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Target Groups: Student

Erasmus partners of Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies

ACADEMIC YEAR 2025-2026

(Level of studies: 1 = Bachelor’s level studies, 2 = Master’s level studies, 3 = Doctoral level studies)

NB! The links open up in a new tab.

NB 2! If you have an employment contract with UEF (for example as a 10 % grant researcher), you are not eligible to apply for student exchange. See Intranet for instructions regarding staff exchange.

NB 3! If a host university has specific language requirements (for example B1 French) for applicants, it will be mentioned here in connection to the host university in question. If there is no specific language requirement mandated from the host university, it is the student’s responsibility to make sure that the host university offers courses for exchange students in a language the student knows.

NB 4! The United Kingdom will no longer be a member country in the Erasmus+ programme after 31 May 2023. However, the UK will become a partner country in the Erasmus+ programme, which enables student exchange in the framework of the Erasmus+ programme. We are currently working on establishing partnership agreements with UK universities and will update the list of possible host institutions once it is complete.

The YUFE Alliance

Yufe Logo

YUFE (Young Universities for the Future of Europe)

How does it sound to build your own degree from courses offered at ten European universities? Young Universities for the Future of Europe, or YUFE Alliance, to which the University of Eastern Finland belongs, makes this possible. YUFE offers, for example, academic courses in English and in the languages of partner universities, language courses, exchange periods, volunteering activities, development of professional and working life skills, as well as lecture series open to everyone. You can take part in YUFE activities online, on home campus or in exchange.

YUFE is one of the 65 European university alliances to which the European Commission has granted funding for the development of European-wide university models. In addition to the University of Eastern Finland, YUFE includes Maastricht University in the Netherlands, Antwerp University in Belgium, Bremen University in Germany, Carlos III University of Madrid in Spain, University of Essex in Great Britain, University of Cyprus, University of Rijeka in Croatia, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Poland, and Sorbonne Nouvelle University in France.

Part of the YUFE Alliance activities are open to all UEF students. These include for example the YUFE Academy lectures and events, volunteering and the Challenge Teams. Part of YUFE’s offers, such as the language courses, Open YUFE (former Student Journey) studies, exchange periods and the YUFE Minors are only available to the degree students.

Check out the opportunities YUFE has to offer for a student by visiting the links YUFE Website for Students and YUFE Virtual Campus.

Currently in YUFE

Spring is here – and so is free and open for all YUFE Academy! Interesting individual lectures, workshops and events – pick your favourites and join us!

Applying to OpenYUFE programme is now quick and easy. You can get onboard in just a couple of days!

UEF also has its own bilingual YUFE @UEF eLearn environment. There you can get to know more about the opportunities offered by YUFE. Link to YUFE @UEF eLearn environment.

Important YUFE dates:

  • YUFE Academy Spring 2025: 9 May -19 June. Are you interested in memes or how Europe could end? Do you want to learn more about skilful customer interaction, artificial intelligence or critical thinking? Choose your favourites, register on YUFE’s Virtual Campus and participate!
    • Please note that the main event of the YUFE Academy “Skills of Critical Thinking” will take place on 22 May at 16-17.30 in Joensuu, in cooperation with SciFest. You can participate on-site in Joensuu or Kuopio in Finnish or English, and online in English.
  • The next Open YUFE DAY Live Session on 12/06/2025 at 11-12.30 CET (12-13.30 Helsinki time) is hosted by Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun and the University of Bremen. Register here and join us in finding out more about YUFE’s offers for students.
  • Exchange Call, yearly dates (YUFE exchange and YUFE Minors’ exchange), Erasmus+ : 1.15.2., additional calls in May and September. For more details, check the Kamu page Calls for applications for student exchange.

Follow our updates on Viva Engage (former Yammer).

Eligibility

UEF degree students are eligible to apply for YUFE exchange if one of the following conditions is met:

  1. The student has an active Open YUFE status (former YUFE Student Journey study right)
  2. The student has signed up to complete a YUFE Minor during the exchange period

Please note:

Open YUFE application is separate from the exchange application.

Read more about Open YUFE and YUFE Minors below.

In YUFE you can also do a short-term exchange. You can apply Erasmus+ funding for all YUFE exchanges. There is no additional YUFE funding for the exchanges.

