Adult education and further education
Adult education is available in all degree levels. You can study to take a complete degree, complete your education further within your own line of work, or to study just for the fun of it.
Most adults study and work either full or part time simultaneously. Classes are held during daytime, in the evenings and on the weekends. It is also possible to study while you have a full-time or a part-time job. In addition to contact studies and distance studies, courses are held also online.
With constant changes in working life and at the job market, employees are facing more and more demanding tasks. Thus, the need for postgraduate and further education is ever increasing.
Adults can study for example in the following education levels, and/or take the following degrees:
- vocational upper secondary qualifications, further vocational qualifications and specialist vocational qualifications
- qualifications provided by universities of applied sciences (UAS)
- university studies
- primary (basic) education (the Finnish peruskoulu, or comprehensive school)
- upper secondary school education (the Finnish lukio)
- further and postgraduate education
- liberal adult education
- education and degrees on apprenticeship contracts
- personnel and corporate training
- labour policy education.
Adult education is provided e.g. at universities and universities of applied sciences, vocational institutes, vocational adult education centers, vocational special education institutions, upper secondary schools for adults (aikuislukio), adult education centers and workers’ institutes, folk high schools, summer universities, study centers, sports institutes and music schools.
Degrees taken in adult education programmes give the students same eligibility for further studies than programmes for undergraduate students.
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For further information about various study options, visit for example the website Studyinfo.fi.