Kiteen evankelinen kansanopisto > Education > Information and Communication Technology

Information and Communication Technology

For you, who:

  • Want to work on the field of data processing
  • Want to work as an IT-support person of a company or as a programmer
  • Want to learn Finnish language so well that you can work and perform competence demonstrations in a Finnish workplace (at least level B1 defined by Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR)
  • Are 20 years old and you have secondary level education or you are 25 years old and have experience on computers

About Further Vocational Qualification in Information and Communication Technology:

QUALIFICATION TITLE: DATANOME (Further Vocational Qualification in Information and Communication Technology)
LEVEL OF EDUCATION: ISCED 3

People who have further vocational qualification in information and communication technology work in versatile information and communication technology companies and organizations as well as in the companies offering their professional expertise and support service.
You can find more detailed information about the qualification in the ePerusteet service.

Content

Compulsory unit

  • Operating in an information and communication technology environment (30 competence points)

Three modules eg. from the following study modules based on your personalized plan and collaborative projects:

  • Working as a systems specialist, 40 cp
  • Working as an IT application specialist, 40 cp
  • User experience design and implementation in digital services, 40 cp
  • Software design and management of software development projects, 40 cp
  • Software testing, 40 cp

Duration and organization of the studies

The estimated length of the studies is 2.5 years. If you have good basic knowledge and work experience in the field, you can graduate faster.

Studies begin twice a year: in January and in August.

Summer break between June – August.

Every student will have an individual competence development plan (HOKS), where the number of contact lessons and distance learning as well as the competence demonstrations are agreed on. At the beginning of the studies, there will be basic studies in information technology which are useful in many fields. The ICT-related topics become more difficult gradually. Learning and guidance take place in workplaces, schools, or via the network. In order to graduate from further vocational studies, the student will have to participate in on-the-job learning periods and pass the competence tests.

Because the vocational education is in the Finnish language and the competence demonstrations are to be held in Finnish, there will be Finnish language studies during the studies for students who do not have good Finnish language skills. Each student should acquire level B1.1 in Finnish language to be able to pass the on-the-job exams required for the datanome diploma.

Accommodation

Kitee Evangelical Folk High School is situated in the center of Kitee. All the town services are quite near. You can lodge at the school dormitory in double rooms. We help students with families to find a flat in the town.

Costs

Due to a legislative change concerning tuition fees for students from outside the EU/EEA, the annual tuition fee for the academic year 2026-2027 is:

  • 12,800 € / year, including teaching, teaching materials, accommodation, and food three times a day on school days.
  • 10,721 € / year, including teaching, teaching materials, and food on school days (without accommodation).

Note: Meals are available only on weekdays; there is no dinner on Fridays and no breakfast on Mondays.

The tuition fee is paid in two installments per year, in advance for each semester (i.e. before the autumn semester and before the spring semester begins).

Application

Applications for the intake starting in January 2027 are open now, until 1 October 2026.

The application process:

  1. Fill in the application form Application
  2. Submit a motivation letter and CV as a pre-assignment. Detailed instructions will be sent after you have applied.
  3. Selected applicants will be invited to an interview, held online (e.g. via Microsoft Teams).
  4. Successful applicants will receive a letter of acceptance by email.
  5. Accept your study place by the given deadline, and apply for your residence permit as soon as possible — permit processing can take time, and it must be valid before your studies start.

The next intake after January 2027 will begin in August 2027. Applications for the August 2027 intake open at the beginning of 2027.

Further information

Further Vocational Qualification in Information and Communication Technology is a good basis for post-graduate studies in Finland regardless of the field of studies. Any completed study unit can be accredited in many other Finnish vocational qualification studies.

With a study visa, you can also work in Finland part-time. However, please note that the current employment situation in Finland is quite challenging, and part-time work can be difficult to find. The cost of living in Finland is also relatively high. We therefore encourage you to consider carefully whether moving to Finland is the right choice for you at this time, and to plan your finances accordingly.

According to the feedback from the previous students, the positive sides of studying in Kiteen Kansanopisto are friendly and safe study surroundings, inexpensive accommodation, and excellent food.

Alisa Kuzmina (Finnish, Russian) alisa.kuzmina@kiteenkansanopisto.fi

Eeva Nygren (Finnish, English), tel. +358 40 507 7872 or eeva.nygren@kiteenkansanopisto.fi

Further Vocational Qualification in Information and Communication Technology

Apply now!