Finnish

Finskt insjölandskap
This page contains information about the Finnish education at Hanken.

Welcome to the Finnish department!

Klikkaa tästä siirtyäksesi suomen kielen yksikön sivuille.

Did you know that knowledge of Finnish is essential for jobs in business and in the public sector in Finland? As a Hanken student, you are expected to have both written and verbal communication skills in Finnish. You are also expected to have sector-specific language skills in your work as an expert. A good understanding of Finnish also has a positive impact on the well-being of the workplace.

With your sector-specific competence in Finnish, you can create networks within companies and between companies, as the internal and common language usually is Finnish in most companies in our country, despite the fact that English has gained ground. 

At Hanken, you have a unique opportunity to learn Finnish with Business Communication at your own level, with competent teachers who care about your progress and competence.

Illustration - en hand lägger till en pusselbit till ett pussel

Kieli on avain yhteiskuntaan, kieli on avain yritystoimintaan, kieli on avain kulttuuriin, kieli on avain yhteisöllisyyteen ja tulevaisuuden oppimiseen.

Studies in Finnish

The main goal of the Finnish teaching is to provide Hanken's future Economists with versatile written and verbal communication skills, to enable communication in Finnish-speaking and bilingual business environments and in the general social sector. Sector-specific knowledge is important and you should be familiar with the terminology of your subject in Finnish.

After completing compulsory studies in Finnish, you will meet the language requirements defined in the Finnish legal framework. 

Hanken offers compulsory courses in both verbal and written Business Communication in Finnish. Compulsory studies in Finnish comprise 6 ECTS. The courses are offered at three different levels according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR): at B-level, C-level and native language level. The grade specifies whether you have completed the course with a satisfactory or good knowledge of Finnish according to the requirements of the Finnish legal framework in languages. Read more about the national languages in the Bachelor's degree here.

Please note that the compulsory courses in Finnish are meant for graduate students only. You can find courses aimed for non-degree students below, under the headline "Courses offered for students from outside Hanken".

The CEFR levels

To start you Finnish studies at B level, you must have the prior knowledge equivalent of B1 level in the Finnish Matriculation Examination or in corresponding academic degree. This means that you should have at least Cum laude aprobatur in Finnish (A-Finnish) in the Finnish Matriculation Examination or at least Magna cum laude in B-Finnish in the Matriculation Examination. 

If you do not meet this level, we will refer you to a preparatory course in Finnish grammar and language management before you can start the course. This preparatory course is compulsory before you can start your sector-specific compulsory studies in Finnish. The preparatory course is worth 2 ECTS and can be transferred to eligible studies. The course is called Kieliopin kertauskurssi and has the course code 5729.

If you have never studied Finnish before, or if you have studied Finnish at a lower level than B1.2 according to the CEFR scale, you can apply for an exemption from the compulsory Finnish courses. In this case, please contact the study office or the subject coordinator of Finnish who will guide you through the process. The link to the exemption application can be found under Language-specific information below.  

Even if you are granted an exemption, you still need to complete a total of 24 credits of language studies.

To start C-level studies in Finnish, you should have prior knowledge equivalent to B2 level in the Finnish Matriculation Examination or in corresponding academic degree. This means that you should have at least Eximia in A-Finnish in the Finnish Matriculation Examination. If you do not meet this level, we will refer you to the corresponding course at B level. A course at C level is only open to students with Laudatur or Eximia credentials in A-Finnish in the Matriculation Examination. Students who have studied B-Finnish studies cannot choose a C-level course.

If you are a student from a Finnish-speaking upper secondary school (=school language is Finnish) or if you consider yourself to be more Finnish-speaking than Swedish-speaking, while your Finnish Matriculation Examination result in the other national language is Laudatur, you choose the compulsory courses marked with "äidinkieli"; Kirjallinen yritysviestinä äidinkieli, Suullinen yritysviestintä äidinkieli. These compulsory courses end with the code 3; 5715-3, 5716-3.

