Apply to Praxis – Master’s Programme in Curating and Writing in Contemporary Art (Master of Arts (Art and Design))

Published 22.11.2024 | Updated 26.11.2025

Key information

• Degree programme: Praxis – Master’s Programme in Curating and Writing in Contemporary Art, Master of Arts (Art and Design), duration of studies 2 years
• Language of the degree: English
• Number of study places available: at most 8 new students
• Application period begins on 7 January and ends on 21 January 2026 at 3:00 p.m. EET (all times local Finnish time)
• Deadline for submitting application attachments: 28 January 2026 at 3:00 p.m. EET
• Second phase online interviews between 18 May and 19 May 2026
• Announcement of the admission result: 27 May 2026
• Deadline for accepting study place: 9 July 2026 at 3 p.m. EEST
• Annual tuition fee for non-EU, non-EA and non-Swiss students €28,000
  • No tuition fees are charged to citizens of EU and EEA Member States or Switzerland

Applications to the Praxis – Master’s Programme in Curating and Writing in Contemporary Art will be submitted through Studyinfo.fi portal.

Admission criteria

An applicant can be accepted to undertake studies in the degree programme leading to a master’s degree in arts (Art and Design) if they:

• have interest in contemporary art,
• have ability in theoretical thinking and writing,
• have a vision of their possible future roles in the field of contemporary art after completing the studies,
• have experience in the field of arts, e.g. curatorial work, art mediation, research, writing, production, or previous studies,
• demonstrate suitability to undertake and complete theoretically oriented studies leading to a master’s degree,
• have the necessary educational background required for the studies,
• and 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 appendices in accordance with the schedule set by the Academy.

The applicant can be deemed conditionally eligible if the degree required for eligibility will be completed by the deadline for accepting the study place. The Academy of Fine Arts’ decision on the admittance of these candidates is conditional until they have submitted proof of a completed qualification.

When the applicant’s suitability is evaluated, the following factors are considered: educability, motivation, ability to learn and collaborate, ability to listen, ability to reflect on one’s own work, and a readiness to develop.

The admissions process also focuses on the applicant’s educability. The new degree must provide the applicant with sufficient new competence. The master’s degree programme is primarily intended for applicants who do not already have a master’s degree.

In the first phase applicants are evaluated based on their application and the required appendices (motivation letter, CV and portfolio). In the second phase, the evaluation is based on an interview as well as the application and its appendices. The applicants may also be asked to provide further proof of their skills for evaluation.

After the second phase 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.

Applying for transfer from another university

Applicants who are refugees or in a refugee-like situation

Educational background

General eligibility

According to the Universities Act (558/2009, 37§), a person is eligible to apply for the studies leading to a master’s degree in higher education if they have completed a relevant bachelor’s degree awarded by a university or a university of applied sciences or a relevant degree programme outside of Finland, which in that country grants eligibility to undertake studies at the corresponding level in higher education.

Suitable educational background required for eligibility in the Praxis – Master’s Programme in Curating and Writing in Contemporary Art

You can apply to studies leading to a Master of Arts (Art and Design) degree if you have completed:

• an eligible bachelor’s degree awarded by a university; or
• an eligible bachelor’s degree awarded by a university of applied sciences; or
• an eligible foreign degree that provides eligibility for corresponding higher education studies in the awarding country.

For the Praxis – Master’s Programme in Curating and Writing in Contemporary Art a qualification in any field is applicable.

Language proficiency requirement

The language of instruction in the Praxis – Master’s Programme in Curating and Writing in Contemporary Art is English. If the student so chooses, they may complete part of the studies in Finnish or Swedish. The student can apply to the Dean for the right to write their thesis in Finnish.

Applicants are required to provide a proof of their language proficiency in English in the first phase of the application process in accordance with the requirements of the academy. Applicant who does not demonstrate their language proficiency cannot be deemed eligible.

An applicant may be considered conditionally eligible regarding their language proficiency only if their prior studies constitute a proof of sufficient language proficiency, but the education has not been completed by the end of the application period (e.g. applicants who have not yet completed their bachelor’s degree). The education must be completed by the deadline for accepting the study place in order to be accepted as proof of language proficiency. If the applicant has been deemed conditionally eligible regarding language proficiency, 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.

