Studies
What is it like to study XR Design?
See our student Parinaz's experience of studying XR Design in Metropolia.
Become an Expert in XR Design
As an XR Design student, you will learn to create innovative applications and content for virtual and augmented reality environments. You will design spaces, concepts, objects, interfaces and immersive experiences for virtual environments using 3D modelling software and game engines as your tools.
Studying XR Design in a truly multicultural environment in Metropolia UAS gives you a perfect start towards an international career in a challenging and fast developing field of extended reality application design. The degree gives you a solid basis to work for example as an XR Designer, developer, digital artist, or project manager anywhere in the world.
Inspiring Study Experience
Your studies in the Degree Programme in Culture and Arts, XR Design include: XR content production skills such as 3D modelling, sculpting, animation, lighting and texturing. Importing 3D models into game engines and creating interactivity through programming. Designing user interfaces for virtual and augmented reality applications. Teamwork and participating in client projects.
The first year and a half is spent learning the basics of the industry, followed by project courses where you work on various team and client projects. During project courses, students often specialize in the job roles that interest them most. The studies also include internships and a thesis.
See XR Design curriculum in StudyGuide
XR productions are usually the result of collaboration between specialists in different fields. During the studies, students work in production teams that simulate working life. The intensive working model requires a commitment to full-time study.
You will become familiar with intercultural aspects due to the multi-cultural study environment and student community.
Broad Range of Career Prospects
XR sector is an emerging field of the future with new job opportunities. You can find employment for example in areas such as design visualisation in architecture, engineering and construction, design industry, 3D games and 3D simulators, virtual platforms for film and television, XR applications in health technologies or science visualization.
A job can be found in the games or entertainment industry, TV and film production, design agencies, marketing and advertising, production of educational material, or science illustration
Studying XR Design in Metropolia University of Applied Sciences gives you the keys to succeed in any of these interesting fields.
Scholarships and tuition fees
Annual tuition fee for non-EU/EEA applicants 12 000 €.
This fee applies only to non-EU/EEA degree students.
Ask Head of Degree Programme about studies
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You will receive information 1–3 times a year about Metropolia's degree programmes, application schedules, and studying with us.
Applying
- Application period-Start of studiesspring 2026
- Day-time studies
The Application on the Basis of Finnish Higher Education Studies is aimed at those who have completed higher education studies in Finland. Studies are taken into account regardless of whether they have been completed as open studies or in education leading to a degree, or whether the right to study is valid or has expired.
Application period: 1 November 2025 8:00 am - 15 November 2025, all times refer to local time in Finland.
In flexible admission (i.e. rolling admission) the study places are filled in the order in which applications are received, so that all applicants who meet all the student selection requirements are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis until the application ends or the study places are filled.
All the information needed to apply can be found on the national Studyinfo.fi portal. At Studyinfo.fi you can find descriptions of degree programmes, application criteria, application instructions, application forms and much more.
Note: Many degree programmes accept applications on a continuous basis. However, applicants who are required to pay tuition fees should carefully consider the timing of their application. In most cases, it is not advisable to begin studies in the middle of a term (either autumn or spring), as tuition fees cannot be paid for only part of the term. For this reason, it is generally best to apply well in advance of the start of the term, so that studies can commence from the very beginning.
Application fee
There is an application fee of 100 euros. The application fee is collected for applicants from countries outside EU/EEA seeking education leading to a degree in higher education. The Finnish National Agency of Education will collect the application fee in connection with filling in the Studyinfo application form. The application fees are introduced for applications starting 1 January 2025 and onwards, when applying for degree programmes beginning on or after 1 August 2025. There is no application fee for Finnish or EU citizens.
More about application fee in Studyinfo.fi.
Questions about application fees? Contact applicationfee [at] oph.fi (applicationfee[at]oph[dot]fi)The application fee does not guarantee that you will be offered admission to studies. The application fee is not refunded if you cancel your application or are not offered admission.
- Application period-Start of studiesautumn 2026
- Day-time studies
Instructions for applying
In the spring 2026 Joint Application 1 to higher education, you can apply to degree programmes that start in the autumn of 2026. The application period starts on the 7 January 2026 at 8 am and ends on the 21 January 2026 at 3 pm (local time in Finland).
