Finland

• Membership in EQAR
  Finland has been a Governmental Member of EQAR since March 2015.

  Read more: all Governmental Members of EQAR

• General information on higher education

  The Finnish higher education system consists of universities and universities of applied sciences

• National external quality assurance requirements

  • Institutional audits
    have been implemented in Finland since 2005 and are compulsory for all HE institutions (every six years)

• Cross-border quality assurance

  In Finland under certain conditions higher education institutions may choose a suitable EQAR-registered agency.

  Generally yes, but based on a specific national regulations.

  • Eligibility requirements for foreign agencies: none

  • Conditions for the agencies’ work (e.g. criteria to be used): agencies must follow the Finish methodology (including the six main audit targets and four point scale criteria), see below the audit manual for the quality systems

  • Recognition of reviews carried out by foreign agencies: treated in the same way as the evaluations carried out by the national QA agency (FINEEC)

  Read more: countries where higher education institutions may choose a suitable EQAR-registered agency

• European Approach for Quality Assurance of Joint Programmes

  In Finland the European Approach is available to higher education institutions.

  Yes, due to “self-accrediting” status for their programmes, higher education institutions can employ the European Approach.

  Read more: countries where the European Approach is available to higher education institutions

• Further information

  • Audit manual for the quality systems of higher education institutions

  • University Act 558/2009 (in Finish)

  • ENIC NARIC

  • Finland - European Higher Education Area

  • Ministry responsible for higher education

  • Universities of Applied Sciences Act 932/2014 (Amendments up to 563/2016)

Registered agencies operating in Finland