Bachelor of Business Administration, International Business
Dreaming of an international career in business? Ready to build a global career? Centria’s Bachelor’s Degree in International Business gives you the knowledge, skills, and confidence to work in today’s multicultural business world. You’ll learn how companies operate across borders, how to communicate effectively in international settings, and how to turn business ideas into success stories, wherever your career takes you!
Degree: Bachelor of Business Administration
Study type: Blended learning
Duration: 3,5 years, 210 credits
Campus: Campus Allegro, Pietarsaari
Tuition fee for non-EU/EEA citizens: 9500 €
Places: 1.joint application 32
Application periods
01.12.2025 at 08:00
– 31.05.2026 at 15:00
07.01.2026 at 08:00
– 21.01.2026 at 15:00
Studies start in autumn 2026
Teaching language: English
Programme description
The BBA in International Business is a separate and distinct programme at Centria UAS, designed for students who are interested in building a career in global business environments. You do not need any previous business studies or work experience, the programme starts from the basics and gradually builds your knowledge and skills across a wide range of business topics.
You will study subjects such as economics, business law, accounting, marketing, sales, and customer service. Language and communication studies are also an important part of the programme, helping you develop the skills needed to work in international settings. As your studies progress, you will explore business processes related to launching new ventures and entering foreign markets, along with topics like strategic management, human resources, and environmental management. Research and development studies will support your final thesis project during your last year.
This programme offers a strong international orientation and is taught entirely in English. You will have the opportunity to deepen your expertise through profiling studies in one of three areas: Creative Marketing, Global Business, or Tourism and Event Management. These modules include topics such as B2B marketing, social media and e-commerce, international logistics, and event planning.
Centria also supports your career development through guest lectures, company visits, and recruitment events. While practical projects may be included in some courses, their availability can vary. The university encourages active learning and offers opportunities to engage with industry when possible.
Graduates of the BBA in International Business are prepared for a wide range of roles in both private companies and public organizations. Career paths may include sales and marketing, financial and development management, international logistics, and tourism and event coordination. Some graduates also choose to start their own businesses.
Mode of delivery
All courses are taught in English and delivered in a blended format. This means you will attend online classes two days per week (Monday and Tuesday or Tuesday and Wednesday) and compulsory on-campus sessions once a week (Tuesday) at Campus Allegro in Pietarsaari. Classes are scheduled on weekdays to support a consistent study rhythm.
Additional information
The degree consists of core and profiling studies, practical training, and a thesis project. It carries a total of 210 ECTS credits and typically takes about 3.5 years to complete with full-time study.
Core competence 70 ECTS
- Orientation to studies
- Working life skills
- Job seeking and employment
- Languages and communication
- Business Principles
- Business Management
- Business Processes
- Research & Development
- Practical training
Profiling competence 140 ECTS
- Creative Marketing
- Strategic Marketing and Sales
- B2B Marketing
- Social Media Marketing and e-business
- Marketing practices
- Global Business
- Global Business Opportunities & Business Cultures
- International Logistics
- Practices and Procedures of International Trade
- Introduction to ERP
- Tourism and Event Management
- Introduction to Tourism Business
- Exhibitions, Fairs and Events
- Business And Leisure Tourism
- Innovation Management
- Practical training
- Bachelor’s thesis
The thesis is a practical planning project, development project or research project. The thesis project aims to prove that you command the theories and processes related to the field of business and can adapt them in practice. The thesis project will deepen your professional know-how and give you versatile readiness to operate in the different tasks of management, marketing or financial management. The thesis project is often done as an assignment for some company, either as independent or pair work.
The scope of the thesis is 15 ECTS.
In the online library Theseus www.theseus.fi all the previously completed bachelor’s theses are available for everyone.
Centria has about 130 partner universities around the world, and you can spend a semester or a whole academic year in one of our partner universities. Centria offers three business-related bachelor’s programmes in English, and you are free to choose courses from all of the programmes according to your motivation. You can also do work placements abroad or at an international company in Finland.
You can integrate your studies at Centria with a business degree in our specific university partners in France and China by spending one year in one of those universities. You will receive two international degrees through one programme, which is a real opportunity for you. This possibility is worth taking – especially if you want to strengthen your language skills and get international experience.
The different internationalisation possibilities offered by our school are worth benefitting from because many companies appreciate good language and communication skills and international experience.
The Bachelors of Business Administration have versatile employment opportunities. The graduates can work in many different positions in sales and marketing, development, financial management and general administration. Some of the Bachelors of Business Administration work as entrepreneurs.
