Erasmus+ and Swiss-European Mobility exchange agreements at the Faculty of Arts

By selecting a degree programme you are able to see the general content as well as the possible degree programme-specific content. You do not have to select a degree programme to see the Open University's instructions.

On this page, you can find a list of Erasmus+ and Swiss-European Mobility student exchange agreements for the degree students at the Faculty of Arts.

You can apply for student exchange via university-wide or Faculty-wide Erasmus+ or Swiss Mobility agreements or via your own study track’s Erasmus+ agreements.   

In university-wide and Faculty-wide agreements, you can take courses in your own major or, for example, complete an Optional Study Module Abroad. If the agreement is your own study track’s agreement, you need to take courses in the discipline of the study track at the exchange destination.   

Please note that you can take courses which are restricted modules at the University of Helsinki (i.e. history, English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Russian) at your exchange destination only if you have already have a study right to the discipline at the University of Helsinki either as a major or on the basis of an optional studies exam.
  
Starting from academic year 2022-2023, majority of applicants from the Faculty of Arts will apply via university-wide or Faculty-wide agreements. Study track agreements are established in addition to university-wide or Faculty-wide agreements when there is a need for additional exchange opportunities in, for example, foreign languages.   

Information on this page is intended for degree students at the University of Helsinki. If you are looking for information about exchange agreements for incoming students to the University of Helsinki, please see the end of this page.  

Exchange agreements listed on this page are available for Bachelor’s and Master’s level students with the exception of some exchange destinations in the United Kingdom which only accept Bachelor's level students.  

Number of exchange semesters for each agreement mean that in agreements which have 4 exchange semester places, it is possible to select either 4 students for a term or 2 students for an academic year.   

Faculty-wide agreements

In order to see these options available to all students at the Faculty of Arts on the application form, choose Faculty of Arts under "Data concerning the stay abroad" and the country of destination.

If you want to apply for places offered by another faculty (for example in philosophy), you must make a separate application form (for Faculty of Social Sciences on MA level).  

NOTE: Destinations marked with * are not available on the supplementary application round in September 2025.  

AUSTRIA

Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz

  • Language requirement: English B2 (German B2 for courses taught in German)
  • Quota, semesters (months): 4 (20)
  • Course information
  • Excluded from the agreement: Study track English (BA in Languages) and Master's Programme in English Studies
  • Incoming students to the University of Graz: Arts and Humanities, coordinated by the Institute of History. Student exchange to other institutes at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities is also possible. Student exchange to the Centre for South East European Studies is also included in this agreement.
  • This university offers a language course in German prior to the exchange period. The course can be included in the Erasmus exchange period.

BELGIUM

*KUL - Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

  • Faculty of Arts at KU Leuven, Leuven campus only
  • Language requirement: English B2
  • Quota, semesters (months): 4 (20) Maximum 2 semester places of the quota for the study track of English & Master's programme in English Studies
  • Study Fields: History, Cultural Studies, Linguistics and Literature (English, Dutch, German, French, Italian and Spanish), Musicology, Art History,  Archaeology, Arabic and Islamic Studies, Japanese Studies, and Chinese Studies
  • Course information
  • Half of your credits need to be at the Faculty of Arts, but courses can also be taken at other faculties, including Social Sciences, Economics and Business, Law, Philosophy, Psychology and Educational Sciences, and Theology and Religious Studies as long as you meet the prerequisites of the course.
  • There is also an agreement for PhD students of Cultural Heritage (UnaHerDoc)

 

ESTONIA

University of Tartu - Tartu Ülikool

"Multicultural environment, high quality of studies, contemporary study environment and exciting student life"

  • Faculty of Arts and Humanities at the University of Tartu.
  • Language requirement: English B2
  • Quota, semesters (months): 6 (30)
  • Course information
  • Excluded from this agreement: Study track English (BA in Languages) and Master's Programme in English Studies

FRANCE

Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (F PARIS001)

"High quality of teaching and strong international recognition. Arts are among the stronger fields of the university."

