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Applying with education completed outside Finland

Did your previous studies take place outside Finland? Find the detailed information on how you can apply to Centria on this page.

Female student laughing while doing group assignment in campus Amphi

The next joint application period for degree programmes conducted in English will be arranged between 3 January and 17 January 2024. For applicants who will be accepted in this application round, the studies are set to begin in August 2024.

In 2024, Centria UAS will be a part of the Joint application of Higher Education, Spring 2024. The application process takes place at Studyinfo.fi.

The application process is free of charge for all applicants. Applicants can be admitted if they submit a valid application, attach required documents, meet eligibility requirements and successfully pass the entrance exam.

Please bear in mind that the instructions below are tailored for the joint application round of January 2024. The instructions are always updated before each application round.

Eligibility criteria

For this specific application round, the following education will give applicants eligibility to apply for Bachelor´s programmes:

Required documents of eligibility

Following page you can find answers to applicants’ most frequently asked questions related to eligibility requirements for the Bachelor Degree Programmes and required study certificates and documents by country concerning the Joint application round 2024.

Centria University of Applied Sciences uses discretionary admission, which means that the applicant could be considered eligible even if he/she did not meet the general admission criteria. Discretion may come into question in the following situation:

Please notice, that eligibilities are going to be checked during and after the entrance examinations and therefore it is possible for an applicant to take part in the online entrance exam even if she/he is not eligible to apply for higher education at Centria UAS. However, only eligible applicants can be accepted as new students.

Filling the application

Applicants start the application process by filling in a free online application form during the application period at Studyinfo.fi. The application is publicly accessible to everyone via the internet, and the admission process follows predefined admissions criteria. Therefore, no stakeholders outside the institution can have influence over the selection process itself. When filling the application form, applicants are advised to double-check if the given postal address is up to date and the given email address is functional.

A functional email address is particularly important in order to be able to be contacted later on with decisions and further guidelines. The email address provided in the application form will be taken as the official channel of communication and will not be changed later in the process. Once the application has successfully been registered, including required attachments, applicants receive an application number. If an application number is received, applicants do not have to contact Centria´s Admissions office to confirm that the application has arrived.

The deadline for filling in the application and submitting it is 17 January 2024 at 3 pm Finnish time (UTC +2). After submitting the application, applicants are still able to make changes in the application or attach additional documents to it. The deadline for making changes and submitting attachments is 24 January 2024 at 3 pm Finnish time.

Selection criteria

Applicants can be admitted to Centria UAS if they submit a valid application, attach required documents, meet eligibility requirements, and successfully pass the entrance exam.

International University of Applied Sciences (UAS) Exam

International UAS Exam is a joint digital entrance exam of Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences (UAS), used for selecting students to English-conducted study programmes leading to a Bachelor’s degree.

The entrance examination assesses the applicants’ abilities to study at UAS. The entrance examination does not contain any pre-reading materials or pre-tasks.

Every applicant must submit a document of the English language skills and a valid identification document on the Studyinfo’s application form. Please check the approved documents at UASinfo.fi.

Language requirements during joint application 2024

In order to be invited to the International UAS Exam and to be selected based on the International UAS Exam selection method, the applicants have to prove their English language skills either by an internationally recognized language test or previous studies. Please, check the accepted documents here.

Identification documents during joint application 2024

The applicant needs a valid, acceptable identification document to be able to participate in the International UAS Exam. Please, check the accepted documents here. (Notice: only passport is accepted from the applicants outside EU/EEA).

Please notice: the UASinfo.fi -website will be updated before the new year for the 2024 application.

More information about admission criteria on the UASinfo website. More information about the exam can be found here.

NB. Changes may occur.

Admission results

The results of the International UAS Exam for the January 2024 applicants will be published by 31 May 2024 at the latest. All accepted applicants will be informed about their admission by e-mail. It is essential to apply with a valid email address so the results will reach the applicants. After being admitted, in order to be able to start their studies, applicants still have to accept the study place by logging into Studyinfo.fi and accepting the offered study place. The deadline for accepting the offered study place is 11 July 2024, 3 pm Finnish time. If applicants have problems using the Internet and accessing the Studyinfo.fi, a pdf form can be provided by the Admissions office. By accepting the study place (and paying the tuition fee if required), applicants also register themselves as a present for the first academic year. If applicants wish to register as absent, they have to check the Enrolment section of Centria’s website to see if they are eligible to apply for such status and consult it further with the Admissions office.

In case an applicant believes a mistake has been made in student selection, they may file a claim for adjustment after the publication of the student selection results.

Claims for adjustment have to be filed within 14 days after the publication of results. Appeal based on personal circumstances will not be considered as valid reason for appeal. Student admission decision can be changed only in those cases where it is clearly shown that the UAS has not followed the student admission criteria. Therefore, the claim of adjustment must be well-grounded and it should contain accurate information on where the UAS has not followed the criteria.

Claim for adjustment can be delivered via email to admissions@centria.fi or by post

Admissions Office
Centria University of Applied Sciences
Talonpojankatu 2
67100 Kokkola
FINLAND

Tuition fee payment

Tuition fee concerns only citizens of non-EU/EEA countries. Applicants can find information about the tuition fee payment sum, payment details, and payment deadlines in the acceptance letter.

Newly accepted students have a right to get an early bird discount, which means a discount of 1500€ from the first year’s tuition fee under the condition that the reduced tuition fee is paid within two weeks after receiving an acceptance letter. Detailed instructions considering the early bird discount will be sent with the acceptance letter.

More information about the tuition fees, the scholarships, and other discounts can be found here.

Residence permit

Once a tuition fee is paid, we advise students to immediately start the residence permit process. The precondition for obtaining a residence permit is a letter of acceptance from the university, a tuition fee payment confirmation, a valid health insurance coverage with a reliable and solvent company or institution, as well as proof of sufficient funds in order to be able to self-support a student life in Finland. Further information can be found on the website of the Finnish Immigration Service.

How to get a student’s residence permit in Finland? Video guide by Finnish Immigration Service
Two Centria employees sitting at a table and laughing together

Admissions Services

If you have further questions do not hesitate to contact Centria’s Admissions office. If you are contacting the Admissions office and you already have an application number, please state it in your email to ease the recognition process.