Other Master Programmes

In most Master programmes at the Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences the main language of tuition is Finnish. Most programmes offer a number of courses in English and therefore can also accept international students. In these cases the students can complete the studies in English (without any knowledge of Finnish language).

The degree programmes that can be completed in English are:

Biology

• Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
• General Microbiology
• Genetics
• Physiology and Neuroscience
• Plant Biology

Molecular Biosciences

• Biochemistry
• General Microbiology
• Genetics

Environmental Sciences in the city of Lahti

• Environmental Ecology
  
  

The following degree programmes can be completed only in Finnish:

• Aquatic Sciences
• Environmental Sciences in Helsinki (Environmental Change and Policy)

All international applicants need to submit a certification of their skills in either English, Swedish of Finnish language skills. The Faculty requires that students have a communication level language skills in Finnish or Swedish, and in English language the skill requirement is academic level.

Aquatic Sciences and Environmental Sciences in Helsinki (Environmental Change and Policy) can only accept new students, who have demonstrated their skills in either Finnish or Swedish as stated in Rector´s decision (Rector’s Decision 17/2013, appendix 3 and its addendum 146/2013).

APPLICATION 2014

Admission Criteria
Applicants who have completed an undergraduate degree in a relevant field abroad are eligible to apply to Master's Degree programmes. Applicants who will graduate after the application deadline can be accepted conditionally. Conditionally accepted applicants must graduate and submit a certificate of the undergraduate degree by July 29, 2014 (local time in Finland 16.15, GMT + 2 hours).

The applicants to the graduate level can be admitted directly without an entrance examination or their applications can be rejected. Only applicants who have succeeded well in their previous studies and who fulfil the application criteria of the Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences can be accepted.

All applicants need to submit a certification of their English language skills. The list of accepted certificates and scores is available on the language requirements website. The Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences approves as adequate proof of proficiency in English an applicant's degree completed in a Finnish university or university of applied sciences which includes foreign language studies in English as defined by the Government Decree on University Degrees (copy of transcript of records and degree certificate officially certified by a notary public or the awarding institution).

Students admitted to the graduate level might be required to supplement the knowledge in the subject area with one year's worth of studies at maximum (60 credits at maximum). Therefore completing the Master’s Degree might take up to 3 years.

Application Process
The application period begins on 2.12.2013 and ends on 31.1.2013 (local time in Finland 16.00, GMT + 2 hours). The application and al the enclosures need to arrive by this time (postmark date will not suffice) to University Admissions Finland (UAF).

All applicants must use the online registration form which is available at: http://www.helsinki.fi/admissions/graduate_applicants.

The signed application form together with required enclosures (transcript of records, copy of degree certficate, etc.) should be sent to University Admissions Finland (UAF) by post or by courier service by the deadline. A full list of required enclosures is available in the application guidelines. All copies of obligatory enclosures must be legalised either by the institution that has issued the original document or by a notary public unless otherwise specified by UAF.

Country-specific requirements for legalizing your documents are listed here. Applicants are also requested to send copies of possible testimonials if they have relevant work experience and possible letters of recommendation. Incomplete applications will not be processed.

Applicants, who will graduate after the application deadline, can be accepted conditionally. Conditionally accepted applicants must graduate and submit a certified diploma of the undergraduate degree (with the possible country-related appendixes requested by the University Admissions Finland (UAF)) to the Faculty office by the deadline, July 29, 2014 (local time in Finland 16.15, GMT + 2 hours), or they will forfeit their study place.

NB! Students who apply to Biology or Molecular Biosciences should already mark the major subject option (see above) to the application form (motivation letter).

Results
The results of the student selection will become available in April 2014. All applicants, who submit a complete application by the deadline, will be notified of the results by post or by email.

Accepting the proposed study place
All accepted applicants must submit the confirmation form of accepting the study place at the latest at the Faculty office by June 12, 2014 (local time in Finland 16.00, GMT + 2 hours), or they will forfeit the study place. The confirmation must be made in written using the form provided to the accepted students with the acceptance letter. Confirmation made via e-mail is not considered valid. 

All accepted applicants must submit all enrolment documents as instructed in the application instructions at the latest at the Faculty office by July 29, 2014 (local time in Finland 16.15, GMT + 2 hours), or they will forfeit the study place.