If an applicant wishes to use prior studies as proof of their sufficient language skills, the language of the qualification must be stated in the degree certificate or its appendix, in the transcript of study records or some other official document issued by the institution in question.

Demonstrating proficiency in English

You can demonstrate your proficiency in English in one of the following ways:

Matriculation examinations

Applicants can demonstrate their language proficiency in the following ways also without completing the whole matriculation examination (except if the applicant demonstrates their language proficiency with the language used for their International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma):

• English test of the Finnish matriculation examination completed in the advanced syllabus level (A-level language) with a minimum grade of magna cum laude approbatur (M)
• IB (International Baccalaureate) diploma awarded by an IB World School
  • diploma completed in English
  • passing grade in the English test (literature / language and literature / literature and performance) on level A
  • minimum grade of 5 (good) in the English language test on level B
• EB (European Baccalaureate) diploma awarded by a designated European School
  • passing grade in English as the L1 language
  • minimum grade of 7 in English as the L2 or L3 language
• A diploma completed at Deutsche Schule Helsinki:
  • passing grade for written English or a minimum grade of 8 for oral English according to the advanced syllabus on a Reifeprüfung (RP) or Deutsches Internationales Abitur (DIA)

Language proficiency certificates and tests

Acceptable language tests include IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, YKI, Cambridge English C1 Advanced and Cambridge English C2 Proficiency. If not otherwise separately mentioned in connection with the test, an online version of the test is not valid.

IELTS, TOEFL and PTE test results are valid for two years from the test date. The test result of a previously completed language test must be valid on the day the application period starts so that it can be considered proof of the applicant’s proficiency in English. Cambridge and National Certificate of Language Proficiency results are valid indefinitely.

Accepted language proficiency tests:

• TOEFL(IBT) with a minimum score of 92. Uniarts Helsinki also accepts the TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition with the same scores. Uniarts Helsinki also accepts MyBest Scores for the Toefl test, as long as the results of all sections of the test are valid when applying (the result must not be expired by the start of the application period).
• IELTS (Academic) with a minimum score of 6.5. Uniarts Helsinki also accepts the IELTS Online (Academic), IELTS Indicator (Academic) ja IELTS UKVI (Academic) tests with the same test scores.
• PTE (academic) with a minimum score of 62. Uniarts Helsinki also accepts the PTE Academic Online and PTE Academic UKVI tests with the same score. 
• Cambridge English C1 Advanced with a minimum grade C (other accepted grades are A and B).
• Cambridge English C2 Proficiency with a minimum grade Level C1 (other accepted grades are A, B and C).
• National Certificate of Language Proficiency (YKI) in English awarded by the Finnish National Agency for Education where all subtests of the test completed on level 5 (reading comprehension, writing, listening comprehension, speaking). Results from different test occasions may be used.

Other acceptable ways to demonstrate English proficiency

You can demonstrate your language proficiency without a language skills test if you have completed an upper secondary degree with English as the language of instruction in an EU/EEA country, Australia, Canada, Switzerland, New Zealand, the UK, or the USA.

The language proficiency test is not needed if the applicant has completed a bachelor’s degree (or a corresponding degree that gives the eligibility to pursue master’s studies in the country in question), master’s degree, licentiate degree or doctoral degree with English as the language of the degree in an EU or EEA country or in one of the following countries: Australia, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Cameroon, Canada, Dominica, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Great Britain, Grenada, Guyana, Hong Kong, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Namibia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Philippines, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, United States, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

The language proficiency test is not needed if the applicant has completed a university or a university of applied sciences degree in Finnish or Swedish in Finland, which includes foreign language studies in English in accordance with the decree 794/2004 or 1129/2014.  Foreign language studies in English that are included in an incomplete Finnish university/university of applied sciences degree, as well as studies completed in some other manner, can also be approved, provided that the studies comply with the decree. In this case, the applicant must send a transcript of study records to Uniarts Helsinki along with a copy of the degree requirements of the higher education institution in question or some other document that states which language studies are required for the degree.

