Lapland University of Applied Sciences (Rovaniemi campus)

Lapland University of Applied Sciences operates in Finnish Lapland by the Arctic Circle, with premises in the towns of Rovaniemi, the home of Santa Claus; and in Kemi and Tornio in Southern Lapland close to the Swedish border. Lapland UAS is the EU’s northernmost university of applied sciences and offers a modern and international learning environment with good services for students, staff and visitors, in a unique environment offering periods of perpetual daylight and twilight, as well as the northern lights.

Bachelor Courses in English

Business; Information & Communication Technologies (ICT); Sports & Leisure; Forestry & Rural Industries; and Tourism & Hospitality Management.  Students must choose a minimum of 30 ECTS units, or 15 credit hours, per semester.  For more information about courses taught in English, click here.

Master Courses in English
None available

Language Courses
All exchange students can choose to study Finnish language and culture courses.

Accreditations
Information can be found here.

Orientation

Before the semester starts, there will be an orientation week arranged for all incoming exchange students. During the orientation week you will be introduced to Lapland UAS and to your new learning environment: you will receive all the basic information so that you are ready to start your exchange studies. You will also be introduced to your new home town and to the Finnish culture. In addition, everyone will have their own international student tutor as their buddy throughout the whole exchange semester, whom you’ll meet upon your arrival.

Internships
Limited unpaid internships can sometimes be arranged in the areas of nursing and engineering.

Students with Disabilities
It has been made possible for all physically challenged to move within all buildings of campus.  Other special needs should be discussed separately.

Grades & Transcripts

The university uses the Finnish 1 to 5 point grading system as follows:

The minimum passing grade is 1, or E.  ECTS letter grades are shown on the transcript as well as Finnish numeric grades.  For additional details on transfer of credits, click here or refer to the Student Guidebook.

Every exchange student is issued an official transcript after the exchange semester.

Health Insurance
Exchange students are required to arrange an adequate health insurance policy prior to arrival.

Textbooks
No cost

Students planning to stay in Finland for more than three months must apply for a residence permit prior to entering Finland.  Additional details are available.

Housing
Apartment. Lapland University of Applied Sciences does not have dormitories; instead, exchange students can apply for accommodation from DAS, which offers affordable student housing. Apartments are furnished and monthly costs vary according to the type of the accommodation, normally between 290-330 EUR per month. For more information on housing in Rovaniemi, click here.

Meals
Students can enjoy an inexpensive (student priced) lunch in the campus restaurant. Usually there is a choice of three different main courses (meat/fish, soup, vegetarian), salad, bread and drinks. Normally, students eat lunch at the university restaurant and prepare their other meals at home. In addition, there are many different types of restaurants available in the city.

Transportation

Fly into Rovaniemi from Helsinki (e.g., www.finnair.fi, www.norwegian.com); the flight time is approximately one hour.  You may also take a train from Helsinki to Rovaniemi; this is about a 12-hour journey, so it is advisable to take a night train and reserve a space in the sleeping cabin.  Bus service is available from Helsinki, but it is not recommended due to the price and length of the trip.  You may also be able to connect by plane into cities closer to Rovaniemi, such as Oulu, and take a bus or train the rest of the way to Rovaniemi.

Once in Rovaniemi, you can easily go places by walking, by bus or you may buy a used bicycle for about 50 EUR.

Entertainment
Downtown Rovaniemi has an assortment of specialty shops, restaurants, bars, souvenir shops, and malls with department stores.  Clubs and pubs offer all kinds of bands/live music, as well as disco music and other shows.  The city civic center has a public library and art gallery; there is a nearby seasonal open-air theatre by the river.  Ski slopes, reindeer farms, Santa Claus Village, the Arktikum Museum, Pilke Science Center, Korundi House of Culture, the Forestry Museum, and the Marttiini knife factory are major points of interest.  Rovaniemi offers a wide range of outdoor and other sport possibilities, such as hiking, canoeing, and golf (and winter ice golf on the rivers).  The university offers students a large variety of different sport activities with a small charge.  There is also a popular rock festival in the summer in Rovaniemi.  The dancing aurora borealis (northern lights) is a unique experience, with the best viewing from October to April.

Shopping
Being the capital of the Finnish Lapland, Rovaniemi has a good variety of different types of shops, malls, hypermarkets and grocery stores. Many of them are open every day of the week.

Climate
Rovaniemi enjoys 24 hours of daylight during the summer, with temperatures ranging from 55ºF to 85ºF.  Snow season is from October to May, but the dry cold is quite tolerable with appropriate layers of clothing.  Winter temperatures range from -10ºF to 30ºF.