Student Guide

Swedish

Sweden is one of Finland’s most important trading partners, and therefore Swedish proficiency is crucial in the world of work. In fact, the value of Swedish skills is second only to English, and the higher the position applied for, the greater the importance of Swedish in career advancement. The importance of Swedish in working life has risen still further due to increased Nordic integration. Additionally, public servants in positions requiring an academic degree and located in bilingual jurisdictions are required by law to possess the Swedish skills necessary for their field.

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Courses 2025–2026

All Aalto Schools

Swedish for International Students

LC-5771 Swedish for International Students 1A
LC-5772 Swedish for International Students 1B
Swedish as a Foreign Language 3 (provided by Hanken School of Economics)

Svenska som modersmål/skolutbildningsspråk eller motsvarande kunskaper

LC-5000 Kommunicera som expert (Swedish as mother tongue/language of secondary education or equivalent required)

15 credits in Swedish open a path to permanent residence

Please note an upcoming significant change in residence permit legislation: all those who have graduated from a Finnish university with Finnish or Swedish language skills now have easier access to the Finnish residence permit. As of 8 January 2026, applicants who have completed a master’s degree, a doctoral degree, or a university bachelor’s degree in Finland with a minimum of 15 credits in Finnish or Swedish language studies can obtain a permanent residence permit without having to meet the required period of residence in terms of years. You can find more information on the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) website.

Preliminary information: Starting from autumn semester 2026, as part of Aalto University’s new curriculum 2026–2028, Aalto University will offer a five-course Swedish for International Students study path (15 ECTS in total). Courses 1 and 2 are organised by the Aalto Language Centre and the Aalto Open University, and courses 3–5 by the Aalto Open University. The study path begins at beginner level and progresses to approximately B1.1 level, and the final course also provides general orientation to national language proficiency testing.

Updated: 5.2.2026
Published: 10.1.2023