The professional qualifications required to teach religion as the second teaching subject in comprehensive and upper secondary education can be obtained in two ways:
The professional qualifications required to teach religion as the first teaching subject in upper secondary education can be obtained in two ways:
The certificate of equivalence proves that the studies completed correspond to those required of subject teachers in comprehensive or upper secondary education. As a rule, the certificate is needed after graduation to apply for the pedagogical studies required of teachers or after completing studies in a new teaching subject.
The Faculty of Theology issues certificates of equivalence concerning the teaching subjects of Evangelical Lutheran religion and Catholic religion. The studies must be completed at the University of Helsinki’s Faculty of Theology.
For the certificate of equivalence, please contact theMetsätalo student services (metsatalo-student@helsinki.fi).
The fee for the certificate is €126. The fee is based on Government Decree No 1082/2009 concerning fees charged for university operations. The fee must be paid using an invoice sent retrospectively to the address indicated on the certificate request form. The certificate can be collected from the Faculty of Theology or, if requested, it can be mailed to the address indicated on the certificate request form. Postage and handling is charged at €3.
The certificate can be obtained at approximately two weeks’ notice (except during the summer and Christmas periods).
The qualifications required for a clerical post can be obtained by completing a Master of Theology, Licentiate of Theology or Doctor of Theology degree under the Government Decree on University Degrees.
The completed degree must include the following studies:
If the degree does not include all of the above studies, it must be supplemented accordingly.
Those who have completed, in accordance with Government Decree No 464/1998, an applicable second-cycle degree at a Finnish university or university of applied sciences can obtain the qualifications required for a clerical post by completing a Master of Theology, Licentiate of Theology or Doctor of Theology degree in accordance with the Government Decree on University Degrees.
The completed degree must include the following studies:
If the degree does not include all of the above studies, it must be supplemented accordingly.