You will be able to study the diversity of wild and cultivated plants from the Arctic to the Tropics, as well as plant functions from the molecular level, such as ontogeny and regulation of growth and differentiation, to the ecosystem level.
Find the IPS programme structure in a compact form from the link.
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When you have graduated from the Master’s Programme in Integrative Plant Sciences you will have the current answers, based on cutting-edge research by our scientists, to these big questions, and more, such as:
You will also be able to:
The extent of the Master’s Programme in Integrative Plant Sciences is 120 credits (ECTS), to be completed in two years of full-time studies. The degree consists of:
The curriculum contains a personal study plan and it can contain career planning, transferable skill studies, exchange studies at another university, or an internship or apprenticeship period.
You study the diversity of wild and cultivated plants from the Arctic to the Tropics, as well as plant functions from the molecular level, such as ontogeny and regulation of growth and differentiation, to the ecosystem level. The topics (modules) include:
A personal tutor will help you tailor an individual study plan according to your aspirations and requirements.
English is the main teaching language. Because the programme is multilingual, you can take your examinations, write your thesis and fulfil other programme requirements in English, Finnish or Swedish.
The teaching is diverse, consisting of lectures, modern laboratory and computer courses, field courses, seminars and excursions. The curriculum is closely intertwined with research. You will be introduced to the research groups from the beginning of your studies, so you will swiftly become familiar with research methods as your studies progress. Much of the study material is in various digital learning platforms (such as Moodle), which allow distance learning.
Your advanced studies include joint courses and alternative study modules. With the choice of courses, you can deepen your expertise in particular areas of integrative plant sciences and tailor your degree towards your aspirations. A personal tutor will help you to tailor an individual study plan according to your interests and requirements.
Read more about IPS courses and study modules.
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Search the IPS courses also in the Courses page.
The University of Helsinki also offers Finnish courses for international students.
By completing your Master’s thesis (30 credits), you will show that you are:
A Master’s thesis project usually consists of four distinct phases:
Typically, the work is carried out in a research project in which you have a clearly defined and independent role. You must write the thesis yourself. Your work will be supervised by a person, such as a professor or a lecturer, who has a PhD in the same field of research and who knows the topic and the relevant courses well. Upon completing your Master’s project, you will understand how a research project proceeds, from planning the work to carrying it out and reporting the results.
International activities take many forms. You can choose from several options:
You can go on a student exchange to one of the Faculty’s or University’s partner institutions abroad. Numerous exchange options and programmes are offered both in Europe and farther afield. Further information about student exchange.
You can complete a traineeship abroad or in Finland in an international research group.
You can select English-language courses offered at the University of Helsinki (Master’s level studies and instruction are in any case primarily available in English).
You could serve as a tutor for international students. Further information about becoming a tutor.
You can become involved in the international activities of subject organisations or the University’s Student Union.
You can also improve your language skills and cultural knowledge by participating in the language courses of the University of Helsinki Language Centre.
International scope is a key benefit of the Integrative Plant Sciences programme. You will be encouraged and helped to seek exchange possibilities in international student exchange programmes with cooperating universities. In this way you will get new ideas, perspectives and personal contacts that may prove useful later in your working life or doctoral studies.
All of our research groups include numerous members from foreign countries. For example, the Plant Growth Dynamics lab collaborates in an international team consisting of scientists from Belgium, China, Finland, India, Japan and Spain. The unifying theme of this international team is to understand in a mechanistic detail how plants grow thicker. Thus you will do research in an international community and will be able to improve your skills in foreign languages, especially English, which is of primary importance in working life today.
You can also tutor international students or act in the student’s subject association or Student’s Union and get valuable experience of international and multicultural communities.
You can become a student in the Master’s Programme in Integrative Plant Sciences either a) from the relevant UH Bachelor's programmes or b) through a separate international admission process. A total of 40 students will be admitted through these two channels per year.
a) UH Bachelor's programmes (20 students)
Bachelor’s graduates from the following University of Helsinki Bachelor’s programmes can continue their studies in the Master’s Programme in Integrative Plant Sciences via a registration process in accordance with previously determined criteria and principles (in Finnish):
If there are more students than there are student places, the selection will be based on previous academic performance.
b) International admission process (20 students)
Bachelor's graduates from other University of Helsinki Bachelor’s programmes than those listed above as well as from other Finnish or International universities all over the world can apply to the Master’s Programme in Integrative Plant Sciences through a separate international admission process. In these cases, admission will be based on your previous academic performance, the applicability of your previous degree and motivation.
