Minor in the national languages of Finland
Study the national languages of Finland as a minor!
The goal of the Minor in the national languages of Finland is to give international students basic skills in both Finnish and Swedish. Having some knowledge of the national languages may work for your benefit when looking for a job in Finland and also when wanting to integrate in the Finnish society. Also, the Swedish language opens doors to Scandinavia, as all Scandinavian languages are related.
The Minor in the national languages of Finland consists of 25 ECTS and you should choose at least 10 ECTS in each language, while the remaining credits (5 ECTS) can be chosen freely. The courses for the minor can be chosen according to your starting level and interests.
The Minor in the national languages of Finland is primarily meant for international Master students at Hanken but all the courses in Swedish as a foreign language can also be taken separately without using them for a minor, and by other than Master students as well.
Courses in Swedish as a foreign language are organised by Hanken and are open to students from Hanken and other Finnish universities and universities of applied sciences. There are also places reserved for students via open university. Courses in Swedish can also be taken without using them for a minor. For more information, please contact Katja Peltola at katja.peltola@hanken.fi
Courses in Finnish are offered in cooperation with Aalto University. Hanken organizes three courses in elementary Finnish, the rest of the courses are offered by Aalto University.
Hanken also organises courses in Finnish at elementary level, in cooperation with Aalto University. For more information, please contact Johanna Haapala at johanna.tanner@hanken.fi. Some of the Finnish courses are offered by Aalto university.
Studies in the national languages of Finland as a minor
For Hanken students
The elementary course in Swedish as a foreign language is given in both Helsinki and Vaasa. The courses after the elementary level are given online so students from both campuses can participate in all courses offered in Swedish as a foreign language.
For non-degree students
All courses in Swedish as a foreign language are open for degree students and exchange students from other Finnish universities and universities of applied sciences as well as for students via open university. For further information about courses for students at other Finnish universities and universities of applied sciences, please visit this page. To apply for the right to take individual courses, please fill in this electronic form.
Further information about how to apply via open university can be found here.
Courses offered for the Minor in the national languages of Finland
Courses available for the Minor in the national languages of Finland are listed below. You may choose courses according to your own starting level and interests. For the minor, you should take at least 10 ECTS in both Swedish and Finnish, the remaining 5 ECTS you can choose freely between the two languages.
All the courses listed below can also be taken separately, without completing a minor.
On each level of Swedish as a foreign language, courses A and B are courses with instruction twice a week, and course C is an online self-study course. When planning your studies, please note that courses on level 1 are offered every term, while courses on level 2 are offered only in the spring term and courses on level 3 in the autumn term. Course 5656 is offered only in the spring term.
Given that the Finnish department has to prioritise the statutory courses and the rights of Finnish-Swedish students to a high level of Finnish education, only courses up to 8 ECTS are offered in Finnish at Hanken for this minor. Students can take courses from Aalto University or University of Helsinki to reach the required ECTS and complete the minor.
If you are a Master's student and have received your previous school education in Finland in Finnish but taken your Bachelor’s degree abroad, please visit this site for detailed information about how you can fulfill the requirements of language proficiency of personnel in public bodies (virkamiesruotsi).
Below you will find 1) the courses offered in Swedish as a foreign language at Hanken, and 2) courses in Elementary Finnish at Hanken. The Minor in the national languages of Finland consists of 25 ECTS in total.
Courses in Swedish as a foreign language
1) Courses in Swedish as a foreign language at Hanken:
5623-1A Swedish as a Foreign Language 1A - Svenska som främmande språk 1A (CEFR 0) (Helsinki) (2 ECTS)
This is a beginner’s course in Swedish. Exchange students and Master students are welcome! The language of instruction is English and partly Swedish.
Contact person: Katja Peltola
5623-1B Swedish as a Foreign Language 1B - Svenska som främmande språk 1B (CEFR A1) (Helsinki) (2 ECTS)
This is a beginner’s course in Swedish with target level CEFR A1. Exchange students and Master students are welcome! The language of instruction is English and partly Swedish.
Contact person: Katja Peltola
5623-1C-E Swedish as a Foreign Language 1C - Svenska som främmande språk 1C (CEFR 0) (Helsinki – Vaasa) (1 ECTS)
This is a beginner’s self-study course in Swedish pronunciation. Exchange students and Master students are welcome! The language of instruction is English and partly Swedish.
Contact person: Katja Peltola
5623-2A Swedish as a Foreign Language 2A - Svenska som främmande språk 2A (CEFR A1) (Helsinki) (2 ECTS)
This is a course in Swedish for students with some prior knowledge of Swedish. The languages of instruction are English and Swedish.
