Apply to Degree Programme in Fine Arts (Bachelor + Master)

Published 6.11.2019 | Updated 26.11.2025

Key information

• Degree programme: Bachelor and Master of Fine Arts, duration of studies 5.5 years (3.5 y. for bachelor’s + 2 y. for master’s degree)
• Language of degree: Finnish, Swedish or English
• Number of open study places: max. 25 new students
• Application period begins on 7 January and ends on 21 January 2026 at 3:00 p.m. EET
• Deadline for submitting application attachments: 28 January 2026 at 3:00 p.m. EET
• Second phase admission course in Helsinki: 20-24 April 2026
• Announcement of the admission result: 27 May 2026
• Deadline for accepting the study place: 9 July 2026 at 3 p.m. EEST
• Tuition fee non-EU and non-EEA students who study in English: €28,000 per academic year
  • No tuition fees are charged to citizens of EU and EEA Member States or Switzerland who study in English
  • No tuition fees are charged to students who study in Finnish or Swedish

Uniarts Helsinki’s admissions are part of the Finnish joint application for higher education. Applying takes place via Studyinfo.fi.

Admission criteria

An applicant can be accepted to undertake studies in the degree programme leading to Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Fine Arts if they:

• demonstrate ability in the fine arts, are oriented towards the fine arts, and have an aptitude for the studies included in the degree programmes for bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the Academy of Fine Arts,
• have the necessary educational background required for the studies,
• have demonstrated their language proficiency in the manner specified by the Academy.

The applicant will be deemed eligible to apply if they have the required educational background, they have provided acceptable proof of sufficient language proficiency, and they have submitted the required application materials in accordance with the schedule set by the Academy. The applicant can be deemed conditionally eligible if the education required for eligibility is assessed to be completed by deadline for accepting the study place.

In student admissions, the applicant’s demonstrated ability and orientation in fine arts are assessed, giving attention to expression, its individuality, and readiness to develop. In addition, the suitability of the applicant for the studies is assessed. When assessing suitability, attention is paid to the applicant’s educability, motivation, ability to learn new things and ability to analyse their own artistic work.

The admissions process also focuses on the applicant’s educability. The new degree must provide the applicant with sufficient new competence. The degree programme which begins at the bachelor-level is primarily intended for applicants who do not already have a degree from the bachelor’s level.

In the first phase, the student is assessed on the basis of the application submitted during the application period and the application material submitted by the set deadline. In addition to these, the applicant’s work samples and their work during the admission course and an interview will be assessed in the second phase of the admission process.

The programme’s admission jury prepares its proposal for new students to be admitted. The dean of the Academy of Fine Arts makes the final decision on which students will be admitted and who will be placed on the waiting list.

Educational background

You can apply for studies at the Academy of Fine Arts leading to a bachelor’s and a master’s degrees in fine arts if you have:

1. passed a Finnish matriculation examination, an International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma, a European Baccalaureate (EB) diploma or an international Reifeprüfung-/Deutsche Internationale Abitur examination) (RP/DIA);
2. been awarded a vocational upper secondary qualification, a further vocational qualification, or a specialist vocational qualification
3. completed a qualification abroad which in the awarding country gives eligibility for the corresponding level of higher education;
4. completed a Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education degree (AICE);
5. if you have completed a university degree in Finland or if you have completed a degree abroad that corresponds to a bachelor’s degree or a higher degree; or
6. if you have been granted the right to undertake studies in Finland in order to pursue a university degree.

Other education: Applicants can also be considered as eligible if the Academy deems them otherwise to have sufficient knowledge and skills for the studies acquired through other education. In this case, the applicant will be asked to attach to the application the certificates of the education(s) in question. The adequacy of the background education of applicants applying under the “other education” basis is assessed on the basis of their application and the application materials. The applicant will not be separately notified of this assessment.

Language proficiency requirement

All applicants must prove their proficiency in the language in which they plan to complete their degree, that is, either Finnish, Swedish or English.

The applicant must prove their language proficiency in accordance with the requirements set by the Academy of Fine Arts and during the application period. An applicant cannot be deemed as eligible to apply if they have not provided acceptable proof of their language proficiency.

