Study-related work placement
Work placement is a compulsory or an optional part of studies. The goal is to learn about practices in the field and to prepare for professional work after graduation.
During a work placement, you can learn about the practices in your field and prepare for professional work after graduation. Some degree programmes do not include a work placement. It can be either a compulsory or an optional part of the degree structure. In teachers’ pedagogical studies, a teacher training is a compulsory part of the studies.
Another purpose of the work placement is to create networks that help you review and develop your skills so that you will be ready to pursue your career after graduation.
Work placement as part of studies at the Theatre Academy
It is possible to complete a work placement either in Finland or abroad.
Work placement in Finland
Information on traineeships are provided at the Theatre Academy through several different channels, mostly through a course coordinator or a professor. A work placement is a good opportunity to work in an interesting group or organisation or with an interesting artist.
From the employer’s perspective, showing initiative and being active is a positive thing, and they are usually happy to get to know the artists entering the field.
Before agreeing on the practice in more detail with your employer, check with your professor that the practice is suitable for your studies.
At minimum, a traineeship agreement is always signed for the work placement, usually also an employment contract.
Traineeship agreement
The traineeship agreement is an agreement between the Theatre Academy and the employer of the traineeship. The agreement specifies who does what, where and when.
To prepare a traineeship agreement, contact the planning officer of your own degree / master’s degree programme before the work placement begins. The planning officer will prepare the contract and submit it to you for signing. The traineeship agreement must be concluded before the start of the work placement.
Employment contract
Work placement is a normal part of the studies, and it can be done without a separate salary or traineeship grant. If you complete your work placement at a professional theatre that has signed a collective agreement with your trade union, you must receive a trainee’s salary from your work placement.
If you are paid for your work placement, you must sign an employment contract with your employer. The employment contract specifies the terms of employment, such as pay, duration of employment, working hours and travel allowance. The employment contract must be concluded before the beginning of the work placement. The employer will prepare a proposal for an employment contract. Before signing the contract, you should have the contract reviewed by the planning officer of the institution or your trade union. For example, an acting student’s minimum salary for a work placement that is part of studies leading to a Master of Arts (Theatre and Drama) degree is 70% of the salary for visitor agreements, which is agreed on as a performance compensation or a monthly salary agreement. The fee only applies to a university trainee in cases where the university enters an agreement with the theatre concerning the work placement and the theatre signs an employment contract with the trainee.
When entering an employment contract, you should pay particular attention to the duration of the work placement. Work placement cannot usually be longer than two academic terms, an employment contract should not be longer than the duration of the work placement, and the end date should not be left open. If the production is still in the programme after your work placement has ended, you must negotiate a new employment contract with the employer. In this case, however, you can no longer be regarded as a trainee, and you must be paid a professional’s salary.
Work placement grants
You can apply for a Theatre Academy grant for the work placement included in your studies. The application period is once a year in the spring.
Work placement abroad
A work placement is fixed-term work in one’s own field abroad. The curricula of some Theatre Academy degree programmes include a compulsory work placement that can also be completed abroad. For more information on international traineeships, contact the planning officer responsible for your degree programme or your teachers. Traineeships can also be sought through employment offices and the Finnish National Agency for Education’s EDUFI programme.
You can apply for a grant for an international work placement from the Nordplus or Erasmus+ programmes. The Nordplus grant is intended for work placement in the Nordic or Baltic countries. The Erasmus+ grant applies to the EU.
Separate instructions are given for teacher training in master’s degree programmes in dance and theatre pedagogy.
Work placement as part of studies at the Academy of Fine Arts
Read the instructions carefully before filling in the application.
Work placement in the Degree Programme in Fine Arts
Who can apply for a work placement grant?
Third-year and fourth-year bachelor’s degree students in fine arts and first-year and second-year master’s degree students in fine arts can apply for financial support for a work placement. You must find a traineeship on your own and agree with the employer on the work placement dates and tasks. If necessary, teacher-in-charge and lecturer Suzanne Mooney can help you with considering work placement options and finding a traineeship. You can also ask teachers in your own subject area for advice.
Purpose of the work placement
The goal of the work placement is to learn about practices in the field and to prepare for professional work after graduation. The intention is also for the student to create networks that help them review and develop their professional skills so that they are ready to pursue their careers. You can work as a visual artist’s assistant, curator or work in an art gallery, museum, art community or organisation, to name a few examples.
What is the financial support for work placement intended for?
