The Master's Degree Programme in Environmental Policy and Law is a multidisciplinary two-year programme that combines group teaching and independent research with the objective of providing participants with professional skills in environmental law and policy. The programme consists of advanced study of law and policy in relation to the environment, climate change and natural resources.
All students will complete basic courses on environmental law and environmental policy. They will choose between two alternative majors:
- Environmental Policy and Natural Resources Governance: The scientific background for the major is environmental policy which offers the social scientific perspective to current environmental problems and their solutions. Within the major, you can specialise in global and local governance issues and in policy formulation and implementation. The target degree is a Master of Social Sciences (MSocSc).
- Environmental and Climate Change Law: Environmental law includes a number of specialized areas of legal practice, such as climate change law and natural resources law. Environmental lawyers can also specialize in international legal issues, EU law or national environmental legislation. The target degree is a Master of International and Comparative Law (MICL).
Students also have the possibility to minor in the opposite major (recommended) or complete minor studies in the subject area of their choosing if they complement the degree.
For instructions on how to apply and a direct link to the application form on Studyinfo, please scroll down. The application period is open until 18 January 2023.
Key information
- Level of degree: Master's degree
- Programme duration: 2 years / 120 ECTS credits
- Language of instruction: English
- Application period: 4.1.2023 - 18.1.2023
- Programme start: September 2023
- Tuition fee: EU/EEA nationals no tuition fee; non-EU/EEA nationals 8,000 €/academic year
- Tuition waivers available for everyone
- Study campus: Joensuu
Why study with us?
Studies
General
- The first courses of the autumn semester commence in the beginning of September, and on the spring semester usually on the second week of January. Some courses that are part of the UEF Summer School take place in August.
- The Environmental Policy and Law master's programme is a two-year programme (altogether 120 study credits).
- The student should aim at completing at least 60 study credits each academic year (30 credits per semester).
- See also the SmartStart-guide for new students for more information of the first weeks of your studies.
Structure of the programme 2022–2023 and minor information
The current curriculum and information on minor studies for MDP students can be downloaded here.
Curriculum 2021–2022 can be downloaded here.
Curriculum 2019–2021 can be dowloaded here.
Students receive guidance on planning and scheduling their studies at the start of their studies by participating in the Introduction to Master’s Degree Studies, Environmental Policy and Law course.
The language of the programme
The language of the programme is English. Students are required to complete at least 80 % of the courses in English.
Grading
The Finnish national credit point allocation and accumulation system is equivalent to the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS). One year of full-time studies requires about 1600 hours of work and corresponds to 60 credits (30 credits per semester). Lectures, exercises, seminars, independent studies and examinations have been included in this estimate of required workload of a student.
The grading of courses at the University of Eastern Finland follows two basic practices: 1) Pass or Fail, or 2) applying a numerical scale with grading from 0-5 for passed courses.
Student Exchange for Degree Students
Students of Master's Degree Programme can apply for exchange programmes (e.g. Erasmus and Nordplus). For more information of the possibilities and practicalities, please see the university's instructions for exchange studies.
Master's thesis
The Master's Thesis Seminar and Master's thesis (30–40 cp) is compulsory for students in the Master's degree programme in Environmental Policy and Law. The thesis is written on a topic related to the student's major and agreed upon between the student and a professor who specialises in the topic of the thesis. The UEF Law School and Department of Geographical and Historical Studies have varying instructions and practices regarding master's thesis seminar and writing. The detailed instructions are always given in the master's thesis seminar or by the thesis supervisor.
Structure of the thesis
The Master's Thesis should be an independent entity. This means that a reader who is familiar with texts in the field of environmental law or policy will be able to understand the basic contents and meaning by merely reading the thesis. The written presentation must enable readers that do not have special expertise in your field to understand the text, but on the other hand, you should avoid extensive and unnecessary explanation of topics that are familiar to the reader. You should also be careful not to write about something that you are unfamiliar with or have not checked from your source material.
The thesis is a written research assignment and approximately around 60–100 pages in length, including everything. The thesis should follow the writing instructions given by your department or the supervisor of the master’s thesis seminar.
Abstract
Students must include an abstract in the thesis (1 page). The abstract page is placed right after the cover page, before the table of contents. You can download, fill out and save the abstract page from the link below.
Abstract blanco for download (.docx)
Master's thesis seminar
The first meeting of the master’s thesis seminar takes place during the spring of the first year of studies. Participation to the seminar is compulsory. The seminar aims to ensure that the writing process towards the thesis is productive. Successful participation in the seminar requires the students to be active in participating in the discussions during the seminar. Students planning to begin their master's thesis writing must register to the seminar and attend it from the beginning.