YUFE Alliance Partners

YUFE Partner Universities:

Other network partners:

Additional information:

You can find more information about the YUFE Alliance and its activities from YUFE’s website or by contacting UEF’s own YUFE Team at yufe@uef.fi.

Nordics: Nordplus and Nordlys

Via the Nordplus exchange programme, students can go on exchange to the Nordic Countries and the Baltic region. Some Nordic and Baltic universities are also available through the department-specific agreements under the Erasmus+ programme.

NORDPLUS programme

NORDPLUS is a student exchange programme for Bachelor’s and Master’s level students that is funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers. Doctoral level students and members of staff (i.e. teachers, admin, 10% grant researchers) cannot apply for student exchange via NORDPLUS. All the Nordic countries and Baltic states are included in the programme.

The NORDPLUS programme includes subject-specific networks and the Nordlys network. On this page, you’ll first find information about the Nordlys network, followed by information about the subject-specific Nordplus networks.

Nordlys network

In addition to the subject-specific networks, the Nordplus programme includes the Nordlys network. Nordlys exchange is available for students of all study fields whose subject has no subject-specific network or in whose network the UEF is not a member, whose subject-specific network is inactive, or who wish to study a different subject than their major during the exchange. Nordlys exchanges are coordinated at UEF International Mobility Services.

For whom

Nordlys exchange is available for Bachelor’s and Master’s students of various fields. NB! Students from outside the EU/EEA are advised to discuss with their study programme coordinator if exchange studies would extend their studies and/or affect their tuition fee. The student exchange can be started no earlier than in the second year, but you may apply during your first year of academic studies.

Duration of the exchange

The duration of a Nordlys exchange is 1 or 2 semesters. Physical period of an exchange should be minimum 2 months. Completely virtual exchanges are not possible. NB! The duration of the exchange is determined by the academic calendar of the host university. The student is not able to decide the exchange duration by themselves, but they must follow the host university’s instructions and academic calendar.

Applying

Students apply for Nordlys exchange via the online application system SoleMOVE during an application period. The annual first call for applications is 1–15 February. If there are places and grants left after the first call, supplementary calls for applications will be organised on 1–15 May and 1–15 September.

Funding

Students going on Nordlys exchange may receive a mobility grant from the Erasmus+ programme. The mobility grant paid to UEF students going on Nordlys exchange is EUR 540 per month in the academic year 2024-2025. In addition, students will receive travel support and two grant-funded travel days for their exchange. The Erasmus+ mobility grants are funded by the Erasmus+ programme.

Students going on Nordlys exchange to the Faroe Islands may receive a mobility grant from the Nordplus programme. The Nordplus mobility grant consists of the Nordplus student mobility funding (max. EUR 200 per month) and UEF student mobility funding (min. EUR 340 per month).

The mobility grant is paid for the full exchange study period. The grant will only be paid for the duration of physical exchange period.

Students who have fewer opportunities on participating in the exchange (e.g. students with family, family carers, students with health problems, disabled students, migrant background) or who have special needs due to physical or mental health can apply for additional support for the exchange.

In Erasmus+ programme, student can also apply for green travel support, if most of the travelled journeys to host country and back home or at least one direction of journey is travelled with low emissions (bus, train, carpooling) – ferry/ship is not considered as a form of green travel. When traveling green, the student is entitled to increased travel support and up to six grant-funded travel days.

More detailed information on additional support and the amount of travel support can be found from the section Funding your studies abroad.

Short-term mobility grants in the Nordlys network

Mobility grants will be made available in spring 2025 for short-term courses (e.g. summer and winter schools) arranged at Nordlys network partner universities. More information about is available in the short-term Nordlys grant page in Kamu.

Please note

The Nordplus programme requires the studies completed at the host university to be fully transferred to the degree at the home university. Many Nordlys universities have subject-specific restrictions that are listed under the list of the Nordlys member universities.

To be noted when applying for Nordplus exchanges: application form

Most of the exchanges within the Nordplus programme and Nordlys network are funded from the Erasmus+ programme. Due to this reason, the Exchange study information tab in the application form may offer only Erasmus+ as the exchange programme when selecting host university to the application even though the student is applying for Nordplus exchange.

