Admissions criteria - Master's Admission, Master's Programme in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Master of Science (2 years)
Eligibility criteria
You can apply to the Master’s Programme in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology if you meet the following criteria:
- You have completed a first- or second-cycle (bachelor’s or master’s) degree or a postgraduate degree at a higher education institution in Finland or abroad, or will do so by 1 September 2025.
- You have sufficient skills in Finnish, Swedish or English.
- You have completed a sufficient amount of studies applicable to the master’s programme.
Description of admissions criteria
If you do not meet these criteria, you cannot apply through this application procedure.
1. You have completed a higher education degree providing eligibility for master’s studies
To apply through the master’s application procedure, you must have completed, by 1 September 2025, a higher education degree providing eligibility for master’s studies.
You can apply even if your degree will not be completed during the application period. However, you must have completed a sufficient amount of studies applicable to the master’s programme by the application deadline. Studies completed after the application deadline will not be taken into account in the assessment of your application.
2. Sufficient skills in Finnish, Swedish or English
You must demonstrate sufficient skills in Finnish, Swedish or English at the application stage. For the methods of demonstrating your language skills, please see the University website.
3. Applicable studies
Applicants to the Master’s Programme in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB) must have completed at least a first-cycle degree in a field applicable to the Master’s programme that provides sufficient qualifications for the completion of Master’s studies in the EEB Master’s Programme.
The applicability and sufficient scope of studies will be assessed after you submit your application. The University of Helsinki does not make preliminary assessments of the applicability of studies.
Applicants with a second-cycle degree (e.g. a master's degree) in the same or related field will only be taken into consideration for compelling reasons and if the targeted degree is sufficiently different from their previously completed degree. As a rule, second-cycle degrees are used as grounds for applying for a right to complete a postgraduate degree (doctoral degree).
Selecting the language of the degree
In the Master’s Programme in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, you can select Finnish, Swedish or English as the language of your degree. You will select the language on the application form. This selection is binding, and you must demonstrate your skills in the selected language.
In multilingual master’s programmes, teaching is provided mostly in English, but you can answer examination questions, complete any written coursework and write your master’s thesis in the language of your degree.
Admissions procedure
Master's Admission
Admissions are based on the scoring of each application. Your admission will depend on the score your application receives and on your place in the ranking order of all applicants.
Two-stage assessment
Applications will be scored in three different areas in the following order:
- Applicability of previous studies
- Academic performance
- Motivation letter
Assessment of applications is carried out in two stages.
First stage
At the first stage, the applicability of previous studies is assessed on a scale of 0-10. Applicants must receive a minimum of 6 points for the applicability of their studies.
If an applicant fails to achieve the required minimum score of 6, the subsequent categories will not be scored.
Second stage
Those applicants who score the minimum of 6 points for the applicability of previous studies are given scores for academic performance and the motivation letter.
Previous study performance will be assessed on the basis of the degree which serves as the grounds for the application. Previous study performance is assessed on the scale 0–10. Applicants must receive a minimum of 6 points for previous study performance. Discretion may be exercised in the assessment of previous study performance, with academic studies related to ecology and/or evolutionary biology being weighted most.
The motivation letter is assessed on the scale 0–10. Applicants must receive at minimum 6 points for previous motivation letter.
Certificates of employment or statements made by supervisors on research related to the field of the programme can be attached to the application. Possible research work experience will be assessed when assessing the applicability of previous studies.
If two or more applicants are tied after the evaluation, they will be ranked firstly on the basis of applicable studies, secondly on the basis of academic performance and thirdly on the basis of the motivation letter.
If in this round of admissions you are applying for more than one master’s programme at the Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, you must rank them in order of preference on your application form. If you could be admitted to more than one programme, you can only be admitted to the one you have ranked the highest.
You will be notified of the admissions results by 30 April 2025 via email and in the My Studyinfo service.
Applicability of previous studies (added December 16, 2024)
On the application form, you are asked to list the courses you have completed that you consider most relevant to the Master's Programme in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Please provide the courses in the following categories.
- Category 1: courses in ecology
- Category 2: courses in evolutionary biology
- Category 3: other (eg. biodiversity, statistics, mathematics, bioinformatics)
Your response will be considered when assessing the applicability of your previous studies.
Motivation letter
The motivation letter should be written on the application form. You need to answer the following questions on the application form.
- Why are you applying to the Master's Programme in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology?
- How do your previous studies enable you to succeed in the studies of the Master's Programme in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology?
- How do the studies in the Master's Programme in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology complement your previous studies and broaden your knowledge?
- Please specify how studying in the Master's Programme in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology would further your career objectives and what academic and professional goals you hope to reach by completing this Master's Programme.
The language of the motivation letter
Applicants intending to complete an English-language degree in the Master’s programme must write their motivation letter in English. When applying for a right to complete the Master’s programme in Finnish or Swedish, the motivation letter must be written in English, Finnish or Swedish. The quality of language in the letter will also be taken into consideration.
Maximum length of the motivation letter
The character count for each question is limited (2000 characters per each question). Spaces are included in the character count.
More information about the application process
Bachelor's degree students of the University of Helsinki
If you are a Bachelor's degree student of the University of Helsinki, your application will not be considered if you apply to
- a Master's degree programme for which you have already been granted an option right or
- a Master’s Programme to which you can still obtain an option right through the separate registration procedure.
Read more about the Master’s Programme options for Bachelor’s students of the University of Helsinki in the Instruction for Students. Contact the Viikki Student Services for more information about your options.
Study right to be granted
If admitted, you will be granted the right to pursue the degree of Master of Science in the Master’s Programme in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.
You can accept only one place leading to a higher education degree in a programme beginning the same term.
See also
- Find out more about the different stages of the application process on our website.
- Read answers to frequently asked questions.
- If you are currently, or have previously been, a degree student at the University of Helsinki, please note the restrictions on admission.
- Statistics on applicants can be found on the University’s webpage.
Attachments
Certificates
Required attachments
Read carefully the instructions on submitting application documents and related requirements.
Upload the following attachments to the application form:
Educational documents:
For the degree used as the basis of your eligibility, upload the following documents:
- degree certificate/diploma
- official transcript of records
- authorised translations of these documents in Finnish, Swedish or English, if the document has been issued in a language other than Finnish, Swedish or English.
If you wish to add other degrees or studies besides the degree used as the basis of your eligibility, please also submit the above-mentioned documents for those studies.
Applying with an incomplete degree
If the degree serving as grounds of your application is still incomplete, you do not need to submit a degree certificate/diploma during the application phase. If you are admitted, the admission decision will be conditional, and you will receive instructions with your letter of admission for submitting the official degree certificate/diploma.
Certificate of language proficiency:
- certificate of language proficiency
- authorised translation of the document in Finnish, Swedish or English, if the document has been issued in a language other than Finnish, Swedish or English.
You must choose the language of your degree (English, Finnish or Swedish) on the application form and demonstrate your language proficiency accordingly. For further information on the demonstration of language proficiency, please see the University’s instructions for the demonstration of language proficiency.
Other attachments:
- A photocopy of your passport OR your Finnish residence permit card OR your official identity card
- Certificates of employment or statements made by supervisors on research related to the field of the programme. The certificate must clearly indicate the quality and quantity of the work experience. Please note that this attachment is not compulsory, if you don't have relevant work or research experience.
Do not upload any attachments other than those requested. Additional attachments will not be considered in the assessment of your application and will slow down the processing of your application.
Attachment is uploaded on the application form
Must be submitted by
Jan. 23, 2025 at 03:00 PM UTC+2