Finnish and East European Studies

Finnish is a member of the Uralic language family, related to Estonian and Hungarian but otherwise unlike any of the Indo-European languages of Western Europe. It is spoken by around five million people in Finland and has a distinct literary and cultural tradition that reaches from the ancient oral poetry of the Kalevala to contemporary Finnish literature, cinema and design. East European studies, as a complement to Finnish, opens perspectives on a region of considerable political, historical and cultural complexity, encompassing the post-Soviet states, the Baltic republics and the broader context of Central and Eastern European societies in transition.

At University College London, this four-year full-time programme offers the opportunity to gain excellent language skills and a profound knowledge of Finnish culture, history, society and literature. UCL's School of Slavonic and East European Studies is one of the leading centres for the study of this region in the world, and the combination of Finnish with East European studies gives you a rare linguistic and area studies expertise that prepares you for careers across Europe and beyond. You will develop your Finnish language ability from your current level towards advanced proficiency, engaging with Finnish literature and culture in their historical and contemporary dimensions, alongside broad study of East European history, politics and society.

Graduates go on to careers in diplomacy, international organisations, the European Union and its institutions, international business, journalism, translation and interpreting, research, government, intelligence, education and the cultural sector. The rarity of Finnish language skills, combined with area expertise in a strategically significant part of Europe, makes graduates particularly valued in contexts requiring genuine regional knowledge. Further study in Finnish, East European studies, linguistics or area studies is a natural progression for those who want to deepen their expertise or pursue academic careers.