Hanken School of Economics
trusts
HousingAnywhere
with accommodation for their students since 2012

• Founded in 1909

• University Ranking: 12(44) in Finland

• 2,200 students

• 170 nternational Students

• Faculty: 6

• Courses in English

• Partner with Housing Anywhere since December 2012

Campus Facilities

The Hanken School of Economics is situated to the north-west of Helsinki, sitting right by the coast. By virtue of its small size, the school has a compact campus where all the students can study and hang out during downtime. There are multiple student cafeterias around the campus, and you can flash your student card in any of them to get a full lunch for €2.60 - an absolute steal! If you want to escape the routines of the university cafeteria though, check out our top 5 places to eat around Helsinki.

Sadly there isn’t an on-site gym. However, students are entitled to a discount at any UNI Sport facilities. Another cool perk of studying in Helsinki is that all libraries are open to all students - including the Hanken University library. There’s also a bookshop where you can get your course materials, computer labs for grafting and, of course, the student’s union for drinking.

Courses

Hanken is just a small university, offering five separate degrees:

• BSc in Economics and Business Administration (in Swedish only)

• MSc in Economics and Business Administration

• Licentiate of Science in Economics and Business Administration

• Doctor of Science in Economics and Business Administration

• Doctor of Philosophy

There will also be foreign language classes for those students who are travelling from non-Nordic countries who want to get a handle on Swedish or Finnish.

International Dimension

At Hanken it is mandatory for home students to complete at least 3 months abroad at a partner institution for study or an internship. Every year, Hanken welcomes over 150 students from abroad while some 250 go on adventures elsewhere all across the world. These are pretty impressive figures given that all bachelor’s degrees at the university are taught in Swedish.

With over 120 different partner institutions are the world, Hanken has very respectable international connections. Given the scale of English fluency around the city of Helsinki, we can safely say that international students are more than welcome to study at Hanken!

To help you get settled, we’ve prepared specialized guides focused on different aspects of life in Helsinki:

• Moving to Helsinki

• Cost of Living

• Health Insurance

• Practical Information for Living in Helsinki

Getting Here

The public transport system in Helsinki is very well-designed for serving not only the city centre, but also the surrounding areas. The easiest way to navigate the city is buy purchasing a personal travel card - these cost €5 and are available to students as "temporary Helsinki residents".

To help you find your way, you can use this Helsinki travel planner to find the quickest route from any point around the city to anywhere else. The Helsinki campus is located at Arkadiankatu 22 and if you get the number 21BX, 103, 106, 121K or 132 bus to "Lapinrinne", you’ll have less than ten minutes to walk to the university buildings. A single ticket (without the travel card) will cost €3.20.

The Kansallismuseo stop will also be less than ten minutes’ walk from campus if you’re coming from the East of the city. If you aren’t sure where to go, then remember to make use of that travel planner!

Student Neighbourhoods

There are two separate locations which are particularly popular among students. The first is Pasila, a commercial area which moonlights as the student housing centre of the city! It’s a little out of the city centre, but on the Hanken side! As a sort-of halfway house between the university and the centre, Pasila is the logical location for students. The neighborhood also boasts an amusement park and a sports centre!

The more up-and-coming area is Kallio. Known for itself impressive nightlife, Kallio has plenty of affordable apartments (well, by Helsinki standards) and is only 1km away from the city by tram. If you want to be where it’s all happening, then consider Kallio when you’re shopping around.

Common Housing Practices

The first thing to realize is that apartments aren’t easy to find in Helsinki, not like they are in central Europe. Our guide to accommodation in Helsinki could help you land an apartment over your fellow students - trust us, you’ll need the help! Your first step should be to contact Hanken and see if there are any spaces available in student-specific housing - finding an apartment in Helsinki without a gruelling search is almost like winning the lottery here.

If (or when) that doesn’t turn up anything useful, head online and keep searching. Jump on any leads you find quickly, as they’re likely to disappear fast as other students throw themselves at them.

An alternative to the private market is to go through the Foundation for Student Housing in Helsinki - HOAS. They have around 9,000 different apartments in Helsinki and approximately 50% of international students who apply will find accommodation here. Two-to-one odds aren’t half bad!

One upside to living in Helsinki (well, other than the fact there’s so much to do and see in the city) is that your "rent" amount usually includes your energy bills and internet. Read your contract carefully before signing though, just to be on the safe side.

The Housing Anywhere Helsinki search could help you find a private apartment (usually a private room in a shared apartment) without the rigmarole and stress you’ll find answering regular adverts. If nothing else, it’s a good place to start your search!

There are around 2,000 students at the Hanken School of Economics, and they’re all members of the student’s union (SHS). Within the SHS there are various sports clubs and societies where you can make new friends and embark on once-in-a-lifetime experiences. You’ll hear about the SHS as soon you arrive at the university, and we recommend you go get involved asap!

Don’t worry though, the SHS isn’t the only way to find cool activities and meet people in Helsinki - check out the top things to do and places to see to get the low-down before you arrive!