Admission criteria for Technology, Environment and Societal Change

Read more about the programme at Master's programme in Technology, Environment and Societal Change.

✅ Bachelor in Social Sciences
Completed at a university

✅ Bachelor's degree in a field other than Social Sciences
Completed at a university

✅ Bachelor's degree equivalent to the field of Social Sciences
Completed at a university of applied sciences (UAS)

✅ Bachelor's degree in a field other than Social Sciences
Completed at a university of applied sciences (UAS)

You must apply with your bachelor's degree

• You must apply based on your bachelor’s degree, even if you have already completed a master’s degree.
• A master’s degree can be accepted as the basis for application only if it was completed before the introduction of the two-tier degree system, when separate bachelor’s degrees were not awarded.
• A missing bachelor’s degree cannot be compensated with a combination of a master’s-level UAS degree and a prior secondary or lower-level qualification.
   

Master’s degrees that make you ineligible

• Master in Social Sciences 
  Completed or expected to be completed at a Finnish university before starting your studies at LUT University
   

Master’s degrees that do not affect your eligibility

• Master in Social Sciences
  Completed at a university outside Finland
• Master’s degree in a field other than Social Sciences 
  Completed at a university worldwide
• Master’s degree in any field 
  Completed at a university of applied sciences (UAS)

Final decision on eligibility

The programme’s admissions committee reserves the right to assess whether an applicant’s prior degree and completed studies meet the eligibility requirements.

✅ Bachelor in Social Sciences
Completed at a university worldwide

✅ Bachelor's degree in a field other than Social Sciences
Completed at a university worldwide

✅ Bachelor's degree equivalent to the field of Social Sciences
Completed at a university of applied sciences (UAS) in EU/EEA countries or Switzerland

You must apply with your bachelor's degree

• You must apply based on your bachelor’s degree, even if you have already completed a master’s degree.
• A master’s degree can be accepted as the basis for application only if it was completed before the introduction of the two-tier degree system, when separate bachelor’s degrees were not awarded.
• A missing bachelor’s degree cannot be compensated with a combination of a master’s-level UAS degree and a prior secondary or lower-level qualification.
    

Master’s degrees that make you ineligible

• Master in Social Sciences 
  Completed or expected to be completed at a Finnish university before starting your studies at LUT University
   

Master’s degrees that do not affect your eligibility

• Master in Social Sciences
  Completed at a university outside Finland
• Master’s degree in a field other than Social Sciences 
  Completed at a university worldwide
• Master’s degree in any field 
  Completed at a university of applied sciences (UAS)

General requirements for a bachelor’s degree

• The degree must be comparable to a corresponding Finnish bachelor’s degree in terms of duration (academic years) and ECTS credits.
• The degree must qualify the applicant to apply for master’s-level studies in the country where the degree was awarded. 

Requirements for the degree-awarding institution

• The institution must be recognised by the national education system of the country where it operates.
• The institution must be listed in the World Higher Education Database (WHED) of the International Association of Universities.
   

Final decision on eligibility

The programme’s admissions committee reserves the right to assess whether an applicant’s prior degree and completed studies meet the eligibility requirements.

To be eligible to apply to the programme, you must have completed:

• a sufficient number of studies in social sciences or political science, for example:
  • social and political science and humanities, anthropology, environmental social sciences, peace and conflict studies, socio-legal studies, social psychology, administrative sciences, human geography, philosophy, economic or social history, management and organisational studies, political communication, political economy, political science, science and technology studies, social policy, social work, sociology

📌  The required studies must be completed before submitting the application.

✅ The admissions committee determines what constitutes a sufficient number of studies and evaluates them during the academic assessment.

How to present your studies

• List your studies on the application form in original study units and ECTS credits.
• If the original study units on your transcript of records are not in ECTS credits, you must convert them according to the formulas provided by LUT University. 
• You must follow the instructions in “How to convert and list your studies in ECTS credits“ section.

List the studies on the application form in ECTS credits and original study units.

More information about ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System).

📌 You must follow the instructions below. 

📌 Your transcript must show original study units per course. If the original study units are not shown, see "Study units and grades on the transcript of records" in the Documents section.

⚠️ Do not use your own conversion formulas or estimate ECTS credits based on course workload - only the conversion methods defined below are accepted.

Studies completed in Finland

In Finland, credits (op, opintopiste) and ECTS credits are the same unit.

A. Transcript shows credits (op, opintopiste)

No conversion is needed.

Your list of programme-specific studies must include: 

• English course title (from your English transcript)
• Number of ECTS credits per course
• Total number of ECTS credits for the listed courses
   

B. Transcript shows study weeks (ov, opintoviikko)

You must convert your studies as follows:

•  use a conversion factor of 1,8 for studies completed at a university
• use a conversion factor of 1,5 for studies completed at a university of applied sciences

Your list of programme-specific studies must include:

• English course title (from your English transcript)
• Original study weeks per course and the study unit used
• Conversion factor used
• Number of ECTS credits per course
• Total number of original study units for the listed courses
• Total number of ECTS credits for the listed courses
   

Studies completed outside Finland

If your transcript already shows ECTS credits, no conversion is needed.

