Finland is an ideal place to study law for many reasons: First, it is the safest country in the world with an incomparable quality of life. Second, it is also the happiest country because the government prioritizes providing equal opportunities for its citizens in all aspects. Third, Finland is a multicultural country with two official languages: Finnish and Swedish, and it is evident that Finnish people acknowledge their differences and continuously embrace cultural diversity. And fourth, it has one of the top education systems in the world.

There are plenty of law schools offering master’s degrees and numerous specialized law courses in English specifically designed for international students. Some law schools are generous enough to extend free tuition fees to students from an EU member state. These are just some reasons why Finland is a famous destination among tourists and students, and the only downside might be the cold weather. Finland belongs to the Arctic region where winters are long and freezing, and the country is generally cold all year round. It may not be for everyone’s liking but for students who want to receive the best education with equal opportunity, this country might be for you.

We gathered some of the best law schools the country has to offer and we encourage you to have a closer look at what these law schools can provide. Here’s a list of the top law universities in Finland.

Top Law Schools in Finland for International Students

1. University of Helsinki – Faculty of Law

The University of Helsinki is the very first university in Finland and stands among the top institutions for studying law. It was founded in 1640 during the Swedish empire as the Royal Academy of Turku and was renamed Imperial Alexander University in Finland when the institution moved to Helsinki in 1828. After Finland gained its independence back in 1917, the university changed its name to the University of Helsinki, as we presently call it.

Cited as the oldest university in the country, it has contributed significantly to scientific research and teaching developments and provides only the highest-quality education.

The Faculty of Law is regarded as the topmost provider in legal studies, with Finnish, Swedish, and English as the medium of instruction. The faculty offers several distinct legal degree programs. Designed for Finnish students, the degree programs to be considered are a bachelor’s degree (three years) and a master’s degree (two years) taught in Finnish. For law professionals outside Finland, the institution offers two master’s degree programs: International Business Law and Global Governance Law, with both programs entirely taught in English. Also, for law graduates pursuing further education, the school accepts new students in their doctoral program in law twice a year.

The institution is committed to expanding its internationalization in its higher education. It is an active participant of the 23 member universities of the League of European Research Universities (LERU). The association’s primary goal is to promote research and innovation through dialogues among its members.

2. University of Lapland – Faculty of Law

Only having been established in 1979, this relatively young school provides premium quality higher education and delivers high-quality law programs in Finland. Thanks to its superior educational system, it has attracted a lot of Finnish and international students. Another reason to study on this side of Finland is to experience the sight of the famous Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights. The school is situated in Rovaniemi city in the Lapland Region, where the auroras can occur as often as a couple of hundred times a year.

Presently, the Faculty of Law of the University of Lapland only offers degree programs in Finnish. The Bachelor of Laws and Master of Laws can be obtained in 5 years. Graduates who wish to advance their legal studies may take up a doctoral program in the same university. Since the institution has been gearing towards being recognized internationally, it has welcomed exchange students to enroll in select English-taught courses in law. Students of the faculty are actively involved in two organizations: Artikla – the association of law students in the university and the European Law Student’s Association (ELSA) – the biggest non-profit organization of law students globally.

The school has roughly 4400 students, quite small compared to other universities; however, this should not be a disadvantage because a small circle would mean a sense of community and harmonious relationships with fellow students. Since Finland is considered the safest country in the world, safety and security would not be a problem for exchange students.

3. University of Turku – Faculty of Law

The University of Turku is one of the leading law universities in Finland and is located in the southwest part of the country. It has over 20,000 students and 3,400 employees. Faculty members are tirelessly working together to promote and enhance the university’s quality of research and education.

Law Students residing from any member state of the European Union (EU) / European Economic Area (EEA) and Swiss citizens should take advantage of continuing their master’s degree at the university because the tuition fee is free. The program offers to obtain a Master’s Degree in Law and Information Society solely focusing on thorough examination and reasoning of legal problems in the digitalized world. Law professionals from other countries may also take the program with a school fee of €10,000/year. A doctoral program in Law is also available for postgraduate students.

One of the efforts of the Faculty of Law worth mentioning is the Turku Law School. It is a joint organization between the University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University to line up various law courses. These are English-taught courses designed for exchange students, visiting students, Åbo Akademi students, Law degree students, and eligible non-law students. Moreover, the Turku Law School holds annual lectures about relevant matters related to European Law.

 

We hope that this article on Best Law Universities in Finland was helpful. For more information, visit our Study in Finland page which contains everything you need to know as you prepare for your academic journey in Finland. Don’t forget to also check out the Available Law Programs for International Students!

About the Author: Hyun Lee

Hyun is the founder at Global Scholarships. He has received a full-tuition scholarship at Birmingham-Southern College as well as $1,000 Burger King Scholarship for his undergraduate degree and has been offered a fully funded scholarship consisting of tuition, living stipend, and health insurance for computer science Ph.D. program at North Carolina State University. Read more about his scholarship journey here.

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