Studies
Become an Expert in Avanced Practice Nursing
This programme is a part of the joint application in January 2026. Instructions will be published in autumn 2025.
Are you a nursing professional (nurse, midwife, public health visitor, paramedic) ready to take your career to the next level? The Master’s Degree in Advanced Practice Nursing is designed for individuals like you who are eager to deepen their expertise and step into advanced nursing and leadership roles. This program equips you with the advanced skills needed to lead, innovate, and transform healthcare environments, while driving your own career growth.
Through this Master’s degree, you will gain cutting-edge competencies in advanced clinical nursing, leadership, teaching, and research & development (R&D) that empower you to lead the future of patient care. Whether you aim to become an expert in Advanced Practice Nursing (APN) or take on national and international leadership roles, this program prepares you to excel in dynamic healthcare settings.
Become a change-maker in healthcare—shape the future of nursing with us!
Who is This Programme For?
The Master’s Degree Programme in Advanced Practice Nursing is designed for nursing professionals who aspire to take on more advanced roles in nursing practice, research, teaching, or leadership. If you have the right qualifications — including at least a three-year Bachelor's degree and a minimum of two years of relevant work experience — and are eager to expand your expertise and influence in the healthcare field, this programme is your next step toward a more dynamic and impactful career.
Enjoy an International and Multi-disciplinary Approach
The Master’s Degree Programme offers a dynamic, English-taught curriculum with a diverse, international, and multi-disciplinary perspective. Our students benefit from collaborations with other Master's programmes, such as Health Business Management, and work alongside partner universities from around the world. This unique approach broadens your global and professional outlook, while also giving you the opportunity to take elective studies offered in Finnish, making your learning experience even more flexible and enriching.
Content of studies
The extent of the studies is 90 ECTS and currently include:
- Advanced professional studies 50 ECTS,
- Elective studies 10 ECTS,
- Master’s Thesis 30 ECTS.
In your master's thesis, you can further deepen your expertise in the competence area that aligns with your APN career plan. It is recommended that the topic of the master´s thesis is related to Metropolia´s and our partners´ projects.
At Metropolia, you have an opportunity to complete part of your studies in our Future Proof Health and Wellbeing innovation hub. Read more about the Research and Development Programs and Collaboration Platforms in innovation hub.
Mode of study: Flexible, Blended Learning
You can complete your degree in 1.5 years by following a well-organized schedule that suits both full-time study and employment. While balancing studies with work, strong self-management skills will be beneficial.
Our program follows a blended learning approach, combining online and face-to-face learning through lectures, seminars, and workshops. The program includes intensive study periods on campus in Helsinki, typically 2-4 periods in total. There are 2-5 teaching days per month, with sessions offered both during the day and in the evening.
Much of the learning is independent group work, encouraging collaboration and self-directed study.
Starting studies
How to start your studies in Metropolia
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
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
After you have received the personal identification code, remember to inform it to the Student and Admission 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.
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. More information on accommodation
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
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.
- 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.
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 instructions in IT Services wiki.
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 on the address fshs.fi, and the Health information resource on the address yths.fi/en/health-information-resource. You can also find information about appointments as well as current information about your service unit on the address yths.fi/en/service-units.
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: yths.fi/en/self-info.
The health care fee for students in higher education will be paid to Kela on your initiative (kela.fi/web/en/healthcare-fee-for-students-in-higher-education).
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.
Already excited about starting your studies in Metropolia and meeting new people? On this page 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: https://metropolia.jobteaser.com/
You can also download a Jobteaser application.
Starting Advanced Practice Nursing studies
Degree specific instructions will be published later.