General application periods
Calls for exchange applications are published at the beginning of the application period in the Calls for applications for student exchange section. The first calls for applications are for exchange studies in the following autumn semester, in the following academic year, or the spring semester of the following academic year. The second calls for applications are usually for exchange studies taking place in the spring semester of the following academic year.
NB! As a general rule, the application period ends on the last day of the application period at 3 PM (15:00). After the application period has closed, it is not possible to submit an application, even if it has been started prior to the deadline. The deadline is set for the afternoon so we will be able to advise applicants until the last minutes in case of technical issues.
Exceptions to the 3 PM deadline may occur if the last day of the application period is during the weekend. In these cases, the application period may be extended until the next business day. It is important to carefully read through the calls for applications, as they include more information about the deadlines.
Annual calls for applications
1 to 15 November
- ISEP Exchange
- Bilateral student exchange, first call for applications (destinations outside Europe)
- (north2north; if placements are available)
1 to 15 February
- Erasmus+ (student exchange)
- Nordlys network and Nordplus
- Bilateral student exchange, second call for applications (destinations in Europe and Russia, places that are still available after the first call, and possible new destinations)
- (north2north; if placements are available)
Second/third calls for applications
1 to 31 May
The exchange programmes and host universities included in the second calls for applications will be confirmed by the end of April annually. A second call for applications (in the case of bilateral exchanges, a third call for applications) will be organised if there are still places and mobility grants available after the end of the first calls for applications (in the case of bilateral exchanges, the first and second calls for applications).
The second call for applications follows the same procedure as the first call for applications, i.e. the decisions on the exchange places are made at the end of the application period. In the second/third calls for applications held in May, one may only apply for the spring semester.
Continuous applications
Application instructions
You should start planning your studies abroad well in advance, preferably a year or so before you intend to start your exchange.
The application process for studies abroad always consists of two stages. First, UEF candidates for exchange will be selected in an internal call for applications. The number of candidates selected is equal to the placements at the host university or in the exchange programme. The students selected in the internal call for applications then apply for the actual exchange placement at the host universities. Application instructions for the host university and exchange programme are sent to the student by UEF or by the host university. The final decision on accepting the student is always made by the host university.
The application for exchange for the internal call for applications via the online application system SoleMOVE (the link opens up to a new window). The application periods are indicated above.
You can enter one or two host universities from the same exchange programme on the application form. Enter your first priority of host university first on the form. First-choice applications are given precedence if the number of applications exceeds the available places. Students who apply for more than one exchange programme (different application periods in SoleMOVE) must complete two applications but may use the same letter of motivation for both. You should specify which host university is your first and which your second priority, either in the letter of motivation or the additional information field of the application.
The Learning Agreement tab can be left empty. Enter the phone numbers with the + sign.
If the student is not selected as a candidate for the first-priority organisation, the second priority indicated in the application will be processed. In other words, a student can only be selected as a candidate for one host university for the same period of time.
Please make sure you only add institutions you are ready to travel to and study at into your application.
Students who wish to apply for two host universities for different periods of time (such as one host university for the autumn semester and another for the spring semester) should state this in their letter of motivation and complete two separate applications in the system, as only one exchange period can be entered in an application. The student must make sure in advance that the semesters of the two host universities do not overlap.
The student should discuss the study plan for the exchange with their departmental coordinators of international matters in order to agree on the recognition of the studies and their suitability for the student’s degree at UEF. The study plan is made on the Learning Agreement form in the second stage of application or as instructed by the home university.
Applying through the online application system solemove
SoleMOVE is the online application system for studies abroad at UEF.
User instructions
This application is used to apply for exchange (the first stage = to be accepted as a UEF candidate for exchange) and for an internship grant under the Erasmus+ programme. Please make sure to select the correct application period for your application.
Instructions for the application (with screenshots) can be found on the Study Abroad section in Kamu, with the heading SoleMOVE online application system (updated on 3 December 2020).
After logging into the system, you can read more detailed instructions in Finnish (click on the question mark in the top bar).
Application instructions
Log into the SoleMOVE system with your UEF username and password through HAKA/Shibboleth and start the application.
NB! If you are a trainee at or employed by UEF, please contact UEF International Mobility Services before starting your application.
You will need a letter of motivation and transcript of records as attachments to your application. A confirmation of your internship and a transcript of records must be enclosed with an Erasmus+ internship grant application. You can order the transcript of records from Peppi, i.e. you will not need an official stamped transcript for this first-stage application. Attach the documents to your application in PDF, RTF, or DOC format if possible.
Students can apply for 1–2 host universities during each application period. An ISEP application counts as 1 destination. The available host universities are listed on the form; open the list by clicking on the arrow.
You do not have to complete the application in one sitting; you can continue to update and modify it until it has been sent. The application cannot be sent until all required information and attachments have been included.
The system will notify the student by email when processing begins. The notification of rejection or acceptance will also be sent by email. After the student has received the acceptance notification, they must confirm or cancel the exchange in the system within one week of the notification.
Data protection (in Heimo, requires login, the link opens up to a new window)
Attachments
A transcript of records and a description of the reasons for applying for student exchange (Letter of Motivation) must be enclosed with the student exchange application.
A Transcript of Records can be obtained from Student and Learning Services or Peppi. An unofficial transcript from Peppi will be sufficient for the first application stage.
A Letter of Motivation is a free-form application in which the student presents their reasons for applying for exchange at the host university in question and provides brief descriptions of the purpose of the exchange studies, their previous education, and how the exchange affects their study and career plans. The letter of motivation is written in English or in the language of the host university/country. The student may discuss both the first and second priority in the same letter of motivation. The letter of motivation will be read by the departmental coordinator and International Mobility Services, and it will not be sent to the host university. Those applying for the ISEP Exchange programme should describe why they want to apply for the ISEP programme and to which country/countries they wish to apply for via ISEP.
A confirmation of the internship must be attached to an Erasmus+ internship grant application.
DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS?
In questions related to applying and the online application system, please contact UEF International Mobility Services: international(a)uef.fi
Selection criteria
Students who meet the following basic criteria can be selected as UEF candidates for exchange:
- the student is enrolled as a degree student at UEF
- the student has completed a minimum of one year’s academic studies prior to the exchange period
- the duration of the exchange is 3 months in minimum and no degree shall be awarded by the host university
- the studies completed abroad will be included in the degree at UEF
- the department/school of the applicant gives an approval for the exchange
- the student will be a full-time student during the exchange
The following criteria may also be considered in the selection process:
- progress of the studies (the number of completed credits in relation to the duration of studies or scope of the degree);
- current phase of the studies;
- language skills;
- earlier studies abroad;
- grades;
- academic references; and
- other relevant criteria supporting the selection.
Applicants can also be interviewed. In the selection process, the main emphasis is on the Letter of Motivation and possible interview.