Bachelor’s Degree Programme in Social Sciences (Bachelor of Social Sciences)

About the course

A three-year, 180-credit degree covering basic and intermediate studies in social sciences, plus language and communication studies, general studies and 65 credits of minor subjects. It is taught in English in hybrid mode (online and on campus in Joensuu), and includes compulsory Finnish language courses.

Entry requirements for Irish students

• UEF accepts any upper secondary qualification that gives eligibility for university bachelor’s studies in the country where it was awarded, so a completed Leaving Certificate that meets Irish university entry rules should count. UEF does not publish minimum Leaving Cert grades, subjects or levels and does not use CAO points; places are awarded on the entrance exam and interview. Confirm your eligibility with UEF admissions.
• Entrance exam: applicants complete the online course ‘What is Society’ on the DigiCampus platform (8 March – 9 April 2027) as the exam, with four sections of written and video assignments (0-10 points each), plus an interview (up to 10 points). You need at least 1 point in each section and at least 20 out of 50 overall; the best 30 applicants are accepted and there is no waiting list.
• English: a test is not needed if you completed upper secondary education in English in an EU/EEA country, but the language of instruction must be clearly stated on your documents. The Leaving Cert certificate does not show this, so get a school letter; otherwise IELTS Academic 6.0 (min 5.5 in each part), TOEFL iBT or PTE Academic 62 are accepted.

How to apply

1. Prepare documents (autumn 2026)Get your latest school results and a letter from your school confirming you were taught and assessed in English, or book an IELTS/TOEFL/PTE test. Have your passport ID page ready.
2. Apply on Studyinfo.fi (7-21 Jan 2027)Submit the application by 21 January 2027 at 3pm Finnish time and upload your most recent grades by 28 January 2027.
3. Entrance exam and interview (8 Mar – 9 Apr 2027)Complete the ‘What is Society’ online course exam with its written and video assignments, and the interview.
4. Results and final certificateResults by 31 May 2027; accept your place by 13 July 2027 and send your final Leaving Certificate by 30 July 2027 (check with UEF how this works given Irish results come out in August).

Costs

• No tuition fee for EU/EEA citizens. Non-EU/EEA students pay 10,000 euro a year. No application or entrance exam fee is mentioned on the programme page.

At a glance