Integrated (single-cycle) qualification
Eläinlääketieteen koulutusohjelma (eläinlääketieteen kandidaatti ja lisensiaatti)
Degree programme in veterinary medicine (Bachelor and Licentiate of Veterinary Medicine)
University of Helsinki · Faculty of Veterinary Medicine · Helsinki, Finland
- Official award
- Eläinlääketieteen kandidaatti (ELK) and eläinlääketieteen lisensiaatti (ELL)
- Pathway
- Veterinary medicineStated for Finland
- Format
- On campus180 + 180 opintopistettä, 3 + 3 vuotta
- Tuition
- Not published
About this program
Six-year Finnish/Swedish-taught veterinary programme at the University of Helsinki: a 3-year bachelor stage and a 3-year licentiate stage entered with one joint study right, including farm and slaughterhouse traineeships, a clinic year and a licentiate thesis.
Role the program prepares for: Licensed veterinarian; the licentiate also prepares for food hygiene and environmental health expert and supervisory tasks.
- Subject
- Veterinary medicine
- Department
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
- Awarding body
- Helsingin yliopisto
Qualification and professional pathway
Pathway is classified only from a statement on an official page. An award title such as DVM, BVSc, BSc or MSc does not decide it, and no degree, accreditation or listing by itself grants permission to practise anywhere.
- Degree level
- Integrated (single-cycle) qualificationA single-cycle qualification entered from secondary school that the national system treats as master’s-level. It is not forced into the bachelor’s or master’s lists: the official level and entry route are shown instead.
- Pathway
- Veterinary medicinePrograms the source describes as the academic and clinical qualification toward becoming a veterinarian in the stated jurisdiction. Registration or licensing normally requires further steps, and a qualification from one country does not guarantee registration in another.
- Why we classify it this way
- The programme page says the bachelor's and licentiate stages together form the training for the veterinarian profession and the licentiate leads to the degree qualifying for veterinarian practice; the bachelor alone does not qualify.“Pelkkä ELK-tutkinto ei pätevöitä eläinlääkärin tehtäviin.”Source
- Prior degree required
- No
- Further professional requirements
- At the end of the fifth year students can obtain a temporary licence to work as a substitute for a licensed veterinarian; the bachelor degree alone does not qualify for veterinarian tasksSource
| Route | Duration | Credits | Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry from secondary school | 180 + 180 opintopistettä, 3 + 3 vuotta | 360 | Qualification giving eligibility for higher education (e.g. Finnish matriculation examination); selection per criteria published on OpintopolkuSource |
Accreditation, evaluation and recognition
Recorded for this program and campus, with the authority’s role. Program accreditation, evaluation status, professional-body recognition, eligibility toward registration, institutional recognition, directory listings and memberships are different things; none of them is automatic permission to practise, and recognition in one country does not guarantee registration in another.
Verified in official recordEuropean Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education (EAEVE) - ESEVTProgram evaluation statusFull statusEU
Scope: Helsinki establishment, ESEVT status 'Accreditation' under SOP 2023; ECOVE decision May 2026; granted status February 2026 to February 2033; EAEVE full member
Further requirements: Interim reports due Feb. 2027, 2029, 2031
Study structure
- Delivery
- On campusTaught at the listed campus.
- Study mode
- Full-time
- Duration
- 180 + 180 opintopistettä, 3 + 3 vuotta
- Credits
- 360 Finnish opintopiste (ECTS-compatible)Credit systems differ between countries and institutions.
- Clinical components
- The fifth year is the clinic year with patient care at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital.
- Clinical placement
- Farm traineeship periods in the first two years and a slaughterhouse traineeship in the meat inspection studies.
- Placement language
- Clinical teaching at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital is offered in English only during the spring semester; in the autumn semester the language of instruction is Finnish/Swedish.
- Thesis or dissertation
- Licentiate thesis in veterinary medicine
- Intakes
- Autumn 2027
- Campus
- Helsinki (Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Veterinary Teaching Hospital)
Teaching language
- Taught in
- Finnish, Swedish
- English
- Not taught in EnglishAn English-language website does not mean a program is taught in English.
- Differences by campus or pathway
- Clinical teaching at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital is offered in English only in the spring semester (for exchange students); autumn teaching is in Finnish/Swedish.
Admissions
- Animal or veterinary experience
- Not published
- Interview
- Not published
- Previous qualification
- Qualification giving eligibility for higher education, e.g. Finnish matriculation examination
- Tests explicitly required
- In most application options selection is by matriculation certificate and/or an entrance exam; criteria published on Opintopolku
- Deadlines
- Next application period 9-23 March 2027 for studies starting in autumn 2027 · Autumn 2027
- Official instructions
- Application instructions
Fees and costs
Original currency is authoritative. Each price keeps its basis (per year, per credit, whole program), academic year and student category, and is never converted. Annual tuition and whole-program tuition are different figures.
The institution does not publish tuition for this program on the pages we checked. Ask for current fees, what they include and whether clinical or laboratory charges, equipment and protective clothing, travel, placement expenses and insurance are extra.
Sources and verification
Not published on the program’s source pages: tuition, animal or veterinary experience requirement.
Sources and how this was checked
Last checked 19 October 2026. Each fact carries a verbatim quote that is re-checked against the live page. Research methodology.
Sources (checked 19 October 2026)