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Education System Overview
Academic year: August – June
In the 2019-2020 academic year, 328 U.S. students studied abroad for academic credit in Finland.
Academic year: August - June
Major school holidays/break: June - August, one week in December, and one week in March
Major exam period(s): February – March
Structure of the University System
Years of study required to earn a bachelor's degree: Earning a bachelor's degree takes 3 to 4 years of full-time study. Higher education in Finland has a dual structure. Universities and polytechnics, also known as universities of applied sciences, provide higher education. Both sectors have their own profiles. Universities emphasize scientific research and instruction, whereas polytechnics adopt a more practical approach. Higher education institutions are very autonomous in organizing their instruction and academic year.
The language of instruction in universities: Finnish and Swedish. There are also more than 500 study programs in English.