Studies
What is it like to study Social Services?
See our student Chrish's experience of studying Social Services in Metropolia.
Job opportunities and working as a Bachelor of Social Services
As a Bachelor of Social Services, you are qualified to work with various client groups. Provision of services and client work is seen through a social pedagogical framework. The work may consist of supporting clients in their home or community settings, co-ordination of services, or supportive guidance and assistance. You may work with people of all ages.
Job opportunities for Bachelor of Social Services
- Early childhood education and care
- Child welfare
- Family work
- Guidance and education in youth work
- Social counselling in schools
- Work with adults
- Community work
- Work with the elderly
- Work with people with disabilities
- Work with people with substance abuse issues
- Work with people with mental health issues
- Preventive work against violence
- Multicultural work and work among diverse people
Bachelor of Social Services have also the opportunity to work as self-employed professionals and service providers.
By completing 60 ECTS credits of early childhood education and care studies offered by the degree programme, you will gain qualification to work as a Social Pedagogue in Early Childhood Education and Care (Varhaiskasvatuksen sosionomi).
The Curriculum
The curriculum, based on a social pedagogical framework, focuses on empowering citizens, preventing marginalization, and promoting inclusion and social pluralism. Working as a Bachelor of Social Services requires multi-disciplinary education, collaborative skills, and an ability to examine and develop oneself and one's field.
As the student moves through the degree programme, they will take part in thematic learning processes such as: expanding knowledge of Social Pedagogy, collaboration with working life partners and investigative development within social services.
The curriculum of the degree programme is based on the following competences of the Bachelor of Social Services (Network of Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences in Social Services 2023):
- Ethical competence in the social work field
- Competences in social work with clients
- Competences in social service systems
- Critical and inclusive civic competences
- Research, development and innovation skills
Language of the studies
This is a bilingual degree programme. You study mainly in English, while learning Finnish throughout your studies. No Finnish language skills are required when starting the programme.
In addition to Finnish courses, Finnish language learning is integrated into the professional studies from the beginning. Practical training (internships) takes mostly place in Finnish-speaking work environments and therefore, students who have little or no proficiency in Finnish need strong motivation and a clear commitment to learn Finnish.
Good proficiency in Finnish significantly improves your chances of finding employment in Finland, and therefore we strongly recommend that you take full advantage of all opportunities to study Finnish also apart from your Finnish courses and language support in the curriculum.
Studying with us
In order to succeed in your studies, good academic skills are needed. The learning methods may include individual learning, group work and project learning.
The students are studying in a multicultural group. As a student, one can participate in international activities in various ways at different stages of the studies.
Faculty members of the degree programme are pedagogically qualified teachers who have experience teaching in English with a language aware approach. The English tuition degree programme at Metropolia is one of the most skilled in Finland. The degree programme annually invites guest lecturers to enrich the programme.
Teaching is mainly Campus-based, but to ensure that your studies run smoothly, you must have a properly functioning laptop and a stable, high-speed and reliable internet connection.
Please note that full-time daytime studies mean that most of the studies are delivered as on-campus face-to-face teaching, so you should aim to organize your daily life in a way that allows you to commit and participate fully in your studies.
Teaching methods include for example:
- lectures
- discussions
- group work
- learning assignments
- projects
- workshops
- e-learning
- independent studies
- internships
There are job placements or internships three to four times during the studies. Job placements are in various working environments in the field of social services.
Prior to any internships, it is the student's responsibility to obtain and prove a criminal record extract as a prerequisite for admission to the internship. In the beginning of the studies, students will be guided to apply their criminal record extract from Finnish authorities.
If one moves to study in Finland from other countries, one needs to obtain an authenticated criminal record extract from the authorities in one’s country of origin. This should be as up to date as possible, less than 6 months old at the beginning of the studies.
Want to learn more about working in early childhood education with a social services degree?
Metropolia's open university offers a short 1-credit course (The Expertise of a Social Pedagogue in Early Childhood Education and Care – Applying the Skills in Practice) that you can complete at your own pace. The course covers the following: the skills, knowledge and position of a social pedagogue in the early childhood education field, and reflection on the expertise and qualification of a social pedagogue. The course provides an introduction. It can be beneficial for those curious to apply to study social services with an early childhood education specialization. To read more and to enroll to the course, please find more information from Open UAS.