  • Language requirement: French B2
  • Quota, semesters (months): 4 (20)
  • Study fields Arts, History and Archeology included. Languages excluded (not offered)
  • The hosting unit in Paris would be Departments of Art History and Archaeology, Art, History.
  • Course information
  • There is also an agreement for PhD students of Cultural Heritage (UnaHerDoc)

Université Sorbonne Nouvelle (Paris III)

"An international university that's very well ranked in the field of languages. Has lots of activities for international students."

  • Hosting units: UFR Arts & Médias and UFR Littérature, Linguistique, Didactique (LLD)
  • Language requirement: French B2
  • Quota, semesters (months): 5 (25)
  • Course information
  • Excluded from the agreement: Study track English (BA in Languages) and Master's Programme in English Studies

Université Toulouse Jean Jaurès

  • Departments of History and Modern Languages, students can choose any courses from the course catalogue for Erasmus students.
  • Language requirement: French B1 (mandatory for the Department of Modern Languages)
  • Department of History has courses available in English too, however, French language skills (B1) are still strongly recommended
  • Quota, semesters (months): 5 (25)
  • Course information
  • Excluded from the agreement: Study track English (BA in Languages) and Master's Programme in English Studies

Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales - INALCO

  • Language requirement: French B1 (Languages and Civilizations courses), French B2 (professional track courses)
  • Quota, semesters (months): 4 (20)
  • Course information
  • Excluded from the agreement: Study track English (BA in Languages) and Master's Programme in English Studies
  • Partner's fact sheet for 2023-2024

GERMANY

Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg

"An international university with excellence in research and teaching offering a cosmopolitan and diverse environment for students. The city is known for its high quality of life, is the sunniest city in Germany and has a unique atmosphere of the 'Black Forest metropolis'."

  • Hosting unit Faculty of Philology: Scandinavian studies, English Studies or German studies
  • Language requirements: Scandinavian department: English and German B2, English department: English B2, German department: German C1
  • Quota, semesters (months): 5 (25)

Universität zu Köln

  • Faculty of Humanities.
  • Language requirement: English B1 (German B1 for courses taught in German)
  • Quota, semesters (months): 7 (35)
  • Course information
  • Quotas for each department:
    • Department of Scandinavian and Finnish Studies: 2 students x 5 months each
    • English Department: 2 students x 5 months each
    • Department of Media Culture and Theatre: 1 student x 5 months
    • Institute for of African Studies and Egyptology: 1 student x 5 months
    • Department of Art History: 1 x 5 months

Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz

  • Host departments: Department of Philology and Philosophy (FB05) and Department of History and Cultural Studies (FB07)
  • Language requirement: English B1 (German B1 for courses taught in German)
  • Quote, semesters (months): 5 (25)
  • Course information
  • Excluded from the agreement: Study track English (BA in Languages) and Master's Programme in English Studies

Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen

  • Faculty of Humanities: Philosophy, History and Archaeology and Language and Literature
  • Language requirement: German B1
  • Quota, semesters (months): 6 (30)
  • Course information
  • Excluded from the agreement: Study track English (BA in Languages) and Master's Programme in English Studies

 

IRELAND

*University College Dublin 

"University College Dublin is one of Ireland’s largest and most richly diversified universities. UCD is a vibrant, modern university of over 34,000 students situated on a spacious and leafy campus some 5 km to the south of Dublin city centre. Courses are English-taught but there is the opportunity to take Irish language and culture courses to immerse oneself in Irishness."

  • Following programmes from Dublin are included in the agreement: BA Linguistics, BA Global Studies, BA European Studies, BA Creative & Cultural Industries, School of History. It is also possible to take other courses from the College of Arts & Humanities but access is not guaranteed.
  • Language requirement: English B2
  • Quota, semesters (months): 4 (20)
  • Course search

 

ITALY

Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna 

Note: Only the department of Political and Social Science at Forli campus is available on the supplementary application round in September 2025. Both departments at Bologna campus are full.  