If you choose to study Finnish as a minor, you will be assessed in the advanced courses according to your native language.

If your school language is Finnish, you will write your maturity test in Finnish.

Finnish as a minor

It is possible to study Finnish with Business Communication as a minor at Hanken within your degree. The minor consists of elective modules up to 25 ECTS. At Bachelor's level, the compulsory courses in Finnish should also be included in this minor. At Master's level, these compulsory courses are not considered if you have already included them in your Bachelor's degree.

In consultation with the subject coordinator of Finnish, you can also plan courses from other universities in Finland into your minor. A minor in Finnish may also include studies in communication and media, literature, translation studies and interpretation, as well as in-depth courses in verbal communication. Read more about studying Finnish as a minor here.

Courses offered in Finnish

The Finnish department offers different types of courses. Under the drop-down menu below you will find the Finnish courses offered for each group. You can also see whether the courses are available in Helsinki, Vaasa or at both locations.

According to Hanken's Teaching Awards system, courses that have received top evaluations from students are noted annually. These are courses that have at least 4 in average on all three questions included in the evaluation form, and at least 35% response rate on the evaluation. These courses are mentioned in Sisu. By entering the course code in the search field in Sisu, you can read more about the course and see whether it has received top evaluations.

The following compulsory courses in Finnish business language, written and oral communication in Finnish are given. The courses are identical in Vaasa and Helsinki.

Compulsory courses in Finnish: 

5715-1 Written Business Communication B in Finnish (entry level according to CEFR B1) (3 ECTS)

5715-2 Written Business Communication C in Finnish (CEFR B2-C1) (3 ECTS)

5715-3 Business Communication in Finnish (Finnish as native language) (CEFR C2, Laudatur in A-Finnish in the Finnish Matriculation Examination or Matriculation Examination in Finnish from a Finnish upper secondary school) (3 ECTS)

5716-1 Oral Business Communication B in Finnish (entry level according to CEFR B1) (3 ECTS)

5716-2 Oral Business Communication C in Finnish (CEFR B2-C1) (3 ECTS)

5716-3 Oral Business Communication in Finnish (Finnish as native language) (CEFR C2, Laudatur in A-Finnish in the Finnish Matriculation Examination or Matriculation Examination in Finnish from a Finnish upper secondary school) (3 ECTS)

In addition to the compulsory courses in Finnish, the following subject courses in Finnish are offered, which together or separately can form a minor in Finnish.

Subject courses in Finnish:

5729 Finnish Grammar (Helsinki – Vaasa) (2 ECTS)

The course is a catch-up course for students who have a lower Matriculation Examination result in Finnish than Cum laude aprobratur in A-Finnish or Magna cum laude in B-Finnish.

Contact person: Johanna Dahlin.

5724 Advanced course in Business Finnish (CEFR B2-C2 ) (Helsinki – Vaasa) (2-6 ECTS)

The course is an advanced online course. As a Bachelor student, the course requires completion of the compulsory courses in Finnish. Master's students can choose the course as a separate language course or as a course within the minor Finnish with Business Communication. The course consists of modules where the student chooses the modules and the number of credits he/she wants to complete (2-6 ECTS).

Contact person: Marit Nilsson-Väre

”Opin tämän kurssin aikana viestinnästä selkeän case-esimerkin kautta. Teorian ja empiiristen havaintojen yhdistäminen mielenkiintoisen yrityksen yhteydessä on ollut todella opettavaista ja tällainen kiireetön tutustuminen aiheeseen on ollut miellyttävä kokemus.”

”Pidin tehtävien erilaisuudesta.”

5741 Business Communication in Finnish (CEFR B2-C1) (Helsinki – Vaasa) (5 ECTS)

The course is an advanced course in Finnish for both Master's and Bachelor's students, which you can choose as an optional course or as a course within the minor Finnish with Business Communication. The course has 5 spots for Joo students or external students. The course is given every two years.

