Compulsory studies

Photo of a traditional wooden cup, kuksa, on top of a stack of books.

Major subject studies

Your major subject studies are the core of your degree. They form a large part of bachelor’s and master’s degree studies, and their scope depends on the degree. The scope of your major subject studies and the courses included in them can be found in the degree structure of your degree. Use the study guide to explore the contents and teaching methods of the studies.

Your major is determined either when you apply for a specific degree or later as your studies progress. In international programmes, students are directly selected into major subjects.

Degree structures

Peppi study guide

Explore the major subjects

Explore the major subjects at our university through the study search. In the study search, you can browse all the educational opportunities we offer and narrow your search by units or education types, for example. Each education card provides information about the focus areas of the degree and major and the career opportunities it offers, among other things.

Study programmes

Language and communication studies

Each bachelor’s degree at our university includes mandatory language and communication studies. Master’s studies might also include such studies. Please check the study requirements for language and communications studies from the degree structure of your degree.

At the University of Lapland, you can take a wide range of language and culture studies that support your degree and future working life.

Studies of your degree may include

  • Academic text skills
  • English
  • Speech communication
  • Swedish (in some cases)

Language, communication and culture studies can also be completed as elective minor subject studies. Read more about the contents, completion and credit transfers of language and communication studies from the Language Centre’s page.

If you have completed your school in another language than Finnish, it most likely affects the mandatory language studies of your degree. In such a case, please contact the Language Centre right at the beginning of your studies.

Sometimes language studies can make you feel nervous. The well-being services have compiled tips for studying languages: https://www.luchyvinvointi.fi/kielten-opiskelu/ (only in Finnish)

Language Centre

Methodology studies

All degrees at our university include mandatory methodology studies. These studies contain courses on scientific information retrieval, philosophy of science and art as well as research methods. The skills you acquire from these methodology studies will be deepened gradually as you progress in your major subject studies.

Multidisciplinary research methodology studies provide you e.g. knowledge on retrieving, handling and analysing information, support for conducting research and the readiness to work in expert roles. Methodology studies also help you understand the research process and help you read other people’s research analytically.

The methodology studies are scheduled to be completed at different stages in bachelor’s and master’s programmes depending on the faculty and degree programme. More detailed information can be found on the degree structure of your degree.

Scientific information retrieval

Information retrieval is an essential part of studying at a university. The Lapland University Consortium Library helps you with scientific information retrieval. The library also offers courses on information retrieval, which are mandatory in most of the degrees at our university. You will also learn to search for information on other courses and when you are writing theses.

Read more about support and courses on information retrieval from the library website and on the course descriptions of the following courses in the Peppi study guide:

  • TUTA0401 Tiedonhankinnan perusteet 0.5 ECTS
  • TUTA0401 Introduction to Information Retrieval 0.5 ECTS
  • TUTA0402 Tieteellinen tiedonhankinta 2 ECTS
  • TUTA0402 Scientific Information Retrieval 2 ECTS

Ask for advice!

Which studies are mandatory for me? Sometimes the structure of mandatory studies can be difficult to grasp. If you are unsure about something, please don’t hesitate to contact the Student Affairs Office of your faculty or the Head of Study Affairs. 

Heads of Study Affairs

Last updated: 16.10.2025