All the information needed to apply can be found on the national Studyinfo.fi portal. At Studyinfo.fi you can find descriptions of degree programmes, application criteria, application instructions, application forms and much more.
Application fee
Applicants who are not citizens of the EU, EEA or Switzerland are required to pay an application fee in order to apply to higher education studies. The application fee of 100 euros is collected for applicants from countries outside EU/EEA seeking education leading to a degree in higher education. The Finnish National Agency of Education will collect the application fee in connection with filling in the Studyinfo application form. There is no application fee for Finnish or EU citizens.
The application fee does not guarantee that you will be offered admission to studies. The application fee is not refunded if you cancel your application or are not offered admission.
More about application fee in Studyinfo.fi.
Questions about application fees? Contact applicationfee [at] oph.fi (applicationfee[at]oph[dot]fi)Create a portfolio
Put together a portfolio to showcase your skills. For example, you can include images, drawings, pictures of 3D models, animations, samples of your game projects, applications or samples of your code. Include also work-in-progress or unfinished images and sketches of your work in your portfolio. No AI generated images. Describe the creative process of each portfolio piece in short captions.
Please attach your portfolio to your application:
as a PDF file
or as a link to a website, for example. The link to the online portfolio should also be saved as a PDF file.
Please name the PDF file as follows: Surname_FirstName_XRD-portfolio.pdf
Assessment criteria: The portfolio is assessed on the basis of creativity, visual and IT skills.
Introduce yourself with a video
Show us your personality and explain why you want to study here.
Use the video to introduce yourself and explain why you are applying to XR Design. The maximum length of a video is one minute. Please attach a PDF file to your application with a link to your video presentation.
Think about your answers before filming your video.
You can upload your video to YouTube channel and hide it behind a password or use any other video or cloud service. Remember to include any password in the PDF file. Make sure your link works. For Metropolia, your video will not be stored and will be treated confidentially. Please make sure that your video is available for viewing by the selection team until 31.7.2026. After that date, you can delete your video.
Please name the PDF file as follows: Surname_FirstName_XRD-video_introduction.pdf
Assessment criteria: The video presentation assesses the applicant's motivation and interest in the field.
In order to be considered for the student selection, you must fill in the joint application form at Studyinfo.fi during the application period 7 January - 21 January 2026. The pre-assignment must be submitted as an attachment to the electronic joint application form during the application period, by 21 January 2026 3:00 p.m. the latest (local time in Finland).
Pre-assignments for spring 2026 Joint Application 1 will be published by the beginning of the application period.In order to be considered for student selection, you must pass the degree programme's own entrance examination as described in Studyinfo.fi. Entrance exam invitations are sent approximately one week before the entrance exam by email to the email address provided by the applicant on the application form.
Useful links
More information on the application process
Tel. +358 9 7424 5902, Mon-Wed 10 am – 12 pm
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Starting studies
Welcome to study for a degree at Metropolia!
Congratulations! You have been admitted to Metropolia University of Applied Sciences and we are delighted to have you as a new member of our vibrant community of more than 16 000 students!
You have made an excellent choice - Metropolia offers you unique multidisciplinary opportunities throughout your studies with its strong connections to working life and active role in innovations built around socially significant phenomena.
We are happy to have you with us and help you with any questions you might have. Welcome to Metropolia!
The below information applies to students who have been accepted to study for a full degree at Metropolia. Make sure to complete all the steps in order to secure your study place.
Confirming a place of study requires certain formalities to be completed by the deadline. More detailed instructions below:
Non-EU/EEA students need a student residence permit. You can begin the student residence permit application online at Enterfinland.fi. Remember that you must personally visit a Finnish embassy or consulate as part of this process. Start your residence permit process as soon as possible, carefully following the immigration authorities' instructions and regulations, so that you can receive your permit in good time before your studies begin! You can find detailed information and advice on the residence permit requirements and procedures on the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) website.
Note that participating online programmes does not entitle you receiving residence permit. See more about the topic in Finnish Immigration Service websites.
All Metropolia's students who do not have a Finnish personal identity code, have to apply for it before their arrival or register at the local registry office after their arrival to Finland to apply for one.
