Application practicalities

All applications for the programmes are submitted through the Finnish joint application system. The online application is available during the application period at national www.studyinfo.fi website.

Applicants who are not EU/EEA citizens are required to pay application fee. The fee is paid in connection of filling in the application and it is collected by Finnish National Agency of Education. More information about the fee is available here.

The application form must be submitted before the end of the application period. The admission is conditional until the UAS has checked the applicant’s original school certificates and other relevant documents. The UAS may withdraw the admission if applicant has given false information.

At Oulu University of Applied Sciences the following four bachelor’s degree programmes are within joint application system:

• Bachelor in Business Administration, International Business
• Bachelor in Engineering, Energy and Environmental Engineering
• Bachelor in Engineering, Information Technology
• Bachelor in Engineering, Mechanical Engineering
• Bachelor in Health Care, Nursing

• Changes to the study options can be made only during the application period.
• Changes in address or other relevant personal details can be made outside the application period.
• All changes in the application or additional information must be sent by email to the Admissions Services of the university of applied sciences of your first preference.

If you have special needs which should be taken into consideration when organizing your interview or entrance exam, please follow the instructions here.

Please be prepared to describe your special needs and the grounds for special arrangements in the Individual arrangements application. You should enclose any relevant copies (e.g. medical certificate). The deadline for request of special needs is on January 24 2024 at 3 pm Finnish time.

• Register your email at https://securemail.oulu.fi/
• You will receive an email titled: ”Turvaposti Oulun Yliopisto”. The email includes a personal link to register to the service.
• In the “To” -field, please write jokot.oamk@oulu.fi and to the “Subject” -field, please write: Individual arrangements.
• Attach your Individual arrangements application with relevant copies of medical certificate etc. to your email.
• Send your confidential email in this service. 

The Finnish National Board of Education, the Finnish universities of applied sciences and the Finnish embassies are cooperating in informing foreign applicants whatever questions they might have regarding Finnish educational system.

If an applicant wants help e.g. in completing the application or something else relating to the application process, it is recommended that the applicant contacts the UAS in question, the Finnish National Board of Education and/or their local Finnish Embassy. These are the only reliable sources of information.

Furthermore, an applicant should always fill in the application him/herself and use his/her own contact details; this ensures that the applicant receives all important information directly from the UAS.

Oamk is committed to the national Code of Conduct for Educational Agents. Agent Code of Conduct is approved by Arene, Rector’s Conference of Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences and Unifi, Rector’s Council for Finnish Universities. Therefore, this document provides standards for working in international student recruitment. Read more: Arene’s press release.

Oamk has official partnership with six private educational agencies:

ASIA RENKO CONSULTING OY  (ARC), https://www.asiarenko.com/

EDUCON, https://www.educon.fi/

EUROPE STUDY CENTER Pvt LTD https://www.europestudycentre.com/

TRAWISE, https://duhoctrawise.edu.vn

The HOPE, https://www.thehope.co.in/

UNIEDU, https://uniedu.co/

The best way to get the reliable information is to contact directly to the Admission Services of Oamk admissions@oamk.fi. 

According to this provision, a student may accept only one study place leading to a higher education degree in Finland during one academic term. This rule applies to all higher education. The purpose of this is to ensure admission to higher education institutions for as many students as possible.

Higher education degrees are:

• Bachelor degrees and Master degrees awarded by Finnish universities
• Bachelor degrees and Master degrees awarded by Finnish universities of applied sciences.
• Provision cannot be applied to studies completed at foreign higher education institutions.

The academic term (from 1 August to 31 December or 1 January to 31 July) is the set framework for implementation. The provision does not prevent acceptance of a place in another degree programme during another academic term. Even if the student postpones the commencement of studies, or interrupts his/her studies, that student cannot accept another study place for a degree programme starting in the same academic term.

When applying with entrance examination, in the situation where several applicants have equal selection points, all applicants having the equal points are selected. 

When you plan to study in Finland for more than three months, you will need a residence permit. All residence permit applications are issued by Finnish Immigration Services. They also instruct all the applicants with necessary information. All residence permit decisions are made solely by Finnish Immigration Services and Oulu University of Applied Sciences cannot influence their decisions. Up-to-date information regarding the permits are provided at the website of Finnish Immigration Services www.migri.fi/en.

EU citizens and citizens of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland do not need a residence permit or visa.

We recommend our students to apply for a residence permit as soon as they have received an acceptance letter from a Finnish educational institution. 

When applying for residence permit, your livelihood must be secured either with a deposit in your own bank account or with an official scholarship/grant.

• From the November 1 2024 onwards students are required to have 9,600 euros per year at disposal. The amount is allowed to be used for housing and food during the study year.
• A written guarantee of sponsorship from a private person such as family member, friend or employer is not accepted.

During your stay in Finland you must be covered by a private health insurance.

If the studies in Finland last two years or longer, the health insurance must cover medical expenses up to a minimum of 40,000 euros. Students should also apply for a home municipality at local registry office after arriving in Finland in order to receive public health care.

