Bachelor’s Programme in Socially Sustainable Societies (Bachelor of Social Sciences)

About the course

An English-taught social sciences degree on building socially sustainable societies, covering the policies and institutions behind health and well-being, social inequality, public health, urban studies, global social policy and Nordic welfare models. Admitted students get an automatic right to continue to the two-year Master’s in Social Science Research (Transforming Societies or Comparative Social Policy and Welfare).

Entry requirements for Irish students

• Tampere accepts foreign school qualifications that give eligibility for an equivalent university degree in the country where they were awarded, so a completed Leaving Certificate that meets Irish university entry rules should count. Tampere does not publish minimum Leaving Cert grades, subjects or Higher/Ordinary levels, and CAO points are not used. Confirm with Tampere admissions.
• Leaving Cert holders apply in Admission Group I, ranked on their total SAT (Reading and Writing plus Maths) or ACT (English, Reading, Maths) score from a single test date; superscores are not accepted. Only tests taken after 1 January 2025 count, and the last usable test date is December 2026. Programme-specific minimum scores are listed on Studyinfo.fi. Admission Group II (school grades) is only for the Finnish matriculation exam, IB, EB, and Reifeprüfung/DIA completed in Finland.
• English: applicants admitted on SAT/ACT scores do not need to prove English separately. Upper secondary education taught in English in an EU/EEA country is also listed as an exemption.

How to apply

1. Book the SAT or ACTSit the SAT or ACT by the December 2026 test date at the latest; only your best total from a single sitting counts.
2. Apply on Studyinfo.fiSubmit the joint application between 7 January (08:00) and 21 January 2027 (15:00 Finnish time) in Admission Group I.
3. Upload documentsUpload your school documents and test scores by 28 January 2027 (15:00 Finnish time).
4. Results and final certificateGroup I results come by 15 April 2027; accept by 13 July 2027. If admitted conditionally, send your final Leaving Certificate by 23 August 2027.

Costs

• No tuition for EU/EEA/Swiss citizens, including Irish students. Non-EU students pay EUR 10,000 a year for the bachelor’s (EUR 12,000 for the master’s) in 2027. Tampere’s application page mentions a EUR 100 application fee; in Finland this fee is aimed at applicants from outside the EU/EEA, so Irish citizens should not normally pay it, but check the email Studyinfo sends you. You pay for your own SAT or ACT test.

At a glance