Application for professional specialisation education in pharmacy

On this page you will find information on how to apply and the admissions procedure. Please note that these guidelines apply to the Spring 2025 application period. The selection criteria for professional specialisation education are set annually.

Student admissions are carried out if there are at least five applicants who meet the eligibility criteria for the relevant specialisation programme.

Admissions are based on scoring. Scoring is not carried out unless competition occurs for student places on a programme.

Admitted applicants who have applied to the Specialisation Programme in Community Pharmacy and Hospital Pharmacy or the Specialisation Programme in Industrial Pharmacy for Bachelor of Science (Pharmacy) degree holders are granted a right to study for four years. Admitted applicants who have applied to the Specialisation Programme in Community Pharmacy and Hospital Pharmacy or the Specialisation Programme in Industrial Pharmacy for Master of Science (Pharmacy) degree holders are granted a right to study for five years.

The official decision on admissions is made by the dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy.

From 14 February 2025 at 8.00 to 30 April 2025 at 15.00 Finnish time

The right to complete professional specialisation education is applied for using an electronic form. Detailed instructions, the electronic application form and information on the necessary attachments are available on the website for specialisation programmes in pharmacy. 

Applicants who have a valid right to complete professional specialisation education and who wish to switch specialisation programmes must re-enter the admissions procedure. Such applicants must give up their old right to study when granted a new right to study. 

Students are admitted to specialisation programmes as follows:

Specialisation Programme in Community Pharmacy and Hospital Pharmacy

• 20 students, of whom up to 3 students to the specialist track in community pharmacy and hospital pharmacy

Specialisation Programme in Industrial Pharmacy

• 10 students

Eligibility criteria by specialisation:

Specialisation Programme in Community Pharmacy and Hospital Pharmacy

• Applicants must have a Finnish Bachelor or Master of Science (Pharmacy) degree, or a degree corresponding to one of these completed abroad.
• Applicants must be licensed as a pharmaceutical dispenser or pharmacist in Finland.
• The language of instruction in the programme is Finnish, and applicants require language skills sufficient for studying in the programme. Language skills are considered sufficient for anyone with a Finnish Bachelor or Master of Science (Pharmacy) degree. Others are required to demonstrate sufficient language skills. Language proficiency can be demonstrated by means accepted in the main admissions procedure for the Bachelor’s Programme in Pharmacy and the Master’s Programme in Pharmacy at the University of Helsinki.
• In addition, the following are required of applicants applying for the specialist study track in community pharmacy and hospital pharmacy:
  • The collaborating unit (e.g., department) and the supervisor recommend and support the application and the completion of the specialisation programme.
  • Selected specialisation: The specialisation must be possible in the current workplace or an existing collaborating organisation.
  • The applicant must be able to work in the specialist field for a total of two years during the studies.
  • The organisation must commit to the training by establishing a supervisory group (e.g., supervisor and specialist as well as nurse manager at the collaborating unit) with whom the studies are planned and monitored throughout the programme.

Specialisation Programme in Industrial Pharmacy

• Applicants must have a Finnish Bachelor or Master of Science (Pharmacy) degree, or a degree corresponding to one of these completed abroad.
• Applicants must have at least one year of work experience in positions relevant to the field in the pharmaceutical industry or in official activities related to the pharmaceutical industry either in Finland or abroad.
• At the beginning of the programme, students must be employed in positions relevant to the field in the pharmaceutical industry or in official activities related to the pharmaceutical industry either in Finland or abroad.

Specialisation Programme in Community Pharmacy and Hospital Pharmacy

• During the programme, students must have the opportunity to work or collaborate at a pharmacy, hospital pharmacy or other social welfare or healthcare unit in Finland or abroad for the acceptable completion of learning assignments.
   

A. Procedure

Applicants who meet the eligibility criteria are admitted to the specialisation programmes according to predetermined intake on the basis of a ranking by their overall scores. In the case of even scores, the applicants will be ranked on the basis of the points for item 1 in the scoring section. If applicants remain tied after this, they will be ranked on the basis of the points for item 2. If applicants remain tied after this, they will be ranked on the basis of the points for item 3. If applicants to the Specialisation Programme in Community Pharmacy and Hospital Pharmacy remain tied after this, they will be ranked on the basis of the points for item 4.

Eligible applicants can take part in the application procedure even if they lack qualifications that make them eligible for specific points. Scoring is not carried out if there is no competition for student places in the relevant programme, or if the number of applicants is equal to or fewer than the number of student places available.

B. Scoring

Applicants are expected to carefully calculate the exact score for their relevant qualifications in their application. The points are checked on the basis of the information given. All information presented for scoring must be proven with certificates. The attachments to be submitted with the application include a list of publications as well as certificates of education and training, elected positions and employment issued by the responsible parties.

Qualifications eligible for scoring are accepted up to the closing date of the application period, 30 April 2025.