Contact person: Johanna Dahlin

”Koko kurssi oli menestys!”

”Blogin kirjoittaminen sopi minulle oppimismuotona mainiosti!”

5743 Image-building and Stakeholder Communication (CEFR C1) (Helsinki – Vaasa) (5 ECTS)

The course is an interdisciplinary course in Finnish, with a focus on marketing communication and can be taken as an optional advanced course in Finnish or as a course within the minor Finnish with Business Communication. The course has 5 spots for Joo students or external students. The course is given every two years.

Contact person: Marit Nilsson-Väre

”Luennoilla meillä oli mielestäni erittäin mielenkiintoisia keskusteluita ryhmien omista esityksistä. Nämä esitykset olivat ryhmien palautuksia ja työt käsittelivät sitä, miten miellämme henkilöbrändäyksen, tuotekuvamarkkinoinnin, mielikuvamarkkinoinnin, kestävän kehityksen ja sidosryhmäviestinnän.”

”Mahtavaa, että meillä on ollut niin mielenkiintoisia vieraita kurssin aikana!”

5744 Rhetoric and Argumentation in Business Communication (CEFR C1) (Helsinki – Vaasa) (5 ECTS)

The course is an advanced course in Finnish, an online course for both Master's and Bachelor's students, which can be chosen as an optional course or as a course within the minor Finnish with Business Communication. The course has 5 spots for Joo students or external students. The course is given every two years.

Contact person: Anna Del Gaudio

”Intressant kursuppgift tillsammans med LähiTapiola samt intressanta lektioner.” 

5750 Meetings and Negotiations Skills (Helsinki – Vaasa) (CEFR B2-C1) (3 ECTS)

The course in advanced meeting and negotiation techniques is offered in Finnish at Bachelor's and/or Master's level and can be chosen as an optional course or as a course within the minor Finnish with Business Communication. The course has 5 spots for Joo students or external students. The course is given every two years.

Contact person: Marit Nilsson-Väre

5650 Meeting Techniques (Helsinki – Vaasa) (3 ECTS)

The course is a bilingual meeting technique course, which is organized between the Finnish and the Swedish department at Hanken. This is a course that is held annually and  an in-depth course at Bachelor's or Master's level. It can be chosen as an optional course or as a course within the minor in Swedish. More information at the Swedish department.

Contact person: Anna Del Gaudio

”Det här var en rolig och givande kurs. Tack!”

In addition to the above-mentioned courses, the following courses are organised for foreign students or students with knowledge of Finnish below B1 level. 

Courses organised for foreign students or students with knowledge of Finnish below B1 level:

5711 Each one teach one - Finnish (Helsinki – Vaasa) (2 ECTS)
The course is an optional course given as a tandem course within Finnish and the other languages.

Contact person: Marit Nilsson-Väre

5712 Elementary Finnish 1 A (CEFR A1.1.) (Helsinki) (3 ECTS) 

This is a beginner's course in Finnish for exchange students and master students. Target level of the course is CEFR A1.1. 

Contact person: Johanna Haapala

5713 Elementary Finnish 1 B (CEFR A1.2.) (Helsinki) (3 ECTS) 

This course builds on the most basic Finnish skills dealt with in the course Elementary Finnish I A (5712) or similar skills. This course is for exchange students and master students. Target level of the course is CEFR A1.2.

Contact person: Johanna Haapala

The Finnish department also offers courses that are run in cooperation with other colleges/universities or that deviate in other ways from our usual offerings.

The following courses belong to this group:

Finnish for Ålanders - Arcada (5 ECTS)

Ålanders are exempted from the compulsory courses at Hanken and can instead choose the Finnish course Finska på nivå A1-A2 (5 ECTS) offered by Arcada University of Applied Sciences in Helsinki. The course is also suitable for students from Sweden who already know some Finnish. The language of instruction is Swedish. Read more about the course in the attached files. 

