Degree studies
This is how you apply for degree studies
Note! You can find the admission criteria for each degree programme on Studyinfo.fi.
Our next application period is 8 – 22 January 2025, for studies starting in August 2025.
In January you can apply for these degree programmes:
The next application period after that is 1 – 11 September 2025, for studies starting in January 2026. In September you can apply for these degree programmes:
The application for international Bachelor’s degree programmes is aimed at those who are interested in SAMK’s degree programmes taught in English and have completed (or will complete by the required date) at least an upper secondary level qualification.
In order to apply, you must have completed at least an upper secondary level qualification (or will complete by the required date):
You need to prove your English proficiency during the application process. (See more information about English language requirements below.)
You can apply to a Master’s degree programme if you have:
If you graduate after the application period has ended, please attach the following on your application form:
When you receive your final degree certificate, send it to admissions@samk.fi by the following deadlines:
Our Admissions Criteria provides comprehensive information on educational and work experience requirements and entrance exam guidelines.
SAMK doesn’t have discretionary admission, i.e. the possibility to apply without an eligible background education to its degree programmes.
You need to prove your English language proficiency when you apply to a bachelor level degree programme tuitioned in English. Following results are accepted:
Alternatively, the following tests, exams and degrees can be used as proof of English proficiency:
Please note that the language test must have been completed by the end of the application period, 22 January 2025 at the latest. After that you can still upload your language test results on your application, latest by 29 January 2025. Language test results obtained after the application period will not be considered.
If you are using a higher education degree or an upper secondary degree as proof of English proficiency, the degree must be completed in one of the countries listed. An online degree or a degree completed on a campus located outside of the listed countries cannot be used as proof of English proficiency. If you are using a degree as proof of English proficiency, you are required to attach a document on the application form that shows:
There are no certain expiration dates, but your language test results must be verifiable from the online verification service of the organiser. For example the TOEFL test cannot be verified after two years. If the test scores can no longer be verified, the test is not valid. The applicant should make sure that the test results are not too old. If the applicant is unsure and the test results are more than 2 years old, it is advised to retake the test.
You need to attach these documents on the application form:
Notice that if you are not citizen of countries of the European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, you are subject to tuition fee. If you are exempted from tuition fee you should save the liberating document to your application.
If your qualification certificate is in a language other than Finnish, Swedish or English, you have to submit a copy of your qualification certificate translated into one of these languages by an official (authorized) translator. Such translations must be signed and stamped by the translator.
Application must be submitted through Studyinfo.fi website during the application period. The application period ends at 3:00 p.m. Finnish time. Make sure that you have all the required documents with you when you start filling in the application form.
Please notice that you can make only one application in joint application and one application in SAMK’s separate application. Making multiple applications will not increase your chances of getting accepted, and it may cause confusion and delay in your admission process. Please choose carefully the programmes that best suit your qualifications and goals, and submit only one application.
Please make sure you use the same e-mail address in all your communication. It should be your own e-mail address.
Make sure that you receive the e-mail confirmation that will be sent to you automatically within 24 hours from submitting the application form. If you do not receive the e-mail confirmation, please contact the Admission Services (admissions@samk.fi).
Starting January 2025, there is an application fee, collected from applicants from countries outside EU/EEA. The application fee will not be charged from Finnish or EU citizens.
You can read more on application fees on Studyinfo.fi.
Starting from January 2025, all applicants must participate in an entrance examination. The type of examination depends on the degree programme.
Applicants applying through the joint application for higher education must participate in one the following entrance examinations:
The following degree programmes are part of the International UAS Exam:
The International UAS Exam is an online entrance exam for Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences (UAS), used to select students for bachelor’s degree programs conducted in English. Applicants complete the exam remotely on their own computers. The exam assesses readiness for UAS studies without requiring advance reading materials or pre-assignments.
These degree programmes are in the joint application to higher education in Finland. Joint application means you can apply to up to six study programmes with one application form.
In certificate-based selection, five subjects are scored. All scored subjects are taken into account only once. The best combination of scored subjects to the applicant is taken into account. Maximum score is 198 points.
The scoring model of the Finnish matriculation examination is available on the UASinfo.fi website.
