IB Pathways
The Lassi Kindergarten in the Tuiranpuisto park in Oulu.

University of Jyväskylä · Finland

Early Childhood Education

Research-based studies of childhood and early childhood education with supervised teaching practice, qualifying you as an early childhood teacher in Finland; Finnish is built into the degree.

Estormiz · CC0

Where
JyväskyläFinland
Degree
Bachelor of ArtsEducation
Length
3 years
Taught in
English
Starts
Autumn 2027
Apply by
21 January 2027
Admission
SelectiveTest score (SAT, ACT or similar) · 25 places
EU/EEA fee
Free
More facts
Degree
Bachelor of ArtsEducation
Length
3 years
Taught in
English
Starts
Autumn 2027

Deadlines

  1. 21 January 2027

    Joint application closes
    Hard deadline
    Details

    The national window, on Studyinfo.fi, closing at 15:00 Finnish time on 21 January. Six months before IB results, so you apply on predicted grades. Aalto, the University of Helsinki and LUT are not in it: each runs its own application (Aalto closes on 22 January, Helsinki's IB group on 23 March, LUT's rolling admission on 30 April). Åbo Akademi's bachelor's programmes are in the second joint application, in March.

    One form, maximum six programme choices. Opens 7 January 2027 at 08:00 and closes 21 January 2027 at 15:00 Finnish time (UTC+2). Studyinfo's own record of the joint application ("Joint Application to Higher Education, Spring 2027", run by the Finnish National Agency for Education) gives exactly that, and Tampere, Metropolia, Jamk, Xamk, Study in Finland, Jyväskylä, Turku, Oulu and Arcada agree. Aalto is not part of it: its English-taught bachelor's programmes have their own application on Studyinfo, open 7 January 08:00 to 22 January 2027 15:00. Both dates are right; they are two different applications.

    Source

  2. 28 January 2027

    Application attachments due
    Hard deadline
    Details

    One university's published date. Check your own programme's.

    Jyväskylä's attachment deadline, and also the deadline for English-proficiency proof and individual arrangements for the International UAS Exam.

    Source

  3. 1 April 2027

    IB predicted grades due on Studyinfo (time to be announced)
    Hard deadline
    Details

    Published by Jyväskylä as "Deadline for submitting predicted grades on to your online application form on Studyinfo.fi: 1 April 2027", with the exact time still to be announced. Turku set 31 March in the 2026 cycle — that is a date from a cycle that has already passed, kept here only as a warning that Turku runs a day earlier than Jyväskylä, and its 2027 date had not been published by September 2026. If Turku is on your list, assume 31 March until Turku says otherwise.

    Source
All dates for this programme (3 more)

  1. 7 January 2027

    Joint application opens
    DetailsSource

  2. 6 July 2027*

    IB results released
    DetailsSource

  3. 13 July 2027

    Official final IB grades due, and deadline to accept your place
    Hard deadline
    Details

    How a January application meets July results: offers are made on predicted grades and confirmed by the final ones.

    Jyväskylä's published date, comfortably after IB results are released in early July.

    Source

* Last year’s date, not yet confirmed.

Every date in Finland

What it is

The degree covers early childhood education pedagogy, with children's development and growth, play-based learning and cooperation with families at its centre. Finnish language studies are woven through the modules, so you learn in a functionally bilingual way and develop an understanding of bilingual and multilingual education in Finland. The approach draws on Finland's emphasis on supporting children's agency and participation. Graduates qualify as early childhood education and pre-primary teachers in Finland, and can continue to the master's programme in educational sciences for wider career options.

What you need

  • SAT (1100+) or ACT (22+) is needed to reach the online interview, 17–24 March 2027; IB grades are not used. Finnish is taught within the degree.
Requirements in full

Every IB applicant at University of Jyväskylä

Everyone must prove English, with no waivers: an IB Diploma completed in English, English A, or English B at 5 counts. Selection rules differ by programme and are in the Studyinfo criteria.

Where it says so

Its entry requirements

Check it on jyu.fi

How places are decided

    • Test score (SAT, ACT or similar)
    • Interview
    Ranked on SAT or ACT; about three to four times as many as there are places get an online interview, and the interview score decides.
Sources (3)
  1. Early Childhood Education at JYU — checked 2026-09-26
  2. Entry requirements
  3. IB applicants at JYU

Other degrees at JYU