Eligibility for international master's programmes

This page explains eligibility requirements for applying to the international master's programmes.

To be eligible to apply to the international master's programmes at the University of Helsinki, you must meet the following criteria:

  1. General eligibility: You have a first-cycle (bachelor’s) degree from a higher education institution in Finland, or an equivalent degree abroad that gives you eligibility to apply to master's level programmes in the awarding country
  2. Applicable studies: You have completed a sufficient amount of studies applicable or relevant to the master’s programme.
  3. Language skills: You demonstrate sufficient skills in the language (English, Finnish or Swedish) that you choose as the language of the degree on the application form.
1. General eligibility

You can apply to a master's degree programme if have completed or will complete one of the following qualifications by the deadline:

  • a bachelor’s degree from a Finnish university or an equivalent foreign degree,
  • a bachelor’s degree from a Finnish university of applied or an equivalent foreign degree,
  • a nationally recognised foreign qualification that is equivalent to a Finnish bachelor’s degree and gives eligibility to apply to master's level programmes in the country of award.

You cannot demonstrate general eligibility with degrees completed after a bachelor’s degree, such as a second-cycle (master’s) degree. 

However, you can demonstrate your general eligibility with a second-cycle (master’s) degree if it is a degree with no separate first-cycle degree is awarded in between, e.g., a master’s degree awarded in Finland before the introduction of the two-tier degree structure.

The institution that confers the foreign qualification must be recognised as an official higher education institution with degree-conferring authority by the official authorising body of the country in question.

Diploma level programmes, such as national diploma or higher national diploma, do not give eligibility to apply to master's programmes at the University of Helsinki. These programmes must be upgraded to a bachelor’s degree as a top-up degree in order to give eligibility to apply.

If you are currently or have previously been a degree student of the University of Helsinki, please read the information on this page regarding any applicable restrictions on admission before applying for a new right to complete a degree:
2. Applicable studies

Applicable studies are studies or degrees that prepare you to complete a master's degree in the master's programme that you are applying for. Please check the admission criteria in Studyinfo for more information about applicable studies for specific master’s programmes.

Applicable studies can be included in the first-cycle degree that gives you general eligibility to apply to master’s level studies, or in another degree that you have completed. They may also be non-degree university studies such as open university studies. Applicable studies must be awarded or accepted by a university or another higher education institution and listed on the institution’s transcript of records.

You must have completed all the applicable studies by the application deadline. Studies completed after the application deadline are not accepted.

Please consult the website and the degree structure of the master's programme you are applying for to assess whether you have completed enough applicable studies. You can also find out more about the courses offered in the master's programme and the courses offered by other departments of the university.

The applicability and adequacy of your studies will be assessed as part of the admission process after you have submitted an application and all the required attachments. No prior assessment of the applicability of previous studies will be made.
Language proficiency requirement

You must prove your proficiency in the language (English, Finnish or Swedish) that you choose as the language of the degree on the application form. See below for the accepted ways of proving language proficiency for the international master's programmes: