How to apply for exchange studies at the Theatre Academy

Published 17.2.2020 | Updated 14.11.2025

Who can apply?

We accept exchange applications from all Erasmus+ programme eligible institutions. Students from institutions that have a Bilateral Agreement with Uniarts Helsinki’s Theatre Academy are also eligible to apply. Please contact your home institution’s international office to find out whether you can apply for an exchange study period at the Theatre Academy.

Application schedule and academic year

Application schedule

• The application period for the autumn term 2026 or the academic year 2026-2027 is from 1 March to 31 March 2026
• The application period for the spring term 2027 is from 15 September to 15 October 2026.

Academic calendar 2025-2026

• Autumn term 2025, first and last day of teaching: 4 August – 19 December
• Spring term 2026, first and last day of teaching: 7 January – 12 June

Academic calendar 2026-2027 – to be confirmed

• Autumn term 2026, first and last day of teaching: 3 August – 18 December
• Spring term 2027, first and last day of teaching: 7 January – 11 June

Application guidelines

You need to submit the application in Easy Mobility Online by the deadline, which is 31 March 2026. Please don’t wait until the last minute to start your application: there are steps you need to follow to confirm the final submission. Applications sent after the deadline will not be considered.

You will receive the link to the application form after your home university has nominated you.  

After registering to the application form, you will receive an email with a link to get access to application workflow, where you need to upload the required documents, links to your videos or portfolio, edit your study plan and answer some more questions. Follow the workflow step-by-step, and finally, confirm submission.  

You can apply to the Theatre Academy either for autumn term, spring term or full academic year. The maximum duration of exchange studies at the Theatre Academy is two terms within one study cycle (Bachelor/Master/Doctoral).

In the application, you must specify which study programme at the Theatre Academy you are sending your application to. The availability of studies in English varies yearly and from programme to another. Once accepted, exchange students are advised to take individual courses from other programmes besides their main programme of study. Theatre Academy students can also take courses from other Uniarts Helsinki academies. We offer a great variety of studies in the field of arts that you can select for your learning agreement.

Different study options are presented on the Uniarts Helsinki website and course information is published in our Study Guide. Please note that teaching for the autumn term is confirmed by 15 May and teaching for the spring term by 31 October, which means the information might not be up-to-date during the application period.

In order to have a successful application, you should have some previous studies in the subject you are planning to study at the Theatre Academy.

You should have good competence in the language you are going to study in. We recommend level B2 in the European language framework. For most exchange students, the language of studies is English or Swedish.

Only a very limited number of exchange students are accepted each term. Students are selected based on their applications and the availability of studies in English.

Study programmes open for applications

The information on which study programmes will be open for applications will be updated here in early 2026.

Required documents and videos

Before filling in the online application, please prepare the following material required for the application.

Application letter

• Describe why you would like to study specifically in the study programme you have chosen and what expectations and goals you have for the studies at the Theatre Academy.
• If you are applying to more than one study programme, please explain it in your letter.
• Choreography and dance applicants: in the letter, make a connection to your video recording.
• In the application system, the maximum length for the motivational letter is 3500 characters.

Curriculum Vitae

• Maximum 2 pages, in PDF format
• Please name the document in the following way: “Lastname_CV”
• In the CV, describe your previous studies, work experience, projects and other relevant information.

Copy of an official ID

• Scan of your passport or other official ID with a photo

Transcript of records

• An official transcript of records (in English, Finnish or Swedish)

A preliminary study plan

• You will need to make a preliminary study plan in the application system. In the plan, list the study units that you would like to complete during your exchange.
• The course catalogues for the Theatre Academy study programmes are available here: https://opinto-opas.uniarts.fi/en/theatre-academy/13746/e. In some bachelor’s and master’s programmes, some courses listed in the study guide are not available every academic year. On this page, the section “Study programmes open for applications” mentions the year group that exchange students will go to class with.
• The plan is preliminary, it will give us an idea of your interests. There will always be changes to it before your learning agreement is approved.
• In addition to your chosen study programme, you can also apply for courses listed in the catalogues under Uniarts optional studies, Theatre Academy Elective studies and Studies for exchange students.

Creative portfolio – Scenography / Light Design / Sound Design / Live Art and Performance Art students

• Format: a link to a website or a pdf file
• Name the PDF portfolio in the following way: “Lastname_portfolio”
• The creative portfolio should showcase your own work and interest as a designer / performance artist.
• The maximum size for a portfolio in PDF format is 20 MB. Please pay close attention to the quality and size of the pictures.

Text sample OR a video – Dramaturgy and Comparative Dramaturgy and Performance Research

• Video: insert a link to an online video
• Text sample: max. 10 pages, in PDF format  
• Please name the document using the following format: “Lastname_text sample” 
• Applicant can decide the genre without restrictions 

Video – Dance, Choreography, Dance Pedagogy & Theatre Pedagogy

• Applicants in Dance or Choreography: Insert a link to an online video or upload a video file. The video should show your own work and interest as a choreographer or dancer. In your application letter, discuss the video recording.
• Applicants in Dance and Theatre Pedagogy: Insert a link to an online video or upload a video file. Make a video where you tell about your own experience and interest as a theatre/dance pedagogue. The video’s duration should be about 10 minutes.

Summary of research plan – Doctoral studies

• Maximum 2 pages, in PDF format
• Please name the document as follows: “Lastname_Research plan”
• Include the background, objectives, methods and main references of your doctoral research project.

Evaluation and final decisions

We will only evaluate applications that have been completed in full and submitted through the online application system within the deadline. The final decision will be based on the quality of the application and on the availability of study places and courses in English.

The applications for the autumn term and the whole academic year will be evaluated in April–May. We will notify both the applicant and the coordinator of the sending institution about the decision in May.

The applications for the spring term will be evaluated in October. We will notify both the applicant and the coordinator of the sending institution of the decision in November.

We request that accepted students confirm their exchange in May / November. Once the student has confirmed the exchange, we will send a letter of acceptance by email.

Short-term mobility periods

We also accept students for short-term mobility periods. These short-term exchanges are usually organised within existing networks such as Norteas or through some other institutional collaboration. Short-term mobility periods are only available to students from our existing partner institutions. Please note that we are able to accept only a very limited number of students for short-term studies. 

The mobility period can be 5-30 days, but usually it lasts 1-2 weeks. You must also receive funding (Erasmus+ or Nordplus) from your home university for your mobility period.  

There is no application form for the short-term mobility because they are usually agreed individually and through the coordination of teaching staff. If you are visiting the academy to complete a single course or other short-term mobility period, please contact the Theatre Academy’s international relations coordinator two months before the planned mobility period at the latest. You need to inform us of your planned mobility period and of your designated teacher in charge.

Contact international relations staff

If you have questions about the application process, please contact international mobility coordinator Siiri-Maija Heino at teak.international@uniarts.fi.