  • Separate quotas for BA and MA students to:
  • *Department of History and Culture DISCI at Bologna campus (4 students). Choose study field "Arts and Humanities" in Mobility Online.
  • Department of Political and Social Science SPS at Forli campus (4 students). Choose study field "Area and Cultural studies" in Mobility Online
  • *Department of Philosophy FILCOM at Bologna campus (1 student). Choose study field "Philosophy" in Mobility Online
  • Students at Bologna campus can take courses from the whole School of Humanities
  • Language requirement: English B2
  • Quota, semesters (months): 9 (45)
  • Course information
  • There is also an agreement for PhD students of Cultural Heritage (UnaHerDoc)

*Università Ca' Foscari di Venezia

"An university with strong international orientation, providing an ancient yet innovative context. Has a wide course offer in Arts and Humanities."

  • Students can select courses only from their host department, which is Department of Linguistics and Comparative Cultural Studies or Department of Humanities.
  • Language requirement: English B2 (Italian B2 for courses taught in Italian)
  • Quota, semesters (months): 5 (25)
  • Course information
  • Excluded from the agreement: Study track English (BA in Languages) and Master's Programme in English Studies

NETHERLANDS

*Universiteit Leiden

  • 2 campuses: Leiden and Hague
  • Language requirement: English B2
  • Quota, semesters (months): 4 (20)
  • GPA min 3,2/4, which equals to 4/5
  • Course information
  • Faculty of Humanities at Leiden. Exchange students take only BA level courses. Master's level students are also allowed take BA level courses. Please note that Language acquisition courses, English language and culture courses and Urban Studies courses are not possible. Archeology is not taught at the Faculty of Humanities.
  • At least 15 ECTS / semester from the Faculty of Arts
  • Housing situation is difficult. University of Leiden does not recommend starting the exchange without housing.

Rijksuniversiteit Groningen

  • Language requirement: English B2/C1.
  • Quota, semesters (months): 2 (10)
  • For Bachelor level students only
  • Course information
  • Exchange students take only BA level courses. All courses at the Faculty of Arts are available. No guarantee for courses in International Relations and Political Science and preference is given to their own exchange students.

SPAIN

Universidad Autónoma de Madrid

  • Language requirement: Spanish B1 (BA level) / Spanish B2 (MA level)
  • Quota, semesters (months): 6 (30) Maximum 2 semester places of the quota for the study track of English & Master's programme in English Studies
  • Course information
  • Exceptions: Geography, Classical Studies, Spanish Studies and Eastern Asia Studies are not included in this agreement.

SWITZERLAND

*Universität Zürich 

"The largest comprehensive university in Switzerland with seven faculties, over 150 departments and more than 200 study programs. Zurich is known for its outstanding quality of life and is located in the heart of Europe."

  • Host Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Zurich.
  • Language requirement: English B2 (German B2 for courses taught in German). C1 for courses in English or German Literature and Linguistics
  • Quota, semesters (months): 8 (40)
  • Course information
  • Study fields at the University of Zurich: Archaeology, Art History, Chinese Studies, Comparative Language Science, Comparative Romance Linguistics, Computational Linguistics and Language Technology, English Philology, Film Studies, French Philology, German Philology, Greek Philology, History, Indology, Islamic studies, Italian Philology, Japanese Studies, Latin Philology, Musicology, Philosophy, Scandinavian Studies, Slavonic Philology, Spanish Philology.
  • Note also, that Switzerland is not part of Erasmus programme. Another kind of funding from the Swiss state is available.

Study tracks’ own agreements  

Listed by Study track: 

COGNITIVE SCIENCE

Germany - Universität Osnabrück

"A university located in the city of peace with a great student-teacher ratio and consistently high ranking on student satisfaction."

  • Language requirement: English B2 for courses taught in English / German B2 for courses taught in German
  • Quota, semesters (months): 2 (10)
  • Course information

CULTURAL STUDIES AND AREA AND CULTURAL STUDIES

Italy - Università degli Studi di Napoli "L´Orientale

Slovenia - Univerza v Ljubljani

"Located in a small, green and safe city in the capital of Slovenia."

  • Faculty of Arts
  • Language requirement: TBA
  • Quota, semesters (months): 2 (10)

*Turkey - Koç University

"A top university in Turkey with a beautiful campus with great facilities, home to the top academicians in the country."

