Professional Teacher Education

International Teacher Education for the Digital Era

Professional Teacher Education provides the pedagogical qualification for teaching your specific subject in Finland. Teaching, or rather, facilitating learning, is a challenging yet rewarding career choice for professionals from different fields of expertise.

We have lengthy experience, since 1994, in providing vocational teacher education studies in English. In addition to English language mediated studies, we also want to offer experiences in studying in hybrid learning environments (simultaneously face-to-face and online sessions).

Apply 8 - 22 January 2025
Adults co-working with laptops.
Product scope
60 ECTS credits
Annual intake
365
24 study places in international group
Application period
08.01.2025 - 22.01.2025
Degree
Professional Teacher
Field of study
Teaching and education
Study modes
Part-time studies
Starts
01.08.2025

Professional Teacher Education Studies

Our Professional Teacher Education programme consists of 60 credits (corresponding to one year of full-time study) and includes:

  • basic studies in educational sciences
  • vocational pedagogy studies
  • teaching practice
  • other studies

The curriculum of the professional teacher education programme is competence-based. Studies include practical training, participation in all learning sessions, self-directed learning, and working in a peer learning group of 4 - 5 students.

Studies will begin in June with online orientation. Subsequent sessions will be hybrid learning sessions in Jyväskylä and online, approximately 6 - 8 times per semester.

Learning sessions 2025 - 2026

More detailed dates of the learning sessions will be published on this page in the beginning of January 2025.

Learning sessions 2024 - 2025

  • 3 June 2024: info session (online)
  • 27 - 28 August 2024: face-to-face learning session in Jyväskylä
  • 4 September 2024: learning group (online)
  • 12 September 2024: hybrid learning session
  • 19 September 2024: learning group (online)
  • 9 October 2024: hybrid learning session
  • 31 October 2024: learning group (online)
  • 3 December 2024: hybrid learning session
  • 4 February 2025: learning group (online)
  • 11 March 2025: hybrid learning session
  • 2 April 2025: learning group (online)
  • 7 May 2025: hybrid learning session

Who can apply?

In most cases the eligibility to apply for teacher education studies can be obtained with:

  • a Bachelor's degree
  • a minimum of three years of professional work experience

In the field of Social Services and Health:

  • a UAS Bachelor’s degree and 5 years of work experience corresponding to the content of the degree OR
  • a Master’s degree and 3 years of professional work experience.

Applicants who seek qualification as general subject teachers are required to have a relevant Master’s degree.

Applying with a foreign degree? Please note!

The recognition of the degree as equivalent to a tertiary level degree completed in Finland must be attached to the application in the following cases:

  • You have completed the degree on which your eligibility is based outside the Nordic countries (Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland).
  • You have completed your tertiary level degree outside Finland in another Nordic country and the degree belongs to the field of social services and health, and/or
    • based on the degree, you are seeking qualification as a so-called general subject teacher, and/or
    • the degree is less than three years in scope, and/or
    • you are not a citizen of any of the Nordic countries.

The degree, with which you apply, must be formally recognized by the Finnish National Agency for Education or the Ministry of Education of Finland, and an official statement of recognition from one of these bodies must be attached with the application.

The requirement for general subject teachers in vocational education is in most cases a relevant Master’s degree. In the student selection process to Professional Teacher Education, applicants who have studied e.g. one of the following subjects as the major subject in their Master’s degree can be considered teachers of general subjects: languages, philosophy, psychology, literature, culture research, statistics, political science, law, math, physics, chemistry and health education.

Without copy of the decision, your application will not be considered.

How are the students selected?

The student selection procedure is based on a national admission point scoring system. The admission criteria can be found in the Studyinfo.fi -service.

The admission point scoring system is updated annually, which means that the acceptance scores are not comparable year-to-year.

Summarised overview of the admission points:

The love for learning and desire to help others grow have brought me to the teacher education studies.

Tatiana Juuso, Professional Teacher Education

See Tatiana's story

School of Professional Teacher Education

Jamk's School of Professional Teacher Education offers post-degree programmes for professionals from different fields of expertise, who aim for a career as a teacher or who wish to develop themselves as facilitators of learning.

Teacher Education and Educational Leadership

Expertise for the improvement of the quality of education: professional development programmes and development cooperation projects. Support stretching from school development to educational system reforms.

Innovative Learning

On this focus area Jamk develops, innovates, and researches work-oriented learning and pedagogical solutions that support it. We serve as your development and research partner in the work-oriented learning ecosystem!

Contact us

Jamk University of Applied Sciences

School of Professional Teacher Education

Rajakatu 35 E

40200 Jyväskylä, FINLAND

Tel. +358 20 743 8100

Staff emails form: [email protected]

Questions about the applications or the studies? Student Services email: opiskelijapalvelut.aokk(at)jamk.fi

Student services contact information

Katariina Jouhiaho

Opinto-ohjaaja, Study Counsellor
Opettajankoulutus, Teacher Education
Ammatillinen opettajakorkeakoulu, Professional Teacher Education
+358407525358

Henriikka Lahtinen

Opintoasiainkoordinaattori, Study Affairs Coordinator
Opettajankoulutus, Teacher Education
Ammatillinen opettajakorkeakoulu, Professional Teacher Education
+358407720598

Marika Salminen

Opintoasiainkoordinaattori, Study Affairs Coordinator
Opettajankoulutus, Teacher Education
Ammatillinen opettajakorkeakoulu, Professional Teacher Education
+358403515261