Applicant number grew at Lapland UAS

The joint application process for the English-language degree programmes of the universities of applied sciences ended on Wednesday, 25 January. Contrary to the expectations, the number of primary applicants at Lapland University of Applied Sciences grew from the previous year.

All Finnish universities of applied sciences must start collecting tuition fees from students coming from outside the EU and EEA in the autumn. For this reason, a decline, or even a dive, of applicant numbers in general was expected.

However, 344 applicants marked Lapland University of Applied Sciences as their primary choice, which is 7.5% more than in the previous year when the number of applicants was 320. In the autumn, there are 100 starting places. Therefore, 3.4 applicants are pursuing one place.

Lapland University of Applied Sciences offered four English-language degree programmes in the joint application process: Business Information Technology, Tourism, International Business and Nursing. The offering and starting places were the same as in the previous years.

In the joint application process of the English-language degree programmes, the applicants also have the possibility of marking up to five other choices in addition to their primary choice in case they are not offered a place from their first choice. Among all of the applicants of Lapland University of Applied Sciences, 1,141 people were counted who marked Lapland University of Applied Sciences as their choice of study place a total of 1,333 times.

Scholarship system may have been key

Therefore, the expected decline in the applicant number was not realised – at least not at Lapland University of Applied Sciences.

“We presume that applicants have also studied the scholarship systems offered by the universities of applied sciences very carefully, and the one we offer is very supportive,” says Vice-Rector Reijo Tolppi.

At Lapland University of Applied Sciences, the annual tuition fee is €8,000 for students coming from outside the EU and EEA, which is very close to the average of the universities of applied sciences. The scholarship system offered by Lapland University of Applied Sciences is, however, very supportive.

Without the scholarship system, a degree programme of 3.5 years would cost €28,000. With full scholarship, the degree will cost €8,000.

“If the studies progress swiftly, according to plan, the whole degree can be obtained with the price of just one annual tuition fee,” says Reijo Tolppi.

Nursing and tourism interested the most

The Degree Programme in Nursing providing a qualification for international nursing work offers 20 new study places in Kemi. This programme was marked in total 418 times, and it was the first choice of 124 applicants.

The Degree programme in Tourism provided in Rovaniemi leading to the degree of Bachelor of Hospitality Management was the first choice of 113 applicants. The programme was marked in total 411 times. There are 30 starting places.

The Degree Programme in Business Information Technology (BIT) in Tornio was the first choice of 44 applicants. In the autumn, 25 new students will start in Tornio.

The Degree Programme in International Business leading to a BBA degree was marked by 460 applicants in total and for 63 this was their first choice to come to Rovaniemi. There are 25 starting places in the programme.

No great changes in the countries of residence and nationalities

The country of residence of the applicants is most often Nepal (211 applicants), Finland (209), Nigeria (129) or Vietnam (117). The largest groups according to nationalities are the Nigerians (173), Bangladeshi (146), Vietnamese (121), Kenyan (113) and Finns (104).

The applicants’ countries of residence and nationalities are more or less the same as in the previous years. The only major change can be seen in the number of Russian applicants. Their number decreased by more than half from the 110 applicants of the previous year.

Approximately one third of the applicants are currently living in one of the EU or EEA countries.

Student selection to be determined after the entrance examinations

In the next phase, the eligibility of all the applicants will be verified, i.e. it will be ensured that they possess the sufficient basic education needed in studies at the university of applied sciences.

All eligible applicants will be invited to the entrance examinations that will be arranged in April. The sending of the entrance examination invitations will begin by e-mail on week 12.

The results of the student selection will be announced by the end of June and the academic year will begin in the turn of August and September. More about student selection.

Application for the English-language MBA programme opens next

On 13 February, the application for the English-language master’s degree programme in Tornio will begin. The programme is meant for those who have completed a BBA degree and who have accumulated three years of work experience since their graduation.