Guidelines for the Erasmus+ program

Most Nordlys exchanges are funded by Erasmus+ program. In the Erasmus+ program, students have 12 months of exchange time available per degree level. Students may complete more than one Erasmus+ student exchange or traineeship during their studies. However, the total maximum duration is 12 months per degree level (Bachelor’s or Master’s).

When participating in an Erasmus+ exchange, students can take OLS language courses (Online Language Support) and the OLS language test. The Erasmus+ program also includes a digital learning agreement for the exchange period, which must be completed before the exchange period begins. This may be required as an attachment when applying to the host university, depending on host organisation’s instructions.

The following Nordic universities are members of the Nordlys network (listed by country):

Sweden

Norway

Denmark

Iceland

the Faroe Islands

Greenland

Subject-specific restrictions and details at Nordlys member universities (updated 4/2024)

Denmark

  • Aalborg University: Medicine, Sociology, Social Work and Psychology are not available for Nordlys students.
  • Aarhus University: The following fields of study are not available for Nordlys students: Business, Economics, Political Science, Law, Psychology, Medicine. Please check this page for information on general prerequisites and restrictions (new tab).
  • University of Copenhagen: Nordlys students cannot take courses in Medicine and Dentistry. Plenty of other subject-specific restrictions – please contact UEF International Mobility Services for more information. TOEFL or IELTS is required if you apply for Nordlys exchange to study the following fields: English/American Language and Culture, Information Science & Political Science. For more information, please visit The University of Copehagen website (new tab).
  • Roskilde University: Journalism is not available to Nordlys students.
  • University of Southern Denmark (Odense): Medicine is not available to Nordlys students.

Iceland

  • University of Iceland (Reykjavik): The following fields of study are not available for Nordlys students: Medicine, Psychology, Nursing Science, Pharmaceutical Sciences, MBA. The following do not accept Bachelor’s level exchange students: Law, Economics. Courses in the English Language Programme are only available to students majoring in English. Students are required to take at least 60% of their courses from their major – if the major is not offered as a subject at the University of Iceland, it is not possible to apply there as a Nordlys student.
  • University of Akureyri: Nursing and occupational health are not available to Nordlys students.

Norway

  • NTNU University (Trondheim):The following fields of study are not available for Nordlys students: Medicine, Architecture.
  • University of Bergen: The following faculties are not open for Nordlys students: Medicine; Dentistry; Fine Art; Design; Music (Performance/Composition).
  • University of Oslo: The following fields of study have restrictions for Nordlys students: Medicine, Health Sciences, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Geo Sciences. In addition, the following fields offer some courses that are very popular and thus may not be available: Psychology, Biosciences. Check the availability of Health Economics courses from the faculty.
  • University of Stavanger: MBA is not available for Nordlys students. The following do not accept Bachelor’s level exchange students: Law, Economics.

Sweden

  • University of Gothenburg: Faculty of Fine, Applied and Performing Arts is a very popular faculty amongst exchange students and those applying for studies there must be flexible with their choice of courses. The following fields of study are not available for Nordlys students: Business, Law.
  • Linköping University: Only the courses offered by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences are available for Nordlys students.
  • Lund University: Students of the following fields must take half of their courses from another subject: Economics, Management, Business. Journalism is not available for Nordlys students. Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Performing Arts, the Malmö Art Academy do not normally accept Nordlys students for their courses.
  • Mid Sweden University: Acceptance for the following fields is considered on a case-by-case basis: Nursing, Teacher training, Industrial Design.
  • Stockholm University: Law students need to have 120 ECTS completed to be able to apply for Nordlys exchange in Stockholm. There is competition for courses in the following: Stockholm Business School, Department of Law.
  • Örebro University: Medicine and Culinary arts are not available to Nordlys students.

More information on the Nordlys network is available at UEF International Mobility Services and the network’s website (new tab).

Subject-specific Nordplus networks

NB! Subject-specific networks are not included in May or September application periods.

The duration of NORDPLUS student exchange via the subject-specific NORDPLUS networks varies from 1 to 12 months. The mobility grant will primarily be paid by the subject-specific network. To get additional information on the application periods and student exchange options of the subject-specific networks, please contact the network’s contact person at UEF.

The actual dates and duration of the exchange will be according to the host university’s academic calendar, not UEF’s.

UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN FINLAND IS A MEMBER OF THE FOLLOWING SUBJECT-SPECIFIC NORDPLUS NETWORKS:

Nordplus Law Network / Law

UEF contact person: Mia Kilpeläinen
Member universities:

  • Aalborg University, Denmark
  • Aarhus University, Denmark (Aarhus is currently not accepting students from UEF)
  • University of Copenhagen, Denmark (Copenhagen is currently not accepting students from UEF)
  • University of Southern Denmark, Denmark
  • Karlstad University, Sweden
  • Lund University, Sweden
  • Stockholm University, Sweden
  • Umeå University, Sweden
  • University of Gothenburg, Sweden
  • Uppsala University, Sweden
  • Örebro University, Sweden
  • University of Oslo, Norway
  • University of Bergen, Norway
  • UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Norway
  • Riga Graduate School of Law, Latvia
  • Mykolas Romeris University, Lithuania
  • University of Iceland, Iceland
  • Reykjavik University, Iceland
  • University of Tartu, Estonia

Medicin i Norden/Clinical Medicine

UEF contact person: Tarja Koponen
NB! There may be a limited number of exchange placements available at the host universities.
Member universities:

  • Aalborg University, Denmark (courses taught in Danish, exchange is only possible in the 3rd and/or 4th semester of the Master’s)
  • Aarhus University, Denmark (limited availabilities in the clinics, contact international@uef.fi before applying)
  • Linköping University, Sweden
  • Lund University, Sweden
  • NTNU – Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway (Exchange is only possible during the spring semesters, NTNU does not offer individual clinical rotations)
  • The Karolinska Institute / Läkarprogrammet på svenska, Stockholm, Sweden
  • UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
  • Umeå University, Sweden
  • University of Bergen, Norway
  • University of Copenhagen, Denmark
  • University of Gothenburg – Sahlgrenska Academy, Sweden
  • University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
  • University of Oslo, Norway (spring semesters have more availability for exchange placements)
  • University of Southern Denmark, Denmark
  • Uppsala University, Sweden
  • Örebro University, Sweden

Nätverket för de nordiska litteratur-, kultur- och språkinstitutionerna NORDLIKS/Swedish language

UEF contact person: Satu Pirhonen
The following universities are members in the network:

  • University of Southern Denmark (Odense), Denmark
  • Aalborg University, Denmark
  • Vilnius University, Lithuania
  • University of Agder, Norway
  • University of Oslo, Norway
  • NTNU – Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway
  • UiT The Arctic University of Norway (Tromsø), Norway
  • University of Gothenburg, Sweden
  • Dalarna University, Sweden
  • Stockholm University, Sweden
  • Uppsala University, Sweden
  • Linnaeus University, Sweden

GeoNord “Nettverket av nordiske geografer”/ Geography

UEF contact person: Moritz Albrecht
The following universities are members in the network:

  • Tartu Ülikool, Geograafia teaduskond, Estonia
  • Latvijas Universitate, Faculty of Geography and Earth Sciences, Latvia
  • Umeå universitetet, Department of Geography and Economic History, Sweden
  • Universitetet i Bergen, Institutt for geografi, Norway
  • Háskóli Islands, Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, Iceland

NOVA/BOVA Nordplus Network / Forestry

UEF contact person: Marjoriitta Möttönen

Member universities of the network (new tab)

NB! NOVA network mainly organizes courses for doctoral students/PhD candidates, for which Erasmus+ funding may be used (if applicable according to UEF guidelines). Some courses have been available to Master’s students as well, but the network does not host other student exchange activity. Bachelor and Master’s students should apply for semester/academic year exchanges via the Nordlys network or through Erasmus+ agreements.

Atmosphere-Biosphere Studies / Applied physics and Environmental Science

UEF contact person: Siru Kaartinen
The following universities are members in the network:

  • Aarhus universitet, Denmark
  • Danmarks tekniske universitet, Denmark
  • Eesti maaülikool, Estonia
  • Göteborgs universitet, Sweden
  • Háskóli Íslands, Iceland
  • Helsingin yliopisto, Finland
  • Ilisimatusarfik, Greenland
  • Københavns universitet, Denmark
  • Landbúnaðarháskóli Íslands, Iceland
  • Lunds universitet, Sweden
  • Stockholms universitet, Sweden
  • Tartu ülikool, Estonia

Personal career counselling

The aim of career counselling is to support the attainment of career planning and employment skills. Good career planning skills help you, for instance, in recognizing your own strengths and possibilities, in developing yourself and in making decisions about your future. You can receive career counselling at a personal career guidance conversation or by taking part in the study units on career planning and job seeking.

