Master's Degree Programme in Photonics

The application period opens on 4.1.2023 and closes on 18.1.2023 at 15.00 (GMT+2). In 2023, a maximum of 20 students will be selected into the programme on the basis of their application documents.

Eligibility

Degree certificate

A previous Bachelor's degree* corresponding to at least 3 year's of full time academic studies from an institution for higher education is required from all Master's degree applicants. The degree should entitle the applicant to apply to Master's studies in the country where the degree has been awarded.

*Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in physics, optics, photonics, physical and engineering sciences with an extensive physics basic education, or another discipline related to the programme, entailing proficiency in physics and mathematics.

If the applicant has not yet graduated, she/he can be selected on condition that she/he will be able to graduate and submit the officially certified copies of the degree certificate and final transcript of records or submit them according to country-specific document requirements by 28.7.2023, to the program coordinator.

Language requirements

Applicants must demonstrate excellent skills of English language. English language proficiency can be proven with official Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), International English Language Testing System (IELTS), C1 Advanced/ C2 Proficiency Test or Pearson Test of English (PTE) test score report.  

English language test organized by the Foreign Language Center of ITMO University is accepted only for the applicants from ITMO university double degree program in Photonics (ITMO-UEF).

Minimum requirements:

• PTE (academic): 62
• TOEFL (iBT): 92
• IELTS (academic): 6.5 (overall)
• C1 Advanced: C
• C2 Proficiency: Level C1
• English language test organized by the Foreign Language Center of ITMO University:
6.0 (overall).  

The English language test is not required for applicants who have  

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree or Polytechnic/University of applied sciences degree
conducted completely in English language.  A certificate from the university stating that
the language of instruction during the BSc/MSc studies has been English is required
or
• secondary education conducted in English in EU/EEA country, Australia, Canada,
Ireland, New Zealand, Great Britain, Switzerland, or United States
or
• who have completed English as A1 language as a part of Finnish Matriculation
Examination.

All language test results must be submitted as instructed here. 

The applicant needs to apply through national Studyinfo portal at studyinfo.fi. Once the applicant has filled out the online application, required enclosures must be uploaded electronically to the application.

Online application form is required to be submitted by 18.1.2023 at 15.00 (GMT+2) and the required enclosures can be uploaded electronically to the application until 25.1.2023 at 15.00 (GMT+2).

Application form is available at studyinfo.fi only when the call for applications is open (4.1.2023-18.1.2023). 

After you submit your application you receive a confirmation email. This email includes a link for making changes to your application. Changes can be made until 25.1.2023 at 15.00 (GMT+2).

At the application state we require only scanned enclosures attached (uploaded) to the application form. Paper copies are not required during the application period. Once you have filled out the online application, required application enclosures (see content below) must be uploaded electronically to the application (recommended file types pdf and jpeg, max. file size 10 MB). More information about how to submit documents is available here.

Instructions in a nutshell

• Make sure you know the admission requirements (content above). Sign up for a language test, if required and/or necessary.
• When the application period begins, fill out the online application form with care, upload all the required documents in electronic format and then submit the online application.
• Required enclosures (content below) must be uploaded electronically to the application (recommended file types pdf and jpeg, max. file size 10 MB). Please see more information on How to submit documents.
  • We accept scanned copies of the original degree certificates and transcripts as well as the translations when they are required.
  • We do not accept scans of photocopies unless they have been certified by the awarding institution
  • Please scan the original documents with care, always scan in color and remember to scan all pages. If your scan is blurred, discolored or the file is flawed it will not be accepted. The use of PDF -format is encouraged, as this ensures that the files can be opened in all operating systems.
  • The University of Eastern Finland also accepts electronic transcripts submitted through a few recognized sources. Please see Electronic Transcripts for details.

• Make sure your application enclosures are uploaded by the given deadline at 3 pm (GMT+2). Also the language test results must reach the University of Eastern Finland by the deadline.

