For all enquiries please contact the Exchange Office at exchange@otago.ac.nz.
Last updated June, 2023
Academic information
Language of instruction
The University of Helsinki has nine faculties: Theology, Law, Medicine, Arts, Science, Education, Social Sciences, Agriculture and Forestry, and Veterinary Medicine. There are many courses available in English.
Course information
Semester dates
- Academic Year: September – May
- Fall Semester: September – December
- Spring Semester: January – May
- Academic dates
Course load and minimum unit requirements
Full-time study is 30 ECTS per semester.
Accommodation and the cost of living
Accommodation
Estimated cost of living
Additional information
Information for exchange students
Student visa and insurance
Information on Student Visas and Insurance for students going on exchange can be found elsewhere on this website.
Exchange Experiences
- 2022 S2 BA EDUC RW (PDF)
- 2018 S2 MPlan LY (PDF)
The University, City and Region
The University
The University of Helsinki (Helsingin yliopisto) is the oldest and largest university in Finland. By Scandinavian standards, the University of Helsinki is a large university, with over 40,000 members when students, teachers and other staff numbers are combined. A total of about 33,000 students in the eleven faculties make up a quarter of all university students in Finland. The University is bilingual with instruction and services offered in both Finnish and Swedish. There are also a large amount of courses offered in English. The University of Helsinki is one of the best multidisciplinary research universities in the world.
The City of Helsinki
Helsinki, the capital of Finland, is the centre of cultural, financial and economic activity in Finland. It is also the northernmost capital of the European Union. Its green parks and waterways, busy market square and open-air cafes make Helsinki a pleasant place to live. In a worldwide survey Helsinki was chosen as the 6th best city to live in the world.
In addition to what the city has to offer, Finland's pristine lakes and forests are within easy reach, and its coastline is perfect for sailing, fishing and sunbathing during the long days of summer. Helsinki offers also good opportunities to cycle or canoe.
The average winter temperature is around -5C. But even during these cold months the Helsinki shoreline continues to offer possibilities for hardened swimmers. Well over a hundred thousand Finns regularly go winter swimming in an "avanto", an ice pool. Ice pool swimming is often combined with sauna, both of which are core elements of the Finnish culture. Other options for winter activities include: skiing, skating, snowboarding, snowmobiling and ice fishing.
For further information about Otago Global Student Exchange please email exchange@otago.ac.nz