FAQs about JYU and application (for non EU/EEA students)

This is a blog post regarding various questions we are getting from non EU or European Economic Area (EEA) students.
Note: For students from the EU these information can be different!

1. Does JYU have bachelor programs taught in English?
Unfortunately we do not yet have bachelor programs taught in English. If you are an undergraduate student and interested in studying in JYU, you can check if your home university is a partner university of JYU and probably come as an exchange student!

Find Bilateral partner universities of JYU 2019-2020 here!

2. Do you have scholarships for international master’s degree programs?
Starting from 2020 application period, JYU will provide two full scholarships (covers 2 years’ tuition fees) and four half scholarships for each program. You can apply for scholarship with the same application form for master’s programs, and the selection criteria will be the same as admissions criteria. JYU does not provide any other university level scholarships, but some faculty may provide other supports for international students. For further information, check the program page of your ideal program.
Find out more about scholarships and tuition fees here.

3. Which programs are JYU’s specialities? 
JYU has one of the leading education programmes in Finland, and is the only university that has a sports faculty. We also have highly competent business and social sciences programmes.

4. Can I apply if I am from a different background? 
You can apply to the Master’s degree programs as long as you have a suitable higher education degree and adequate proficiency in English language. Relevant academic background is normally not a must, but it will give you more credits during the admission process. For detailed information, you may check the program page of the specific program you are interested in, or send email to ask in advance.

5. Does JYU provide accommodation for international students? 
JYU does not provide accommodation directly, but will recommend local student apartments (KOAS, Kortepohja student village) to international students.

6. Is it possible to attend JYU’s summer school or short-term courses?
Currently JYU provides the following summer and winter schools:

Summer schools: 
Jyväskylä Summer School in August, targeting all advanced Master's students, graduate students, and post-docs from the field of Mathematics,Science and Information Technology
Jyväskylä Summer School in Human Sciences in May-June, targeting students from JYU, students from partner universities of JYU, and students coming within the framework of ISEP Exchange

Winter schools: 
Winter School of Ecology in February, targeting all international and Finnish students who are majoring in biology
Winter School in Sport Sciences in January, targeting students from universities and professionals from sport organizations all over the world

*Some of the Summer & Winter School are only for JYU students or students from partner universities.

Find out more about the summer and winter schools here.

7. How much is the cost to study in Finland?
The tuition fee of JYU’s master’s degree programs are between 8,000-12,000 euros per year. The living expense in Jyväskylä is around 600-800 euros per month, depending on which part of the city you stay in.

8. Do I have to learn Finnish to study in Finland? Will it be enough if I only speak English? 
Many MSc programs require international students to take a couple of Finnish course credits (normally Finnish 1) to help you learn about the basics, but there are no other language requirements regarding Finnish. Most Finnish people speak at least conversational English, so it will not be a problem if you cannot speak Finnish. However, we do encourage you to learn Finnish, because it definitely helps you to make friends and live more like a local.

9. Is it very cold and dark in winter? 
There will only be 1-2 weeks of - 20°C temperature each year, normally in January or February, but it is always warm indoors. The days get apparently shorter in November, so it would be helpful to go out and be active to prevent depression.