish for Beginners 3 (A1.3 to A2.1) | Suomen kielen syventävä kurssi 1 (B1.2 to B2.1) | |
| Finnish for Beginners 4 (A2.1 to A2.2) | Suomen kielen syventävä kurssi 2 (B2.1 to B2.2) |
+ theme courses, such as discussion courses
Courses on the summer term
| Beginners’ / Elementary level courses | Intermediate / Advanced level courses | |
| Textbook Suomen mestari 1 | Textbook Suomen mestari 3 | |
| Learn Finnish 1 (0 to A1.1), chapters 1-3 | Learn Finnish: Intermediate Course 1 (A2.2 to B1.1), chapters 1-4 | |
| Learn Finnish 2 (A1.1 to A1.2), chapters 4-6 | Learn Finnish: Intermediate Course 2 (B1.1 to B1.2), chapters 5-8 | |
| Learn Finnish 3 (A1.2 to A1.3), chapters 7-9 | Textbook Suomen mestari 4 | |
| Learn Finnish 4 (A1.3 to A2.1) A refresher course. May not be offered every summer. | Opi suomea: syventävä kurssi 1 (B1.2 to B2.1), chapters 1-4 | |
| Textbook Suomen mestari 2 | Opi suomea: syventävä kurssi 2 (B2.1 to B2.2), chapters 5-8 | |
| Learn Finnish 5 (A1.3 to A2.1), chapters 1-3 | ||
| Learn Finnish 6 (A2.1 to A2.2), chapters 4-6 | ||
| Learn Finnish 7 (A2.1 to A2.2), chapters 7-8 |
+ theme courses, such as discussion courses
All information is subject to change.
Enrolment and payment
After you have found a suitable course, you can enrol on the course via our website. Remember to enrol within the deadline! The final enrolment date is mentioned in the course description.
Please note that courses may become full before the final enrolment day. Participants are selected in the order of registration, unless otherwise indicated. If the course is full, you can enrol on the waiting list. A course may be cancelled, if there are not enough participants.
More information on how to enrol on our courses: https://tampereenkesayliopisto.fi/en/students-guide/enrolment/
The course fee is paid as an online payment after filling in the enrolment form.
The course fee can also be paid by an employer or another party. We will send an invoice to the payer. Fill in the Company billing section on the online registration form with the required information: name of the payer, billing address, name of possible contact person and billing reference.
Please note that if the course fee is paid with an invoice, any additional costs (e.g. banking fees) cannot be deducted from the course fee. The payer is required to take care of any additional costs.
It is not possible to pay the course fee in our office.
The course fee covers tuition and materials provided by the teacher. The course fee does not cover any other expenses (textbook, accommodation, meals, etc.).
Certificates and exams
On many of our courses, an exam will be held at the end of the course. You will get more information about the exam from your teacher.
Participants who have successfully completed a course will get a certificate after the course has ended. Certificates are normally sent to home by post.
Travel Arrangements and accommodation
The Summer University of Tampere cannot help students with travel arrangements or finding accommodation.
More information: Directions, lunch restaurants, and parking
Visas
The Summer University of Tampere cannot participate in arranging visas. If you come from a country whose citizens are required to hold a visa in order to travel to Finland, please contact Finnish embassy or consulate in your country. On contact teaching courses, we may require applicants to demonstrate their visa documents before enrolling on our courses.
Those who already live in Finland or in another Schengen country, and have a valid, appropriate visa for the duration of the course, do not have to present their visa documents.
Please note that visas to Finland are not issued for the sole reason of Summer University studies. Attending our Finnish language courses is not regarded as full-time study. This is why we do not send invitation letters to the applicants before receiving the visa documents.