Career guidance conversations are confidential and personal dialogues with a trained career counsellor. You can bring out issues relating to your future, study choices or the working life that occupy your mind. The discussions are always based on your own questions and needs. You can consult a career counsellor at any stage of your studies and within a year of your graduation.

Come discuss, reflect, weigh and assess with us your options, choice of field or minor subjects, internship, time after graduation, combining studying and other spheres of life, or some other issue in your present situation or in the future. Read an interview with a UEF career counsellor: Career counselling helps orient to the future

You can read in more detail about career planning and career counselling on the career planning page of the Aarresaari, the Career services network of Finnish universities (opens in a new tab).

Book an appointment to career counselling

Kudin.fi career readiness self-assessment test and send the results to the career counsellor as you  book the discussion time. The Kudin.fi tool helps you recognize and develop your career competences and yields important information to the counsellor about the support you might find helpful.

You will find the free times for career counsellors’ appointments in the JobTeaser portal (opens in a new tab). The one-hour sessions are for discussions about issues, such as, your strengths, interests or possible study or employment alternatives. The 30-minute appointments are for shorter questions, for instance, comments on job seeking documents or other job seeking advice.

You can access the JobTeaser with your UEF credentials. Create a profile in your own name and choose your field(s) of study in the Course/Programme drop-down menu. In the Appointments tab, you will get to choose the type of appointment, the location (on campus/online) and the time. After sending the request for the appointment, the career counsellor will send to your UEF-email a confirmation of the appointment and, in case of an online meeting, a Teams link.  You will find more specific instructions on how to use the Jobteaser service in the Kamu JobTeaser page.

Welcome to career counselling!

More detailed instructions on how to use the JobTeaser and a link to the service:

Jobteaser Logo Vilkkuva

Career counsellors

Joensuu campus

  • Career counsellor Hanna Reinikainen (English and Finnish)
  • Career counsellor Kirsi Vallius-Leinonen (Finnish only)
  • Career counsellor, coordinator Outi Suorsa (Finnish only)

Kuopio campus

  • Career counsellor Janne Saarela (English and Finnish)

Email: firstname.surname@uef.fi or urapalvelut@uef.fi

Around the world: Bilateral exchange

University of Eastern Finland has bilateral co-operation agreements with universities from various countries. Bilateral student exchange aims at reciprocity, which is why all universities may not be available for applications every year.

The available universities will be listed in the call for applications that will be published at the beginning of the application period. Remember to check the call for applications to see which universities are available before starting your application!

Short-term exchanges are also an option for bilateral exchanges. See more information on Kamu’s page Short-term exchanges outside of Europe!

For whom

For Bachelor’s and Master’s level students. Limited options for doctoral students.

NB! Students from outside the EU/EEA are advised to discuss with their study programme coordinator if exchange studies would extend their studies and/or affect their tuition fee.

Host universities may limit the available subjects and some host universities are available to students from a certain field only. Limitations are listed below and in the call for applications.

Students can apply for exchange during their first year but cannot start the exchange before their second year of studies. NB! Some host universities may not accept bachelor level students for exchange in the autumn semester of the second year of studies (3rd semester of overall studies). It is often required that the student has 2 semesters of studies (1 academic year) completed at the time of application to the host university, i.e. in the second stage of the application process. In these cases, the earliest time for exchange would be the spring semester of the second year of studies (4th semester for Bachelor students in 3-year programmes).

Applying

The annual first calls for applications are 1-15 November. The annual second call for applications are 1-15 February. If there are places and grants left after the first calls for applications, a third call for applications will be organised 1-15 May.

Funding

University of Eastern Finland awards a mobility grant to those selected for exchange studies. The amount of the mobility grant is determined on an annual basis. In the academic year 2024–2025, the mobility grant for bilateral exchange students are as follows:

  • Students leaving for European universities: EUR 1,200 for a single semester or EUR 1,700 for the full academic year
  • Students leaving for Russia or non-European destinations: EUR 1,800 for a single semester or EUR 2,300 for the full academic year

NB! Students do not pay tuition fees to the host university. If you are paying tuition fees to UEF, you will be required to pay the tuition fee to UEF for the exchange semester.