The topic for the thesis is decided during the first meetings of the seminar (or following the meeting, should any follow-up between the student and professor be needed). In these meetings, the students will be given guidance and support in choosing the topic. The students are free to present their own ideas and suggestions as regards topics that they would find interesting. It is advisable to start thinking about possible topics during the first year of studies.
The seminar teaches students how to conduct independent academic research in their field as well as to present research questions and apply the appropriate research methods. The purpose of the thesis is to prove that the student has acquired the level of maturity that is required for a higher university degree. The students will also learn how to critically analyse other students' research and how to present feedback.
Depending on the student's major, the student will attend:
- either 5319112 Master's Thesis and Maturity Examination in Environmental Policy and Law 30 cp at UEF Law School (students majoring in Environmental and Climate Change Law)
- or 5119242 Master's Thesis, Seminar and Maturity Test 40 cp at the Department of Geographical and Historical Studies (students majoring in Environmental Policy and Natural Resources Governance).
However, the first meeting of both seminars is a joint meeting between both majors and all programme students. Detailed instructions on the writing process, opponent work etc. will be given by the supervisors of each seminar in or after the first meeting of the seminar.
In the following meetings, the student presents advanced drafts of her/his research before presenting the final master's thesis. All students are also required to act as an opponent for someone else’s thesis work. After the seminar, the students submit the final thesis for evaluation.
The exact meeting dates and times for the master's thesis seminar will be conveyed to the students participating in the seminar. Please remember to register for the seminar in Peppi well in advance so the supervisors can contact you with further details.
Submitting the master's thesis for formal evaluation
Once the student is ready to submit the thesis for the final evaluation, the thesis must be submitted to the Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies.
NB! Once submitted to the Faculty, no further changes can be made to the thesis. If you wish to abort the evaluation, you must notify the Faculty and your supervisor. The final thesis is submitted in PDF/A-format. Printed versions are not accepted or required.
How to submit thesis for formal evaluation:
1. Originality verification: Run your thesis through Turnitin plagiarism detection system.
When your master’s thesis is ready, an originality verification needs to be performed. For this purpose, UEF currently uses the Turnitin plagiarism detection system. The Master’s thesis is uploaded for originality verification via Moodle. Once you are ready to submit your thesis for the final evaluation, please first upload your thesis to the Turnitin system in Moodle and inform your thesis supervisor.
For students majoring in Natural Resources Governance, Turnitin can be found in the respective master's thesis seminar Moodle page. For students majoring in Environmental and Climate Change Law, Turnitin can be found in the Turnitin Law Moodle page. The registration key for the page is LAWuef.
Once a report from the plagiarism detection system is available and your master’s thesis has been established as complying with the practices of responsible conduct of research (confirmation from the supervisor), you can submit the thesis as a PDF/A-file through the online submission form for final evaluation.
If you want to test Turnitin before you submit the thesis for formal evaluation, please do this on the Turnitin page in Moodle.
2. Submit your thesis in PDF/A-format via electronic form.
The master’s thesis needs to be submitted for examination as a PDF/A file, enabling electronic archiving of the thesis and ensuring that the thesis remains in a readable format also in the future. You need to submit your master’s thesis as a single file, i.e. to include possible appendices in the same PDF/A file as the actual thesis. Assistance in how to create this file is available from Oppari.
The master's thesis is submitted for formal evaluation through online submission form.
On the form, you are asked to give the following information about your master’s thesis:
- name of the Master's thesis
- was the Master's thesis written in collaboration with another author
- course code of the master’s thesis: this can be found in the Study Guide
- department/school you are completing the master’s thesis for
- your campus
- main supervisor(s) of the master’s thesis
- degree of publicity of the master’s thesis in the library’s publication system.
- thesis will be submitted as an attachment via the form
The electronic form will automatically identify you on the basis of your UEFAD username.
After you have submitted your master’s thesis for examination by filling out the thesis submission form, the system will send a notification to the main supervisor, who is tasked with making sure that originality verification has been performed on the master’s thesis and approving the submission of the thesis for examination.
The examination process of the master’s thesis will begin after a second examiner has been appointed for the thesis. The first examiner is usually the main supervisor of your thesis. You will receive an email notification when the examination process has been started. The examiners can access your master’s thesis directly via the system. When the head of the department has officially appointed the examiners, the student and the examiners will be notified of the matter by email.