Student's experiences
From Psychology interest to passion for social work
Read the full storyScholarships and tuition fees
Annual tuition fee
- 11 000 € for students, whose right of study starts after 31 July 2024
- 11 500 € for students, whose right of study starts after 31 July 2027.
This fee applies only to non-EU/EEA degree students.
Ask more about the Bachelor of Social Services degree programme from the Head of the Degree
Ask the Study Counselor about applying for Bachelor of Social Services degree programme
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 studiesspring 2027
- Day-time studies
Instructions for applying
In the autumn 2026 Joint Application to higher education, you can apply to degree programmes that start in the spring 2027. The application period starts on the 31 August 2026 at 8 am and ends on the 10 September 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 One Study Right Rule
The One Study Right Rule refers to legislative amendments entering into force on 1 August 2026. Under these amendments, a student’s study rights at the same or lower level will be terminated if they accept a new study right leading to a degree. The rule applies only to study rights at Finnish higher education institutions.
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
Universities of applied sciences may admit students by means of certificate-based selection based on matriculation examination and vocational upper secondary qualification (completed after 1 August 2015). Those applying with a matriculation examination (Finnish or EB, IB and RP/DIA diploma) or vocational upper secondary qualification have a specific study place quota which varies between study programmes available for application.
More information on certificate-based selection on uasinfo.fi
- Application period-Start of studiesautumn 2026Apply now!
- Day-time studies
The Application on the Basis of Metropolia’s Open UAS Studies is aimed at those who have completed studies not leading to a degree at Metropolia University of Applied Sciences. Those applying for a master’s degree are, however, required also to have a separate required basic education and work experience that gives them eligibility to apply.
Application period: 4 May 2026 8:00 am - 31 October 2026 3:00 pm, 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
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) - Application period-Start of studiesautumn 2026Apply now!
- 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. The completed studies must be accreditable to the degree programme to which you are applying in accordance with the curriculum of the degree programme. When applying for a master's degree, your studies must in principle be from the corresponding level (master’s degree / EQF7 level). Read the selection criteria; the required credit points (ECTS) and other possible threshold conditions are mentioned in the student selection criteria on Studyinfo. 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: 4 May 2026 8:00 am - 31 October 2026, 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. 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 studiesspring 2027
- Day-time studies
The transfer application is aimed at all students enrolled in studies leading to a Finnish higher education degree and:
- who wish to transfer their study rights from one Finnish higher education institution to Metropolia so that the degree title remains the same or changes
OR - who wish to transfer their study rights within Metropolia from one degree programme to another, so that the degree title changes.
Students transferring within Metropolia in such a way that the degree title remains the same, are not considered as "transfer students" and have their own separate application procedure available on Metropolia's Students' Guide. Please note that it is not possible to transfer from abroad.
Students applying for a transfer should note that their maximum study period or the period for which they are entitled to receive student financial aid will not be extended due to the transfer. The maximum study period is calculated from the date on which the student accepted the study place in the previous higher education institution.
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)One Study Right Rule
The One Study Right Rule refers to legislative amendments entering into force on 1 August 2026. Under these amendments, a student’s study rights at the same or lower level will be terminated if they accept a new study right leading to a degree. Transfer applications fall under the One Study Right Rule.
- Application period-Start of studiesspring 2027
- Day-time studies
The Application on the Basis of Metropolia’s Open UAS Studies is aimed at those who have completed studies not leading to a degree at Metropolia University of Applied Sciences. Those applying for a master’s degree are, however, required also to have a separate required basic education and work experience that gives them eligibility to apply.
Application period: 2 November 2026 8:00 am - 30 April 2027 3:00 pm, 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
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 One Study Right Rule
The One Study Right Rule refers to legislative amendments entering into force on 1 August 2026. Under these amendments, a student’s study rights at the same or lower level will be terminated if they accept a new study right leading to a degree. The rule applies only to study rights at Finnish higher education institutions.
