Eligibility
Selection methods
Eligibility requirements
You can apply to the Master’s Programme in Societal Security if you meet the following criteria:
You have completed at least a first cycle (bachelor’s) degree at a higher education institution in Finland or abroad, or will do so by the deadline.
You have sufficient skills in Finnish, Swedish or English.
You have completed a sufficient amount of studies applicable to the master’s programme.
Admission
If you do not meet these criteria, you cannot apply through this application procedure.
1. You have completed a higher education degree providing eligibility for master’s studies
To apply through the master's admissions procedure, you must have completed, or will complete by the deadline, a higher education degree that provides eligibility for master's studies.
If the degree providing eligibility has been completed in Finland, the deadline is 31 July 2027.
If the degree providing eligibility has been completed outside Finland, the deadline is 31 August 2027.
You can apply even if your degree will not be completed during the application period. However, you must have completed a sufficient amount of studies applicable to the master’s programme by the application deadline. Studies completed after the application deadline will not be taken into account in the assessment of your application.
You can only be accepted if the degree you could complete with the study right you are applying for is sufficiently different in content from the degree you have already completed.
2. Sufficient skills in Finnish, Swedish or English
You must demonstrate sufficient skills in Finnish, Swedish or English at the application stage. For the methods of demonstrating your language skills, please see the University website.
3. Applicable studies
You can be admitted to the Master’s Programme in Societal Security if you have completed or will complete the following by the application deadline:
Studies having a scope of at least 35 credits and providing sufficient knowledge and skills in a scholarly field or a closely related field of your prospective study track within the master’s programme. The content and level of the studies must be applicable and appropriate for the master’s programme and its scholarly fields, providing sufficient knowledge and skills for master’s studies.
Economic Structures, Technological Change and Crises
Suitable disciplines include, in particular, social science history, development studies, economics, and science and technology studies (STS). In addition, studies in disciplines such as political science, organization research, public administration, world politics, international relations, sociology and anthropology are suitable, if previous studies include sufficient approaches and themes of this track. Studies in research methods related to the discipline are considered an advantage.
Democracy, Inequality and Societal Resilience
Suitable studies include studies in social sciences that emphasize the approaches and themes of this study track, in particular, the disciplines of social and public policy, sociology, criminology, consumer research, communication and media studies, political science, organization research and public administration. Studies in research methods related to the discipline are considered an advantage.
Global Conflicts, Development and Peace Processes
Suitable disciplines include world politics, international relations, and peace and conflict studies. In addition, studies in disciplines such as development studies, social and economic history, sociology and anthropology are suitable, provided that the applicant’s previous studies include a sufficient amount of approaches and themes related to peace and conflict studies. Studies in research methods related to the discipline are considered an advantage.
The applicability and sufficient scope of studies will be assessed after you submit your application. The University of Helsinki does not make preliminary assessments of the applicability of studies.
Selection of study track and language
Selecting the study track
You must indicate your prospective study track on the application form. You cannot change this selection after submitting your application.
The Master’s Programme in Societal Security offers three study tracks:
Economic Structures, Technological Change and Crises (17 new students)
Democracy, Inequality and Societal Resilience (17 new students)
Global Conflicts, Development and Peace Processes (16 new students)
The master’s programme can admit up to 50 new students. If the maximum number of students admitted to one of the study tracks is not reached, the other track can admit more students than the maximum number announced in advance, thus reaching the maximum number for the master’s programme.
Selecting the language of the degree
In the Master’s Programme in Societal Security, you can select Finnish, Swedish or English as the language of your degree. You will select the language on the application form. This selection is binding, and you must demonstrate your skills in the selected language.
In multilingual master’s programmes, teaching is provided mostly in English, but you can answer examination questions, complete any written coursework and write your master’s thesis in the language of your degree.
The Master’s Programme in Societal Security is a new multidisciplinary programme that examines security phenomena through political, social, historical and economic perspectives. You will learn to analyse and understand security responses and discourses, conflicts, and societal risks.