The examiners are required to issue their written statements in one month of their appointment. This deadline does not apply to periods when no teaching is organised in accordance with the Rector’s decision, nor to the period from 15 June to 15 August.
When do I need to submit my thesis to the formal evaluation?
The Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies follows two deadlines, one in the autumn semester, and another in the spring semester.
- 31 October
- 30 April
Please note that if you wish to graduate within the autumn semester, make sure you submit your thesis to the formal evaluation at the latest by 31 October. The evaluation takes usually up to 4 weeks. For the spring semester the deadline is 30 April, if a student wishes to graduate within the spring semester.
Evaluation
The Master's thesis is graded from 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest grade. The duration of the grading process is one month. If the student is dissatisfied with the decision, the student may seek for rectification.
The student will receive a written evaluation. For example, the following aspects are highlighted in the evaluation:
- Definition and scope of the research problem
- The level of argumentation, independence and consistency
- Form and presentation of the sources used
- Form and presentation, linguistic form and revision
- The compatibility of conclusions and research problems
- Accuracy of research data and material
Procedure concerning the evaluation of master's theses can be found at Kamu Student handbook.
Maturity test
As of 1st August 2015 onward the procedure of the maturity test concerning the students of our international master's programmes has been changed. From now on the abstract of the student's thesis is considered as the maturity test.
The Maturity test is a compulsory part of the degree. An abstract to the thesis, by which the student demonstrates his/her familiarity with the research field, is considered as the maturity test. Students should contact their programme coordinators for further information.
If you are a Finnish student with a Finnish education either in Finnish or Swedish, the abstract can also serve as a maturity demonstration for your language of education. However, Finnish students who have taken the maturity test as part of their Bachelor's degree are not required to re-take the maturity test. Please contact a programme coordinator if you think that the abstract should be used as a maturity demonstration upon your graduation from the programme.
Graduation
1. Contact your coordinator to check your completed studies and register them as part of your degree.
Before graduation and once the thesis grade has been registered in WebOodi, the completed studies must be compiled and registered as part of a student's degree. Please contact the programme coordinators once you wish to graduate before sending the application for graduation.
2. Apply for your degree.
Students who have completed all the required studies (study modules, master's thesis) for the degree may apply for a degree certificate through an online application form in UEF E-Services. For general instructions related to graduation, see Kamu Student handbook.
The delivery time for the certificate is three (3) weeks from the point when the last study unit has been registered or from the date the application was returned. NB! During the busiest periods at the end of the autumn and spring terms, delivery times may be longer.
In the online application form, include 1) your major and its extent in credit points, 2) minor studies (for example from the other major of the MDP) and what courses you want to include, and 3) other elective studies. Courses that you may wish to leave outside your degree are listed separately.
Please note that if you wish to graduate within the autumn semester, make sure you submit your degree application to the Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies at the latest by 30 November. The processing of the degree applications can take 2–4 weeks during the end of the semester. For the spring semester the deadline is 31 May if a student wishes to graduate within the spring semester.
Theses are published in pdf-format if the student has given a permission for e-publishing, which is recommended. In the thesis submission form, you can select the level of access to your thesis. The UEF Library recommends Open Access publishing. Further information about thesis submission and evalution, and UEF Publishing and Data Policy (pdf).
Master’s Degree Certificate
The Master’s degree certificate will include basic details of the student’s major and minor and/or other studies, including the amount of study credits of these study modules. In addition to the major and minor studies, it will also include the title and grade of the master’s thesis.
Major studies module will be graded on the scale 1–5 based on the weighed average of the completed major courses. Minor/other studies are not graded.
Recent Master's Thesis Topics
Environmental and Climate Change Law:
- Sustainable Finance in the EU – implications for the operation and compliance of financial institutions
- A Comparative Study of Wildlife Laws of Ethiopia and Vietnam
- Legislation on Zero-Emission Vehicles: Solution Towards Carbon-Neutrality or a Non-Sustainable Option?
- The complex relationship between international investment law and EU law: Possible implications of the Achmea- judgement for the jurisdiction of intra-EU disputes under the Energy Charter Treaty
- Assessing the effectiveness of NDCs and of the ambition raising mechanism in the pursue of the Paris Agreement’s temperature goals
- Flexibilities of the LULUCF Regulation – helping the Member States to mitigate climate change or creating a backsliding opportunity?