How to apply

Apply for a combined bachelor’s and master’s degree programme in Fine Arts in the national joint application procedure in January. You can apply for a study place in a maximum of six degree programmes. These programmes do not need to be listed in any order. You can accept only one study place.

The University of the Arts Helsinki does not have a separate quota for first-time applicants in the admissions.

Application fee for applicants from outside the EU, EEA or Switzerland

Applicants from outside the EU, EEA or Switzerland are required to pay an application fee in order to apply to higher education studies.

If you are from outside the aforementioned area and you are applying to bachelor’s or master’s level studies in Finland, you will need to pay the application fee.

The application fee is 100 euros. The application fee is collected by the Finnish National Agency for Education.

Paying the application fee guarantees that we will process your application in a manner described in this admission guide. The application fee does not guarantee that you will be offered admission to studies.

Read more about the application fee.

1st phase: Electronic application and appendices

The application period begins on 7 January 2026 and ends on 21 January 2026 at 3:00 p.m. EET (Finnish time).

Fill in an electronic application form in Studyinfo.fi portal during the application period and submit the required appendices. It is possible to amend the appendices until 28 January 2026 3:00 p.m. EET.

Instructions: How to fill in the application form

If you are already a degree student at Uniarts Helsinki and wish to apply for a change of your study right, please see the instructions at the Students Uniarts Helsinki website.

Applying for transfer from another university

Applicants who are refugees or in a refugee-​like situation

You must include in your application the following appendices:

• A document demonstrating the required educational background
• A document demonstrating the required language proficiency
• Required application materials

Please check the acceptable ways of proving the required educational background and language proficiency from the admission criteria. If the copies of your diplomas or transcripts of study records are not in Finnish, Swedish or English, you must have them translated by an authorised translator.

You do not need to submit a certificate of your prior education (degree certificate, transcript of records) if:

• you have completed the Finnish matriculation examination in 1990 or later; or
• you have completed a Finnish vocational upper secondary qualification in 2017 or later; or
• you have completed a Finnish further vocational qualification or specialist vocational qualification in 2018 or later.

If you demonstrate your language proficiency with one of the above-mentioned degrees, you do not need to submit a separate certificate of your language proficiency.

In the above cases, we will retrieve your information from the electronic qualification register. The matriculation examination results of Finnish upper secondary school graduates in spring 2026 will also be checked from the register. If necessary, we will contact you by email for additional information.

Please submit your materials via Studyinfo.fi portal as early as possible. It can take up to hours to upload larger files. We recommend that you upload your materials to the system well before the final deadline so that you have time to access user support in case of technical problems. If you run into any problems, be sure to contact the academy’s admissions office before the closing of the application period or the deadline for amending appendices. Late submissions will not be considered.

We will assess the eligibility of each applicant after the amendment period for the appendices has concluded. We will find an applicant eligible if they have

• the required educational background for the studies,
• demonstrated their language proficiency as required, and
• submitted the required application materials.

We will notify each applicant of their eligibility by email no later than 20 February 2026. The admission jury evaluates the applications of eligible applicants and, based on them, invites some of the applicants to the admission course for the second phase.

An applicant may be considered conditionally eligible if their prior studies have not been completed by the end of the application period (e.g. applicants who are about to complete their matriculation examination in the spring). The degree must be completed by the deadline for accepting the study place so that it can be used as a demonstration of educational background. If the applicant has been deemed conditionally eligible, they must provide the Academy with the necessary certificate by the deadline for accepting the study place, or they cannot be accepted as a student.

Required application materials

The required application materials consists of two parts:

1. a work portfolio and
2. a motivation letter.

Please see below for instructions and the accepted file size and format. If you fail to submit the required application materials on time, or in an accepted format, your application will be rejected. No further instructions or a model for the application materials shall be provided.

Please submit the required application materials as a single PDF file with the work portfolio on the first pages and the motivation letter on the last page. The total length of the PDF must not exceed 11 pages (work portfolio: 10 pages; motivation letter: 1 page).

Please write your name and contact information on the first page of the PDF file. Please use the same name as you use on the Studyinfo application form.

The admission jury will not open any additional links, including links to the applicant’s personal website, that are included in the application.

Accepted file format: PDF. Maximum file size: 100 MB. Name the file according to the following model: Lastname-Firstname-Applicationmaterials

Work portfolio

Present your artistic practice with images in your portfolio. The content of the work portfolio is not thematically restricted.

You can introduce a maximum of 8 works in the work portfolio. Each work can be represented by 3 pictures at most. The work portfolio must not exceed 10 pages in length. Please provide information about the artworks, such as their name, size, technique, and production date, next to the work. Indicate in the portfolio in connection with the work description if the presentation of a work involves some speciality.

You are free to use AI if you wish but we ask you to indicate where you have used it and how. But do note, we are more interested in your unfiltered voice.

Some of the works in the work portfolio may be in the format of moving image, sound or media. You may submit one (1) media file sample of this type of works. Please include a media file in your application only if the nature of the art works presented requires so.

The total running time of the sample must not exceed 5 minutes in length. Accepted file format: MP3 (audio) or MP4 (video). Maximum file size: 500 MB. Name the file according to the following model: Lastname-Firstname-Mediafile.

The admission jury will not review a sample that exceeds the maximum running time of 5 minutes.

Mark your name on the media file clearly. Add information about the art works presented to the file (e.g. screen credits) or to the picture portfolio (PDF file). You can use the free HandBrake software for converting and packing the file if needed.

If you are invited to the admission course, you will be asked to bring samples of 2–3 works included in your work portfolio (see 2nd phase: Admission Course and Work Samples).

Motivation letter

Discuss the following points in brief in your motivation letter:

1. Explain why you are applying to study in the 5.5-year degree programme in fine arts
2. Your personal relationship with the visual arts and your experience in making fine art
3. Provide a brief account of one work included in your work portfolio and explain the process of making it

You are free to use AI if you wish but we ask you to indicate where you have used it and how. But do note, we are more interested in your unfiltered voice.

The maximum length of the motivation letter is 2,500 characters, including spaces.

2nd phase: Admission course and work samples

We will invite some of the applicants to the second phase of the admission process, the admission course. We will send invitations to the admission course by email on 27 March 2026. We will also notify the eliminated applicants of the decision by email at that time.

The admission course will be held in Helsinki at the Academy’s teaching facilities between 20 and 24 April 2026. The course includes daily work from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The course will conclude earlier on Friday.

Bring with you the tools you need, at least drawing and painting supplies. You may not use external assistants in the admission course.

During the admission course, you will work on assignments that vary annually in terms of content and nature. You will be assigned a personal work station in a shared workspace.

We will photograph the works produced during the admission course and record performances. We will only use the images and footage for the student admission process of the Academy of Fine Arts. On Monday, 27 April 2026, you can collect your works from the admission course at the time indicated in the invitation to the admission course.

We do not provide insurance cover for participants of the admission course. You participate in the admission course at your own risk. The Academy of Fine Arts shall not be accountable for any accidents or loss of personal possessions during the admission course.

If you are inebriated, behave disruptively or endanger the safety of others, you may be ordered to leave the admission course.

Work samples

Bring 2 or 3 of the original works you presented in your work portfolio with you to the admission course as sample works. You must be able to personally bring your sample works to the admission course and take them away from the admission course. In the case of large or hard-to-move works, you can bring photographs or other illustrative additional material with you. Keep your sample works on view at your personal work station during the course.

Bring your sample works on the first day of the admission course and take them away on the last day of the admission course. We will photograph the sample pieces during the admission course. We will only use the images for the student admission process of the Academy of Fine Arts. The Academy is not responsible for the sample works and will not insure them. The Academy is not liable for any possible damage to the works.

Individual arrangements

If the applicant requires special arrangements in the entrance examination because of a sensory or physical disability, illness or other corresponding reason, they must apply for individual arrangements by filling in a separate application. The application must be submitted to the Academy of Fine Arts admissions office by the deadline specified for submitting documents for the joint application procedure.

