Welcome to Etelä-Pohjanmaan Opisto!
Etelä-Pohjanmaan Opisto (South Ostrobothnia Folk High School) is an international adult education centre in Ilmajoki. Folk high schools are educational institutions that offer liberal adult education in both general education and vocational education and training. Our school offers both long term study programmes and short courses. Every year over 300 students attend our different study programmes. International students bring the richness of different cultures to college life. At its best, more than ten different nationalities and all continents have been represented.
What can you study?
At Etelä-Pohjanmaan Opisto you can attend:
- Folk high school study programmes
- Folk high school year for youth of compulsory education age
- Instruction preparing for general upper secondary education or vocational education (TUVA)
- Open university studies
- Vocational upper secondary qualification
- Basic education for adults
- Education for immigrants (Finnish language and culture, basic education for adults)
- Short courses
All our study programmes are conducted in Finnish.
Our two campus areas provide a variety of educational and recreational facilities. There are dormitories housing 150 students, which include kitchens, saunas and laundry facilities. Moreover, there is a restaurant offering breakfast and two meals per day and a fitness centre with a gymnasium. Also all the class rooms, a teaching kitchen and a handcraft classroom are available for our students.
Immigrant education
We offer diverse education for immigrants. If you are an immigrant, you can also apply to all the main study programmes when you have started to learn Finnish.
Study programmes especially aimed at immigrants:
- Basic education for adults, including the introductory phase and the final phase
- Self-motivated integration studies within liberal education such as literacy training and Finnish language and culture
- Preparatory studies for working life
- Instructional preparing for higher education
- Study Program in Child, Youth and Leisure Instruction
Practical information:
- It is possible to stay at our dorms during your studies at a folk high school
- Free studies, living in a dorm and meals for students taking part in basic education for adults
Want to join our immigrant education programmes?
Please, contact our office by e-mail toimisto@epopisto.fi to learn more about your study opportunities and application!
Welcome to the South Ostrobothnia Folk High School!