- Energy communities in the centre of EU energy transition. Legal status of energy community under the “Clean energy for all Europeans” package
- The equality of all suppliers under the data and cost sharing mechanism established by Article 95
- Compatibility of Finnish fossil fuel tax breaks with the EU State aid legislation
- A Seat at the (Trading) Table: Non-Market Mechanisms in the Paris Agreement
- Helping victims of climate impacts: Loss and Damage finance under the UNFCCC and beyond
- From Politics to Legislation: Efficiency & Implementation of SUP Directive 2019/904/EU
- Can Adaptive Governance Mitigate the Challenges Presented by the Scientific Uncertainty in River Basin Management Planning and Environmental Permitting?
- Union cohesion policy funds in the implementation of the European Hydrogen Strategy: Legal opportunities and limits
- Extended Producer Responsibility in Theory and in Practice: Requirements of EPR for Fibre-Based Packaging Sector in the EU Legislation
- Transboundary Environmental Impact Assessment Implementation in the Lower Mekong River Basin on the basis of the 1995 Mekong Agreement
- EU Biofuel Legislation & CSR: Finland
- Useful or Usable: Does the existing transparency framework influence the national decision-making process of developing countries?
- Protection of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction: Analyzing the potential effects of the new UN BBNJ regulation on the current legal framework of Marine Protected Areas in the ABNJ
- Boost or barrier? The scope and flexibility of environmental safeguards in REDD+ in Ghana
- Status Treaties Revisited: Implications for International Environmental Law
- How can Australia's leading environmental legislation, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, accommodate ecological restoration?
- Polluter Pays Principle and Regulation of Environmental Pollution in the Nigerian Oil Sector
- Towards the recognition and implementation of rights of nature in the European Union? Lessons learnt from the legislative experiences of Ecuador, Bolivia and New-Zealand
Environmental Policy and Natural Resources Governance:
- The Long Debate Around Short-Lived Climate Pollutants: History of a Policy Concept and its Impact on Global Environmental Governance
- Evaluation of Companies' Motives, Values, and Views Impact on Collaborative Cross-sector Climate Action: Case Study Imatra
- Social capital in community forestry: Findings from a quick scoping review about Oaxaca State, Mexico
- Assessment of Mongolian environmental non-governmental organizations
- How uncertainty shapes access to resources for local communities: lessons from inhabited forest concessions in the miombo woodlands in central Mozambique
- Beyond Anthropocentrism: Understanding Ecosexual Discourse in the context of Environmental Law and Policy
- Regulatory Framework on Geothermal Energy in Finland - Lessons learned from the Deep Heat-project in Otaniemi, Espoo
You can take a look at previous thesis topics in the UEF e-publications. You can also search for Master's theses in UEF Primo.
Counselling and guidance are offered by the programme coordinators. Department amanuenses and other staff of the university also guide students in various academic matters.
Programme Coordinators
Bradlie Martz-Sigala and Tuomas Palosaari
- Counselling on general academic matters
- Advising on Personal Study Plan
- Processing of graduation paperwork and recognition of studies
Student Feedback
Feedback from students is highly appreciated, as it serves the development of teaching, guidance and student services. When you wish to give us feedback, please contact the following persons:
- Course feedback: Responsible teacher of the course
- General feedback of teaching, guidance and teaching arrangements in the Department: Vice-head for teaching and the programme coordinators
- Academic matters in general in the faculty: Head of academic and student affairs
In case you do not know who to contact, contact the programme coordinators who can give you the right contact information.
How to apply?
Appropriate Bachelor's degree or equivalent university degree
A Bachelor's degree or equivalent university degree with good academic results corresponding to at least three years of full-time study in environmental sciences, social-scientific environmental studies, natural sciences or environmental engineering, or an appropriate field in social science or law.
The degree must be awarded by an internationally recognized university or by a recognized university of applied sciences or polytechnic.
Conditional applicants
The programme accepts applications from students who have not completed their first degree by the application deadline. Such applicants must indicate their anticipated graduation date in their application and submit a scanned copy of their latest official transcript of records. Applicants obtaining their degree certificate and the final transcript of records during the application period should submit a scanned copy of the original degree certificate and final transcript of records as soon as possible.
Successful applicants can be made a conditional offer of admission subject to satisfactory completion of the required academic degree. The deadline for submitting scanned copies of the original Bachelor's or Master's degree certificate and transcript of records (in original language and translated as applicable, see below) is 28 July 2023. The admitted applicants are also required to bring the original degree certificate and final transcript of records with them for verification when they start their studies.
Note! Conditional applicants who complete their required academic degree after the application deadline has closed, will submit the copies of their degree certificate and final transcript of records (translated as applicable) directly to the master's degree programme coordinator.
