Faculty of Law

Faculty of Law at the University of Helsinki is the leading Finnish provider of education in law. The instruction offered by the faculty is based on topical research of the highest standards. Graduates are capable of carrying out demanding assignments that require national and international legal expertise. The Faculty of Law interacts closely with the rest of the society in producing versatile educational and expert services.

The Faculty consists of three departments: the Department of Public law, the Department of Criminal Law, Judicial Procedure and General Jurisprudential Studies and the Department of Private Law. There are also two research institutes at the Faculty: The Institute of International Economic Law and the Erik Castrén Institute of International Law and Human Rights.

There are more than 2500 law students at the University of Helsinki. As law is one the most popular fields of academic study, the annual intake is limited to approximately 15 per cent of the applicants. The faculty is also hosting an ever growing number of international students, mainly owing to the Erasmus and other exchange programmes and the popularity of the further education programme, International LL.M Diploma Programme.

At the Faculty of Law we are positive that the appeal of the education the faculty offers will continue in the future.

In consequence of the so-called Bologna process, the University of Helsinki has adopted a two-cycle model for degrees starting on August 1st 2005. In the new degree system, The University of Helsinki offers the Bachelor of Laws degree (in Finnish oikeusnotaari) and the Master of Laws Degree (in Finnish oikeustieteen maisteri). The Bachelor of Laws is a lower-level university degree in the Finnish system while the Master of Laws is a higher-level university degree required of those who wish to enter the legal professions.

The Bachelor of Laws degree is the first law degree and comprises 180 ECTS credit points (equivalent to three years of full-time studies). The Bachelor of Laws degree does not qualify its holder for legal professions (e.g. advocate, judge) in Finland. Consequently, it is envisaged that most students will go on after having taken their Bachelor's degree and complete the Master of Laws degree as well. All students admitted to the Faculty of Law for the first degrees have the right to complete both the Bachelor's and Master's degrees. Admission of law students is based on a compulsory entrance examination, which is held in Finnish and Swedish only.

The Master of Laws Degree entitles the holder to entry into the legal professions. The degree comprises 120 ECTS credit points and takes in principle two years of full-time studying to complete, after the student has taken the Bachelor of Laws degree.

The University of Helsinki - the leading university in Finland

The University of Helsinki is Finland’s oldest, biggest and most diverse institution of higher education conducting research and providing education based on it. The University of Helsinki consists of 11 faculties, representing all academic disciplines with the exception of technology and business, and it operates on four campuses.

The University community comprises 38,000 degree students, two-thirds of whom are women. The annual intake of new students is close to 4000; only one-fifth of the applicants pass the demanding entrance exams. The University currently has 1,200 international degree students and annually more than 700 exchange students come to study here.

Eleven faculties include - theology, law, medicine, humanities, natural sciences, behavioural sciences, social sciences, agriculture and forestry, veterinary medicine, bioscience and pharmacology - are all top of their league even in international comparison.

The strengths of the University of Helsinki are internationally acclaimed scientific research and the teaching based on it. One of the special characteristics of the University of Helsinki is that it is a bilingual institution: Swedish-language teaching provides improved opportunities for Finnish-speaking students, too, and enhances Nordic co-operation.

Using many indicators, the University of Helsinki is the most internationally oriented of Finland's universities, and it is a member of the League of European Research Universities, LERU. University of Helsinki encourages multidisciplinary studies across faculty and university boundaries. In autumn 2005, the University adopted a new two-cycle degree system, with the exception of medicine. Former credits (opintoviikko) are now ECTS credits (opintopiste).

Studying at the university is an enjoyable and exciting journey during which young people can develop themselves in many ways, both in terms of knowledge and of life skills. University of Helsinki degrees have a strong reputation. The employment prospects of our alumni are good, and the critical scientific thinking they have adopted will provide them with a solid foundation for lifelong learning that is crucial in today’s world.

Facutly of law lawyer judicial studies international bilingual pharmacy medicine law social science masters programmes theology arts agriculture