Master of Business Administration, International Business Management, Daytime studies

The Master’s Degree in International Business Management is conducted in English. The scope of the studies is 90 ECTS, and the duration of the studies is 1,5 years. The studies are organised as daytime studies. Multimodal learning methods are used. Live lessons are offered at Kokkola Campus on weekdays. Furthermore, independent distance studies in the student’s own time are required. The learning process consists of lectures on campus and partly also online, exercises in class, independent work, as well as distance learning assignments and development projects. 

The studies consist of core studies and profiling studies that are compulsory for all MBA students. You can also study optional courses, which you can choose based on your interests. The master’s thesis is a large part of the degree, and you will get a chance to start planning it from the early stage of your studies. The thesis process is also supported by courses on research and development methods and tools, as well as research and expert communication.

You can find the curriculum here.

The study environment in Centria is very international, and this will give you many possibilities to practice and improve your language skills and learn about new cultures and habits. We also provide you with the opportunity to go on a Master’s level exchange to one of our partner universities abroad.

The thesis is a research and development project, and it is an essential part of the studies. The thesis project aims to develop your ability to find new research information and implement it in your thesis work. The thesis project helps you to gain the expertise that you need in challenging expert and managerial positions. The thesis project is a combination of theory and practice. The scope of the thesis is 30 ECTS. 

The MBA Programme in International Business Management provides a wide variety of potential thesis topics depending on your personal interests. Examples of thesis topics include, for example, development of management systems or leadership practices, organizational development, international business opportunity mapping, advanced market surveys and marketing research, internationalization plans for businesses, advanced business planning and business model development, development of e-business solutions, etc.  

You can find Master’s theses written by our students on www.theseus.fi.

After you have completed the MBA programme, you have grown into a business management professional. You are capable of independent decision-making, working in management or demanding expert tasks in businesses. You have learnt tools and methods. You can operate in international business or as an independent entrepreneur in the global business environment.

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 can be found here.

You are eligible to apply to Centria’s MBA programme offered as daytime studies if you have a higher education degree completed outside the European Union or The European Economic Area.

You also need to have at least two years of relevant work experience gained after the bachelor’s degree (applicants can accumulate work experience until the end of July 2024).

Applicants are also required to submit a proof of English language proficiency since the Master’s studies are conducted in English.

Please note that, if you receive an approved result in the first phase but you have not submitted a acceptable language certificate by the given date, you will be rejected from the second phase.

English language skills can be proved by the following documents:

1. English language test results:  

• IELTS Academic*: a minimum total score of 6.0 (test sections: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking)
• TOEFL Academic (iBT)*: a minimum total score of 60 (test sections: Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing)
• PTE Academic*: a minimum total score of 55 (test sections: Speaking and Writing, Reading, and Listening)
• Cambridge English Scale Score: a minimum total score of 169 (test sections: Reading and Use of English, Writing, Listening, and Speaking)

2. National Certificate of Language Proficiency (YKI) English: Grade 4 or higher on all the subtests (speaking, listening comprehension, writing, and reading comprehension)

3. Higher education degree completed in English in an EU/EEA country, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Switzerland, United Kingdom, or the United States  

4. Upper secondary degree completed in English in an EU/EEA country, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Switzerland, United Kingdom, or the United States  

5. One of the following grades in the Finnish Matriculation Examination, European Baccalaureate, International Baccalaureate or Reifeprüfung/DIA:

• Finnish Matriculation Examination: English advanced syllabus with a minimum grade M
• The whole International Baccalaureate degree completed in English
• International Baccalaureate final examination: higher level English with a minimum grade 4
• European Baccalaureate: at least grade 6.00 in L2-level English
• Reifeprüfung/DIA completed diploma: at least grade 7 in advanced English

6. Certificate of higher education degree completed in Finland

* IELTS Academic UKVI, IELTS Online, PTE Academic Online and TOEFL iBT Home Edition are also accepted.

Only the documents listed above will be accepted. No exceptions will be made.

There are no expiration dates, but the language test results must be verifiable from the online verification service of the organiser until 31 May 2024. The TOEFL test cannot be verified after two years. The IELTS test cannot be verified after three 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.

Point 1 above: When taking the language test, the applicant should choose the Centria UAS as the recipient of the results. The applicant must also attach a scanned/electric copy of the test result to the application for verification purposes and notify their unique identifier.

Point 2 above: If applying with the National Certificate of Language Proficiency (YKI), the unique identifier is not necessary. However, the applicant must attach a scanned/electric copy of the test result to the application for verification purposes.

Points 3‒4 above: The applicant must attach a certificate of their previous degrees. The applicant must also attach a document that shows the language of the degree and the country of studies.

Point 5 above: The applicant must attach a certificate of their grades.

Point 6 above: The applicant must attach a certificate of their previous degrees.

To demonstrate his/her eligibility, the applicant must include the following attachments to the application form:

• Copy of original Bachelor’s or Master’s degree certificate
• Authorized translation of the Bachelor’s or Master’s degree certificate if the originals are not issued in Finnish, Swedish or English. The translation must have the translator’s signature and stamp.
• Copies of testimonials: testimonials of the work experience entered on the application form. The testimonials need to be in English, Swedish or Finnish. Only work experience that is documented by the employer’s testimonial with signing date can be accepted. The testimonials/work certificates should show starting and closing dates as well as a description of work tasks. The testimonials/work certificates should show starting and closing dates as well as a description of work tasks. If you have worked part-time, the work certificates should indicate the number of work hours per month. 150 work hours or 20 working days (the minimum length of one full working day is 7 hours) compares with one month of work experience. Work experience gained as an entrepreneur, in one’s own or family business, can be documented by a certificate from an unchallengeable third party, such as a bookkeeper.
• A proof of English language proficiency
• Copy of passport or EU/EEA ID card: All applicants must upload a copy of passport/official identification card to their application form to confirm the identity in the online entrance examination / interview. Please note that, if you receive an approved result in the first phase but you have not submitted a valid identification document by the given date, you will be rejected from the second phase. Only the following documents are accepted as proof of identity:
  • passport
  • Finnish identity card with a photo, issued by police
  • Finnish driver’s licence
  • another EU/EEA country identity card with a photo
  • Also, an expired passport or identity card is accepted if its validity has expired on 28 February 2023 or later.

The deadline for submitting the documents is 7^th March 2024.

Students are selected on the basis of points received from the entrance examination and a final interview. The entrance exam is in form of an online test. The instructions, detailed content and the schedule of the online entrance exam are going to be sent to applicants by email. When filling the application form, applicants are advised to double-check if the given email address is functional. A functional email address is necessary in order to be able to contact applicants with essential guidelines.

The content of the entrance examination is based on given reading material and connected assignments. Applicants’ English language skills are going to be tested as well. The final interview takes place at the end of April and/or the beginning of May. A functional computer with a stable internet connection is required.

More information concerning the admission criteria can be found here.

Students are selected on the basis of points received from the entrance examination and a final interview.

The entrance exam is in form of an online test. The instructions, detailed content and the schedule of the online entrance exam are going to be sent to applicants by email on Monday 25 March 2024. When filling the application form, applicants are advised to double-check if the given email address is functional. A functional email address is necessary in order to be able to contact applicants with essential guidelines.

Online exam is scheduled for Tuesday 2 April 2024 between 2 – 4 pm Finnish time.

The content of the entrance examination is based on given reading material and connected assignments. Applicants’ English language skills are going to be tested as well.

The final interview takes place at the end of April and/or the beginning of May. 

A functional computer with a stable internet connection is required.

More information concerning the admission criteria can be found here.