In the future, your potential occupational titles can be
- export or import manager,
- sales representative,
- marketing manager,
- key accountant,
- office manager,
- project manager,
- purchasing manager,
- CEO,
- financial manager,
- human resource manager and
- entrepreneur.
After you have completed your bachelor’s degree and you have gained at least two years of work experience, you can apply to master’s degree programmes at Centria UAS. Centria offers several master’s programmes in business management in Finnish and English. You can also continue your studies at a university in Finland or abroad.
Student selection and tuition fees
Selection method 1: First joint application 2026
Joint Application period is from 7 to 21 January 2026.
Centria University of Applied Sciences uses the following student selection methods during the first joint application 2026:
International University of Applied Sciences (UAS) Exam: 100 % of study places
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 2026
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 2026
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 a passport is accepted from the applicants outside EU/EEA).
Please notice: the UASinfo.fi -website will be updated before the new year for the 2026 application.
More information about admission criteria on the UASinfo website.
NB. Changes may occur.
Selection method 2: Certificate-based selection
Applicants who have a qualification that provides eligibility for higher education studies from the EU/EEA-area, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, Turkey, Nepal, India, Vietnam, Indonesia or the Philippines and have acceptable grades can apply in the certificate-based selection. We accept upper/ higher secondary level education and A-level education. The application round is organized between 1 December 2025 and 31 May 2026. Please read more here.
Selection method 3: SAT application
Applicants who in their past have completed the SAT tests (new version taken after March 2016) can also apply in our SAT application round between 1 December 2025 and 31 May 2026. Please read more information and the admission criteria here.
Please notice that some applicants are obligated to pay tuition fees. If you are not an EU/EEA- citizen or if you do not have a document that exempts you from paying the tuition fees, you are obliged to pay them.
Please note that Centria UAS uses Flywire to accept payments from international students worldwide. This is the only accepted way to pay the tuition fee. Centria does not approach students with any other payment methods. Please only use the payment link provided in the conditional offer letter.
More information about the tuition fees and scholarships can be found here.
How to apply
Rolling admission
Centria’s Rolling Admission is a flexible application process that allows you to apply directly to a degree programme using SAT score-based selection or certificate-based selection. Centria’s Rolling Admission is organized 1.12.2025 – 31.5.2026.
Joint application 7.–21.1.2026
While the application is open you can apply to the degree programme in Studyinfo.
Applying during transfer application 1.-15.5.
It is possible to apply to Centria UAS during the transfer application period if a student wants to transfer from one field of study to another within Centria UAS or a student wants to transfer from another Finnish university of applied sciences to Centria.
Applying with open UAS studies 1.–30.4 and 1.–31.10.
Students who have completed studies in the Open University of Applied Sciences (UAS) may use the open UAS pathway to apply for degree student status.
Applying with an incomplete degree 1.–30.4 and 1.–31.10.
If you have studied in Centria UAS or in another university in Finland but you have not yet finished your degree, you can re-apply for the same or related degree programme to finish your degree.
Check your eligibility
following education will give applicants eligibility to apply for Bachelor´s programmes:
- the studies required for graduating from the Finnish upper secondary school or a Matriculation Ex-amination;
- an International Baccalaureate (IB) degree;
- a European Baccalaureate (EB) Diploma;
- a Reifeprüfung (RP) or Deutsche Internationale Abitur (DIA) degree;
- a Finnish vocational upper secondary qualification covering 120 credits or 180 competence points or a corresponding earlier Finnish vocational degree covering at least 80 credits;
- a Finnish post-secondary or higher vocational level diploma;
- a Finnish vocational upper secondary qualification or a further or specialist vocational qualification as a competence-based qualification, or a comparable previous qualification;
- a foreign qualification that provides eligibility for higher education studies in the country in question;
- Bachelor’s degree or Master’s degree.
Contact us
Do you have questions about studying in the degree programme, studying in Finland or the practicalities of the application process? Please don’t hesitate to contact us!
How to reach us
If you want to know more about studies in the programme, you can contact our Education Export team and they will get back to you.
If you have a question about the practical application process, you can contact our Admissions services.
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Student stories
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– Kimberly Eria, Student
I was surprised of the amount of practical work. Our instructors invited some local companies and gave us business challenges that we would solve. Real application to real world problems.
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– Ellen Vargas Virkkala, Student
Centria supports the student and gives you the tools to face the
challenges that every students goes through during their career. I find the environment really student oriented.” -
– Daniel Keleperas, Opiskelija
International Business gives opportunities to work in many different fields and to specialize even further.
Are you interested in a career in International Business, in Finland or abroad? Our degree programme gives you the necessary business skills and tools to manage business in intercultural environments.
Sara Åhman, Lecturer (business)
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