Students who have to apply for residence permit (i.e. non-EU/non-EEA citizens) before their arrival to Finland should ask to be registered in the Finnish Population Information System when they apply for their first residence permit. This way they will receive a Finnish personal identity code at the same time as they are issued with the permit. More information on this for residence permit applicants in Migri site
Other students have to apply for the personal identity code from the local registry office of the city where you are living in.
More information on Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV).
More information on registration to the Finnish Population Information System in DVV site
After you have received the personal identification code, remember to inform it to the Student Services with the official document. Acceptable documents are for example DVV:s document (Notification of registration), Finnish passport, Finnish identity card with a photo, issued by police, Finnish driver's license, residence permit or KELA card with a photo.
When you start as a new student you need to activate your user account. Activation is possible when the right to study begins. For joint application, activation is possible from 1 August.
The purpose of the activation is that you personally accept the rules of the account usage policy and start using your account. Activate your user account primarily using Mobile Certificate and Netbank User ID. Please read first the activation instructions in IT Services' wiki.
If you do not have a Mobile Certificate or Finnish Netbank User ID, you can use the Candour ID application to authenticate yourself. After authentication, you will receive instructions on how to activate your user account. Please read first the instructions in IT Services' wiki.
All foreign students (who are not EU citizens or citizens of Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland) who come to Finland for the purposes of studying are required to have a health insurance, if the studies endure longer than three months.
More information on insurances in Student's Guide
Student financial aid is for Finnish citizens. Foreign citizens are entitled to student financial aid if they live in Finland on a permanent basis for the purpose other than studying and they have registered as permanent residents in the Finnish population register system.
More information on student financial aid in Student's Guide
- Find out where your campus is located
- If you have a smart phone you can download the free HSL mobile app to get access to the public transportation Journey Planner and tickets (e.g. for travelling from the Helsinki-Vantaa airport to your apartment or from your apartment to the campus).
- If you have a smart phone you can download the Tuudo mobile app for free to get your digital student ID and student discounts (ID and discounts are available from the first day of the studies onwards)
- Information on student life and well-being, costs and finance, study environment etc. in Student's Guide
New students need a laptop for their studies.
Minimum laptop requirements for new students:
- Windows 11 or Mac computer
- Intel i5/i7 processor (at least 8 gen), AMD Ryzen 5/7 or equivalent processor
- RAM 8 GB memory
- SSD hard disk min. 256 GB
The life cycle of the laptop should be at least 4 years. The estimated cost of a laptop meeting the recommended specifications is between €600 and €800 and upwards. If the student's studies are geared towards gaming or graphic design, for example, the laptop should have a more powerful graphics card and more SSD hard disk space.
The recommended operating system will depend on the degree programme and the area of specialisation. As a general rule, Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X are safe choices for a laptop operating system. Students of XR Design, 3D Animation and Visualisation and Visual Communication Design will be informed in the first weeks of their studies about the purchase of their own computer and the features they need.
Tuudo is a mobile app with which you can use various Metropolia web services easily on your smart phone. With Tuudo you can get VR, HSL, Matkahuolto and Kela student discounts immediately. The benefits are free for all Metropolia students.
In Tuudo you can check Metropolia, Admission Services, and student union METKA announcements, your schedule, study attainments, and cafeteria menus.
Get Tuudo on your phone from the app store for free and start using it!
During your studies, your support of well-being and health is Finnish Student Health Services (FSHS). The specialist in student health care offers you general, mental and oral health services and supports the well-being of study communities.
Our services can be used by students completing a bachelor’s or master’s degree at a university or a university of applied sciences who have registered as attending for the semester.
Master the facts! Familiarize yourself with our services and user instructions in Kela's site fshs.fi, and Kela's Health information resource on the address.
Start using Self! Self is the student’s own online service for health care issues at FSHS. In Self, you can manage appointment bookings, communicate via SelfChat and start a remote consultation. Log in to Self as a user immediately from the beginning of the semester and keep your contact details up to date for as long as you are a student. Read more about Self in Kela's site.
The health care fee for students in higher education will be paid to Kela on your initiative. Read more about health care fee in Kela's site.