SAMK has a quota for applicants applying with SAT results. The SAT sections used in the admission are the following:
1. Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (Reading Test, Writing and Language Test)
2. Math
The lowest score limit the applicant must reach in order to be qualified for the selection process is 400 per section, the minimum total score being 800. Only the new version of SAT test (completed after March 2016) is accepted. The SAT test selection only takes into account the sections performed during a single session. Applicants applying based on SAT must also demonstrate their eligibility to apply with their educational certificates and with proof of English proficiency.
The following degree programmes have their own application process. This means they’re not part of the UAS entrance exam. Instead, SAMK conducts a separate entrance exam for the following programmes:
The entrance examination is online and it consist of a written part and an interview. All the applicants are invited to take the written part of the entrance examination. The best candidates from the written part will be invited to the online interview. The exam assesses readiness for health care studies without requiring advance reading materials or pre-assignments. You can read about the schedule of the entrance exam on our Admissions Criteria.
Nursing and Physiotherapy are part of SAMK’s separate application. You can apply in both SAMK’s separate application and in the joint application if you wish.
The following degree programmes have an entrance examination course:
Student selection to our Master level programmes is based on an entrance examination course. It is an online course of 3–5 ECTS credits belonging to the curricula of the degree programme. More information about the entrance exam and its schedule can be found in our Admissions Criteria.
Master’s degree programmes are part of SAMK’s separate application. You can apply in both SAMK’s separate application and in the joint application if you wish.
You will be contacted via e-mail for example when:
Sometimes our e-mails may end up in your junk mail folder. Please check it regularly to make sure you don’t miss any important messages from us.
The results of student selection of our Autumn 2024 application period are given:
If you are admitted to SAMK based on your 2nd year certificate, the selection is conditional. You are required to present certificates that prove your eligibility before the studies start.
Student selection from reserve places ends at the latest on 11 December 2024.
You must confirm the study place by 28 November 2024 at 3 pm (Finnish time).
You will receive more detailed instructions on how to confirm the study place and an acceptance letter from the e-mail address admissions@samk.fi. Please be careful and do not trust any other e-mails that claim to be from us.
Take care of all the necessary arrangements (e.g. residence permit application) immediately after receiving the admission notification. For detailed instructions, please click “Before and when arriving in Finland”.
The tuition fee is 9,500 euros per academic year for non-EU/EEA students in each Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree programme taught in English, except for the degree programmes of Artificial Intelligence (Data Engineering) and Mechatronics which have a tuition fee of 10,500 € per academic year. Please note that new students are required to pay the 1st year tuition fee in one installment upon admission.
You can request a refund of the tuition fee you have paid to SAMK only if you are not granted a residence permit in Finland for the studies for the academic year in question. You must send a copy of the negative decision on your residence permit application to the Admissions Office (admission@samk.fi) by 30 November (if you were accepted to start your studies in the autumn) or 30 April (if you were accepted to start your studies in January).
Please note that we do not refund tuition fee payments for any other reason. For example, if you quit your studies or transfer to study at another education institution, it is not possible to get a refund. Accepting a study place and paying the tuition fee are binding. In case your illness prevents you from starting your studies entirely, your tuition fee can be transferred to the next academic year. This is possible only during the first academic year of your studies. In such case, please contact the Admissions Office to discuss your situation. Arrangements cannot be done afterwards, they must be done in the beginning of the semester.
For more instructions and details, please check our complete refund policy outlined on the Tuition fees and scholarships page.
SAMK hosts two online webinars, ”Welcome to SAMK”, on Wed 8 and 15 January 2025 at 1 pm Helsinki time, EET. We welcome all applicants, parents and other interested to join the event and find out more about our university, degree programmes, application and studying in Finland. Feel free to ask your questions during the webinar. The events have the same content.
Join the event: https://zoom.us/j/97456341085
Find out about tuition fees and scholarship programme for non-EU/EEA students at SAMK.
Mon–Fri 10:00–12.00
The Admissions Office plans and implements the applications and selection of students for degree programmes and provides advice to applicants. In addition, the Admissions Office handles tasks related to the registration for the academic year and processes the resignation notifications and the applications for the extension or restitution of the study right. They collect tuition fees from the students liable to pay the fees and prepare decisions on the scholarships granted based on study results.