Presentation of the Faculty
The Faculty of Law at the University of Turku is a modern research and education unit. The Faculty was established in 1960. Since then the Faculty has educated over four thousand lawyers, among whom a considerable number of legal scholars and high rank decision-makers to the Finnish society, European Union, international institutions and enterprises alike.
Research
The Faculty has a comprehensive approach to research: all education is research based, and learning research skills and academic legal writing are an important part of the basic studies. On-going research projects are concerned with such topics as fair trial, environmental decision-making, laws of the information society and transformations in law and power. The projects and the Faculty arrange annually seminars, postgraduate courses and international conferences.
Studying
The Faculty of Law offers its students a unique opportunity for studying in a dynamic learning environment rewarded for its innovative and international approach. High quality of teaching is complemented with variety of student activities and services, surrounded by the historical university city atmosphere of Turku.
The basic degree system of the Faculty, following the Bologna standard, comprises two stages. First, the student completes a Bachelor of Laws -degree, which entitles advancing to the second stage, Master of Laws. The Faculty offers also a Master's Programme in the Sociology of Law and Criminology (in Finnish), in cooperation with the Faculty of Social Sciences, as well as a Master's Programme (LL.M.) in Innovation and Communications Law (ICL, in English), launched in fall 2009.
Teaching at the Faculty is divided into periods, providing the students with the possibility to concentrate on one course at a time. Besides lecture-based learning, seminars and workshops are emphasised. Language studies form an integral part of the degree program. The Faculty has two-year courses in legal English, Swedish and German. For post-graduate students the Faculty has its own graduate school.
International Studies and Cooperation
International cooperation abounds. The faculty is a member of ELPIS (European Legal Practice Integrated Studies), ELFA (European Law Faculties Association) and IALS (International Association of Law Schools) networks, and a member of law network under Nordplus programme which promotes Nordic higher education cooperation. The Faculty has a great number of student-exchange places in various countries, mainly in Europe and the USA.
Turku Law School is a cooperative organization comprising the three units offering legal education in Turku: the Faculty of Law at the University of Turku, the Department of Law at the Åbo Akademi University and the Department of Business Law at the Turku School of Economics. Turku Law School arranges a wide range of courses taught in English. Turku Law School has annually several visiting lecturers from various countries and the TLS -courses offer a meeting place for exchange students and local students of the three institutions.