4,700 apply to Helsinki University Masters programme

A total of 4,704 applications were submitted to University of Helsinki for Masters programme this year, which is 21% higher compared to the number of applications in the previous year, said a press release.

The deadline for the application in the master’s programme ended on January 10.

The number of applicants grew by over 20% from the previous year. The Master’s Programme in Data Science and the Master’s Programme in Environmental Change and Global Sustainability share the honour of being the most popular programme.

The Master’s Programme in Data Science and the Master’s Programme in Environmental Change and Global Sustainability are tied for the most popular programme, with 355 applications each.

Among the most popular programmes, the third place was taken by the Master’s Programme in Computer Science with 269 applications. The fourth most popular programme was a new one, the Master’s Programme in Changing Education, with 263 applications.

Applications were received from 128 countries. After Finland, the most applications were submitted from Nigeria, China and India.

The number of applications from China grew by a staggering 65% from the previous year. Finnish applicants accounted for 24% (26% in 2019).

The percentage of applicants subject to a tuition fee, or non-EU and non-EEA applicants, was 62% (59% in 2019). Before the adoption of the tuition fees in 2017, roughly three quarters of all applications came from outside the EU and EEA. From among the applicants subject to a tuition fee, 81% also applied for a grant.

Applicant numbers doubled for the first international bachelor’s programme of the Uni­versity of Helsinki

During the same round, applications were also accepted for the Bachelor’s Programme in Science, the first international bachelor’s programme at the University of Helsinki.

Additional applications for this programme will be received at a later date, as part of the applicants are applying through the joint application procedure. During this round, the programme received 148 applications, a more than two-fold increase from the previous year, when the programme was launched.

“Although it is the second year of existence of the programme, interest in it has been growing rapidly around the world. Current students of the programme are spontaneously contacted by potential applicants to find out more about the programme. The Finnish education system is very attractive to the international community. Hence, it is very important to inform potential applicants about the opportunity to study the four major subjects of natural sciences within a Finnish bachelor’s programme in English,” said Professor Flyura Djurabekova, director of the Bachelor’s Programme in Science.

Decisions on admissions and grants will be made in March–April, after which the admitted applicants will announce whether they accept the offered student place. Their studies will begin in autumn 2020.