Language requirements

English language proficiency needs to be met by all applicants who apply to programmes with English as the language of instruction. These English language requirements apply to both bachelor's and master's programmes at the University of Vaasa. English proficiency can be proved only in one of the below listed ways in the 2025 intake.

If the language skills required by the University of Vaasa are shown in your educational documents (Degree Certificate or Transcript of Records) and you meet the language requirements mentioned below with those documents, you do not have to submit any additional attachments. However, if you do not meet the language requirements below with your degree (e.g. your degree is from a country that is not mentioned in our requirements), you need a language test or another accepted way to prove you meet the language requirements. A Language Certificate issued by your home university or any other institution or organisation is not accepted in this case.

In the rolling admission, all the enclosures need to be submitted to the application form by the time of applying. In case of missing enclosures, the application will be rejected.

In the joint or separate admission, all the enclosures need to be submitted to the application form at the latest within one week after the application deadline. In case of missing enclosures, the application will be rejected.

If you are looking for Finnish language requirements for programmes with Finnish as language of instruction, please see Finnish language requirements for Master of Science in Economics and Business Administration or for Master of Science in Technology.

English language requirements

Higher education in English in countries mentioned below

  • English language course(s) included in a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree conducted in Finnish or Swedish in Finland
  • Bachelor's, Master's, Licentiate or Doctoral degree conducted in English language in Finland or another EU/EEA country or in Australia, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Cameroon, Canada, Dominica, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, 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 Kingdom, United States, Zambia or Zimbabwe.
  • Degrees completed in English with degree certificates awarded by a recognised institution in one of the countries above will be accepted as evidence of English language. This includes degrees taught at offshore campuses, double degrees and other degree articulations such as 1+3, 3+1, 1+1 and 2+2 awards. 
  • At least 15 ECTS of studies in English (e.g. exchange studies) at a Higher Education Institution in Finland or another EU/EEA country, United Kingdom, Switzerland, United States, Canada, Australia or New Zealand. The courses taken must be at least bachelor's/tertiary level studies.
  • Bachelor's or Master's degree with English as the major subject (English language/literature/philology)

Secondary education in English in countries or examinations mentioned below

  • Certificate of secondary education completed in English language in Finland or another EU/EEAcountry, United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand or Switzerland
  • Certificate of English as the A language with a minimum grade of Magna Cum Laude Approbatur aspart of a Finnish Matriculation examination
  • Certificate of English as the A1 language (minimum grade 2) or A2 language (minimum grade 5) as partof an International Baccalaureate examination
  • Certificate of English as the A language (literature/language and literature/language and performance) as part of an International Baccalaureate examination (minimum grade 2)
  • Certificate of English as the LI (L1) language (minimum grade 4) or LII (L2) or LIII (L3) language (minimum grade 7) as a part of European Baccalaureate examination
  • Reifeprüfung (RP) or Deutsches Internationales Abitur (DIA) diploma completed at Deutsche Schule Helsinki: passing grade in the written level A English test; or a minimum grade of 8 in the oral level A English test
  • Cambridge GCE A-level/International A-level or AS-level/International AS-level in English language or English Literature with minimum grade C
  • IGCSE/International GCSE (English as) First Language with a minimum grade of C or 4
  • IGCSE/International GCSE (English as) Second Language with minimum level B or 6 including speaking endorsement (Cambridge, Pearson Edexcel or Oxford exam boards)

Language tests (valid two years from the date of the test)

The language test result must be valid on the day of submitting the application.

  • IELTS Academic or IELTS Online Academic test results with minimum overall band score of 6.5 (each section minimum 5.5)
  • TOEFL iBT (internet-based), TOEFL iBT Home Edition or TOEFL iBT Paper Edition minimum overall score 92 (iBT test), MyBest scores are accepted
  • PTE Academic (Pearson Test of English, Academic band) or PTE Academic Online results with minimum overall score of 62
  • Cambridge C1 Advanced test (Certificate of Proficiency in English) with minimum level C
  • Cambridge C2 Proficiency test (Certificate of Proficiency in English) with minimum level C1
  • National Certificate of Language Proficiency (YKI) in English awarded by the Finnish National Agency for Education: all subtests of the test completed on proficiency level 5 (reading comprehension, writing, listening comprehension, speaking). Separate subtest grades can be combined.

How to submit certain test results

IELTS

Upload your IELTS Academic results directly to the online application form and fill in the required information.

TOEFL

You can fill in the University of Vaasa's Institution Code 0647 in the Score Report Recipient field, when requesting the TOEFL test centre to forward your results to the University of Vaasa. This is optional. You must upload a scanned copy of your score slip to the application form. Please note that the quality of the scan needs to be high.

PTE Academic

Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic is a paperless test. Once you receive your test score, please send it to the University of Vaasa from your PTE account. Choose Finland as the 'Country', University of Vaasa as the 'Institution' and click 'Search'. Select University of Vaasa Master's Programmes. Then confirm your order. After this, University of Vaasa should have access to your test results within 48 hours. Please also submit the PTE result sheet to your application form.

National Certificate of English Language Proficiency by the Finnish National Board of Education

Submit your test results to the University of Vaasa together with your application. Your result will be verified from the organiser.

Cambridge C1/C2

Submit your test results to University of Vaasa together with your application. You are also asked to provide your Statement of Results number on the application form. If you cannot find your number, please contact your exam centre. A test certificate without the Statement of Results number is not sufficient for proving your language proficiency.

How to submit certain language verification documents of secondary education

Cambridge English Results

The University can electronically verify all Cambridge AS & A-level, IGCSE and O-level results that were awarded within the last five years. Please ensure all parts of your certificate are clear and visible on the certificate copy you submit with your application. 

For any results awarded more than five years ago, we are unable to verify these ourselves. Please liaise with the exam board and/or the school where your exams were taken for a verified set of results to be sent to admissions@uwasa.fi. These must reach us within seven days of your application being submitted. The results submitted later than that will not be taken into account.

Pearson Edexcel

Please make a request directly to Pearson. The relevant details can be found at the following webpage and under the section 'Document for Third Party/Verification': 
https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/support/Services/certificate-services/replacement-documents.html

Preferred delivery method is email.

You may also request for your school, or your local British Council Office to verify your results.

Oxford AQA

Please make a request directly to Oxford AQA. The relevant details can be found at the following webpage, under the section 'Useful Resources for Parents and Students':
https://www.oxfordaqa.com/parents-and-students/

Preferred delivery method is email.

You may also request for your school, or your local British Council Office to verify your results.

Should you have credentials which allow us to verify your result online/electronically, please provide these in your application.