From BBA to master's degree more efficiently – the University of Vaasa and Vaasa University of Applied Sciences open a new pathway to master's studies
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The new joint 3.5 + 1.5 model developed by the University of Vaasa and Vaasa University of Applied Sciences (VAMK) enables students to begin master’s studies in economics and business already during their UAS degree and shorten the time to graduation by six months. The University of Vaasa and VAMK are at the forefront in Finland in developing a new type of study pathway that allows students to complete master’s-level studies as part of their Bachelor of Business Administration degree.
The model will initially connect VAMK’s Bachelor of Business Administration in Financial Administration and the University of Vaasa’s Master’s Programme in Accounting and Auditing. Its aim is to enable a smooth transition from a university of applied sciences to university studies, accelerate graduation, and respond to the growing demand for financial administration professionals in working life. At the same time, students will gain exposure to university studies during their UAS degree.
– Students are looking for increasingly flexible opportunities to develop their expertise, while employers need more highly educated professionals than ever before. This new study pathway responds to both needs by offering motivated students a seamless way to deepen their expertise and supporting the growing demand for specialist skills in working life, says Minna Martikainen, Rector of the University of Vaasa.
– This pathway provides our students with an excellent opportunity to build their expertise progressively and with clear purpose. Graduates will emerge with two complementary qualifications, combining strong practical skills with advanced academic expertise, says Hannu Vahtera, President, CEO of Vaasa University of Applied Sciences.
Under the model, students in VAMK’s Financial Administration programme can complete 30 ECTS credits of studies from the University of Vaasa’s Master’s Programme in Accounting and Auditing during their BBA studies. Upon graduation, they may apply to the master’s programme, where the previously completed studies will be incorporated into the 120 ECTS master’s degree. As a result, the two-year master’s programme can be completed six months faster.
The opportunity to complete courses belonging to the master’s degree as part of the BBA programme will begin in autumn 2026. Students can apply to the master’s programme for the first time in spring 2028. A dedicated quota will be reserved for students who have completed the pathway studies.
A pathway to becoming a financial management professional
VAMK’s 210 ECTS Bachelor of Business Administration in Financial Administration programme provides students with broad expertise in the core areas of financial administration, including accounting, taxation, payroll administration, auditing, and digital financial management systems. The programme also covers international accounting, business analysis, corporate structures, and sustainable business practices. It prepares students for specialist, development, and supervisory roles in financial administration.
The University of Vaasa’s Master’s Programme in Accounting and Auditing provides advanced expertise in areas such as financial management, auditing, reporting, data analytics, and international IFRS and ISA standards. Graduates typically pursue careers as controllers, business analysts, auditors, and financial management specialists and supervisors.
The extensive educational collaboration within the higher education consortium formed by the University of Vaasa and Vaasa University of Applied Sciences is reflected in many ways across different fields of study, including cross-institutional study opportunities and shared laboratories. The new 3.5 + 1.5 model is one of the consortium’s strategic initiatives, supporting national goals for smoother study pathways and improving the availability of highly educated professionals. Similar innovative study pathways are also being actively developed in other fields of education.