KARELIA UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES

Our Pathway to Finland program offers guaranteed access to bachelor’s degree programs at Karelia UAS.

Admission requirements:

• High school diploma / Higher Secondary Education
• Transcript of records
• Proof of English proficiency
• Copy of passport ID page

Students are admitted on a first-come, first-served basis.

Make sure you have all the following documents ready when you fill out the application form.

REQUIREMENTS

• Copy of the final/official upper secondary school certificate
  • Only final certificates awarded by national and regional bodies granting educational certificates will be accepted. “Result slips”, “Testimonials”, “Statements of Results”, “Examination Results” are not considered as official certificates.
  • If not yet graduated, an Interim Certificate indicating the expected graduation date (if available) and academic transcripts covering all completed coursework to date are required.
• Transcript of Records (upper secondary education)
• Grading Scale (if not included in the transcript; must include all grades and marks)
• Valid Passport ID (proof of nationality)
• Proof of English language proficiency (if applicable)

Note: Original certificates must be presented upon arrival in Finland. Non-English, Finnish, or Swedish documents must be officially translated, signed, and stamped by an authorized translator.

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

The applicant is eligible to apply if they have completed a qualification outside Finland that qualifies them for higher education in the country where it was awarded or provides eligibility for higher education studies in Finland. Grade and GPA requirements vary for each selection method—please check the specific guidelines for details.

SELECTION METHOD

1) Certificate-based selection

• A degree certificate completed in a selected country is required, meeting the minimum eligibility criteria.
• Proof of English proficiency is required. This can be demonstrated by submitting a valid English language certificate.
• Click to view Accepted Degrees

2) Australian system or UK system or American system or IB Diploma

• Completion of a 12-year curriculum conducted entirely in English.
• Proof of English proficiency is not required
• Certificates must meet the minimum qualification and grade requirements
• Click to view Accepted Certificates and Qualifications

3) SAT Selection

• Evidence-Based Reading and Writing: min. 400
• Math: min. 400

• Official SAT results must be received by Karelia UAS by August 31, 2026.
• Karelia UAS SAT code: 7782
• Only the current SAT (completed after March 2016) is accepted; SAT Subject Tests are not accepted.
• An official SAT score report must be ordered straight from the test organiser. Those who have already completed an SAT test must request a test result from the test organiser to be delivered to Karelia UAS. Reports printed or sent by the applicants themselves are not accepted.
• Proof of English proficiency is not required
• Check the test dates for the SAT test and register at College Board’s website.

LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

• IELTS Academic/UKVI/Online: Min. overall score of 6.0, with a Speaking score of 5.5
• TOEFL Academic (iBT)/Home Edition: Min. total score of 60, with a Speaking score of 20
• TOEFL Academic (iBT) taken on or after 21 January 2026: Min. total score and Speaking score of 3.5
• PTE Academic/UKVI/Online: Min. total score of 55, with a Speaking score of 50
• Cambridge English Scale Score: min. total score of 169
  • B2 First, C1 Advanced, or C2 Proficiency. No other Cambridge language tests are accepted.
• TELC (The European Language Certificate) English B2-C1 university qualification, completed on or after 1 October 2021: minimum of B2 level
• Oxford ELLT Global: (English Language Level Test) completed on or after 1 July 2023: a minimum total score of 6.0 and Speaking score of 5.5 and above
• Cambridge International or Edexcel GCE A or AS levels
• Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Switzerland, United Kingdom, or the United States system international high schools or IB Diplomas or Foundation programmes
• Upper secondary or Higher education degree completed in English in an EU/EEA country, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Switzerland, United Kingdom, or the United States, or a doctoral thesis completed in English in any country. Please note that your degree must be taught and assessed entirely in English.
  • The language of instruction must be clearly stated on official documents.
  • If the applicant’s degree includes courses conducted in a language other than English, the degree might not meet the requirement.
  • Degrees from international schools or institutions located outside the listed countries, where the degree is completed locally but awarded by an institution from another country, do not qualify.

Validity & Verification

• Language test results must be verifiable from the online verification service of the organiser.
• If the test scores can no longer be verified, the test is not valid. The applicant should make sure that the test results are not too old. If the applicant is unsure and the test results are more than 2 years old, it is advised to retake the test.
• When taking the language test, the applicant should choose Karelia UAS as the recipient of the results, if possible.

Note: The above information is subject to change until the beginning of the application period.