Applying with a Finnish qualification

A successful applicant has obtained their first academic degree, normally a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent, from an institution of higher education. As a rule, the Bachelor’s degree is the lower academic degree. This degree should be equivalent of at least three years of full-time studies (180 ECTS).

You can submit an application for a Bachelor’s programme with a Finnish qualification, if you have completed one of the following qualifications:

• the Finnish matriculation examination taken at the end of the general upper secondary school

• an International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma completed in Finland 

• a European Baccalaureate (EB) diploma completed in Finland 

• a Reifeprüfung (RP) or a Deutsches Internationales Abitur diploma (DIA) completed in Finland 

• a vocational upper secondary qualification based on at least three years of study, or former studies that are equivalent to it completed in Finland 

• a competence-based qualification, a vocational upper secondary qualification,a further vocational qualification or specialist vocational qualification, or a former qualification that is equivalent to them completed in Finland 

If you have graduated from or have a study right in a programme you are applying for, remember to check admissions criteria for the programme at Studyinfo to see if it is possible to apply again. 

Please remember to ALWAYS upload copies of your educational documents in the electronic application system, or to share your educational information via a link on your application in Studyinfo. 

An applicant who has completed their secondary education in a Finnish educational institute does NOT have to submit verified secondary education certificate, if

• The applicant has completed a Finnish matriculation examination (ylioppilastutkinto) in 1990 or after, or if the matriculation examination will be completed in 2023. You also do not need to submit certificates of retakes or new added matriculation exams if they are completed in 1990 or after, or if they will be completed in 2023.
• The applicant has completed a Finnish vocational upper secondary education (ammatillinen perustutkinto) in 2017 or after, or if the education will be completed in 2023.
• The applicant has completed a Finnish further vocational qualification (ammattitutkinto) or a specialist vocational qualification (erityisammattitutkinto) in 2018 or after, or if the qualification will be completed in 2023.

University of Oulu will verify your educational information automatically in the national database.

Please remember to ALWAYS upload copies of your educational documents in the electronic application system, or to share your educational information via a link on your application in Studyinfo. 

An applicant who has completed or is completing their Bachelor's degree at one of the Finnish universities or universities of applied sciences do NOT need to submit verified educational documents by mail, as University of Oulu has electronic access to the required information if

• The applicant's degree was completed at the earliest on 1 January 2003, and they have a Finnish personal identification code. 

University of Oulu will verify your educational information automatically in the national database.

If your degree was completed before 1 January 2003, or you do not have a Finnish personal identification code, you must submit your educational documents following the general verification requirements.

Please note that all educational documents awarded by the  following universities must be submitted following the general verification requirements:

• National Defence University (Maanpuolustuskorkeakoulu),
• Novia University of Applied Sciences (Yrkeshögskolan Novia)  
• Åland University of Applied Sciences (Högskolan på Åland)