Language requirements of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences
All applicants to Bachelor and Master level degree programmes at the Faculty must prove their knowledge in the language in which they will be studying in one of they ways accepted by the Faculty (see below).
Applicants applying for English taught Master's Degree Programmes or Master's Degree studies in English on the basis of a degree from an ammattikorkeakoulu institution in Finland must also prove their proficiency in Finnish, since these applicants need to complete additional studies in addition to/in parallel with their Master level studies, and these Bachelor level courses are available only in Finnish.
The tables below indicate the language tests and other ways of indicating language skills (concerning both English and Finnish), which are accepted by the Faculty.
LANGUAGE TESTS
The testing sessions are given on the test organiser's web site. Applicants should remember to register several weeks before the testing date, since at certain times of the year testing sessions are very crowded due to a lot of application deadlines. Unfortunately it is not possible for the Faculty to extend deadlines because of testing sessions being full or not being available for some other reason. Nor can the Faculty accept test scores arriving after the deadline.
| Language proficiency test | Required minimum score | How submit the test results |
| ENGLISH | ||
| IELTS Academic (International English Language Testing Service) | Overall band score of 6.5, no individual scores below 5.5 | The University of Turku accepts test scores that are sent directly to University Admissions Finland (for those programmes to which applicants apply through University Admissions Finland) or the University of Turku from the testing centre, and also those test result sheets that are submitted as copies, if the results can be verified from the IELTS Test Report Form Verification Service. NB. the test results are available from the testing centres and from the IELTS Test Report Form Verification Service during two years from the test date. For the IELTS test, it usually takes 13 days for the result to be published after you have taken the test. |
| TOEFL iBT (Test of English as a Foreign Language, Internet Based Test) | 90 | The TOEFL reporting code (institution code) for University Admissions Finland is 3138, and for the University of Turku 9701. The TOEFL results must be sent directly to University Admissions Finland (for those programmes to which applicants apply through University Admissions Finland) or the University of Turku by the Educational Testing Service. Photocopies are not accepted. Note that the test results are available from the testing centres during two years from the test date. The score report reaches the University or UAF approximately three weeks after you have been informed about the test result. |
| TOEFL PBT (Test of English as a Foreign Language, Paper Based Test) | 575 | The TOEFL reporting code (institution code) for University Admissions Finland is 3138, and for the University of Turku 9701. The TOEFL results must be sent directly to University Admissions Finland (for those programmes to which applicants apply through University Admissions Finland) or the University of Turku by the Educational Testing Service. Photocopies are not accepted. Note that the test results are available from the testing centres during two years from the test date. The score report reaches the University or UAF approximately three weeks after you have been informed about the test result. |
| PTE (Pearson test of English)NB. Academic module only! | 62 | The results must arrive directly from the testing center to the University Admissions Finland. Therefore, once you receive your test score send it to University Admissions Finland from your PTE account. Choose Finland as the 'Country', 'University Admissions Finland' as the 'Institution' and click 'Search'. Then select the university you want to send your results to and confirm your order. After this, the UAF should have access to your test results within 48 hours. |
|
CAE (Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English) / CPE (Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English) |
Pass grades A, B, C | The application must include a copy of the original language certificate. The results will be verified from the test organiser. Include your Candidate's ID and secret code, if applicable (available for tests taken after 2005). Since the codes are available only for tests taken after 2005, older tests can not be accepted. |
| FINNISH | ||
| Yleinen kielitutkinto (National Certificate of Language Proficiency) | An average of at least 4,0 (for tests taken after Dec 2011) OR level 4 (on the scale 1-6 for tests taken from Jan 2002 to Nov 2011) OR level 5 (on the scale 1-9 for tests taken before the year 2002). NB! All parts of the test must have been taken. | The application must include a copy of the original language certificate. Information about the language test can be found from http://www.oph.fi/koulutus_ja_tutkinnot/kielitutkinnot |
| Valtiohallinnon kielitutkinto (Civil Service Language Proficiency Certificate) | Hyvä (good skills) | The application must include a copy of the original language certificate. Information about the language test can be found from http://www.oph.fi/koulutus_ja_tutkinnot/kielitutkinnot |
OTHER ACCEPTABLE WAYS OF INDICATING LANGUAGE SKILLS
If the applicant has chosen to prove his/her language skills in one of the ways indicated below, the application must allways include an officially certified copy of the school leaving certificate/examination certificate/transcript of study records indicating the completion of the education/examination in question.
Applicants, who have not completed a degree or passed an examination mentioned below must pass one of the language tests mentioned above. This concerns also e.g. those applicants, who have studied in English in a country which is not listed below. Please note that no exceptions can be done. The application requirements are applied to all applicants equally.
| ENGLISH | FINNISH |
|
Secondary education in English in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New Zealand, or the U.S.A.
English as the A language (i.e. mother tongue) as a part of IB (International Baccalaureate), or as the LI (i.e. mother tongue), or the LII (i.e. as the official language) as a part of EB (European Baccalaureate).
A Bachelor's (or higher) degree in English in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New Zealand, or the U.S.A.
A Bachelor's (or higher) degree from a university in Finland or a degree from an ammattikorkeakoulu institution in Finland, if the applicant has demonstrated language skills in the English language according to the requirements concerning foreign language studies in Bachelor's and polytechnic degrees in Finland. |
Comprehensive school in Finnish. Secondary education in Finnish. Finnish as mother tongue with a passing grade as a part of the Matriculation Examination. Finnish as the second language with the grade magna cum laude approbatur as a part of the Matriculation Examination. Finnish as the A language (i.e. mother tongue) as a part of IB (International Baccalaureate), as the LI language (i.e. mother tongue) as a part of EB (European Baccalaureate), or Finnish as a part of Reifeprüfung. Finnish with the minimum grade of good in a language test included in university degree studies, or university level language studies that indicate a good oral and written knowledge of Finnish (as the second domestic language). At a university, the minimum of 70 credits/ECTS (= 35 former credit units) or the grade cum laude approbatur in Finnish. Polytechnic (ammattikorkeakoulu) degree in Finnish. A Bachelor's degree in Finnish. A Master's degree in Finnish. A maturity examination at a university in Finnish. |