If you have social security coverage in another EU/EEA country or in Switzerland or the United Kingdom, you do not have to pay the healthcare fee. However, you can to use the FSHS’s services.
Metropolia does not have housing services to offer. Thus, it is the student's responsibility to find an accommodation for the period of their studies. There is a lot of competition in affordable housing, so it is important to start searching for a room many months prior to arrival.
Already excited about starting your studies in Metropolia and meeting new people?
On Student Union Metka's site you will find welcome letters for each degree program.
Welcome letters are information packages prepared by your future tutors. They include, for example, important dates as well as information about studying, student benefits, or student life.
Create your own profile and sign up to JobTeaser portal now and stay up to date on job vacancies, training and upcoming recruitment events promoted especially to Metropolia students. There are hundreds of job opportunities available and a lot of information to support your career planning.
JobTeaser is a career portal where you can find lot of career information in one platform.
- Open jobs and traineeships
- Working life events
- Advice & guidance
- Employer profiles
Sign up and start exploring
Sign up to JobTeaser using your @metropolia.fi email address.
You can also download a Jobteaser application.
Starting XR studies
Warm congratulations on your place in the XR Design degree programme!
Your studies start on Monday 18th of August 2025 at 9:00 AM at the Metropolia Arabia campus, when the academic year starts. The first course is Academic and Communication Skills. The main goal of the first days of the course is to get to know other students and familiarise yourself with Metropolia's study practices. The course lecturers are Markku Luotonen, Turkka Loimisto and Tania Chumaira. You will start your studies in XR Classroom 453. A student-tutor will meet you in the lobby and guide you to the right room if necessary.
Please remember to have an official photo ID with you on the first day of study. The identity of all starting students will be checked upon registration. On the first day, you should also bring your note-taking equipment.
Autumn 2025 courses
During the autumn semester, your group's curriculum includes the following courses:
- Academic and Communication Skills, 5 ECTS
- 3D Graphics, Polygonal Modeling and Animation, 15 ECTS
- Colour Perception and Composition, 5 ECTS
- Finnish 1 or Professional Swedish, 5 ECTS
Teaching and working in your major studies usually take place on weekdays from 9 AM to 3 or 4 PM. The autumn schedules and study contents are discussed in more detail in the Academic and Communication Skills course.
First week program draft
The studies start 18.8.2025 at Hämeentie 135 D
Monday
9.00-9.30
Registration in the main lobby
9.30-11.00
XR Classroom 453
Start of studies, familiarisation with facilities and the degree
In the afternoon there's time to hang and play with VR applications and games.
Tuesday
9.30-11.00
XR Class 453
Library services
12:00 - 15:00
XR Class 453
Structure of XR-studies
Wednesday
9.00–15.00
Orientation day
- Campus coordinator info
- Metka and Demoni student organisations
- Safety
- International opportunities
- Helpdesk
- Wellbeing services and student healthcare (FSHS)
- Language info
Thursday
9.15-15:00
Academic and Communication Skills: XR-related tasks
Friday
The schedule will be specified later. Programme organised by peer tutors.
On Friday 22.8. from 9 AM to 11 AM a reception related to the accreditation of studies (eRPL) will be offered to those who have previously completed higher education studies at a university or university of applied sciences. You will learn more about this during the first week.
Welcome to the studies!
Studying is more rewarding the more you are willing to invest in your own learning. It is important that you plan the progress of your studies in a goal-oriented manner from the very beginning. Our staff will support you in planning your studies. The group's teacher tutor plays an important role in study counselling. Your group's teacher tutor is Turkka Loimisto. More information on teacher tutoring and guidance for your personal study plan (PSP) will be available when the studies have begun.
If you have any questions about starting your studies, you can contact Education Coordinator Katri Laitinen from 11.8.2025 (katri.laitinen [at] metropolia.fi (katri[dot]laitinen[at]metropolia[dot]fi)).
Questions related to accepting a study place
Metropolia's Student and Admission Services will answer questions related to the application process and accepting a study place also during the summer:
Email: admissions [at] metropolia.fi (admissions[at]metropolia[dot]fi)
Phone service: +358 9 7424 5902 (Mon-Wed from 10-12)