Those conditional applicants who are submitting the necessary educational documentation after the deadline has closed should contact the Master's programme to receive the details as regards how to submit the documents (envirolawpol@uef.fi).
Requirements to demonstrate that the applicant fulfils the criteria related to previous education:
The following requirements apply to submitting the documentation listed below: the completed application form, together with scanned copies of the original degree certificate and transcript of records (including information on the extent of the studies, grades and description of the grading system) must be uploaded to the online application at studyinfo.fi. In case the required original documents are not in English, Finnish or Swedish, a complete, word-by-word literal translation into one of these three languages by an official translator is required.
Scanned copy of the original Bachelor's or Master's degree certificate in the original language and a translation of the degree certificate as applicable.
or
Scanned copy of temporary degree certificate in the original language (alternative to degree certificate) and a translation of the temporary degree certificate as applicable.
and
Scanned copy of certificate of graduation in the original language and a translation of the certificate of graduation as applicable.
and
Scanned copy of transcript of records of Bachelor's or Master's degree in the original language and a translation of the transcript of records as applicable.
Applicants holding a provisional degree certificate may also apply for the programme. That is, the degree must be verifiably completed and the required documents of the completion of this degree must be submitted.
The admitted applicants are required to bring the original degree certificate and final transcript of records with them for verification when they start their studies.
If the required original documents are not in English, Finnish or Swedish, a complete, literal translation into one of these three languages by an official translator is required. Please see further instructions on official translations of educational documents on page Required documents.
Please also follow the country-specific requirements of your country when certifying and submitting your documents.
Proof of English language proficiency
To comply with the Programme’s English-language proficiency requirement, applicants must fulfill at least one of the following requirements:
- Secondary education completed in English language in a Nordic country (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden), in an EU/EEA country or in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, United Kingdom or the United States
- English as A language with minimum grade Magna Cum Laude Approbatur as part of Finnish Matriculation Examination
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree conducted in English in a Nordic country (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden), in an EU/EEA country or in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom or the United States
No language test is required from applicants fulfilling one or more of the above criteria. Such applicants may demonstrate their English-language proficiency by official copies of the relevant degree certificate and transcript. It is recommended, however, for applicants who have also taken a language test to indicate their test scores when applying. Please see instructions on certification of educational documents here.
Demonstrating English language proficiency through a Bachelor's or Master's degree completed in English
For applicants demonstrating their English-language proficiency through a Bachelor's or Master's degree completed in English, the language of study must be clearly indicated in the degree certificate and transcript of records or the application must include an official certificate from the applicant’s institution stating that the medium of the instruction of the applicant's degree has been English. The university retains the discretion to determine whether the degree complies with the programme’s English-language proficiency requirements. If the degree includes transfer credits from outside the specified country/area or courses in a language other than English, the degree might not be deemed to fulfill the requirement.
Language tests
Applicants who do not fulfill any of the above criteria must demonstrate their English-language proficiency by submitting language test scores together with their application. The minimum scores required for admission are:
- IELTS (Academic), also IELTS indicator: overall 6.5 (minimum 5.5 in writing)
- TOEFL iBT (Internet-based test), also TOEFL iBT Home Edition: 92 (minimum 22 in writing)
- Revised TOEFL Paper-delivered Test with the following scores:
- a minimum score of 20 in reading
- a minimum score of 20 in the listening section
- a minimum score of 22 in the writing section
- PTE (Academic): minimum 62
- C1 Advanced (former CAE): at least 180
- C2 Proficiency (former CPE): at least 180
The language test result must be submitted to UEF before the application deadline closes. Please read more here.
Letter of motivation in English
The Letter of Motivation (suggested length 400 – 500 words) should be a self-produced, independent text, describing applicants’ readiness as well as motivation for the particular programme in question. The letter of motivation should contain all the information that applicant sees as relevant for the evaluation process and hence applicants among other things are expected to explain why they should be selected for the programme and how their previous education supports the studies in the Master's degree programme. Applicants should describe their educational background, work experience, international experience and language skills and point out the relations between their background and the focus of the Master's degree programme. In addition, applicants are expected to explain how they intend to fund their studies during the Master's degree programme.
Letter of recommendation in English
Applicants are required to submit a letter of recommendation from at least one referee. The letter of recommendation must be written in English. The letter of recommendation should be from a person who is in a position to describe the applicant’s readiness, motivation and relevant skills to successfully complete the Master's programme. Letters of recommendation from academic referees (such as former professors or teachers) are preferred, but letters of recommendation from former or current employers are also accepted. The recommendation letter must bear an original signature from the referee, and it should be uploaded to the online application with the other documents.