If your transcript shows study units other than ECTS credits (for example credits, credit units or credit hours), you must convert them into ECTS credits using the instructions below.

A. Transcript shows ECTS credits

No conversion is needed.

Your list of programme-specific studies must include:

• English course title (from your English transcript)
• Number of ECTS credits per course
• Total number of ECTS credits for the listed courses
     

B. Transcript shows study units other than ECTS credits (for example credits, credit units or credit hours)

You must convert the original study units into ECTS credits using the following formula(s).

If your studies consist of a 2-year bachelor's degree and a 2-year master's degree that together are considered equivalent to a Finnish bachelor's degree, calculate the conversion using the bachelor-level formula.

• Bachelor-level studies: 
  • Divide 180 ECTS credits by the total number of study units required for the completed bachelor’s degree. 
    At LUT University, a bachelor’s degree corresponds to 180 ECTS credits.
    
    Example: 180/162=1,11
    Use the result as your conversion factor.
     
• Master-level studies:
  • Use the fixed conversion factor of 1,5.

Your list of programme-specific studies must include:

• English course title (from your English transcript)
• Original study units per course and the study unit used
• Conversion factor used
• Number of ECTS credits per course
• Total number of original study units for the listed courses
• Total number of ECTS credits for the listed courses
   

Examples of correct listing

How to convert your original study units into ECTS credits (PDF)

Bachelor-level studies:

• Course Aaa 3 study units * 1,11= 3,33 ECTS cr
• Course Bbb 6 study units * 1,11 = 6,66 ECTS cr
• etc.
• Total 68 study units * 1,11 = 74,80 ECTS cr

Master-level studies:

• Course Ccc 3 study units * 1,5 = 4,5 ECTS cr
• Course Ddd 6 study units * 1,5 = 9 ECTS cr
• etc.
• Total 15 study units * 1,5 = 22,5 ECTS cr

To be eligible to apply to the programme, the arithmetic GPA of the degree you are applying with must be:

• at least 3.00 on a scale of 1.00–5.00

What is included in the arithmetic GPA?

The arithmetic GPA is calculated based on:

• grades for all individual courses
• the final thesis grade

These must:

• be part of the degree you are applying with
• be completed by the time of application
• be listed on an official transcript of records
   

What is excluded from the arithmetic GPA?

The following are not included:

• courses graded as pass/fail
• courses with a failing grade
• courses without credits (e.g. ECTS credits or equivalent)
• combined modules with a single overall grade, unless individual course grades are available
• courses not included in the degree used for application
• transferred or compensated courses not originally graded, unless the awarding institution has assigned them a numerical, verbal, or letter grade
   

Linear conversion (if applicable)

The arithmetic GPA will be verified by LUT University.

• How to prove your English proficiency

When applying

If admitted

Terms and conditions

In addition to the national One Study Right Rule, LUT University also restricts the re-granting of the right to study in the same master’s programme.

An applicant cannot be granted the right to study in the same programme again if:

• they have already graduated from the programme
• they have already used their allotted study time for the programme

However, an applicant may be readmitted to the same programme if they have voluntarily relinquished their previous right to study.

📌Upload a scanned copy of the original for each document on your application form. 

Bachelor's Degree Certificate  

• + official translation, if the original is not in Finnish, Swedish or English

📌 If you have not yet graduated, there is no need to upload a certificate of ongoing studies. 

Bachelor's Transcript of Records 

• + official translation, if the original is not in Finnish, Swedish or English
   

Passport or ID card 

• International passport or ID card showing your nationality
   

Residence permit granted in Finland (when applicable)

• Finnish residence permit card 
   

If your Bachelor's degree is a combination of two different degrees

• Upload one combined scan or document including both original Transcripts of Records. 
• Upload one combined scan or document including both original Degree Certificate
• + official translations, if the originals are not in Finnish, Swedish or English

The following elements must be included on the Transcript of Records for the Bachelor’s degree used for application, as they are essential for the academic evaluation:

What to do if study units are missing from your transcript of records

📌 If one or both of these required elements are missing, you must upload an additional official statement from the university in English explaining the missing information. 

You may also provide the original study units for each course by uploading an official programme brochure, if this information is included in the brochure.

If you have completed a combination of degrees that together correspond to a Bachelor’s degree, all Transcripts of Records must include these required elements.

All additional documents must be combined and uploaded to the same section as the Transcript of Records.

⚠️ Missing required information will result in your application being considered incomplete. 

Once the application has been verified as complete, with all required documents accepted and the English proficiency confirmed, it will be forwarded for academic evaluation.

Applications are evaluated in two admission groups based on the country where the applicant’s Bachelor’s degree was completed:

1. Bachelor’s degree completed in Finland
2. Bachelor’s degree completed outside Finland

Applications will be processed as long as places remain available in the programme.

Once all places have been filled, no further applications will be accepted, even if the rolling admission period is still open.

The admissions committee determines whether the applicant meets the minimum academic requirements.

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

• eligible degree and field of study
• minimum arithmetic GPA
• required background studies

There is no interview in this programme.

• Applicants who meet the minimum academic eligibility requirements will be admitted, provided that places remain available in the programme.

Once all places have been filled, no further applications will be accepted, even if the rolling admission period is still open.