The course starts on Monday 26.9.2022. Application is done through the attached file below: Anmälningsblankett.

Contact person: Further information about the course is available from the course teacher Ulrika Rancken, ulrika.rancken@arcada.fi.

 

5733-V Working Life Tandem (University of Vaasa – Hanken) (3 ECTS) 

The course is an optional sector-specific language course for Swedish-speaking students at Hanken in Vaasa and for Finnish-speaking Economics students at the University of Vaasa. The course is organised by the University of Vaasa as a collaborative course between all higher education institutions in Vaasa.

Contact person: Johanna Dahlin. 

 

5747-E Finnish in Everyday Life (Helsinki – Vaasa) (2 ECTS) 

This course is a preparatory course for sector-specific Finnish at an A2 level, primarily intended for students who have not studied Finnish in upper secondary school or who come from the Åland Islands, that is to say students who want to improve their Finnish language skills before starting compulsory Finnish language courses. 

For Hanken students from the mainland, the course does not replace the compulsory Finnish courses, but it does for students from the Åland Islands who have obtained a Finnish exemption. 

The course will not be offered during the academic year 2022-2023, but is planned to be offered from 2023 onwards, possibly as a collaborative course between higher education institutions in the Helsinki region.

Contact person: Marit Nilsson-Väre

 

5748-E Visualizing your Professional Skill and Expert Brand (2 ECTS) 

This course is an online course for students of Economics and is organised by Ekonomförbundet in Finland. The course is offered a few times a year. More information about the course can be found at this link

If you are interested in the course, please register for the course via this registration link, but you should also contact the subject coordinator of Finnish Marit Nilsson-Väre, marit.nilsson-vare@hanken.fi or the study office to get the course included in your study plan. 

This course can also be taken as part of the minor in Finnish with Business Communication.

Contact person: Marit Nilsson-Väre

 

5745 Cross-border regional development and planning in the Kvarken area – Hanken (Vaasa) – Umeå University (15 ECTS)

This course is a collaborative course between Umeå University (Department of Cultural Geography) and Hanken School of Economics in Vaasa, and consists of three modules:

1) 5745-1 Cross-border business - Enterprises and marketing, challenges and possibilities (5 ECTS) 

Contact person: Peter Björk (Head of department, Professor of Marketing) 

 
2) 5745-2 Cross-border perspectives on planning and development work (5 ECTS) 

Contact persons:

Örjan Pettersson (Director of Studies, Senior Lecturer in Cultural Geography, Umeå University) 

Olof Stjernström (former Senior Lecturer in Cultural Geography at Umeå University, now Professor at Norduniversitetet in Norway, Faculty of Social Sciences) 

 
3) 5745-3 Communication within organizations in the Kvarken regions (5 ECTS) 

Marit Nilsson-Väre (lecturer in Finnish) 

The course has been organized 3 times, in spring 2020, spring 2021 and spring 2022. About 20-30 students from both Umeå University and Hanken School of Economics are accepted to the course, but also from other universities and colleges in the Kvarken region. The course has prerequisites that are taken into account in the admission process. The language of instruction is Swedish. The course is planned for the spring term 2023, but is dependent on external funding to be organized. See the attached file below for more information. You can also read more about the course here.

Contact person: Marit Nilsson-Väre, marit.nilsson-vare@hanken.fi

Courses offered for non-degree students

Non-degree students cannot attend our compulsory Finnish courses due to lack of resources. Nevertheless, the advanced courses Yhteisöviestintä, Profilointi ja sidosryhmäviestintä, Retoriikka ja argumentaatio yritysviestinnässä and Kokous- ja neuvottelutaito are available to non-degree students, provided that the prerequisites of the courses are met.

This also applies to the courses Each one teach one, Elementary Finnish 1 A and 1B and the interdisciplinary advanced course organized jointly with Umeå University; Cross-border Regional Development and Planning in the Kvarken area.