If the studies last less than two years, the insurance must cover both sickness and accident related medical treatment up to a minimum of 100,000 euros.

The insurance excess may not be more than 300 euros. The health insurance must be valid on the date of arrival in Finland and for at least one year from the estimated date of arrival in Finland.

Do not acquire a travel insurance since this is often meant for trips lasting a maximum of three months and is therefore inadequate.

Do not terminate your health insurance, it must be valid at all times in Finland. More information about the required health insurance is available at the website of Finnish Immigration Services www.migri.fi/en.

Enrolment of the students admitted in 2015 and onwardsAccording to the Universities Act/Polytechnics Act (932(2014) a first-year student may register as absent for the academic year for the following reasons only:

1) service under the Conscription Act (1438/2007), Non-Military Service Act (1446/2007), or Act on Women’s Voluntary Military Service (194/1995)

2) maternity, paternity or parental leave,

3) the student cannot begin studies due to being incapacitated by personal illness or injury.

Documents proving the legal grounds for your absence must be received by the date of acceptance of the study place.

It is compulsory for every student to enroll at the Oulu University of Applied Sciences every academic year. The enrolment must be completed for the whole academic year (1st August – 31st July). First year students have to enroll according to the instructions given in the notification of admission. If a student has not completed they enrolment within the given time limit they will lose they right to study.

A student admitted to education leading to a UAS qualification must confirm they acceptance of the study place by the date given in the acceptance letter. A student who has been admitted from a reserve place must confirm that they will accept the study place by the date set by the university of applied sciences. If the applicant does not confirm the acceptance of the study place by the deadline, they will lose it.

If the applicant does not wish to accept the study place to which they has been admitted, they will notify the university of applied sciences in question of this fact in writing.

Enrolment is carried out simultaneously with the official confirmation of the study place. Enrolment as an attending or absent student is carried out every academic year. The enrolment alternatives are:

At the beginning of the academic year:

• attending during the whole academic year
• absent during the whole academic year
• attending during the autumn term and absent during the spring term
• absent during the autumn term and attending during the spring term

Students commencing their studies at the beginning of the spring term:

• attending during the spring term
• absent during the spring term

A student can enroll as absent for a total of one academic year. This will not reduce the validity period of they study right. Absence without notice reduces the student’s study right duration.

The rights of an attending student:

• It is possible to complete courses.
• The student is entitled to receive student financial aid and meal subsidy as well as certain benefits for members of the student union (e.g. travel discounts).

The rights of an absent student:

• It is not possible to complete courses.
• An absent student is not entitled to receive student financial aid and meal subsidy or certain benefits for members of the student union (e.g. travel discounts).
• Enrolment as an absent student for two academic years is not to be included in the prescribed maximum duration of studies, if the student has completed his/her enrolment as absent within the given time limit.

Obligations of a student who continues studies after an absence:

• During the student’s absence the curriculum may have changed substantially, so he or she must earn the lacking ECTS credits according to the latest valid curriculum.
• It is necessary to review and possibly update the personal study plan before continuing the studies.

Possible changes to the student’s attendance or absence notification are at the discretion of the school in question.

A study right may be returned upon application in the manner prescribed by the rector.

With regard to specialised vocational studies, the confirmation of the study place and enrolment in studies takes place in a manner determined by the university of applied sciences of which the applicant will be informed when he or she is notified of being admitted as a student. It is not possible to enrol as absent in specialised vocational studies.

Oulu University of Applied Sciences is entitled to cancel the study right of a student if the information the student has given is false, the student is a danger to him/herself or any other student or staff member, or if any other relevant legal provisions are applicable.

Please notice, that the student selection is conditional until the original documents are checked and verified. If an applicant who has enrolled as present fails to deliver the original documents to be checked by the given date, the study place is cancelled.

Oamk reserves the right to make changes.

All students who have applied to Oulu UAS as their first choice and are not selected in student selection, will receive a letter informing the points and the possible reserve places for the options to which he/she has applied.

Applicants allocated to reserve places are chosen according to the level of their results, should study places become available. Find out about the possibilities by directly contacting the higher education institutions.

Applicants not satisfied with the results of the student selection process should in the first instance contact the Admissions Services at admissions@oamk.fi.

If the matter is not resolved thus, the applicant may send a written appeal to the Admission Services within 14 days after the results of the student selection have been published by Studyinfo database. The appeal must be directed to the Rector of Oulu University of Applied Sciences and primarily sent by email to admissions@oamk.fi. Alternatively the appeal may be sent by post to the following address:

Oulu University of Applied Sciences
Admissions Services
P.O. BOX 405
FI-90101 OULU, FINLAND

N.B. The appeal must be signed by the applicant. Oulu University of Applied Sciences takes no responsibility for delays caused by the postal delivery services.

All the information related to every applicant’s application is entered into the university of applied sciences’ joint application register and student selection register. The National Board of Education acts as registrar. Further information on the registers can be found at www.studyinfo.fi.