Uniarts Helsinki exchange students also have the opportunity to demonstrate the language proficiency required in student admissions through language studies completed at Uniarts Helsinki (one of the following):

• Courses English 1 and/or English 2; minimum scope of 2 credits, the courses include both written and oral exercises).
• Participating in an English language proficiency test during the student exchange at the proficiency level required by the application option (more detailed instructions are available from language teachers).

How to apply

Apply to the 2-year study programme leading to Master of Arts degree (Art and Design) in the Finnish national joint application procedure for higher education 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.

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.

First 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.

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

Instructions: How to fill in the application form

On the application form, please select “Praxis – Master’s Programme in Curating and Writing in Contemporary Art” as the programme you are applying to. The application should be completed in English.

Please include the following attachments with your application:

• Documents demonstrating the required educational background (see Admission criteria, Educational background)
  • A degree certificate
• • A Transcript of Records
• A document demonstrating the required language proficiency (see Admission criteria, Language proficiency requirement)
• Required application materials (see instructions below)

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 qualifications, 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 system as early as possible. 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 submitting appendices. Late submissions will not be considered.

We will assess each applicant’s eligibility to apply after the amendment period for the appendices has concluded. You will be deemed eligible to apply if you have

• the required educational background,
• provided proof of your language proficiency according to the requirements, and,
• submitted all the required appendices with your application.

We will inform each applicant of their eligibility at the latest on 27 February 2026. The admission jury will evaluate applications of those applicants who have been deemed eligible to apply and will invite some of the applicants to take part in the second phase, i.e. an interview.

Required application materials

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.

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

Motivation letter

Describe in your motivation letter your views about artistic activities in society and elaborate upon your goals in working in the field of art. Explain specifically why you want to pursue studies in the Praxis Master’s Programme at the Academy of Fine Arts.

State in your motivation letter the things you feel are important and interest you in your studies, as well as the things you want to concentrate on and examine more closely.

The motivation letter should be no longer than 5,000 characters (with spaces) and it must be written in English.

File format: PDF.

The name of the attachment shall follow the format: lastname_firstname_praxis_motivationletter.

CV/résumé

Include in your CV your contact information and information about your education, work experience, exhibitions, publications, awards, grants, and study trips.

The CV must be written in English.

File format: PDF.

The name of the attachment shall follow the format: lastname_firstname_praxis_cv.

Portfolio

Present in your portfolio samples of your work and experience in the field of visual arts. For example, description and/or documentation of curatorial work, art mediation, research, writing, production, or previous studies. The maximum length of the portfolio is 8 pages.

File format: PDF. Maximum file size: 100 MB. The material that exceeds the limitations will not be evaluated.

The name of the attachment shall follow the format: lastname_firstname_praxis_portfolio.

Second phase: interview

We will send invitations to the second phase interview by email at the latest on 2 April 2026. We will also inform at the same time applicants who are not invited to the interview of the decision by email.

The second phase will be carried out between 18 and 19 May 2026. In addition to attending an interview, you may also be asked to provide further proof of your skills for evaluation after the interview.

Individual arrangements

If the applicant requires individual arrangements in the entrance examination (interview) because of a sensory or physical disability, illness or other corresponding reason, they must apply for individual arrangements by filling in a separate application (see the link below). The application for individual arrangements must be submitted to the admissions office by the deadline for submitting application attachments.

Individual arrangements in the entrance examination

Announcing the results

We will publish the results of the student admissions on the website of Uniarts Helsinki on 27 May 2026. The published list will include the names of all the accepted students who authorised the publication of their name.

We will send an e-mail to the applicants accepted as new students and those placed on the waiting list after the announcement of the results. 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 for receiving feedback or asking for further information about the admissions process.

A written request for rectification should be submitted within 14 days of the publication of the admission result.

How to request for rectification

Accepting the study place

You must accept the offered study place must be accepted no later than 9 July 2026 3:00 p.m. EEST (Finnish time).

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

If the confirmation arrives late, it will not be considered. 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 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

Contact

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