  • Language requirement: English (?)
  • Quota, semesters (months): 2 (10)
  • Hosting units: Sociology (BA), History (BA), International Relations (BA & MA), Media and Visual Arts (BA),  Archaeology and History of Art (BA & MA), Comparative Literature (BA & MA)
  • Course information, 1 KU credit is worth 2 ECTS.

CZECH (for students from UH)

*Czech Republic - Charles University (Univerzita Karlova)

ENGLISH

*Great Britain - University of Nottingham

  • Level of studies: BA only
  • Language requirement: English B2 IELTS or TOEFL
  • Quota, semesters (months): 2 (10)
  • Course information

*Great Britain - University of Sheffield

"A high-ranking university located in the greenest city in the UK with numerous societies and sports clubs to get involved with. Home to the number 1 students' union in the country."

  • Level of studies: BA, MA
  • Language requirement: English B2
  • Quota, semesters (months): 2 (10)
  • English Literature, Language and Linguistics
  • Course information

Austria - Universität Wien

  • Level of Studies: BA, MA
  • Language requirements: English B2 for BA level / English C1 for MA level + B2 in German for all study fields other than courses in English
  • Quota, semesters (months): 1 (5)
  • Dept. of English and American Studies, University of Vienna
  • Course information

Hungary - Eötvös Loránd University

"The most well-known university in Hungary with the highest amount of applications and students, offering the widest range of languages taught."

  • School of English and American Studies
  • Level of Studies: BA, MA
  • Language requirement: English B2
  • Quota, semesters (months): 2 (10)
  • Course information

FRENCH

Belgium - Université de Liège

  • Department of Modern Languages
  • Language requirement: French B2
  • Quota, semesters (months): 2 (10)
  • Course information

Belgium - Université Catholique de Louvain

"University with a pedestrian campus located in a small city at the center of Belgium. Has a rich cultural and extra-academical life with numerous students' associations."

  • Only BA-level courses available.
  • Language requirement: French B2
  • Quota, semesters (months): 2 (10)
  • Course information

France - Université Lumière Lyon 2

France - Université Paris Cité

GERMAN

Germany - Bayerische Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg

Germany - Christian Albrechts-Universität Kiel

"A university located in a safe and bike-friendly city, offering good assistance and mentoring as well as research-based teaching and learning."

Germany - Universität Regensburg

"Offering high flexibility with regard to course choice for exchange students and affordable accommodation in student housing. Located in a beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Town."

  • Language requirement: German B2
  • Quota, semesters (months): 2 (10)
  • Course information
  • Possible to take also other courses at the Faculty of Languages, Literature and Cultures in Regensburg

Germany - Universität Greifswald

  • Language requirement: German B1
  • Quota, semesters (months): 2 (10)

HISTORY

 Nordplus Hissa-network

  • Destinations: University of Iceland, Aarhus University (Denmark), Uppsala University (Sweden).
  • More details on the linked page.

FINNISH LANGUAGES AND LITERATURE & FINNISH AND FINNO-UGRIAN LANGUAGES

Hungary - Eötvös Lorànd University

  • Level of Studies: BA, MA
  • Language requirement: for Finno-Ugric studies (incl. Hungarian): Hungarian B2 / for Finnish Studies: Finnish B2
  • Quota, semesters (months): 4 (20)
  • Course information

ITALIAN

Italy - Università degli Studi di Genova

  • Language requirement: Italian b1 / English B1
  • Quota, semesters (months): 2 (10)
  • Course list Genova there are no restrictions for exchange students as they can choose courses from these study plans ( depending on if they are BA or MA)

LITHUANIAN (For students from UH)

Lithuania - Vilnius University

  • Faculty of Philology at Vilnius University
  • Language requirement: English B1
  • Quota, semesters (months): 3 (15)
  • Course information

POLISH (for students from UH)

Poland - Jagiellonian University - Uniwersytet Jagiellonsky

"An international university with over 1000 exchange students each year located in a city with numerous cultural opportunities for students."

