Did you know that tunturi is a loanword from Sami, and that it shares its origins with the word tundra? That international word in turn has its roots in Samoyedic languages, from which it has spread via Russian to English and other languages. How about this: did you know that Finnish is studied in over a hundred universities all over the world?

Finnish is often viewed as a strange and difficult language – but is that an accurate evaluation? What is it about Finnish that makes it a truly unique language? And what significance does the language have as a part of the Finnish identity, and what role did language play in the construction of that identity? Do you know how to write witty texts, analytic reports or concise news yet? If you choose to study Finnish, you will learn the answers to these as well as many other questions. In particular, the degree programme focuses on analysing Finnish through various linguistic approaches; studying language structures, changes and variations, as well as the applications of language in communication. Studies of Finnish Language in the Faculty of Humanities are intended for students who either are native speakers of Finnish or have near-native competence in Finnish. The department does not offer language courses in Finnish, but rather the curriculum includes different linguistic approaches to the Finnish language. Students holding a BA degree from a foreign university with Finnish as their major subject can apply to the MA programme.