Frequently Asked Questions FAQ

Students coming from outside of EU and EEA countries have to pay a tuition fee. Fees are applicable to new master's degree students starting their studies in autumn 2017. Students required to pay fees are also eligible to apply for a scholarship. Read more from our Tuition Fees and Scholarships pages.

Admission to the University is competitive and you will not be accepted for a programme if you do not meet the basic eligibility requirements. Eligibility criteria for the master's degree programmes are posted on the web pages of each programme. Please also check the requirements for general eligibility from our How to apply pages. 

Unfortunately, the University of Lapland does not offer a full range of online courses for distance learning. Master´s degree programmes require mainly full attendance and day time studies, but many courses support distance learning too.

Qualifications such as higher national diploma (HND) and higher national certificate (HNC) are usually one- or two-year degrees and, as such, not alone sufficient to provide eligibility to Master’s degree programmes, where a degree equivalent to a three-year Bachelor’s degree is the requirement.

If you have upgraded your HND/HNC to a Bachelor’s degree, you may be eligible to Master’s degree programmes. In such case, you need to submit your degree certificate and transcript of records for both your HND/HNC and your Bachelor’s degree in order to show your eligibility. If the HND/HNC and Bachelor’s degree were completed in different countries, different country specific requirements may apply.

Yes, but you can accept only one study place.

Lapland is the northernmost province of Finland and the European Union. The seasons are very pronounced here. During the six months of winter there is a lot of snow. Summers can be very warm and there is 24 hours of daylight. The University is located in Rovaniemi, on the Arctic Circle. Rovaniemi is a dynamic, growing city with a strong, diverse business base and international expertise. It's also the official hometown of Santa Claus. Read more about Rovaniemi and the services and activities it provides.

EU citizens and citizens of Liechtenstein and Switzerland do not need a residence permit, but they must register their right to reside in Finland if their stay is going to last longer than three months.

If you are from another Nordic country (Sweden, Norway, Denmark or Iceland), you must notify the local register office no later than one week after moving to Rovaniemi.

Non-EU citizens have to apply for a residence permit in advance. If your studies in Finland take longer than 90 days, you need a residence permit for studies. This residence permit is valid for two years, unless you apply for it for a shorter period. However, the residence permit is only valid for the duration of your studies, if your studies take less than two years. If you do not have a residence permit, you can study in Finland for a maximum of 90 days. Even if you stay in Finland for less than 90 days, you may still need a visa. The Finnish Immigration Service will grant you a residence permit for studies, if you have been accepted to study at a higher education institution.

Yes. When you apply for a residence permit from the Finnish Immigration Service, submit a copy of the Letter of Admission that you have received by email and a copy of the email informing you that you have been accepted to the University of Lapland.

All accepted students are eligible to apply for student housing through the local student housing foundation Domus Arctica (DAS). Apply for housing via www.das.fi. You can apply for a flat on the DAS website after you have received confirmation of being accepted to the University of Lapland. The deadline for housing applications varies each year, so please ask DAS for the exact dates if you are unsure whether you are submitting your application on time