Please note

Teaching in English is increasingly available around the world, but availability must be confirmed on a case-by-case basis. Some host universities only offer teaching in the local language. Some (Asian) universities accept applications only from students who have already completed one year of academic studies.

While you will apply for exchange according to UEF’s academic calendar, the actual dates and duration of your exchange will be according to your host university’s academic calendar and schedule.

 

Universities by region

Courses in career planning and job seeking

Do you need support in career planning or job seeking?

Participate in the self-study courses and/or practical exercises offered by the UEF Career Services! In our study units, you will be well-equipped for the development of your career and employability competences. You will also learn about the requirements of the working life and develop your own career skills, which, in turn, will make your studying more focused and your job hunt more successful. 

The courses are intended for all UEF students and offered in the autumn and spring semesters. You can start the self-study courses as soon as the course opens on the UEF eLearn-environment and proceed according to your own schedule. The autumn semester courses will begin around mid-September and the spring semester courses in mid-January. The self-study courses are open for 2 months. 

We recommend you to complete the self-study course in career planning before the practical exercises. Similarly, the self-study course in job seeking is commendable before the exercises. The knowledge obtained on the self-study courses will be put into practice and deepened in exercises. 

SELF-STUDY COURSES

  • Career planning – self-study course 1 ECTS
  • Jobseeking – self-study course 1 ECTS
  • Basics of Finnish Working Life – self-study course 1 ECTS

EXERCISES IN GROUPS

  • Career planning – practical exercises 1 ECTS
  • Job seeking – practical exercises 1 ECT

The registration for the courses is in Peppi. For the courses in the autumn semester, it is from 12 August onwards and for the spring semester courses from 16 December onwards. Check out the course descriptions and the timetables for the exercises in Peppi, add the courses to your PSP and sign up! 

Further information

urapalvelut@uef.fi

Personal study plan PSP

The personal study plan, PSP, is a plan made by the student for the duration of his or her studies. The degree structure and the curriculum of your degree programme will serve as the foundation of your PSP. Your study coordinator or PSP counsellor will help you in making your personal study plan.

The PSP is a tool for planning your studies and making your goals crystal-clear, allowing you to visualise your objectives and academic choices.  The choices you make should serve a purpose and be in line with your degree structure. By making a realistic plan, you will be able to complete your studies smoothly and on time.

The PSP should include, for example, the mandatory courses required for your degree, the order in which they can be completed and a timetable for completing them. In addition to making a timetable for your studies, your PSP can also reflect upon your learning outcomes, learning and studying from the viewpoint of working life.

If you need support in the making of your PSP, please turn to the coordinator and other staff of your academic subject. The PSP is made by using Peppi.

Around the world: ISEP Exchange and ISEP Direct

ISEP exchange

NB! The links in this article open up in a new tab.

ISEP (International Student Exchange Program) is an international student exchange programme based on reciprocity, and it is administered from the United States.

You can search for feedback from previous ISEP exchange students in the SoleMOVE application system. You will find instructions on how to search for feedback in the SoleMOVE instructions. NB! When searching for feedback, leave the Your home unit -filter empty and select “ISEP Exchange” as the Exchange program in the advanced filters.

Feedback is available by country, and often under the title International Student Exchange Program (ISEP). Please note that there may not be feedback available for all the destinations in the programme.

For whom?

Bachelor’s and Master’s level students of various fields.
NB! Students from outside the EU/EEA are advised to discuss with their study programme coordinator if exchange studies would extend their studies and/or affect their tuition fee.

There are more universities offering Bachelor’s level courses than Master’s level courses. Students must have completed one year of academic studies before the beginning of their exchange.

Where can I go?

North and Latin America, Asia. Some universities in the United Kingdom and few in Africa and Oceania. ISEP features hundreds of universities from the United States and elsewhere in the world. More information on the universities is available on the ISEP website (new tab).

NB! EU region host countries are not available through the ISEP programme. The programme includes some universities that are in the EU region, but UEF students may only apply for host universities outside of Europe (excl. UK). Students interested in exchanges within the EU region should apply through the Erasmus+, Nordlys and YUFE Alliance programmes.