The financial support for work placement provided by the Academy of Fine Arts is intended for work placement outside the Academy of Fine Arts. Financial support will not be granted for work placement at the Academy of Fine Arts or for assistants of those working as a lecturer or professor at the Academy of Fine Arts during the work placement year.
Application period
Work placement support is allocated once a year. The next application period will be 2 – 31 March 2026, and the decision on the allocation of support will be made within about one month of the period of application.
You can apply for financial support for 1 to 2 months.
Amount of financial support
The amount will be reviewed annually, but in 2026 it is EUR 1,463. The work placement must be completed in the same year as the work placement support was granted. You must be registered as attending at the Academy of Fine Arts during the work placement. The amount is the same regardless of whether the student completes their work placement in Finland or abroad.
Support will be paid as a grant if the work placement takes place abroad or by working as an assistant to an individual artist.
If the work placement takes place in a Finnish organisation, the organisation has to make a work contract with the student and commit to pay a salary of a minimum of EUR 1,463 per month. The organisation can invoice the granted amount of support from the Academy of Fine Arts after the work placement.
It is not possible to receive financial support for work placement after the target duration of the degree (5.5 or 2 years of education). Granting a work placement support is discretionary, which means it is not automatically granted to all applicants. The Academy of Fine Arts work placement support will be granted only once during 5.5- or 2-year studies.
Applying for financial support for work placement
You can apply for financial support for a work placement during the application period with an electronic application, which must include:
- Contact information, the place of the work placement and the duration of the work placement.
- Additionally, the application must include a justification for why you want to be a trainee at the place in question and a description of your work tasks. Make sure to carefully explain in the application how the work will support your artistic work in the future.
- The employer’s consent and as detailed a description of the trainee’s duties as possible.
Criteria for allocating support
- Decisions are made by reviewing the grounds given by the student in the application for how the professional training period will help them learn about professional practices in the visual arts and develop skills for working in the field after their studies (as defined in the curricula).
- Credits are included in the minimum scope of optional studies in the student’s degree (97-98 credits for a bachelor’s degree and 34 credits for a master’s degree).
- Work placement must not postpone graduation.
Work placement abroad
Under certain conditions, you can receive a grant for work placement abroad from the Nordplus or Erasmus+ programme. The Nordplus grant is intended for work placement in the Nordic or Baltic countries. The Erasmus+ grant applies to the EU/EEA countries. For further information, contact the international relations coordinator at the Academy of Fine Arts.
Number of credits for completing a work placement
The maximum credit amount for work placement is 20 ECTS credits for a bachelor’s degree in fine arts and 10 ECTS credits for a master’s degree in fine arts.
The work placement yields 5 ECTS credits for a one-month full-time work placement. Full-time means normally an 8-hour working day (which includes a 30-minute lunch break).
The work placement is discussed before the start of the work placement with the teacher supervising the work placement, Suzanne Mooney.
At the end of the work placement, you will write a 1-to-2-sheet report on the work placement. In the report, you will describe in your own words your experiences during the work placement, how the work placement went and how it helped you understand your future working life after graduation. Submit the report to the supervising teacher. After submitting the report, you will meet the supervising teacher again if possible.
Work placement for Praxis students
For Praxis students, a two-month work placement is a compulsory part of the studies.
A separate work placement support has been reserved for compulsory work placements. Agree on arranging your work placement with your professor and fill in the form below. The work placement support is the same as for other students. You must write a 3-to-4-page report on the work placement.
Work placement for students of the Bachelor’s Programme in Contemporary Art History and Theory
A work placement of at least 5 credits is a compulsory part of the studies. Therefore, you can apply for one month’s support from Academy of Fine Arts. Longer work placement is possible if paid by the work placement organisation, as an unpaid traineeship or with Erasmus grant if the work placement fulfills the conditions of the Erasmus programme.
Once you have agreed on arranging your work placement with your professor, fill in the form below. The work placement support is 1,463 euros in 2026.
Support will be paid as a grant if the work placement takes place abroad or if it involves working as an assistant to an individual artist.
If the work placement takes place in a Finnish organisation, the organisation has to make a work contract with the student and commit to pay a salary of a minimum of EUR 1,430 per month. The organisation can invoice the granted amount of support from the Academy of Fine Arts after the work placement.
Work placement as part of studies at the Sibelius Academy
You can ask about the Sibelius Academy’s student traineeships in your own department in connection with personal study plan discussions, for example. Some degree programmes or major subject curricula may also include compulsory teacher training.