• Should you have any questions about completing your application and uploading the documents to UEF application form, please contact our admissions office, admissions@uef.fi, tel. +358 29 445 8990.

To verify your eligibility, you must submit certain educational documents to the University of Eastern Finland  in electronic format as attachments to your application. Paper copies are not required during the application period.

Each application must include the following documents:

1. Completed application form (online).
2. The original degree certificate (in the original language) and an English, Finnish or Swedish translation of the degree certificate.
3. The original transcript of records (in the original language) and an English, Finnish or Swedish translation of the transcript of records. The transcript should include the course units, their completion time, grades and credits awarded, and information on the grading scale used at institution.
4. Copy of the identification page of your passport (not required from Finnish applicants).
5. Certificate or proof of English language skills.
6. A personal motivation statement, written in English, describing the reasons for application to the  Master's Degree Programme in Photonics and any relevant previous experience and future career or educational plans.
7. Two recommendation letters from academic and/or professional referees with their contact information.
8. Curriculum vitae stating the main personal information (birth name, birth date, citizenship, address, ...) the studies since high school (degrees, institutions, grades) as well as any professional experience and any other relevant information. Please use Europass CV format.

If a student has participated in any international internships or exchanges which (s)he wants to be accredited in the selection process, an English proof of the internship/exchange given by the institution in which the internship/exchange took a place must be included in the application.

Degree Certificate

A degree certificate is a document issued by an institution to a student who has successfully completed all studies included in the degree. The student has graduated. The degree certificate should include the name of the institution awarding the degree, the date of issue, and the name of the person to whom the degree certificate has been issued and which title/degree the person has been awarded.

Temporary (Provisional) Degree Certificate

A temporary (provisional) degree certificate is a document issued by an institution to a student who has been awarded or conferred an academic degree. The temporary degree certificate is issued as a replacement for the actual degree certificate e.g. in case the actual degree certificate cannot be given to the student immediately after the studies have been completed due to technical or administrative reasons. The temporary degree certificate must include:

• the name of the institution awarding the degree
• the date of award/conferral of the degree
• the name of the person to whom the temporary degree certificate has been issued
• which academic title/degree the person has been awarded.

It is important to note that a document stating only that the student has completed all the courses is not sufficient as a temporary degree certificate.

Transcript of Records

The official transcript of records should include the following information:

• full titles of the units that the student has completed for the degree
• completion times of study units (or at the very least the overall study time at the institution)
• grades obtained
• credits awarded
• information on the grading scale used at the institution at the time of study
• If you have not yet graduated: The transcript of records must include the name of the degree that will be awarded to you when you graduate (Bachelor of, Master of, etc.)

The transcript must cover the full length of studies. If the degree includes course units that the student has completed at another institution and the transferred credits are not indicated in detail on the transcript of records, a separate transcript of records regarding the transferred credits should be submitted. Please also note possible country-specific requirements.

University of Eastern Finland only accepts official transcripts of records.

The documents can also be submitted electronically through a few recognized sources. To see whether the service possibly used by your institution is accepted please check Electronic Transcripts for details.

The admission processes in the Master's Degree Programme in Photonics aims at fair selection of high-quality applicants. Student selection is based on the application documents and evaluation how the applicant’s skills and competences gained by the previous academic studies correspond to the Master's studies applied for. Meeting the minimum application requirements does not guarantee acceptance to the programme.

Applicants will be ranked according to the selection criteria. The best 20 applicants are accepted to the program and the rest of the applicants are rejected. Applicants are not placed on the waiting list.

The applications will be graded using the following criteria:

1. Suitability and the content of the previous studies to the area of Photonics: 0-5 p (0=poor, 5=excellent)

2. Applicant's success in the previous studies in general:  0-5 p (0=poor, 5=excellent)

3. Applicant's success in the previous studies of the suitable field of science: 0-5 p (0=poor, 5=excellent)

4. Prestige and level of the home university: 0-5p (0=poor, 5=excellent)

5. Applicant's own explanations about their motivation to apply for studies: 0-5 p (0=poor, 5=excellent)

Statements from the referees are used to complete the evaluation of point 5 (motivation of applicant), but they are not separately graded.

