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 all levels of learners, and we operate throughout the year.

Please note that if you live outside Finland, you need to take care of issues such as travel arrangements, accommodation and visas (if required) on your own.

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 three separate semesters: autumn, spring and summer. Each semester, we offer several courses on different levels, including 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. On many of our courses, an exam is 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 in 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 four beginners courses or alternatively up to two intermediate level courses.

All our Finnish language courses are held in Tampere or online. More information about the classrooms will be sent to the participants by email.

Courses in autumn and spring terms

+ other courses with different themes

Courses in the summer term

+ other courses with different themes

All information is subject to change.

Click here to see the courses.

Enrolment and payment

After you have found a suitable course, enrol by the final enrolment date given on our website. The final enrolment date is mentioned in the course description. Please note that courses may become full before the final enrolment day. Unless otherwise mentioned, participants will be selected in the order of registration. If a course is already full, you may 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 during the enrolment using either online bank codes or a credit card, unless otherwise indicated. When paying by a credit card, please enter the card number without spaces. The course fee can also be paid by an employer or another party, in which case the Summer University of Tampere 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. A handling fee of 5 euros will be added to the invoice.

Certificates and exams

At the end of the course, students who have attended the lessons regularly will receive a certificate. Usually there is a voluntary exam held at the end of the course. Please note that if you do not take the exam, your certificate will not state that you have reached a certain skill level.

Travel Arrangements and accommodation

The Summer University of Tampere cannot help students with travel arrangements or finding accommodation.

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, you are advised to contact the Finnish embassy or consulate in your country. We 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, since attending 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.