Eligibility
Eligibility requirements
You are an eligible applicant for Master's level studies if
You have a nationally recognized first-cycle degree – typically a Bachelor’s degree – from an accredited institution of higher education (if applicable in the country of the degree) from a nationally accredited degree programme
Your degree corresponds to at least 180 ECTS (European credits) or three years of full-time study
Your degree gives you eligibility to master-level studies in the country where it was issued
Please see How and when to apply for more details.
If you have not graduated by the end of the application period, the possible admission will be conditional until you have presented the University with a finished degree certificate and transcript of records at the latest by 31 July (Finnish degrees) or 15 August 2027 (degrees completed outside Finland). (Information added 21 Oct 2026.) If you do not provide the required documentation by the deadline, you will lose your study place.
Language requirements
Verified proficiency in the English language is required. Please see recognized qualifications, required levels, and exemptions.
Relevant fields of previous studies
The applicant’s previous degree, based on which s/he is seeking admission to the Master’s Degree Programme in Environmental and Sustainability Science, must be in a relevant field of study, such as
Environmental Science
Sustainability Science
Ecology/Biology
Biodiversity
Conservation and Management
Geography and (Landscape) Planning
Environmental Chemistry
Environmental Economy
Natural/Wildlife Resources.
NB! All applicants must have completed at least 60 ECTS (corresponding to one-year full time studies) in relevant studies in environmental and/or sustainability science. The relevance of the courses must be clearly justified in the application.
NB! Basic knowledge of quantitative or qualitative methods for analyses of ecological, geographical or socio-economic data is required, depending on the applicant's background and planned studies - e.g., knowledge of essential statistical analysis, modelling or GIS tools.
Admission
Annually, 10 students are admitted to the Master's Degree Programme in Environmental and Sustainability Science. The evaluation of the applicants is based on the application documents considering the components listed below, and is done on a case-by-case basis following standard scoring criteria. Short-listed applicants may also be invited for an interview.
Scoring of applications
All applications are evaluated by the admission committee of the Master’s Degree Programme in Environmental and Sustainability Science. The admission committee evaluates and scores the selected applicants by the application components listed below individually.
Applications will be scored based on these four components:
Relevance and suitability of previous studies (1) undergraduate degree must be in environmental science or a related field, 2) previous studies must include at least 60 credits of relevant studies)
Academic performance (overall & relevant to the programme specifically)
Motivation for studies
Suitability of the study plan.
Each of the four components will be scored on a 0–4-point scale: 0 p. = insufficient, 1 p. = sufficient, 2 p. = good, 3 p. = very good, 4 p. = excellent
The total maximum score for the application is 16 points. If the applicant scores 0 p. in any of the components above, the application will not be processed further.
In the event of a tie, the order will be determined based on 1) the suitability of completed studies and 2) the academic performance of previous studies.
The Master’s Degree in Environmental and Sustainability Science is inherently multidisciplinary, integrating environmental and sustainability science across disciplinary boundaries, covering environmental, geospatial, socio-economic, and policy topics, with a systems-thinking and leadership focus.
In this two-year programme, you will obtain a comprehensive theoretical background in environmental and sustainability science and strong practical, communication and leadership skills relevant to both academia and industry, as well as public organizations and the third sector. You will also obtain additional training on Environmental, Social and Economic dimensions - the three pillars of sustainability – through thematic study modules that are highly customizable to your interests.
The curriculum includes a mix of teaching methods, including lectures, seminars, practical exercises, and student-driven presentations, as well as the completion of an independent research project, the MSc Thesis.