Lists of Admitted Students into Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences in 2009

Please find below links to the lists of admitted students into Universities of Applied Sciences in Finland for autumn 2009. Just click on your chosen university to see the list as shown on the institution’s website.

• Arcada University of Applied Sciences, Helsinki
• Diaconia University of Applied Sciences, Helsinki
• Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences, Helsinki
• HAMK University of Applied Sciences, Hameenlinna (Full Time)
• HAMK University of Applied Sciences, Hameenlinna (Part Time)
• Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, Helsinki
• Humak University of Applied Sciences, Helsinki
• Jyvaskyla University of Applied Sciences, Jyvaskyla
• Lahti University of Applied Sciences, Lahti
• Mikkeli University of Applied Sciences, Mikkeli
• North Karelia University of Applied Sciences, Joensuu
• PIRAMK University of Applied Sciences, Tampere
• Satakunta University of Applied Sciences, Pori
• Savonia University of Applied Sciences, Kuopio
• Seinajoki University of Applied Sciences, Seinajoki (International Business)
• Seinajoki University of Applied Sciences, Seinajoki (Nursing)
• South Karelia University of Applied Sciences, Imatra
• TAMK University of Applied Sciences, Tampere
• Turku University of Applied Sciences, Turku
• Kymenlaakso University of Applied Sciences, Kouvola
• Laurea University of Applied Sciences, Vantaa
• Aland University of Applied Sciences, Mariehamn, Aland
• Central Ostrobothnia University of Applied Sciences, Kokkola
• Kajaani University of Applied Sciences, Kajaani
• Kemi-Tornio University of Applied Sciences, Kemi
• Novia University of Applied Sciences, Vaasa
• Oulu University of Applied Sciences, Oulu
• Rovaniemi University of Applied Sciences, Rovaniemi
• Vaasa University of Applied Sciences, Vaasa

NB: The institutions not highlighted have not yet posted the lists of admitted students on their websites as at the time I publish this information. I will provide updates as soon as they post the lists.

Applying for Student's Residence Permit in Finland

Foreign students who are non-EU citizens or of a comparable status, must acquire a residence permit if their studies in Finland last for longer than three months. Please check here: Residence permit for studies - Non-EU citizens

EU citizens and citizens of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland must register their right to reside in Finland at a police department, if their stay lasts for longer than three months. Please check here: EU citizens' right to reside in Finland as a student

Documents Required: The following documents are required but check all the relevant links for details and most updated information. The Finnish Diplomatic Mission in your country should be contacted for further information as may be required.

• Completed Application Form for Residence Permit (OLE 1)
• Clarification on studies (OLE 4)
• Travel Document (International passport)
• Two Passport photograph
• Original admission letter from the educational institute in Finland
• Statement from your bank which shows that you have equivalent to 6000 (six thousand) euros on your own bank account (not the sponsor's!)
• Original school certificates
• Health insurance (if studies last less than 2 years: amount of indemnity at least 100 000 euros, if studies last more than 2 years: amount of indemnity at least 30 000 euros).
• Payment Evidence for Residence Permit Fee

For further information, please check the links below:

• Finnish Diplomatic Missions or Embassies Abroad
• Residence permits for students, other than EU/EEA citizens
• Finnish Immigration Service's guidelines - residence permit for studying
• Fees (€) charged by the Finnish Immigration Service as of January 1, 2009

Nordic Nations Plan to Receive Tuition Fees from International Students

Finland and Sweden are both planning to cash in on the international-student market by charging non-EU students tuition. Proposed changes to the tuition-fee structures in the two nations could see them both compete more aggressively in the lucrative market for international students.

Currently, students from outside the European Union are not charged to attend universities in either country, where they make up only a small proportion of their student bodies. But Finland and Sweden have announced plans to introduce tuition fees for all overseas students, a move they hope will lead to an explosion in their numbers from 2010.

Both countries are particularly interested in the Russian and Asian markets. In addition to bringing in revenue and increasing competitiveness, it is also thought that charging fees could raise the status of their universities among wealthier foreign students, who sometimes assume that if education is free, it is of an inferior standard.

Finnish reforms to facilitate internationalization, due to become law in August, will grant universities independent legal status to allow them greater operational flexibility. The reforms will include charging fees for non-EU students and recruiting academics from overseas.

Concerns have been raised, however, that fees may push international students toward native English-speaking countries, where graduate employment prospects are better. At the moment, getting skilled work in Finland or Sweden is extremely difficult for candidates who do not speak the local language.

Fees would be considerably lower than in the United Kingdom, offering an advantage in an increasingly competitive market. In Finland, fees of between EUR 3,500 (US$2,500) and EUR 12,500 have been proposed for international masters programs, and in Sweden, a figure of about EUR 8,000 has been suggested.

- Times Higher Education Supplement

April 2, 2009

Grant Search for International Students Available Online

The agency responsible for promoting French education abroad recently set up an online directory of grants available for international students who want to study in France.

The CampusFrance directory gives information in French and English for students wanting to study for first-, second- and third-cycle degrees, as well as post-doctoral opportunities. It lists more than 80 scholarship programs offered by the French government and international institutions, local authorities, companies, foundations, universities and schools of higher education.

- University World News
March 29, 2009

European Commission Looks at Progress in Educational Structures

Ministers from 46 (mainly European) countries met at the end of April to discuss progress made toward the goal of creating a European Higher Education Area by next year under the tenets of the Bologna Process. In a pre-meeting memo, the European Commission outlined the progress it felt had been made in the ten years since the Bologna Declaration was signed.

The memo pointed to an “overall picture … that reveals that substantial progress has been made in all the areas that have been examined, and the benefits of enhanced European cooperation brought about through the Bologna process are evident.” That comment was qualified with a call for “an increased focus on the impact of structural reforms and on how higher education institutions and systems are responding to new challenges.”

The report also noted that “the new three-cycle structure is theoretically fully in place or has at least been extensively introduced in all countries in most institutions and programmes. However, several study fields, such as medical studies, architecture and engineering remain outside these new structures in some countries.”

The memo notes that a first-cycle bachelor program of 180 ECTS credits (3 academic years) has been adopted in 19 countries versus 11 countries that have adopted a 240-credit (4 years) model. At the master’s level, 120 ECTS credits (2 years) appear to be the norm, having been adopted in 29 of the countries analyzed in the report.

-egovmonitor
April 22, 2009