  • Faculty of Polish Studies
  • Language requirement: English B1 for courses taught in English / Polish B2 for courses taught in Polish
  • Quota, semesters (months): 3 (15)
  • Course information
  • There is also an agreement for PhD students of Cultural Heritage (UnaHerDoc)

Poland - Uniwersytet Warszawski

  • Department of Polish Studies (Wydział Polonistyki)
  • Language requirement: English B1
  • Quota, semesters (months): 3 (15)
  • Course information

PHILOSOPHY

  • Nordplus exchange possibilities in the following destinations: Nordic countries and Balticum  - Network
  • More information on the page linked above.
  • On the application form, choose Faculty of Social Sciences (You need to make another application form for this if you apply for Faculty of Arts destinations also)

PORTUGUESE

*Portugal - Universidade de Lisboa 

  • Language requirement: Portuguese B2, English B2
  • Quota, semesters (months): 2 (10)
  • Course information
  • Agreement is done for studying Portuguese language. Helsinki students may take also other courses at the Faculdade de Lettras.

Portugal - Universidade do Porto

  • Language requirement: One of the following: Portuguese B2; English B2; Spanish B2; French B2
  • Quota, semesters (months): 2 (10)
  • Course information

  • Incoming students can select courses from our Programmes in Languages, but are also allowed choose courses from other degree programmes, depending on the availability and places.  Bachelor students cannot take Master courses (access is subject to previous authorization).

     

SCANDINAVIAN LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES

Erasmus exchange within a Nordic network for Nordic languages, literature and culture Nordliks.

  • Destinations: Aalborg University (Denmark), University of Southern Denmark, University of the Arctic (Tromso) (Norway), University of Oslo (Norway), University of Adger (Norway), Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Högskolan Dalarna (Sweden), Uppsala University (Sweden), Linnaeus University (Sweden), Göteborg University (Sweden), Stockholm University (Sweden), Vilnius University (Lithuania)
  • More details on the linked page
  • Quota, semesters (months): 2 (20) each, but flexible
  • Note: University of Iceland, Stockholm, Bergen and Norwegian University of Science and Technology are only available as exchange destinations during the main application call in February.

SOUTH SLAVIC LANGUAGES (for Students from UH)

Croatia - University of Zagreb

"A university offering strong intercultural education, comprehensive Slavic studies and an open and interactive student and teaching community."

  • Department of South Slavic languages and literatures. All Erasmus students can take the course of Croatian language at Croaticum.
  • Language requirement: English B2 (Croatian B2 for courses taught in Croatian)
  • Quota, semesters (months): 2 (10)
  • Course information

SPANISH

Spain - Universidad de Cádiz

Spain - Universidad de Santiago de Compostela

  • Language requirements: Spanish B1
  • Quota, semesters (months): 3 (15)
  • Course information
  • Only BA level courses possible, but Master's level students can select Bachelor's level courses

SPANISH AND CATALAN

*Spain - University of Valencia

  • Language requirements: Spanish B1
  • Quota, semesters (months): 3 (15)
  • Hispanic Studies
  • BA and MA level studies

SPANISH AND BASQUE

Spain - Universidad de Deusto

  • Language requirement: Spanish B2, for translation courses C1
  • Quota, semesters (months): 3 (15)
  • BA-level studies only, 4th year students can apply too
  • Campus: Bilbao
  • Course information: Facultad: Facultad de Ciencias Sociales y Humanas, Grado: Grado en Lenguas Modernas
  • Fact sheet 2023

 

 

Exchange agreements for incoming students to the University of Helsinki

In addition to the agreements listed above, the University of Helsinki has signed exchange agreements which are intended for incoming students of languages of Finland to the University of Helsinki. All study track exchange agreements listed above with a note " for students from UH" are also used for receiving students of languages of Finland to the University of Helsinki, i.e. outgoing students from the University of Helsinki study, for example, Polish at the exchange destination, and incoming students to the University of Helsinki study languages of Finland in Helsinki.

It is not possible to apply to go on exchange to the destinations below using an exchange agreement for the languages of Finland, but the University of Helsinki receives Erasmus+ students of languages of Finland also from these universities:

Poland Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan
Austria Universität Wien
France Université de Caen
Germany Universität Hamburg
Romania Universitatea "Babes-Bolyai" din Cluj-Napoca