Points are awarded for work experience as well as active self-improvement and publishing activities in the field as follows:

Community pharmacy and hospital pharmacy

1.    Work experience (up to 15 points)

• Work experience as a licensed pharmaceutical dispenser or pharmacist (1 point per year, up to 10 points)
• International work experience after graduating with a Bachelor of Science (Pharmacy) degree (1 points per month of work, up to 5 points)

2.    Training in support of specialisation in community pharmacy and hospital pharmacy (up to 15 points)

• Valid specialist qualifications in the field of pharmacy (5 points)
• Other continuing higher education (1 point per credit, up to 10 points) in the past five years
• Other continuing education (0.25 points per at least 6-hour study day or 6-hour module, up to 5 points) in the past five years 
• Serving as a trainer in higher education (0.25 per hour of training per topic, up to 5 points) in the past five years

3.    Scholarly activity in the past five years (up to 10 points)

• Refereed publications in a scholarly publication series (5 points per publication)
• Non-refereed professional publications (2 points per publication)
• Oral presentations at scholarly or professional seminars or conferences (1 point per presentation)
• Posters at scholarly or professional seminars or conferences (0.5 points per poster)
• Patents (5 points per patent)

4.    Elected positions in community and hospital pharmacy in the past five years (up to 6 points)

• Elected positions in national or international organisations in the field of pharmacy (1 points per year of serving in an elected position, up to 3 points)
• Elected positions in multiprofessional working groups in the social welfare and healthcare sector (1 points per year of serving in an elected position, up to 3 points)

Maximum points: 46

Industrial pharmacy

1.     Work experience in the field of specialisation, acquired following the year of work experience required for eligibility (up to 12 points)

• 2 points per calendar year, up to five years
• 1 point if the work experience is from 2 or 3 different organisations (different businesses or different departments or units of the same business), 2 points if the work experience is from at least 4 different organisations

2.     Continuing education and other completed studies applicable for credit transfer (e.g., courses offered by higher education institutions and universities, studies completed abroad and international courses) or serving as a trainer in higher education (up to 10 points)

• 1 point per completed credit in the past five years
• Serving as a trainer in higher education (0.25 per hour of training per topic in the past five years)

3.     Scholarly or professional publications and patents (up to 10 points)

• 2 points per publication in scholarly publication series
• Other professional publications, posters, presentations at professional conferences or patents, 1 point per publication or other

Maximum points: 32

The results will be published by 22 May 2025 at the latest. Applicants will be emailed the admissions results.

Admitted applicants will be offered a right to study specific to the relevant specialisation programme. The right to study will become valid on 1 August 2025. Study rights in the Specialisation Programme in Community Pharmacy and Hospital Pharmacy and the Specialisation Programme in Industrial Pharmacy for holders of a Bachelor of Science (Pharmacy) degree remain valid for four years. Study rights in the Specialisation Programme in Community Pharmacy and Hospital Pharmacy and the Specialisation Programme in Industrial Pharmacy for holders of a Master of Science (Pharmacy) degree remain valid for five years.

Applicants must accept the right to study in accordance with the instructions provided in the acceptance letter by the deadline. Neglecting to accept a student place by the deadline will result in the loss of the place.

Detailed information on the study right will be provided in the acceptance letter.

Documents to be submitted with the application must be attached to the electronic application form in PDF format and clearly named in accordance with the instructions provided on the website.

If attachments are in a language other than English, Finnish or Swedish, authorised translations into one of these languages are required. Translations must be either produced by the educational institute that originally awarded the document or by an authorised translator. Each page of authorised translations must bear the stamp and/or signature of the translator. Translations by applicants themselves are not accepted.

If applicants intend to refer to a certain document in the application process, they should submit the following attachments:

Specialisation Programme in Community Pharmacy and Hospital Pharmacy

• Degree certificate for the degree providing eligibility
• Certificate of language proficiency if the degree providing eligibility has been completed abroad. Language proficiency can be demonstrated by means accepted in the main admissions procedure for the Bachelor’s Programme in Pharmacy and the Master’s Programme in Pharmacy at the University of Helsinki (https://www.helsinki.fi/fi/hakeminen-ja-opetus/hae-kandi-ja-maisteriohj…, in Finnish only). 
• Any certificates the applicant uses as a basis for points in the application procedure
• Applicants to the specialist study track must submit a supporting statement from the collaborating unit (e.g., department) and the supervisor. The statement must indicate the following: 
  • Support for applying to and completing the programme from the collaborating unit and the supervisor
  • Specialisation in the chosen specialist field is possible in the current workplace or another collaborating organisation. 
  • The applicant must be able to work in the specialist field for a total of two years during the studies.
  • The organisation commits to the training by establishing a supervisory group (e.g., supervisor and specialist as well as nurse manager at the collaborating unit) with whom the studies are planned and monitored throughout the programme.

Applicants’ rights to practice as a licensed pharmaceutical dispenser or pharmacist in Finland will be verified in central register of social welfare and healthcare professionals. No separate certificate of licensing is required.

Specialisation Programme in Industrial Pharmacy 

• Degree certificate for the degree providing eligibility
• Employment certificates providing eligibility. The certificates must be signed by the employer’s representative by hand or digitally. 
• Certificate of current employment providing eligibility. The certificate must be signed by the employer’s representative by hand or digitally.
• Any certificates the applicant uses as a basis for points in the application procedure

Upon request, applicants must present the certificates and other documents which they have used as the basis of their applications. If an applicant fails to present relevant documents in accordance with the University guidelines by the deadline, their study right will be revoked.

Applicants for admission may submit a request for administrative review of an admissions decision within 14 days of the announcement of the admissions results (section 82 of the Universities Act 558/2009). Requests for administrative review must be submitted to the steering group for professional specialisation education in pharmacy at the University of Helsinki. For detailed instructions on submitting requests for administrative review, see the website for specialisation programmes in pharmacy.

Admissions criteria for professional specialisation education in pharmacy 1.1.-31.12.2025 (in PDF-format)