Bachelor's in Intercultural Teacher Education

Intercultural Teacher Education is a well-established five-year teacher training degree programme with a unique focus on education, globalisation, diversity, ethics, sustainability and social justice.

The master’s degree together with the bachelor’s degree qualifies you as a primary teacher in Finland.

Intercultural Teacher Education, Degree Programme in Intercultural Primary Teacher Education

Degree title

Bachelor and Master of Arts (Education)

Study places

20 for studies starting in autumn 2024

Duration of studies

3+2 years

Scope

180+120 credits

Teaching method

On campus

Programme specific

Please note that this International Programme will be available from 2025 onward as a Finnish-taught programme. Applying will take place in the the second joint application to higher education instead of the first joint application.

Programme profile

Top reasons to study Intercultural Teacher Education

  • Programme is well-established and well-known by employers. It has a unique profile in focusing on social justice, ethics, educational diversity and in supporting equality.
  • Gives you versatile competence: a Finnish qualification as a primary teacher, and expertise on global issues useful in many occupations.
  • Study in a diverse group of students - international, exchange students as well as your Finnish peers with origins across the country.
  • Studies include a study or work period abroad, one or more. You may decide where to go for an exchange.
  • Flexibility in studies also in choosing your minor subjects. In bachelor’s, of 25 credits, in master’s, 40 credits or more.

The degree is oriented towards primary teacher education, so the programme focuses on the specific issues related to the teaching and education of pupils studying in grades 0-6 in basic education. The programme also provides competences for international educational tasks.

"The programme content is built on cutting edge research and diverse teaching and learning methods and also considers the diversity of individual learners."

The Finnish education system is world-famous and the ITE programme is well-established, having been founded in 1994. Theory and practice go hand in hand in the programme and latest developments, such as the enormous leap in online teaching due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, are reflected in the programme.

Studies include a compulsory three-month study or work period in an educational institution or a project abroad.

Core skills and competence

Study contents:

  • Orientation, language and communication studies
  • Major studies in education
  • Multidisciplinary studies in subjects taught in basic education
  • Pedagogical studies.

Programme structure and courses

Admissions criteria

Read about eligibility and admissions procedure for this programme, detailed information available at Studyinfo.

Career opportunities

The Master’s degree together with the Bachelor’s degree qualifies the student as a primary teacher in Finland either in a school with Finnish as a language of tuition or in an international school where the language of tuition is English. The graduates can also find employment in various national and international expert tasks in the field of education and teaching.

Possible professions and duties after the degree:

  • Primary Teacher
  • Project Leader
  • Researcher
  • Education Planner
  • Education Expert.

Research-based teacher education

Finland's education expertise is a global brand. Graduates from this programme have been successfully employed in diverse tasks, including education export, foreign affairs, and education planning to name a few.