Bachelor's degree programme in Urban Sustainability Studies

In most cases, applicants who are eligible to pursue higher education in their home country are also eligible to apply for bachelor's level studies in Finland. To be eligible for admission to a bachelor's programme at the University of Eastern Finland, applicants must submit their application during the official admission period. The following documents must be uploaded as attachments during the application process:

• Certificate of completed upper secondary education (or higher education degree) ➤ Eligibility Based on Educational Background
• Proof of English language proficiency ➤ Language Requirements

Programme-specific requirements are listed below and on the Studyinfo application portal. Please review them carefully before applying.

General instructions about the application process are available on How to apply?

Applicants must submit their application through the national StudyInfo portal at studyinfo.fi. Each applicant may complete and submit only one application form in the first joint application round. Applicants must also register as prospective students at YUFE's Virtual Campus; https://virtualcampus.yufe.eu/. More information is displayed on YUFE’s website.

Description of admissions criteria

To be eligible for admission, applicants must meet the general eligibility requirements defined above. 30 students are selected from two admission groups:

• Admission group 1: Entrance Examination using online interview: Selection based on  entrance examination using online interview: 20 student places
• Admission group 2: Certificate-Based Selection: Selection based on grades obtained in the following degrees: International Baccalaureate (IB), European Baccalaureate (EB), Deutsches Internationales Abitur (DIA) and Reifeprüfung (RP) or Finnish matriculation examination: Selection results will be released in two stages: a) for applicants who have graduated by the end of the application period: 5 student places, and b) for applicants who will graduate in spring 2027: 5 student places.

Applicants will be considered in all admission groups for which they meet the eligibility criteria.

The highest-ranking applicants are admitted to the programme. Applicants who are not admitted are rejected, as no waiting list is maintained. The programme may, at its discretion, admit additional applicants to ensure that all available study places are filled. Any study places that remain unfilled in one admission group may be transferred and allocated to applicants from another admission group.

Admission group 1: Entrance examination using online interview 

Admission to Admission Group 1 is based on an online interview. Eligible applicants will receive a link and instructions for the online interview by 15 February 2027. The online interviews will be  conducted between 15 and 21 February 2027.

The online interview is conducted in English. Its purpose is to verify the accepted applicant's skills, and to assess the applicant's motivation, interest in the related fields within urban sustai ability, and readiness to undertake academic studies in a joint programme.

Applicants are responsible for ensuring that they have the necessary technical and physical facilities to participate in the online interview, including:

• a computer or mobile device equipped with a camera and microphone;
• a stable internet connection, and;
• a quiet and private location suitable for the interview.

The online interview is assessed on a scale of 0–25 points. To be eligible for admission, an applicant must answer all questions, receive at least 1 point from each question, and obtain a total of at least 10 points in the interview.

The applicant's eligibility and the authenticity of the qualifications and documents submitted will be verified before the final admission decision is made.

Admission group 2: Certificate-Based Selection: Selection is based on grades obtained in the Finnish matriculation examination, or IB, or EB or DIA/RP diplomas.

Each applicant is ranked based on their admission score. The admission score will be calculated based on an applicant’s grades in the matriculation examination. If the applicant has completed  multiple examinations or parts thereof, the combination of grades that gives them the highest  admission score will be considered.

To be selected through the certificate-based admission, the applicant must obtain at least 54  certificate points. If two or more applicants have the same number of certificate points, they will be ranked based on tie-breaking criteria. If, after applying these criteria, applicants at the admision threshold are still ranked equally, all applicants with the same rank will be admitted. If several applicants on the threshold of admission have the same score after applying these criteria, all applicants with the same score will be accepted.

The scoring tables of Administrative and social sciences for certificate-based admission can be found on the Yliopistovalinnat.fi website. The same page contains the criteria for equal points as well as the rules for calculating scores.

• The Finnish matriculation examination Finnish matriculation examination scoring table
• International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma International Baccalaureate scoring table
• European School’s European Baccalaureate (EB) diploma European Baccalaureate scoring table
• Reifeprüfung (RP) diploma or Deutsches Internationales Abitur (DIA) diploma in Finland 
  Deutsches Internationales Abitur and Reifeprüfung scoring table

The applicant’s eligibility for application and selection will be checked before the final selection 
decision.

Questions? 

Please do not hesitate to contact: [email protected]

During the application period

Applicants must upload high-quality scans of their 1) original educational documents, 2) proof of English language proficiency, and 3) any programme-specific attachments to their electronic application during the application period. Paper copies are not required at the first application stage. Instructions on Studyinfo must be followed, and all documents submitted by the given deadlines.

Students in the final semester of their studies are eligible to apply. Their admission will be conditional until graduation is confirmed. For details, see: Eligibility Based on Educational Background

There are certain standards for uploading electronic documents:

• We accept high quality scans of the original degree certificates, along with translations when required.
• Please scan original documents carefully, always in color, and include all pages. Blurry, discolored, or flawed scans will not be accepted. PDF format is recommended to ensure compatibility across all operating systems.
• Recommended file types: PDF or JPEG; max. file size: 1.0 GB.

Admission Services will assist you in matters related to applying (e.g. questions related to the 
application form and required attachments): [email protected] or +358 29 445 8990.

Copy of passport or residence permit card 

Applicants must upload a copy of their passport's ID page or their ID card, or upload copies of both sides of their residence permit card to the online application form. 

For details, see: General information on types of documents and how to submit them.

Document verification for accepted students

All applicants are conditionally admitted pending verification of their educational documents*. To finalize admission, students must submit verified copies of their degree certificates or diplomas by the specified deadlines. The university will assess the authenticity and eligibility of all submitted documents. Failure to verify documents will result in cancellation of the conditional admission. 

*Degrees completed at a Finnish university or university of applied sciences, as well as the Finnish matriculation examination, are verified through the national database.

There are several ways to submit documents for verification:

1. Educational documents shared through electronic credential services
2. Electronically signed or verified educational documents
3. Educational documents sent by e-mail by the awarding institution
4. Educational paper documents sent by post

We recommend using electronic verification methods. For detailed instructions, deadlines and tips, please refer to verification of official documents. Please note: preparing your educational documents may take time, so it's important to start the process early.

If you are graduating in the spring, please refer to instruction for "Students graduating after the application period".

Please note that educational documents are not returned to the applicants.

Tuition fees and waivers (2027 intake)

The annual tuition fee for non-EU/EEA students is €10,000. Citizens of EU/EEA countries and Switzerland are exempt from tuition fees. UEF's tuition waiver programme is designed to provide partial support towards tuition fees. Students are expected to have sufficient personal funds to cover the remaining tuition fees and living expenses throughout their studies in Finland.

First year: Early Bird (EB) discount – 30% (€3,000)
To qualify, students must accept their offer of admission and pay the full tuition fee, or first instalment (50% of the Early Bird price), within 21 days of the publication of the admission results. UEF does not offer any other tuition waivers or discounts that can be applied to the first year of study. 

Second and third years: Tuition waiver – 30% (€3,000) 
Available to students who complete at least 55 ECTS credits during their first academic year. A separate application period is organized after the first year of studies for students wishing to apply for the tuition waiver.

Finnish Proficiency Tuition Waiver – €1,500/€2,500 
Students can apply for this one-time tuition waiver during their studies at UEF, based on their progress in Finnish language studies. There are separate application periods throughout the academic year.  

More detailed information about tuition fees and waivers.

Other National Fees: In addition to tuition fees, degree students are required to pay the Student Union membership fee and the Kela student healthcare fee. Please also note: a national application fee is collected from applicants from countries outside EU/EEA.