Results for studies starting in September 2023 will be published on 31.3.2023 at the latest. When the selection decision has been made, the results will be posted immediately to applicants by e-mail.

Admitted students shall inform whether they accept their study place by latest on 14.7.2023 electronically via Studyinfo portal or by submitting the confirmation form electronically to admissions@uef.fi.

According to One study place per term 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.

More information: Admissions results.

An information package including information on accommodation, the residence permit and Student Union is sent by email to all the selected students. The practical guide for the new students, registration instructions, and the course timetable are sent by email later.

Orientation program for the new international students and the photonics courses start on the first week of September.

Verification of original documents

We require that all admitted applicants submit their original degree certificates for verification upon arrival in Finland.

Selected students who are unable to deliver the electronically certified final diploma and transcript of records during the application period will be selected on a conditional basis. Students who accept the study place are required to provide officially certified copies of the degree certificate and final transcript of records, or submit them according to country-specific document requirements, by 11.8.2023 at the latest. If the required documents do not arrive on time or cannot be verified electronically by the deadline, the study place will be cancelled.

NB! There are country-specific document requirements in place for academic qualifications awarded in certain countries. If your degree is completed in a country that has country-specific requirements, you must submit your educational documents following the relevant country-specific instructions.
 

Tuition fees & waivers

Fees will be collected from citizens outside the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland. The amount of the tuition fees for each master’s degree program is decided by the UEF Academic rector. The yearly tuition fee in MDP in Photonics program is 8 000 €.  

All new students who are admitted to Master’s Degree Programme in Photonics 2023 and are required to pay tuition fees, are eligible to receive a partial tuition waiver. The tuition waiver is 70 % of the annual tuition fee and it is granted for maximum of four (4) semesters.

Please note, that the tuition fee waiver must be applied for when applying for admission to the university.

The University of Eastern Finland will also grant an Early Bird tuition fee deduction of 500 € to students who accept the study place and pay the tuition fees within three weeks of the date the results are published (for Master's students starting in autumn 2023 by 21.4.2023).

The annual tuition fee is paid in two equal instalments per academic year. Tuition fee must be paid and the Student Agreement must be signed before the student can register as present student.

Student Union membership fee and the Kela healthcare fee are obligatory for master’s degree students.

More information about tuition fees, waivers and scholarships is available here.

Finland Scholarship

UEF will grant a Finland Scholarship (Suomi-stipendi) of € 5 000 for the two best applicants in each Master's Degree programme. The Finland Scholarship is granted for the first year of Master’s studies and the students who receive it must be non-EU/EEA citizens who are liable to pay tuition fees. The total value of the Finland Scholarship is € 13 000–15 000, depending on the programme’s tuition fee. The Finland Scholarship includes:

• 100 % tuition waiver for the first year's tuition fee (value € 8 000–10 000)
• € 5 000 relocation grant 

The scholarship is a one-year scholarship for first-year Master’s students. For the second year of study, students need to secure sufficient funds themselves. The programmes' general tuition waivers will be offered for the second-year studies.  

You must state your wish to apply for a Finland Scholarship on the Studyinfo application form. Finland Scholarships are awarded based on the programme's own admission criteria for the two best applicants (best points) per programme who have been chosen for the studies based on their success in the admission process. Scholarships are always personal, and UEF will notify applicants about the decision regarding the scholarship at the same time with the admission results. The decisions on scholarships cannot be appealed against.

The Finland Scholarships will be granted until 2024. Students who apply to Master’s studies in 2025 are not eligible. The national Finland Scholarship programme is funded by the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture.

See more information here.