Higher education
FINEEC is responsible for the evaluation of education provided by universities and universities of applied sciences (UAS) in Finland. The evaluation types in higher education are audits of higher education institutions (HEIs), thematic and system evaluations, and evaluations of study fields. In addition, FINEEC carries out as a fee-based service EUR-ACE accreditations of engineering degree programmes.
FINEEC is listed in the European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education (EQAR), which is the list of trustworthy quality assurance agencies in the European Higher Education Area. FINEEC is also a full member of the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA).
Audits are institutional evaluations focusing on how the HEIs ensure and improve the quality of their operations
The Finnish legislation for universities and universities of applied sciences contain provisions which oblige HEIs to participate in external evaluation of their activities and quality systems. Quality audits of higher education institutions covering all basic functions of the HEIs have been conducted in Finland since 2005. FINEEC audits are carried out in Finnish, Swedish and English.
The audits integrate the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG, 2015). A successful audit by FINEEC demonstrates that the HEI’s operations and quality system meet both FINEEC’s and European criteria.
HEIs that pass the audit receive a Quality Label, which is valid for six years. Finnish higher education institutions with a valid quality label are listed in FINEEC’s audit register.
The pilot phase of the fourth cycle audits (2025-2030) is underway in Finland.
Audit labels and registers
Higher education institutions awarded Quality Label for Excellence
Audit manual for HEIs 2025-2030
3rd cycle audits of HEIs
Thematic evaluations support decision-making and development of education
FINEEC also conducts thematic evaluations in higher education. The theme of the evaluation may concern a single area or a wider topic. The themes often cover areas that are important with regard to educational policy. The aim of thematic evaluations is to produce information to support decision-making and the development of education. FINEEC also evaluates themes across several educational levels (e.g. primary education, secondary education and higher education).
Evaluations of study fields highlight the strengths and improvement areas of the study field
Evaluation of study fields provide an overview of the strengths and improvement areas of the education provision in relation to the competence and labour market relevance of degrees and continuous learning. The evaluations also provide information on how well higher education institutions are equipped to adapt their educational provision to future competence needs.