FINLAND
In Finland, there are two options for students to study engineering. Universities offer 5-year programs that are academically oriented and consist of 3 years bachelor (180 ECTS) and 2 years master (120 ECTS). Universities of Applied Sciences offer 4-year bachelor programs (240 ECTS) that are more professionally oriented.
Engineering
Universities that offer 5-year engineering programs, which are academically oriented, are Aalto University, Lappeenranta University of Technology, University of Oulu, University of Tampere and University of Helsinki.
Applied engineering
Universities of applied sciences offer applied engineering programs. These programs take 4 years and are professionally oriented. In these 4-year programs, students with different educational backgrounds take different courses in the first year, with the aim of bringing all students to the same level of competence both theoretically and practically. The remaining 3 years are the same for all students within the same program. Universities that offer applied engineering programs are Centria University of Applied Sciences, Arcada University of Applied Sciences and Häme University of Applied Sciences.
Application and preparation
Students are eligible for applying if they meet one of the following criteria
Have finished the Finnish matriculation exam or equivalent.
Have completed vocational qualifications of 3 years or more.
Have a Finnish vocational upper secondary qualification or a further or specialist vocational qualification as a competence-based qualification, or a comparable previous qualification.
Have a foreign qualification that provides eligibility for higher education studies in the awarding country.
There might be additional requirements for some programs. Different language skills are required depending on universities/universities of applied sciences and the language the programs are taught in. Programs are in Finnish, Swedish or English. To apply for a master program in universities, a bachelor's degree from a university or a university of applied sciences is required. To apply for a master program at university of applied sciences students must have finished a bachelor's degree or higher education degree and have a minimum of 2 years' work experience.
There are two ways to apply for a program in Finland: joint application or separate applications. In both cases, applications are digital. With the joint application, it is possible to apply to up to six programs with one application form. These programs are listed by preferences. A study place will be offered to the program that is placed highest on the list of preferences and to which students have enough points to be accepted. The other way to apply for a program is with separate applications. In this case, students apply directly to a university's program and separate application forms are filled for every program. There is no limit to how many programs students can apply to with separate applications and applying is done through the application website or universities' website, depending on programs.