When searching for potential exchange destinations on the ISEP website, we recommend using search filters to find results. It is possible to filter results to exclusively search for ISEP Exchange destinations by selecting ISEP Exchange as the program under the More filters option in the search engine. By only searching for ISEP Exchange destinations, it is possible to exclude tuition fee charging ISEP Direct -options (below).

Applying

The annual first call for applications for ISEP exchange is 1–15 November. A second call for applications will be organised 1-15 May if there are places left. A second call for ISEP applications is not  organised usually, because all the available places are filled in the first call for applications.

Applying for ISEP Exchange is a two-stage process: first step is applying to become UEF’s candidate for ISEP exchange, the second step is starting the ISEP online application.

  • In the first stage of the process (internal selection process of the home university), students apply to be accepted as UEF candidates for ISEP exchange. The application is submitted in the online application system SoleMOVE. In the letter of motivation, the applicants describe why they are applying for ISEP Exchange programme and to which country/countries they plan to apply, and they should state clearly if there are at least 5 suitable host universities in the ISEP Exchange programme. General instructions on the letter of motivation and applying may be found on the article called Applying for student exchange and traineeship abroad.
  • In the second stage of the process, those who were accepted in the first stage as UEF candidates for ISEP exchange complete an application in the ISEP online application system. The applicant sends a request to start the ISEP application to the coordinator of the home university who then accepts it and after this, the applicant is able to start the application. The applicant lists 5–10 host institutions in their ISEP application and ISEP aims at offering a placement in one of these institutions. The applicant may apply for institutions in different countries. Before submitting the application, the applicant should explore the host institutions in detail, because after submitting the application, the list of institutions cannot be altered.

In the second stage, certain attachments are required with the application, e.g. an academic reference letter and a proof of language skills document.

Academic reference: one academic reference from a member of the UEF academic staff who knows the student and is thus able to describe them in the reference, and a proof of language skills. The students must make arrangements with the referee and send them a request to fill out ISEP’s academic reference form. The referee may also submit a letter of reference in a separate document, but it should be uploaded through ISEP’s request form.

Proof of language skills: most host institutions in North America require a TOEFL iBT test result (new tab) with the application. Some host universities accept a IELTS test result (new tab). The language skills and test requirements of each institution must be checked individually. ISEP also offers their own LPR (Language Proficiency Report) form to be used as a language proof document. The LPR should be filled out by a staff member from a language course the student has completed. Not all ISEP host institutions accept the LPR as a language proof document: this should be checked individually.

  • NB! All applicants are required to submit some form of proof of language skills. The only exception to this is students who have completed an undergraduate (Bachelor’s) degree in an English-speaking country, or have completed high school education in an English-speaking country. For these students, a copy of either undergraduate degree diploma or high school diploma is required. More information about ISEP’s language requirements can be found on ISEP’s website.

ISEP offers a preliminary placement to the student and informs them about this, and the student makes a preliminary study plan for the host university in question. ISEP then sends the application documents to the host institution that decides on the acceptance. The student’s host institution is confirmed only at this stage. If a placement cannot be offered at any of the universities on the list, the student will be contacted by ISEP that will try to find an alternative host university that meets the student’s situation and wishes.

ISEP Chances of Placement

ISEP uses a Chances of Placement (new tab) ranking on their host institutions. This means that ISEP indicates how likely it is for a student to be placed in any particular host institution according to this ranking. Institutions that are ranked as Most Competitive are extremely difficult for students to be placed into.

Students are only able to add one Most Competitive ranked institution in their ISEP application in the second stage of the application process. Please keep this in mind when you are searching the ISEP website for possible host institutions.

NB! Due to the Chances of Placement ranking, it is generally not possibly to apply to only Australia or New Zealand, as most (if not all) of these sites are listed as Most Competitive. Students interested in these countries are expected to be willing to apply and commit to other host countries as well.

Duration

Due to the popularity of the programme and limited availability of places, it has been necessary to restrict the duration of ISEP exchanges to one (1) semester.

Funding and costs

Tuition fees are not charged from the students going on ISEP Exchanges. ISEP charges application and acceptance fees for each application, and UEF covers these fees for all UEF’s selected candidates to the ISEP Exchange programme.

