Studies
Do you want to work with older people and support their wellbeing? In the Bachelor's Degree Programme in Applied Gerontology you learn to understand ageing and develop services that support a good life for older people.
This is a bilingual degree programme. You study Applied Gerontology mainly in English, while learning Finnish throughout your studies. No Finnish language skills are required when starting the programme.
Finnish language learning is integrated into the studies from the beginning. Practical training takes place in Finnish-speaking work environments, so students need motivation and commitment to learn Finnish. The goal is that after graduation you are able to work in Finland in Finnish-speaking environments.
The programme is suitable for:
- international students who want to build their career in Finland
- immigrants who want to study in English while learning Finnish
- Finnish students interested in an international learning environment
What will you learn?
Geronomi (Bachelor of Social Services and Health Care) is an expert in ageing and wellbeing. During your studies you learn to support older people’s everyday life, independence and participation.
The degree gives you competences to:
- meet people respectfully and work in meaningful interaction
- understand ageing and act as a gerontological and memory work expert
- support wellbeing, functional capacity and participation of older people
- guide clients and support living at home using services, digital solutions and technology
- develop services and work in multidisciplinary teams
Ageing is a major societal change. Expertise in ageing is needed in social and health care as well as in many other sectors.
Degree structure
The Bachelor's Degree in Applied Gerontology is a University of Applied Sciences degree in Social and Health Care. The scope of the degree is 210 ECTS credits, and the estimated duration of studies is 3.5 years. The programme offers a clear and practice-oriented way to study at a university of applied sciences.
The studies include practical training in different working environments, which supports professional development and the transition to working life. The total extent of practical training is 40 ECTS credits.
The curriculum is based on national strategies for services for older people, international competence descriptions and multidisciplinary gerontological research.
Your expertise develops step by step through the following themes:
- Foundations of Gerontological Expertise
- The Right to Individual Ageing
- Supporting a Good Life for Older People
- Older People in the Home Environment
- Promoting Participation and Wellbeing
- Person-centred Client Guidance
- Geronomi as a Developer
Read more about the contents of the degree from Study guide!
How will you study?
The studies combine contact teaching on campus, independent online learning, projects with working life partners, and practical training in real work environments. You will study both independently and in groups using digital learning platforms.
Studying in a university of applied sciences requires an active role in your own learning. The programme is full-time, and the average workload is about 40 hours per week.
Students receive guidance from the first semester onwards according to their Personal Study Plan (PSP).
Career opportunities
After graduation you can apply for professional licensing from Valvira, the Finnish National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health.
Graduates work in a wide range of roles in the public and private sectors as well as in NGOs and foundations, including social and health care services, municipalities and wellbeing services counties, and development projects.
Typical job titles include, for example:
- Geronomi
- Social Counsellor
- Client Counsellor
- Home Care Coordinator
- Service Advisor
- Volunteer Coordinator
- Culture Coordinator in Senior Services
- Project Worker or Project Coordinator
- Planner or Senior Advisor
Tuition fees
Annual tuition fee
- 11 000 € for non-EU/EEA degree students, whose right of study starts after 31 July 2025
- 11 500 € for non-EU/EEA degree students, whose right of study starts after 31 July 2027.
Ask about the studies from the Head of the Degree Programme
Ask from the Guidance Counsellor about applying for Bachelor's Degree Programme in Applied Gerontology
Subscribe to the Applicant’s Newsletter
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 studiesautumn 2026
- Blended 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)The International UAS Exam is a joint digital entrance exam of the Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences (UAS), used for selecting students to study programmes leading to a bachelor’s degree and conducted in English. The entrance exam is completed by the applicant’s own computer remotely online.
Read more about the International UAS Exam and language requirements on the website uasinfo.fi
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.
User account activation is possible from the start date of your study right. Activate your user account before the orientation days by following the instructions available on the IT Services website. To activate your account, you will need personal online banking credentials or a mobile certificate. Also check the instructions provided by your degree programme.
If you do not have Finnish online banking credentials or a mobile certificate, authenticate using the Candour ID application. After authentication, you will receive instructions on how to activate your user account. Read the instructions for authentication and receiving user accounts on the Information Management Services website.
Once you have activated your user account, enable multi-factor authentication for Microsoft 365 services. First enable SMS authentication, and then Microsoft Authenticator. If possible, also enable alternative authentication methods on your other mobile devices. This will help you avoid login issues if your primary phone is replaced or lost. Follow the instructions available on the IT Services website.
If you have any questions about user account activation or multi-factor authentication, please contact the Helpdesk. You will find the contact information on the IT Services website.
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.
How to start studies in Applied Gerontology
Here you will find important instructions related to the start of your studies. Read these carefully to ensure a smooth start to your journey at Metropolia. Please make sure to mark the start of your studies in your calendar.
August 2026: Individual online meetings for all students
You will have an individual online meeting with a Finnish language teacher.
A link to book the meeting
Virtual Zoom meet-up before your studies
We invite you to a virtual Zoom meetings:
- Thursday 4 June 2026 at 9.00–10.30 (Finnish time) Link to the meeting
- Tuesday 11 August 2026 at 11.00–12.30 (Finnish time)
You will meet:
- Head of Degree Programme: Anna Puustelli-Pitkänen
- Finnish language teacher: Hanna Lenkola
- Tutor teachers: Mari Heitto and Heidi Oilimo
- Guidance counsellor: Miia Penttinen
- Welcome Hub Coordinator
Orientation
The orientation to your studies starts on August 18 at 9:00 (Finnish time). The meeting will be held online and on the Metropolia Myllypuro campus. More detailed instructions regarding the schedule of the orientation and receiving the online meeting link will be provided to students who are selected to study in the degree programme and who accept their study place.
Once you receive the timetable, plan your schedule so that you can participate in the orientation sessions. Taking part in the orientation is compulsory for new degree students.
You will receive more detailed information regarding your studies and arranging your arrival in Finland in our welcome letter. The welcome letter will be sent to new students via email before your studies begin.
These instructions apply to new degree students starting in August 2026:
- Students admitted in the joint application process
- Students admitted on the basis of Metropolia's Open UAS studies
Plan your arrival
- Find out where your campus is located
- If you have a smartphone 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
- Metropolia Welcome Hub helps you with:
- Moving to Helsinki area
- Housing
- Daily life
- Integrating into local community