- Application period-Start of studiesspring 2027
- 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. The completed studies must be accreditable to the degree programme to which you are applying in accordance with the curriculum of the degree programme. When applying for a master's degree, your studies must in principle be from the corresponding level (master’s degree / EQF7 level). Read the selection criteria; the required credit points (ECTS) and other possible threshold conditions are mentioned in the student selection criteria on Studyinfo. 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: 2 November 2026 8:00 am - 30 April 2027, 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. 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.
The One Study Right Rule
The One Study Right Rule refers to legislative amendments entering into force on 1 August 2026. Under these amendments, a student’s study rights at the same or lower level will be terminated if they accept a new study right leading to a degree. The rule applies only to study rights at Finnish higher education institutions.
- Application period-Start of studiesautumn 2027
- Day-time studies
The Separate Application for International Degree Programmes is aimed at those applying on the basis of GMAT/GRE test, SAT/ACT test, the Edunation Pathway Diploma, commissioned education or a credit transfer -based student selection for an education leading to a higher education degree in English. Application period for studies starting in autumn 2027 starts on 1 December 2026 08:00 am (local time in Finland).
Application instructions have been published on Studyinfo.fi Check the individual selection methods for each degree programme in Studyinfo.fi .
- Application period-Start of studiesautumn 2027
- Day-time studies
Instructions for applying
In the spring 2027 Joint Application 1 to higher education, you can apply to degree programmes that start in the autumn of 2027. The application period starts on the 7 January 2027 at 8 am and ends on the 21 January 2027 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 One Study Right Rule
The One Study Right Rule refers to legislative amendments entered into force on 1 August 2026. Under these amendments, a student’s study rights at the same or lower level will be terminated if they accept a new study right leading to a degree. The rule applies only to study rights at Finnish higher education institutions.
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.
Universities of applied sciences may admit students by means of certificate-based selection based on matriculation examination and vocational upper secondary qualification (completed after 1 August 2015). Those applying with a matriculation examination (Finnish or EB, IB and RP/DIA diploma) or vocational upper secondary qualification have a specific study place quota which varies between study programmes available for application.
More information on certificate-based selection on uasinfo.fi
Useful links
More information on the application process
Tel. +358 9 7424 5902, Mon-Wed 10 am – 12 pm
Starting studies
First, read guidelines common to all Metropolia degree students and then degree specific instruction below.
How to start Social Services studies
These instructions apply to new degree students starting in August 2026.
Zoom meet-ups
Do you have any questions about starting your studies or about studying in general? Before the start of the studies, we will organize two Zoom information sessions where we will explain the key issues related to beginning your studies and answer your questions.
- Friday 5 June 2026 at 13.00 - 15.00 (Finnish time) Link to the recording
- Tuesday 11 August 2026 at 10.00 –11.30 (Finnish time), Link to the meeting
You will meet:
- Head of Degree Programme: Hannele Pulkamo
- Tutor teachers: Tanja Saariaho and/or Mai Salmenkangas
- Finnish language teacher: Hanna Lenkola
- Welcome Hub coordinator
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
Plan your arrival
- 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
- Metropolia Welcome Hub helps you with:
- Moving to Helsinki area
- Housing
- Daily life
- Integrating into local community
Orientation
The orientation to your studies starts on Wednesday 19th August 9 am to 4 pm Finnish time at Metropolia Hall (Metropolia-Sali) MPA1010. The ZOOM links for the morning session and afternoon session will be announced later.
More detailed instructions regarding the schedule of the orientation and courses will be provided for those students that are selected to study in the degree programme and who accept their study place.
Once you receive the timetable, plan your schedules so that you can participate in the orientation to studies and other courses. During the first study period 19.8. - 18.10.2026 we’ll enable participation in on-campus studies also via online means. In the study orientation, you will receive comprehensive information about study planning, implementation, scheduling, and related matters. You will also have the opportunity to get answers to your own study-related questions. For this reason, attendance is mandatory for all orientation sessions.
You will receive more detailed information regarding your studies and arranging your arrival to Finland in our welcome letter. The welcome letter will be sent to new students via email before your studies start.
Kind regards
Hannele Pulkamo, hannele.pulkamo [at] metropolia.fi (hannele[dot]pulkamo[at]metropolia[dot]fi)
Head of Degree Programme