You can read more about these courses by opening up the menu below. For registration to these courses, please contact the teacher responsible for the course or the subject coordinator of Finnish if you wish to register. Further down this page you will find contact details. You can also apply for the right to take individual courses here.

Courses to which external students can apply to. 

 

Courses to which external students can apply to:

5741-E Business Communication in Finnish (Helsinki – Vaasa) (5 ECTS)

5743 Image-building and Stakeholder Communication (Helsinki – Vaasa) (5 ECTS)

5744-E Rhetoric and Argumentation in Business Communication (Helsinki – Vaasa) (5 ECTS)

5750 Meetings and Negotiations Skills (Helsinki – Vaasa) (3 ECTS)

5650 Meeting Techniques (Helsinki – Vaasa) (3 ECTS)

5711 Each one teach one - Finnish (Helsinki – Vaasa) (2 ECTS)

5712 Elementary Finnish 1A (Helsinki) (3 ECTS)

5713 Elementary Finnish 1B (Helsinki) (3 ECTS)

5745 Cross-border regional development and planning in the Kvarken area – Hanken (Vaasa) – Umeå University (15 ECTS)

Search function in Sisu

This page presents the search function in Sisu and how it works. You can find the study sections in Finnish by using the filter Organisation and then selecting "Finnish, Helsinki" or "Finnish, Vaasa". By using the search function in Sisu, you can independently read more about the Finnish courses offered.

Language-specific information

Below you will find information that is important to know when studying Finnish.

Bachelor students who have studied at a school in Finland in Finnish take a maturity test in Finnish in addition to a maturity test in Swedish. The Finnish maturity tests are examined by the teachers within the Finnish Department. If you have any questions, please contact your current Finnish teacher or the subject coordinator of Finnish.

More information about the maturity test.

According to the law, Finnish is a compulsory subject at Hanken for Finnish students from the mainland, when it comes to higher education degrees in Finland. This does not apply to the same extent to students from the Åland Islands, who have the right to apply for exemption from compulsory Finnish studies. However, in some cases exemption can be granted to everyone, if for some reason you have not studied Finnish before in your undergraduate degree.

If you are not familiar with the rules concerning exemptions or are unsure about your own situation, please contact Marit Nilsson-Väre, who is the subject coordinator of Finnish. She will guide you in the matter. She is responsible for exemptions and will either approve or reject them. The final decision is then made by the Rector's Office.

You can apply for an exemption via this link.

If you have a university degree from another university and already have the statutory Finnish part of your grade, but lack the sector-specific part, please contact the subject coordinator of Finnish for completion of your grade.

Contact information

For further information or if you have any questions, please contact Marit Nilsson-Väre, subject coordinator of Finnish.

You can also find us on the fifth floor in Hanken's building in Helsinki and on the third floor in Hanken's building in Vaasa.

Marit Nilsson-Väre – Lecturer, subject coordinator of Finnish 

Johanna Haapala – Lecturer 

Anna Del Gaudio – Lecturer – On leave autumn 2022

Johanna Dahlin – t.f. Lecturer – Room 333 in Vaasa and 507 in Helsinki

Ann-Marie Åkers – Teacher (hourly-paid)

Anna Wallin – Teacher (hourly-paid)

picture
Marit Nilsson-Väre
picture
Johanna Haapala
picture
Johanna Dahlin
picture
Anna Del Gaudio
picture
Anna Wallin

Projects and publications within the Finnish department

Research is conducted in the Finnish department. Exciting research projects are ongoing and research is also conducted by researchers representing the Finnish language. Read more about research in the Language Centre here.

Research projects

Follow the links below to read more about current research projects within the Finnish department.

Researchers within the Finnish department

The links below will take you to the Finnish researchers' profiles on Hanken's Research Portal HARIS, where Hanken's research output and intellectual resources are collected and presented. In HARIS you can search and browse publications, activities and current projects for all researchers and languages. 

Read more!

If you are interested and want to read more about Finnish, follow the links below for more in-depth information.