Health Care and Social Services Pathway Programme

Health Care and Social Services Pathway Programme in a nutshell

Start your studies either online or on campus and finish them on campus in the modern Myllypuro campus of Metropolia UAS, located in Helsinki in Finland.

Complete successfully 30 ECTS credits of Pathway studies in English and boost your chances to get a study place in a Bachelor´s degree in

• Social Services
• Applied Gerontology
• Physiotherapy
• Biomedical Laboratory Science or
• Occupational Therapy (tbc).

Learn about Finland and Metropolia prior to starting your studies in Finland.

Admission to the Health Care and Social Services Pathway Programme

• Admission period: 12 February - 12 April 2026 / EXTENDED until 30 April 2026
• Student selection in April /May 2026
• Residence permit application process between May - June 2026
• Pathway studies during January 4 - May 31, 2027.

Fee for Pathway studies is 3.800,00 € (VAT incl).

Students are selected on a first-come, first-served basis. Please note that applications will be processed only after the admission period has ended. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide any updates on the status of applications before that time.

The studies will start only if there are enough eligible applicants to be admitted.

The admission link is open from 12th February to 30th April 2026.

Fill in the application e-form

Eligibility criteria

You must hold a foreign qualification that provides eligibility for higher education studies in your home country.

In addition to the qualification mentioned above, you must provide an acceptable proof of English language proficiency (please see below).

Additional requirements for all: Applicants must meet the health and functional capacity requirements necessary for degree studies. The so-called SORA legislation applies to education leading to a UAS degree in the fields of social services and health care, humanities and education, sports and exercise and seafaring.

Please familiarise yourself with the field-specific requirements on health and functional capacity in UAS info site before submitting your application.

Additional requirements for Physiotherapy: Basic swimming skills, including basic diving skills are required for the degree studies.

Additional requirements for Biomedical Laboratory Science: Please see the specific vision requirements for the degree studies.

Admission documents to the Health Care and Social Services Pathway Programme

• A scanned copy of your final secondary school certificate (or equivalent)
• Transcript of Records
• A scanned copy of the English language certificate.

English language skills can be proved by the following documents:

1. English language test results:
   • IELTS Academic*: a minimum total score of 6.0 (Test sections: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking)
   • TOEFL Academic (iBT)*, ***: a minimum total score of 60 (Test sections: Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing)
   • PTE Academic*: a minimum total score of 55 (Test sections: Speaking and Writing, Reading, and Listening)
   • Cambridge English Scale Score: a minimum total score of 169 (B2 First, C1 Advanced, or C2 Proficiency. No other Cambridge language tests are accepted.) (Test sections: Reading and Use of English, Writing, Listening, and Speaking)
   • TELC (The European Language Certificate) English B2-C1 university qualification, completed on or after 1 October 2021: minimum of B2 level (Test sections: Listening/Reading/Language Elements, Writing and Speaking)
   • Oxford ELLT Global*: (English Language Level Test), completed on or after 1 July 2023: a minimum total score of 6.0 (Test sections: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking)
2. Upper secondary degree or Higher education degree completed in English in an EU/EEA country, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Switzerland, United Kingdom, or the United States. Please note that your degree must be taught and assessed entirely in English**.
   • The degree must also be a qualification that provides eligibility for higher education in the country in which it was awarded.
   • Degrees from international schools or institutions located outside the listed countries, where the degree is completed locally but awarded by an institution from another country, do not qualify.

* IELTS Academic UKVI, IELTS Online, PTE Academic Online, PTE Academic UKVI and TOEFL iBT Home Edition and Oxford ELLT Digital are also accepted.

**The language of instruction must be clearly stated on official documents. You can also document this by submitting a certificate/letter from your university / educational institution in addition to your official study documentation.

***If you have taken the TOEFL test on or after 21 January 2026, a minimum total score of 3.5 is required.

Instead of English proficiency test, applicant can also provide SAT result with the following scores: 500 for Evidence Based Reading and Writing section and 500 for Math section.

NOTE: When using an English language test result (IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, Cambridge or SAT) for proving English language skills, certificates printed or delivered by the applicants themselves are not taken into account but the results must be sent to Metropolia electronically by the test organiser and available/verifiable as described above. Metropolia's TOEFL code is 3804.

Health Care and Social Services Pathway description

Start your academic journey in Finland with the Health Care and Social Services Pathway Programme.

Are you ready to take the first step towards an international career in Health Care, Social Services and Rehabilitation? The Health Care and Social Services Pathway Programme is your gateway to success in Finland!

This flexible online/on campus programme is designed for ambitious international students who plan to complete a bachelor’s degree in Metropolia’s renowned international degree programmes in Social Services, Applied Gerontology, Physiotherapy, Biomedical Laboratory Science or Occupational Therapy (tbc).

By joining the Pathway, you will:

• Gain a strong academic foundation for your future studies
• Make a smooth transition into Finnish higher education and professional life
• Connect with a vibrant international student community
• Boost your chances of admission to Metropolia’s degree programmes

Don’t just dream about studying in Finland — make it happen with the Health Care and Social Services Pathway Programme!

The first half of the Health Care and Social Services Pathway Programme studies will take place both onsite at Metropolia UAS's Myllypuro campus and online, with live lectures streamed from the campus. Please note that these lectures will not be recorded, so attendance at online lectures and completion of assignments are therefore mandatory for course completion.

The second half of the Health Care and Social Services Pathway Programme studies will be conducted entirely onsite at the Myllypuro campus. Students on the Pathway Programme must arrive in Finland before the start of the second half of the studies. All lectures are delivered by the lecturers of Metropolia UAS.

Successful completion of the Health Care and Social Services Pathway Programme by the specified deadline will improve your chances of admission to Metropolia’s degree programme which you have chosen. Successful completion requires attendance in lectures and completion of assignments.

Teaching and lessons will take place between 4th January and 31st May 2027

Each course is worth 2–5 ECTS credits. The Pathway studies comprise 30 ECTS credits in total (1 ECTS credit equals 27 hours of work). Courses will be assessed as passed or failed. Metropolia’s degree regulations apply in the assessment of the Pathway courses.

Pathway studies will consist of the following courses conducted by the lecturers of the international degree programmes in Metropolia.

Please find more detailed descriptions of the contents of the online courses below.