
About this program
Degree Program in Fine Arts
This 5.5 year program leads to a Bachelor's and a Master's degree.
We train visual artists who learn their own strengths and expression methods and prepare them for a world where artists take on multi-faceted roles and profiles.
You will acquire skills and knowledge that will enable you to work independently as a visual artist and understand your own work as a part of the context of contemporary art and society, where artists may adopt multi-faceted roles and profiles.
Studies focus on artistic activities and theoretical studies. The Academy of Fine Arts focuses on independent art, giving the students the flexibility to pursue their personal aspirations when selecting courses and planning their curriculum. Individual guidance and independent artistic work are integral to the studies, but group instruction, workshops, field trips and different kinds of projects are also important and increase the sense of community within the academy.
Public exhibition of one’s own art in exhibitions, public space and other various contexts is an essential part of the studies. Students familiarise themselves with exhibition activities and practices at the Academy of Fine Arts galleries, Exhibition Laboratory and Project Room, which improves their ability to take part in exhibition productions of various sizes.
The subject areas of the Degree programs in Fine Arts are Sculpture, Painting, Printmaking and Time and Space Arts. The subject area of Time and Space Arts allows you to specialise in moving image, photography, or site and situation specific art. Bachelor’s students choose their subject area after being admitted to the university, during their first of year studies. Master’s students choose their subject area upon application to the studies.
Scholarships & funding
Several scholarship options are available. Please check the university website for more information.
Program delivery
The languages of instruction for this program are English, Finnish and Swedish.
Tuition
Annual tuition fee €5,000 for students studying in English and coming from outside the EU and EEA countries.
Qualification
Target degree - Bachelor's (BFA) + Master's degree (MFA)
Continuing studies
Doctoral studies in fine arts provide students with the competence and the opportunity to conduct independent and creative artistic research. Artistic research is a field of multi-disciplinary research that focuses on the artist and art. Graduates of the program are artist-researchers who develop and renew arts, as well as the making, research and teaching of arts.
About this institute

University of the Arts Helsinki
The University of the Arts Helsinki (Uniarts Helsinki) offers the highest education in fine arts, music, dance and theatre in an inspiring multidisciplinary environment. Uniarts Helsinki’s wide selection of programs in the field of arts and productive dialogue between teaching...
Why study at University of the Arts Helsinki
- The University of the Arts is one of the leading performing arts universities in the world: Uniarts Helsinki’s Sibelius Academy has ranked among the top 26 universities in the QS World University Ranking for five consecutive years (2016–2023).
- We have unique facilities for creating arts with two campuses in Helsinki and a new building for fine arts which was opened in 2021. The facilities are in the use of the Academy of Fine Arts as well as students of light design, sound design, and design for the performing arts. We host over 1,000 public performances or exhibitions per year.
- At Uniarts Helsinki you can study in an inspiring environment where different disciplines of art influence each other. The academies of Uniarts Helsinki;Academy of Fine Arts, Theatre Academy and Sibelius Academy, have roots deep within the Finnish arts education and history of art. The predecessors of all three academies were founded in the 19th century although then they operated under slightly different names.
- The Academy of Fine Arts of Uniarts Helsinki is an international academy with a focus on fine arts. Students' personal aspirations and one-to-one guidance in teaching are at the heart of the academy.
- The Sibelius Academy of Uniarts Helsinki is one of the largest music academies in Europe. It is the cornerstone of the Finnish music culture through its expertise in teaching, research and artistic activities.
- The Theatre Academy of Uniarts Helsinki is a reformer of the performing arts and offer the highest education in theatre, dance and writing in Finland.