Master’s Degree Programme in Public Mental Health
Turku, Finland
Master degree
DURATION
2 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Aug 2026
TUITION FEES
EUR 12,000 / per year **
STUDY FORMAT
* The application period is 7 January - 21 January 2026
** Tuition fee Free for citizens of EU/EEA countries or Switzerland, for citizens of non-EU/EEA countries € 12 000 /academic year
Key Summary
About: The Master’s Degree Programme in Public Mental Health at the University of Turku (UTU) trains experts in mental health service systems, prevention, and interventions for children, adolescents, and families. You'll study epidemiology, health care systems, and research-based development and implementation of remote, digital, and technology-assisted interventions to address unmet needs worldwide. UTU is an international research university with over 2,500 international students and 97% saying UTU and Turku are good places to be.
Career Outcomes: Graduates work as Global mental health promotion specialist, Researcher, Health care administrator, and Public health coordinator/educator in public, private, government, university, and research institutes.
Interested in becoming an expert in Public Mental Health? Gain the intellectual foundation and specialized skills you need to become an expert on mental health service systems, prevention, and interventions for children, adolescents, and families.
There are enormous unmet needs in mental health provision both in developed and developing countries. There is a need for public mental health research on health service systems, interventions, and prevention. Remote, digital, and new technology-assisted interventions are needed to address the global challenges to provide evidence-based solutions. The perspective of public mental health is lacking in higher education in Finland and in most other countries.
More public mental health professionals who are able to plan, develop, and implement evidence-based preventive and early interventions for the mental health of children, adolescents, and families are urgently needed. The development of novel approaches and implementation of interventions in the mental health care system must be anchored in research-based knowledge. This requires an understanding of mental health, epidemiology, and health care service systems. The program educates research healthcare development and administration professionals in the field of mental health. The program will prepare students to work e.g. as epidemiologists, researchers, healthcare service managers, and promoters at a vast array of organizations including public and private healthcare, the federal government, universities, and institutes.
Our program will provide the knowledge, subject-specific expertise, specialized skills, and global network you need to forge the career you want in Public Mental Health. The Master of Public Mental Health degree opens you an extraordinary path to a meaningful career.
PROGRAMME STRUCTURE
The extent of the Master’s degree in Public Mental Health is 120 ECTS credit units and the completion time of the program is two years.
Curriculum for the Master´s Degree Programme in Public Mental Health covers:
- Major Studies and Research Methods in Public Mental Health (40 ECTS)
- Master's Thesis (40 ECTS)
- Minor Studies (20 ECTS)
- Elective Studies (20 ECTS)
Learning and teaching methods utilize the modern, diverse student-centered learning methods. The Research Centre for Child Psychiatry has several ongoing research projects related to psychiatry, mental health and psychosocial well-being of children, youth and families. Students have the opportunity to choose their topic for master’s thesis from existing or starting research. Internship is carried out as part of research projects.
The structure of the program will provide the qualifications needed and support in building the theoretical framework for future Public Mental Health experts.
MASTER'S THESIS & TOPICS
The Research Centre for Child Psychiatry has extensive research activities both nationally and internationally. There are several ongoing research projects related to child psychiatry and the mental health and psychosocial well-being of children, youth a,nd families. Students have the opportunity to choose their research topic from existing or starting research. The planning of the thesis begins in the first year of studies in research seminars, and the implementation and reporting of the research is carried out in the second year of studies.
After completing this programme, you will be able to demonstrate ability to apply knowledge of the following disciplines of public mental health, consisting of epidemiology, statistics, interventions, health policy, leadership and global mental health to real mental health problems of children, adolescents and families.
In addition, you will be able to:
- critically assess key public mental health functions
- demonstrate knowledge and skills in a range of topics related to public mental health
- develop, evaluate and implement appropriate interventions and policy responses to public mental health problems
- show competence in critically evaluating and communicating research evidence
- learn to do interdisciplinary collaboration
Job options
Possible job options after graduating with Master’s studies:
- Global mental health promotion specialist
- Policy advocate
- Researcher
- Health care administrator
- Public health care service manager
- Public health coordinator/educator