UEF students participating in the ISEP Exchange programme pay the accommodation and living costs of their exchange period to their home university before the beginning of the exchange (this is called the ISEP Fee). This payment is used to cover incoming ISEP students’ accommodation and meal stipends. In return, incoming ISEP Exchange students pay a similar fee to their own home university, which is then used to cover outgoing UEF students’ accommodation and meal stipends at the host university. Practical arrangements are always specific to each individual host university – the host university will advise students directly when students are placed at the host university by ISEP.

The ISEP fee at University of Eastern Finland for the academic year 2024-2025 is EUR 2,500 for one semester. All outgoing UEF students for ISEP Exchange are required to pay this fee to UEF.

The students are required to cover the costs of their travel, study materials, and leisure activities as well as the mandatory ISEP insurance. Students may also be required to pay accommodation deposits at the host university.

The outgoing ISEP exchange students receive a mobility grant from University of Eastern Finland. The amount of the grant is determined on an annual basis and published in the call for applications. In the academic year 2024-2025, the mobility grant for ISEP exchange for European destinations is EUR 1,200 for one semester and for destinations outside Europe EUR 1,800 for one semester. For more information on funding, please check the article called Funding your studies abroad.

Please note

The studies completed during ISEP exchange must be included in the student’s degree at University of Eastern Finland. A study-related internship in the United States can also be linked to the ISEP exchange. The maximum duration of the internship is equal to the maximum exchange study period at an ISEP university. Students can only apply for internships after arriving in the host country and must obtain the internship themselves. The ISEP fee is paid in a single instalment before the beginning of the exchange.

While you will apply for ISEP exchange according to UEF’s academic calendar during the first stage of the application process (see above), the actual dates and duration of the exchange will be according to your host university’s academic calendar.

ISEP Direct

ISEP Direct is an alternative for students who only want to apply for one specific university or a most competitive university. Some universities only participate in ISEP Exchange and others solely in ISEP Direct. Many universities are also available through both programmes. On ISEP Direct, the participants are required to pay the tuition fees of the host university. The number of places available through Direct is not limited. As long as the minimum academic requirements are met, applicants are guaranteed a place at the host university.

Please note that the application periods and practices of ISEP Direct are different from ISEP Exchange.

Tip: The tuition fees of universities participating in Direct can be viewed in the Find a Program (new tab) section of the ISEP website, by clicking on ’Detail’ in the application menu above the universities in the sidebar. This will open a list showing all Exchange and Direct options. A single university can be listed more than once depending on the exchange programme (Exchange or Direct) and time (fall semester, spring semester, full year).

More information on the ISEP Direct programme is available on the ISEP website (new tab) and UEF International Mobility Services.

Student Tutoring for International Students

All incoming exchange students and Bachelor’s and Master’s degree students will be provided with a student tutor who helps the new students with practical matters and adjusting into the Finnish student life and culture.

The tutor should be
-a degree student in a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programme at UEF
-interested in helping the new international students
-willing to learn and develop their skills and cooperate with others
-able to communicate with different people in English
-able to participate in the training sessions
-in the campus city during Autumn Semester, starting from late August

The student tutor contacts the tutees before their arrival, usually meets them on the arrival and helps the new students with the questions the tutee might have (for example registration at the university, registration for the courses, how to move around in the campus city and in campus).

We received 184 applications for international tutoring next autumn semester. Thank you for everybody who has applied. We will get back to all of you during Feb-March.

All the student tutors are trained and they can earn credits for the tutoring. The tutor training takes place in April (6 hours) and in August (2 hours). In addition there will be a feedback session (2 hours) in Oct-Nov and in Feb-March. The tutors for the exchange students can earn 3 ECTS and the tutors for the degree students can earn 4 ECTS. Please note that the tutor training is compulsory for the tutors. If you have tutored earlier at UEF, you don’t have to participate in the training again.

The tutors in Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programme work closely together with each other and with the programme coordinator.

We encourage all the student tutors to work together (for example in pairs) and network with the other student tutors. The International Mobility Services, the Student Union, the Student Services, and other staff members are always there to help the tutors, as well as the new international student.

For further information please contact
Kirsi Konttinen
tel. +358 40 3552146
email kirsi.konttinen@uef.fi