A multifaceted programme is only possible through the joint efforts of various parties. Therefore the teaching and research is carried out in cooperation with:
This ensures that you will have good prospects for jobs or apprenticeships.
The experimental greenhouses and outdoor fields on the Viikki campus are also used for teaching purposes. The five field stations in Finland owned by the University of Helsinki are a valuable asset and the venues for various field courses. Of the stations, Tvärminne Zoological Station is located on the southern coast, Lammi Biological Station and Hyytiälä Forestry Field Station in the southern Finland, and Värriö Subarctic Research Station and Kilpisjärvi Biological Station in Lapland, in the north of Finland. At the Taita Hills Research Station in Kenya, East Africa, you can have a completely different, once-in-a-lifetime learning experience.
After graduating from the Master’s Programme, you can apply for doctoral programmes in Finland or elsewhere. In Finland, the requirements for a doctoral degree are 40 credits plus a doctoral dissertation. Cooperation with Finnish and international institutions ensures excellent prospects for your successful doctoral studies.
The primary doctoral programmes at the University of Helsinki in this area of research are:
Other relevant doctoral programmes are:
Further information about doctoral education at the University of Helsinki.
What is it like to study in the Master’s Programme in Integrative Plant Sciences? What kind of career opportunities does the programme open? What is it like to live and study in Helsinki?
“Understanding how plants function helps us solve global challenges like global warming and extinction of certain plants”. In this article, Saija-Liisa, Zuzana Svarna and Favour Mba share their experiences about studying and teaching in the Integrative Plant Sciences master's programme.
"My studies in plant biology give me the opportunity to tackle global challenges". In this article, Quan Zhou and Skylar Burg tell about their experiences in the Master’s Programme in Integrative Plant Sciences.
The Master's Programme in Integrative Plant Sciences at the University of Helsinki gives the student the possibility to study plant sciences from all the relevant aspects. The ecology team is interested in a wide range of topics within ecology, including evolution and microevolutionary events such as adaptation to disease.
"We also have a really strong team looking at the molecular biology of plants," explains Professor Anna-Liisa Laine from the Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences.
The Master's Programme in Integrative Plant Sciences also has expertise and offers courses on applied aspects such as food production and plant breeding and biotechnology.
"So you can really get the viewpoint of just marvelling at the diversity of plants in nature, or of thinking of them as a tool we need to survive, as well as thinking at different hierarchical levels, from molecules to individuals to populations and then to global distributions of biodiversity. I think that's the real strength here," Anna-Liisa Laine continues.
Plants can also give a lot of information about other organisms, not just the plants themselves.
"We can really get a peek into the inner machinery that makes the cell function and makes cells function together. We can ask precise questions about all the processes that make life work," says research group leader Michael Wrzaczek.
Viikki Campus, just 20 minutes away from the Helsinki city centre, is the hub for Plant Science research and studies. In addition, the Master's Programme in Integrative Plant Sciences is closely connected with three different University of Helsinki field stations, from southern Finland all the way to the northernmost field station in Europe, in Kilpisjärvi, Lapland .
The University of Helsinki also has a field site in the tropics, in the Taita mountains, so students have the opportunity to study biodiversity and how the ecosystem is functioning in different parts of the world.
The international atmosphere of the Viikki Campus is reflected at all levels, from the undergraduate level to the level of researchers. International students are well integrated into the student community and Helsinki.
"This is a pretty exotic place for many coming outside Finland, but Helsinki is a well-proportioned city with a lot of urban city culture and events. The public transport functions well. And Viikki is a great base for students – this is the community we feel right at home in," says plant science student Mikko Jalo.
University of Helsinki field stations connected with plant science:
Student life and especially the student organisation culture is exceptionally rich and diverse in Finland. Also at the University of Helsinki, more than 250 student organisations operate within the Student Union of the University of Helsinki (HYY), ranging from faculty and subject organisations to political and societal organisations, and from choirs and orchestras to sports and game clubs. Their activities include anniversary celebrations, academic dinner parties, cultural events, get-togethers and excursions.
As a student and member of the Student Union (HYY), you are entitled to many benefits and services. For example, affordable student housing, low-cost sports services and student-priced meals. You also get numerous discounts, for example on public transport fees across the country.
Read more about student life, services and benefits when studying at the University of Helsinki.
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