Contact person: Katja Peltola
5623-2B Swedish as a Foreign Language 2B - Svenska som främmande språk 2B (CEFR A2) (Helsinki) (2 ECTS)
This is a course in Swedish for students with some prior knowledge of Swedish, CEFR-level A1. The languages of instruction are English and Swedish.
Contact person: Katja Peltola
5623-2C Swedish as a Foreign Language 2C - Svenska som främmande språk 2C (CEFR A2) (Helsinki) (1 ECTS)
This is a repetition course of the basics in Swedish grammar. Exchange students and Master students are welcome! The language of instruction is English and partly Swedish.
Contact person: Katja Peltola
5623-3A Swedish as a Foreign Language 3A - Svenska som främmande språk 3A (CEFR A2) (Helsinki) (2 ECTS)
The course aims at higher fluency and more advanced use of Swedish in different work-life situations. The language of instruction is Swedish and partly English. The course is open to students with prior knowledge of Swedish, CEFR-level A2.
Contact person: Katja Peltola
5623-3B Swedish as a Foreign Language 3B - Svenska som främmande språk 3B (CEFR A2) (Helsinki) (2 ECTS)
The course aims at higher fluency and more advanced use of Swedish in different work-life situations. The language of instruction is Swedish and partly English. The course is open to students with prior knowledge of Swedish, CEFR-level A2.
Contact person: Katja Peltola
5623-3C Swedish as a Foreign Language 3C - Svenska som främmande språk 3C (CEFR A2) (Helsinki) (1 ECTS)
This is an online course in reading comprehension. Exchange students and Master students are welcome! The language of instruction is English and partly Swedish.
Contact person: Katja Peltola
5656 Swedish for Language Proficiency in Finland (CEFR B1) (Helsinki) (5 ECTS)
The course aims at higher fluency and more advanced use of Swedish. The course is open to students with prior knowledge of Swedish, CEFR-level A2.2. This course is also suitable for students from Finnish high school. By completing the course students who have received their secondary education in Finnish in Finland fulfil the requirements of proficiency in Swedish required of personnel in public bodies.
Before registering to the course, the student must pass the level test in Moodle. The test takes 30 minutes and can be completed at any time.
Contact person: Katja Peltola
5634 / 5634-V Each one teach one – Swedish (Helsinki) (2 ECTS)
The Each One Teach One course means that two native speakers of different languages (English, Finnish, French, German, Russian, Spanish or Swedish) meet informally to learn each other's language.
Contact person: Mari Huvitus
Courses in Elementary Finnish
2) Courses in Elementary Finnish at Hanken:
5712 Elementary Finnish 1A (Helsinki) (3 ECTS)
This is a beginner's course in Finnish. Exchange students and Master students are welcome! Target level of the course is CEFR A1.1.
Contact person: Johanna Haapala
5713 Elementary Finnish 1B (Helsinki) (3 ECTS)
The course builds on the most basic Finnish skills dealt with in the course Elementary Finnish I A (5712) or similar skills. Exchange students and Master students are welcome! Target level of the course is CEFR A1.2.
Contact person: Johanna Haapala
5711 Each one teach one - Finnish (Helsinki – Vaasa) (2 ECTS)
Each One Teach One course means that two native speakers of different languages (English, Finnish, French, German, Spanish or Swedish) meet informally to tearn each others´s language. The responsible teacher provides the students with a work scheme that they follow during the course.
Contact person: Johanna Dahlin
For further information about courses in Finnish at Aalto University, please visit this site.
Other options regarding the language as a minor
In addition to the Minor in the national languages of Finland, which consists of courses that comprise 25 ECTS in total of the above course offerings, there is also another minor called "Minor in Swedish Business Communication". This minor is primarily intended for degree students at Hanken, but the courses can also be taken separately and by non-degree students to some extent. Read more about this minor here. The Finnish Department has another minor, aimed at degree student at Hanken that is called "Finnish with Business Communication". Read more about this minor here. Please note, that the level of the courses for these minors is CEFR B2-C2.
Contact information
For further information about the minor in Swedish Business Communication, please contact the subject coordinator of Swedish Marina Bergström.
For further information about the Minor in the national languages of Finland, please contact Katja Peltola.
Contact information
Katja Peltola – Lecturer, svenska som främmande språk / Swedish as a foreign language
Marina Bergström – Lecturer, subject coordinator of Swedish