Eligibility
Selection methods
Eligibility requirements
You can apply to the Masters Programme Area and Cultural Studies if you meet the following criteria:
You have earned a bachelor’s degree in Finland by July 31, 2027, OR you have earned a bachelor’s degree abroad by August 31, 2026.
You have sufficient skills in English, Finnish or Swedish
You have completed a sufficient amount of studies applicable to the master’s programme.
Admission
If you do not meet these criteria, you cannot apply through this application procedure.
1. You have completed a higher education degree providing eligibility for master’s studies
To apply through the master's admissions procedure, you must have completed, or will complete by the deadline, a higher education degree that provides eligibility for master's studies.
If the degree providing eligibility has been completed in Finland, the deadline is 31 July 2027.
If the degree providing eligibility has been completed outside Finland, the deadline is 31 August 2027.
You can apply even if your degree will not be completed during the application period. However, you must have completed a sufficient amount of studies applicable to the master’s programme by the application deadline. Studies completed after the application deadline will not be taken into account in the assessment of your application.
2. Sufficient skills in Finnish, Swedish or English
You must demonstrate sufficient skills in Finnish, Swedish or English at the application stage. For the methods of demonstrating your language skills, please see the University website.
3. Applicable studies
University-level basic and intermediate studies (min. 60 cr) applicable to a study track in the master’s programme, or studies of an equivalent level and scope. These studies must be completed by the application deadline and they must be listed on the application form. The applicability of studies will be assessed when deciding on admissions.
Fields of prior study suitable for the master’s program include the humanities and/or social sciences, and the student’s prior studies demonstrate expertise in cultural studies or transcultural studies, Asian studies, European studies, Latin American studies, Middle Eastern studies, or North American studies.
The courses used as the basis for the application must be listed on the application form in the text field provided for that purpose in the following format: Course title and course name (if different from the course title), course code, completion date, credit hours, and grade.
Only the 60 credits of courses you have selected and listed on the application form will be taken into account in the evaluation of your application.
Selecting the language and the study track
Selecting the language of the degree
You will have to select the language of your degree (English, Finnish or Swedish) on the application form. This means that even though most of the teaching will be offered in English, you can answer examination questions and write course assignments and your Master's thesis in the language that you select as the language of the degree.
The language selection is binding. You must demonstrate proficiency in the selected language.
Selecting the study track
You will have to select a study track on the application form. Your application will be assessed in relation to the study track you have applied for, and if you are admitted, you will be granted the right to study in the master’s programme study track you indicated on the application form. You must select the study track from the following five options:
Asian Studies
European Cultural Studies
Latin American Studies
Middle Eastern Studies
North American Studies
Transcultural Studies
The Master’s Programme in Area and Cultural Studies at the University of Helsinki brings together perspectives from area studies, cultural studies and other fields in the humanities and social sciences. You build expertise in the cultures and societies of major world regions from both historical and contemporary viewpoints, and gain the tools to work in an internationally connected world.