If the letter of recommendation is mailed in directly by a third party, e.g. your university officials, the admissions office will forward the documents to the programme coordinator for evaluation. The documents can be sent to:
University of Eastern Finland
Admissions Office, Joensuu campus
(include the programme name)
Yliopistokatu 2 / P.O. Box 111
80101 Joensuu, Finland
It is always the applicant’s responsibility to make sure that the application documents reach the University of Eastern Finland (UEF) by the deadline. UEF does not process any application documents that have arrived after the deadline.
Written essay based on the application exam question
The applicant may use a maximum of 7,000 characters (including empty spaces) for the essay. The answer should be written by using Word processing software (like MS Word or WordPerfect). The essay is uploaded to the online application form with other documents. The grading of the essay will be based on its originality and overall academic level (including structure, quality and style).
You can find the essay question here.
University of Eastern Finland uses plagiarism detection.
Copy of passport photo page
Applicants must include a copy of their passport photo page in the application.
Interview
All applicants who meet the minimum criteria are personally interviewed via Skype (or alternatively telephone) after the application deadline has closed. Applicant is requested to provide a Skype ID address and/or personal telephone number in the application form in order to facilitate the interview. Please note that applicants who do not meet the minimum criteria are not interviewed.
Prioritizing when applying to multiple programmes at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies
Applicants are required to prioritize one program over the others, if they apply more than one program from the UEF’s Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies. If applicants are admitted to all the programs of their choice, a study place will only be offered for the prioritized program, cancelling the study place from the other programs.
Begins on 4 January 2023 and will last until 18 January 2023 3 pm (GMT +2). After you have successfully sent your application, it is possible to upload documents after the application deadline until 25 January 2023, 3 pm (GMT +2) (supplementary time).
Applicants will begin the application process on the national Studyinfo portal where they can search for suitable programmes and begin the application.
Application instructions in a nutshell
1. Check the admission requirements above to find out what is required in order to apply.
2. Sign up for a language test (TOEFL, IELTS or similar), if required and/or necessary.
3. When the application period begins, fill out the application form in the Studyinfo portal.
4. Collect the needed application documents in accordance with the programme's admission requirements.
5. Send all the requested application documents to the University of Eastern Finland (UEF) as electronic/scanned copies attached to the application form in Studyinfo by the end of the application period (recommended file types pdf and jpeg, max. file size 10 MB). Late documents or emailed documents are not considered. Admitted students are required to bring the original documents with them for verification upon arrival in Finland. Also, admitted students from certain countries need to make sure their documents fulfill the country specific requirements.
Should you have any questions about completing your application and required enclosures, please contact our admissions office, admissions@uef.fi, tel. +358 29 445 8990. In case you have questions concerning the application requirements, please contact programme coordinators Tuomas Palosaari and Bradlie Martz-Sigala by email: envirolawpol@uef.fi.
6. For non-EU/EEA students, scholarships can be applied for; for more information see tuition fees and waivers below.
Make sure your application reaches University of Eastern Finland by the closing date. UEF does not process application documents that arrive after the deadline.
Application process step by step: Three steps to follow
1. Search & Apply online
All available study programmes in Finland can be found on the Studyinfo portal where you can search for suitable programmes and start the application. The online application is only open during the application period, so make sure you know when the application period starts. Once you have found a programme you wish to apply to, find out what the admission requirements are.
2. Collect the documents
Information concerning the documents you need for admission is provided by the university/programme you are applying to and the Studyinfo portal. The list of required documents is also on the online application. Our admission requirements can be found above and necessary documents are listed below. Please check the country specific requirements on how to submit the application documents.
Application package checklist
The application package sent to UEF through the application form in Studyinfo should consist of the following:
1. Scanned copies of the original degree and graduation certificates in original language
2. Official translations of degree and graduation certificates (if original is not in English, Finnish or Swedish)
3. Scanned copy of the original transcript of records in original language
4. Official translations of the transcript of records (if original is not in English, Finnish or Swedish)
5. Proof of English language proficiency
6. Letter of motivation (written directly on the online application)
7. Written essay (see Admission requirements for the essay question)
8. Letter of recommendation
9. Copy of passport photo page
The admission requirements and required application documents are explained in detail above.
Admitted students are required to bring the original documents with them for verification upon arrival in Finland.
3. Submit the application documents to UEF
You need to submit requested documents as electronic copies/scanned attachments together with the online application (instructions can be found on the application form).
