The instructions on this page are intended for you if
- you have received a decision issued by the Finnish National Agency for Education on the recognition of your studies as comparable to the teacher education studies or a degree in the field of education in Finland (Act 531/1986 or Act 1385/2015) and
- according to the decision, you must complete supplementing studies.
Students having a conversation on a staircase
Photo: Satu Haavisto

In the Finnish National Agency for Education’s decision, the higher education studies you have completed abroad have been recognised as comparable to one or several of the following:

  • teacher's pedagogical studies
  • studies in the teaching subject
  • multidisciplinary studies and cross-curricular themes taught in primary and lower secondary education
  • studies providing professional skills for positions in special needs education
  • studies providing professional skills for guidance counselling
  • a bachelor’s, master’s, licentiate or doctoral degree

Any supplementing studies you will have to complete at a Finnish higher education institution have been specified in the decision. 

  1. Find out where you can complete the supplementing studies. You will find information on the education offered and the contact details of the higher education institutions in the Studyinfo service.
     
    • Universities provide all of the above-mentioned studies.
    • In addition, the vocational teacher education colleges of universities of applied sciences provide studies in vocational teacher education, which you can complete as supplementing teacher's pedagogical studies. 
    • In the Studyinfo service, you can search for provision of supplementing studies in Finnish e.g. by entering 'täydentävät ja pätevöittävät opinnot' in the search field. 
  2. Apply to a higher education institution for the right to study. Read the instructions in the Studyinfo service and, if necessary, ask the higher education institution for more information on applying.
  3. Complete the studies in accordance with the decision and the higher education institution’s degree requirements.
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If the decision states that you have to apply for a final decision after having completed the supplementing studies, first complete the supplementing studies specified for you. After that you can apply for a final decision. You can prove your eligibility for a teaching post only with the final decision recognising the comparability of your studies. 

If you have been issued the decision before 2016, you do not need to apply for a final decision. Instead, you can prove your eligibility with the conditional decision and the certificate of completion of the supplementing studies. If you wish, you can apply for a final decision.

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If you have questions about the Finnish National Agency for Education’s decision, send a message to recognition [at] oph.fi.

If you have questions about completing the studies, contact the higher education institution.

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