As a degree student of University of Turku, you can complete a part of your degree abroad. During your studies you can participate in an exchange program or an internship abroad and gain useful international experience.
- Student exchange gives you a great opportunity to see and experience the world.
- The experience will develop your language skills, and understanding of other cultures, as well as giving a new perspective to your own culture.
- You can create valuable friendships and networks across the world.
- During your exchange studies you will gain credits for your degree, as well as practical skills for working life.
- During your exchange your problem-solving skills will improve, you’ll learn to endure uncertainty, get through difficult situations, and learn to see the world from different perspectives.
- Studies show exchange programs are useful after graduation as well. A study by the Finnish National Agency of Education and Demos Helsinki (2012) shows that many recruiting employers appreciate traits gained from international experiences. These traits include empathy, confidence, reliability, and curiosity about new things.
During your studies you can go on student exchange when it suits you best. For many, that will be the third or fourth year of studies. If you are a PhD student or if you have started your studies at the University of Turku in a master degree level, it is enough to have one semester's worth of degree studies done at the University of Turku before leaving for an exchange.
The duration of exchange studies can vary from a whole academic year to a semester or even to a few weeks.
You can go on student exchange multiple times during your studies.
University of Turku has several application periods throughout the year. The International Office is here to assist you in the application process.
- First the student applies for an exchange in the application system of University of Turku.
- The student is nominated to the host university.
- The student applies to the host university according to their instructions.
- Some additional forms such as learning agreement are filled in to support the process.
There are multiple exchange programs to apply to. All exchanges include a grant.
University of Turku has almost 400 partner universities all across the world!
You can read more about the exchange destinations in the SOLEMove system. Choose University of Turku from the drop-down menu, and then Exchange Destinations Abroad and Feedback on the top bar. Using the Advanced Search -function, you can filter exchange destinations by different criteria.
International skills can be improved in many ways during your studies at the University of Turku. Some options include an internship abroad, or you can tutor the incoming exchange students here in Turku.
You can ask more about exchange studies from our International Office by emailing outgoing@utu.fi. We are happy to assist!
If you are already studying at University of Turku, read more about exchange studies here in our Intranet page.
