Interior view of Hive Helsinki, a modern open-plan office or coworking space. Rows of light-colored desks with green legs are equipped with Apple iMac computers. A person is seated and working at a desk on the left, while another person walks in the aisle towards the right. The space features exposed industrial ceilings, bright lighting, and a decorative neon hand sign on a pink textured wall.

A DIFFERENT WAY TO LEARN

Hive Helsinki is a software engineering program where you learn by doing. Full-time, on-site, 18 months. No teachers, no costs.

Free of charge. You need to be at least 18 and a Finnish citizen, EU citizen, or have a residence permit that allows you to study in Finland. Students can apply for Kela financial support.

Illustration of two people discussing and a thought bubble with a light bulb in it, indicating peer-to-peer learning

community-based learning

no teachers, no tutors, no hand-holding

You share knowledge, build together, and review each other’s work. When there are issues, you figure it out together.

Project-based learning

learn by doing, not from theory

Your every project starts with a problem. The brief tells you the constraints, not the solution. You decide what to build, how to build it, and then show your work to others.

An illustration of three individuals engaged in an active discussion. A thought bubble above their heads contains three interlocking gears, symbolizing collaborative problem-solving or shared ideas. The person on the left is pointing upwards, the person in the middle is speaking, and the person on the right is gesturing with both hands.

On-site

build routines, work with others

You learn at the campus with the community. You build routines and interact with others. If you want a remote program, look elsewhere.

An illustration depicting three potted plants of different shapes and sizes on the left, symbolizing individualized growth or learning paths. On the right, three people are looking at the plants, as if contemplating choices or development. One person wears a pink hoodie and shorts, another an orange long-sleeved shirt, and the third a blue denim jacket.

PLAN YOUR OWN SCHEDULE

BUT YOU STILL HAVE TO SHOW UP CONSITENTLY

Deadlines exist. Beyond that, your hours and time-off are your own. Plan for 30 to 40 hours a week. No long holidays for 18 months.

An illustration depicting a diverse group of ten individuals in various poses and attire, suggesting an open and interactive community. Some are walking, others are conversing, and one person is holding a tablet. The group includes people with different hairstyles and clothing styles, creating a sense of dynamic interaction.

MORE THAN The projects

join weekly events, build skills and networks

Join hackathons, workshops, and visits from people working in the industry. New tools show up here, and so do the people you might work with later.

Cartoon of a smiling female astronaut wearing a space helmet with a headset, a yellow short-sleeve shirt with horizontal stripes and a dark skirt, standing with one hand on her hip.

unconventional education

work like a technical builder

You study at Hive as you would work as a technical builder. There are no traditional school structures, but full autonomy and trust.

Three tracks, one program

Three things happen in parallel during your 18 months at Hive.

1. THE projects

The project-based studies that train software engineering thinking. Built on the principle that technologies change but engineering doesn’t. AI is a tool you use in this work, not the subject of it.

2. THE LIVE EVENTS TRACK

Workshops, hackathons, and keynotes bring the latest tools and industry trends to campus, including AI. This is where the conversation about new tools happens.

3. THE MENTORING TRACK

Toward the end of your studies, you can work with a mentor from the industry. It’s open to everyone who wants it, and mentors bring the current reality of how software teams actually work today.

The journey at Hive Helsinki

From your application to your first role.

apply

Register, pass the online game, and attend a Check-in event, where you meet current students and get your questions answered.

selection sprint

Three weeks on campus, weekends included. You work the way Hivers do, and Hive selects new students from those who finish.

STUDIES

For 18 months, full-time on campus, you build software products. There are no teachers, so you figure out what to build and how, and learn from each other.

graduate

Leave with 15+ projects in your portfolio and a professional network. Apply for tech roles or start something of your own.

Create your own path

Everyone starts with programming fundamentals in Go. From there you widen into full-stack application development, then go deeper in the areas that interest you most. The studies take about 18 months, and no two paths through them look the same.

See the curriculum