Individual arrangements during the admission course

Announcing the results

We will publish the results of the student admissions on the website of Uniarts Helsinki on 27 May 2026 for the applicants who have given their permission to publish their name.

We will send a result letter by email to admitted applicants and those who are placed on the waiting list. Some e-mail clients may treat our messages as spam, so please check your spam folder as well.

Rectification request

Applicants can apply for rectification of the admission decision from Uniarts Helsinki under the Universities Act (558/2009), section 82. The purpose of a written request for rectification is to give the applicant the possibility to appeal and request for rectification if there is a reason to believe that there has been an error in the decision-making process.

The rectification procedure is not intended as a means of receiving feedback or asking for further information about the admissions process.

How to request for rectification

Accepting the study place

Accept the study place offered to you no later than at 15:00 on 9 July 2026.

If you have been found to be conditionally eligible for admission in the first phase of the application process, you must submit a degree certificate demonstrating your educational background or language proficiency by the deadline for accepting a study place.

We will not consider confirmations that are submitted late. The confirmation of acceptance is binding and irrevocable, and it cannot be cancelled. If you want to give up your study place after first accepting it, you are still considered to have accepted the study place for the semester in question.

Read more about the one study place per term provision

Registering for the first year of studies

Register for the first academic year by the deadline for accepting the study place. We will send the registration instructions to new students together with the letter of acceptance.

Registering as absent for the first year of studies

Tuition fees

Uniarts Helsinki will charge an annual tuition fee of €28,000 from non-EU and non-EEA students studying in a bachelor’s or a master’s degree programme in English. The amount of the annual tuition fee will stay the same for the statutory duration of a particular student’s studies.

Read more about the tuition fees

More information about the degree programme

• Bachelor and Master of Fine Arts (3.5 + 2 years)

The degree programme in fine arts encourages you to find your strengths and your individual means of expression and interests in art. Your growth as an artist is supported by personal supervision and the communal discussion culture within the Academy, and during your studies you will learn the skills that are necessary for working independently in the field of visual arts. You will also learn to understand your diverse roles in the context of contemporary art and society.

In the 5.5 years of study, you will first complete a bachelor’s degree and then a master’s degree.

First-year students begin their studies with a course called “An introduction to independent artistic work and the subject areas”, after which they choose their subject area. The Academy offers teaching in four subject areas: sculpture, painting, printmaking and time and space arts. The Time and Space Arts subject area has three specialisations: moving image, photography, or site and situation specific art.

Students are encouraged to take courses from specialisations other than their own, within the limits of their study plan, and to engage in versatile artistic work using different media.

Artistic work and related theory comprise the core of the studies. In addition to coursework in fine arts, students take courses in exhibition studies, art history, art theory, and languages. The degree programme in Fine Arts draws together students with varying linguistic backgrounds, and the instruction at the Academy is organised so that everyone can take part in the same courses. Teaching is regularly offered in English, and approximately 15% of students, both degree and exchange students, come from outside of Finland.

The primary languages of instruction of the degree programme are Finnish and English. In group teaching, the primary language of tuition is English.

Students with different native languages study in the same degree programmes, and teachers and students flexibly change between different languages. All mandatory studies are offered in Finnish and English, and it’s also possible to complete credits in Swedish. English-language students in the 5.5-year education in fine arts are not required to know Finnish, but they are required to complete a mandatory course of Finnish as a second language as part of their bachelor’s degree.

Teaching is regularly offered in English, and approximately 15% of students, both degree and exchange students, come from outside of Finland.

At the Academy of Fine Arts, the artistic activities are integrated in the studies and offer the students encounters with the field of arts and the public. Public exhibition of art is a way for the students to get their first experiences of the working life that awaits them after graduation.

One credit (cr) equates to the workload of approximately 27 hours. The full-time studies of one academic year correspond to an average 60 credits.

The scope of the BFA degree is 3.5 years of full-time studying. The MFA degree can be finished in two years.

Contact

Academy of Fine Arts of Uniarts Helsinki admissions office
kuva.admissions@uniarts.fi