Maanpuolustusopisto

Maanpuolustusopisto (MpO, "Defence Junior College") was the military junior college of the Finnish Defence Forces, located in Lappeenranta. The school had a separate program for training officers "vocationally" such that they would graduate as Second Lieutenants ("vänrikki"), without going to the national military academy, Cadet School.

The origin of the school was in non-commissioned officers school ("Kanta-aliupseerikoulu"). In 1974, however, professional NCOs ("kanta-aliupseeri"s) were promoted to officers called "toimiupseeri" ("toimi" refers to a specialist post) and the school became "Päällystöopisto" "Command School". Graduates would be promoted to "vääpeli" (cf. Staff Sergeant), a NCO rank. In 1993, accordance with the general restructuring of the educational system, where similar postsecondary-level schools were recategorized as tertiary, the school was also reinvented as "Maanpuolustusopisto". Training would take 2.5 years and graduates were be promoted directly to "vänrikki", an officer rank.

The rank of the students was "opistoupseerioppilas", which was comparable to ylikersantti, and they would be promoted to "vänrikki" on graduation. They could be promoted up to "yliluutnantti" (Senior Lieutenant, company vice-commander) and later to "kapteeni" (Captain, company commander). Their practical tasks would be mainly training conscripts.

It was decommissioned in 2001, and replaced by Maasotakoulu ("Land Warfare School"), which provides the undergraduate training for all cadets, who study in Lappeenranta for a year and then go to Helsinki. The last cohorts from the school were quickly promoted to "luutnantti", and existing graduates may complete their degree by studying while working.