Your application documents have to arrive by the given deadline. E-mail attachments will not be accepted. UEF does not process application documents that have arrived after the deadline.
Processing the documents at UEF
University of Eastern Finland processes all documents according to the same processing procedures. Documents are processed in two steps, both of which your application documents must pass:
- We will verify your language skills and check that they meet the requirements set by the programme.
- We will check that all of your required educational documents have arrived and then we will verify your credentials.
Verification of educational certificates
University of Eastern Finland will evaluate the eligibility and authenticity of the educational certificates of all applicants. This includes contacting previous educational institutions and language test providers. Any malpractice will be reported to the universities and the appropriate authorities.
Language tests
Applicants should follow the language skill requirements of the programme. It is the responsibility of the applicants to take the test in time. It should be noted that it may take several weeks before the test results are available.
All language test results must arrive at University of Eastern Finland by the application deadline.
Evaluation of applicants (the selection process)
Applicants are requested to submit completed application forms and necessary documentation by the set deadline. Please note that partially-completed, unsigned or applications that are missing required documentation will be automatically rejected. Applications arriving after the deadline will not be considered.
The programme admits maximum 20 students once a year for studies commencing in the autumn.
Applicants fulfilling the admission criteria will then be evaluated through a process that will determine applicants selected for the programme. Evaluation is based on the applicant's academic performance, the relevance and scope of applicant's previous studies (educational background), and their proficiency of written and spoken academic English. To facilitate the assessment of their educational background, applicants are asked to submit all documentation and transcripts concerning relevant higher education and academic studies (including documents that are additional to those required to demonstrate the fulfilment of the admission criteria). In addition, the evaluation process includes an evaluation of the letter of motivation, letter of recommendation and personal interview.
Applicants are evaluated and scored with the following emphases (overall maximum 50 points):
1. Previous studies (appropriate Bachelor's degree or equivalent university degree): 0-15 points
a) Relevance of studies
b) Scope of studies
c) Academic success
d) Other relevant background
2. Letter of motivation in English: 0-10 points
3. Essay 0-15 points
-------------------------------------------
4. Personal interview: 0-10 points
If an applicant scores zero points from any of the sections, the application will be automatically rejected from the evaluation process.
Results of the selection
The results of the selection process will be announced by 31 March 2023.
All applicants will be notified via email of the outcome of their application and whether they have been admitted to the Master's Degree Programme in Environmental Policy and Law. On request, the admission or rejection letter can be mailed to address provided.
If you have been accepted and offered a study place, you can confirm the study place electronically through the link in your email notification sent from Studyinfo or by sending a confirmation form to the Admissions Office at admissions@uef.fi.
Applicants who are selected must confirm their acceptance of the offer of admission by 15 July 2023. The studies will begin in September 2023.
Successful applicants who have not obtained the required academic degree by the end of the application period will be made a conditional offer of admission. Copies of the original Bachelor's or Master's degree certificate (in original language and translated as applicable) must be submitted by 28 Juy 2023. Admitted students are also required to bring the original documents with them for verification upon arrival in Finland.
One study place per term provision
Note: According to this provision, a student may accept only one study place leading to a higher education degree in Finland during one academic term. This rule applies to all higher education.
Higher education degrees included in the provision are:
- Bachelor degrees and Master degrees awarded by Finnish universities of applied sciences.
- Bachelor degrees and Master degrees awarded by Finnish universities
- Licentiate and Doctoral degrees awarded by Finnish universities
The provision applies to higher education regardless of how the studies are provided. For example, if you have accepted a study place from a separate application, you cannot accept a study place from the joint application in the same term.
This means that the student must secure that he/she sends the confirmation form to the first priority of the programmes he/she has been admitted. If the student sends several confirmation forms, the form that is registered first will determine which study programme the student will be accepted to.
The academic term (1.8.-31.12. or 1.1.-31.7) is the set framework for implementation. The provision does not prevent acceptance of a place in another degree programme during another academic term. Even if the student postpones the commencement of studies, or interrupts his/her studies, that student cannot accept another study place for a degree programme starting in the same academic term.
Finnish universities introduced tuition fees in 2017 for non-EU/EEA students (citizens outside the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland). At University of Eastern Finland, fees are collected in Master’s degree programmes taught in English. An annual tuition fee of 8,000 euros is applied in the MDP in Environmental Policy and Law. The tuition fee will remain the same for students throughout the entire time of their degrees. However, UEF offers a generous tuition waiver system for students who are required to pay tuition fees.
Please see further information on Tuition fees and waivers.
Who will need to pay for tuition?
