FAQ on institutions and degrees
What is the difference between a university and a polytechnic/UAS?
Finnish higher education consists of two complementary sectors: universities and polytechnics (also known as universities of applied sciences, UAS). Universities promote research and provide academic higher education based on research, whereas polytechnics/UAS's provide professional or ‘vocational’ higher education. Additionally, post-Master’s level degrees can only be awarded by the universities.
What kind of degrees are available at Finnish polytechnics/UAS's?
Finnish polytechnics/UAS's provide Bachelor’s level degrees in various fields of study. A polytechnic Bachelor’s degree takes approx. 3.5-4 years to complete.
Polytechnics/UAS's also offer a number of polytechnic (UAS) Master’s degrees – these are mainly targeted for those already in the working life. The eligibility requirement for polytechnic/UAS Master's courses is a Bachelor’s level polytechnic degree followed by at least three years of relevant work experience. It takes approximately 1.5-2 years to complete a polytechnic Master’s degree.
A large selection of UAS Bachelor's degree programes is available in English, and also a number of UAS Master's programmes. Please refer to our database for information!
What kind of degrees are available at Finnish universities?
Finnish universities offer academic degrees at all levels – Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctorate. It takes approximately 3 years to complete a university Bachelor’s degree, and 2 years (on top of the Bachelor’s) to complete a university Master’s degree. In some fields, such as medicine, the degrees are more extensive and may take a bit longer to complete. Completing a Doctorate usually takes 3-4 years.
The universities offer only a small number of Bachelor's level study programme options in English, but there are many Master's level programmes and Doctoral study options to choose from - please see our database for detailed information.
Can I apply to a Finnish university Master’s programme with a Bachelor’s from a Finnish polytechnic/UAS?
Due to the distinction of academic vs. vocational higher education, Bachelor’s degrees from Finnish polytechnics/UAS are often less theoretically oriented than Bachelor’s degrees provided by Finnish universities. Therefore, it may not be possible to continue directly to a university Master’s programme, if you have completed your Bachelor’s at a Finnish UAS. You may, for example, be required to complete some bridging studies first, or the university can have other specific entry requirements for applicants with a UAS degree. You should ask the university for detailed information on whether you can apply, and what the exact requirements are.