Fees will be collected from citizens outside the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, starting their studies in Master’s degree programmes conducted in English in August 2017 or after that.
What does the tuition fee include?
The tuition fee includes the studies included in the degree (120 ECTS), counselling and supervision and studies-related supporting services offered by the university. In addition, students are entitled to the services of the Finnish Student Health Service by paying the membership fee of the Student Union. By paying the Student Union membership fee, students are also entitled to university sports services (Sykettä). The university assists students in finding accommodation.
In addition:
- An orientation programme
- An appointed student tutor
- Access to IT services
- Wireless Internet access on campus, computer classrooms available 24/7
- Free use of the Library
Scholarships (tuition waivers)
The University of Eastern Finland offers a generous scholarship system to support the students that are required to pay the tuition fees. The scholarship covers 70% of the tuition fee and is awarded only as a fee reduction/waiver of the tuition fee. In the 2022–2023 admission, the tuition waiver will be granted to all students that are required to pay the tuition fee.
The waiver does not cover the living costs, accommodation, study material etc. during one’s studies. The scholarship is programme-specific, and thus it cannot be transferred to another programme at University of Eastern Finland or another university.
How to apply for a tuition waiver?
The scholarship is applied for when applying for admission to the university by filling out the relevant section of the application form. The decision about the scholarship is made in connection with student admission, and the student is notified of the matter in the letter of acceptance. Students who are accepted to the programme and thus awarded a waiver are required to sign and return a student agreement to the university before the payment of the scholarship can begin.
The next application period is from 4 January 2023 until 18 January 2023, 3 pm (GMT +2).
How are the scholarships granted?
The scholarship is awarded for two academic years. The first-year scholarship will be granted based on admission requirements (see above), and especially the performance and academic success in these studies.
The scholarship awarded for the second year is conditional and tied to the progress of the student’s studies. The prerequisite for the scholarship to continue in the second academic year is that the student has completed a minimum of 55 ECTS credits of studies that are included in his or her degree during the first academic year (transferred credits are not taken into consideration). If the above prerequisite is not met, the conditional scholarship awarded for the second academic year can be discontinued on this basis. The student is heard in the matter before a decision to discontinue the scholarship is made.
Are there any other possibilities to receive funding from UEF?
The MDP does not offer students any additional funding or financial aid, and working opportunities may be available only periodically. Therefore, students must be able to cover all their own living costs in Finland independently. Finding any other funding opportunities is also the responsibility of the students himself/herself. Completely financing one's stay and studies in Finland by working is not possible, though part-time work may be available.
Requirements for residence permit
Students must be able to cover all their own living costs in Finland. Own finances are also one of the requirements for the Finnish residence permit, and finances need to be available permanently on the student’s bank account for the whole period the permit is applied for. Financing one's stay and studies in Finland by working is not possible. For more information about residence permit, please see Migri.
When applying for their student residence permit, international students (non-EU/EEA students) students are required to show that they have at least 560€ per month (6720 € per year) at their disposal. See further details.
Payment of the tuition fee
How to pay the tuition fee?
Students that need to pay the tuition fee will receive an invoice from UEF. The tuition fee is paid in two instalments. The first instalment is paid in June 2023, and payment details and schedules will be sent to the student together with the acceptance letter.
Student union fee and student benefits
All degree students of the university are members of the Student Union, and required to pay a student union fee.
The Student Union membership fee entitles the student to, for example:
- reduced lunch prices at student cafeterias
- discounts on local buses and long-distance transportation
- discounts on many public services and free-time activities
Full list of services and further information is available on the website of the Student Union.
Contact person
If you have any questions about tuition fees or scholarships, please don't hesitate to contact the programme coordinator.
Application period 2023
Our application period is open from 4 January 2023 to 18 January 2023. The application is completed and submitted online.
Apply via Studyinfo
Studyinfo.fi is the official national admissions portal with all the up-to-date information about study programmes leading to a degree in Finland.
Finland Scholarship
Finland Scholarship
UEF will grant a Finland Scholarship for the best two applicants in each Master's degree programme. The scholarship includes a 100% tuition waiver and a € 5 000 relocation grant.
Alumni and student impressions
Learn more about studying at the UEF, our university and its campuses, and life in Finland!
Alumni network coming soon! The MDP Network aspires to connect and link students, alumni, and alumni of different graduation cohorts with one another in order to foster community, mentorship as well as internship and job opportunities. The MDP is launching a webinar series to bridge students and alumni in autumn 2020. More information about the launch event will be circulated soon.
