We offer a bachelor’s degree programme that focuses on enterprise resource planning, especially SAP software solutions. This programme is perfect for you, who want to study business management but also get specialised ERP expertise on top of that. The demand for ERP skilled employees is rising all the time, so now is a great time to get an education that meets the needs of the businesses but also offers lots of work opportunities. 

Degree: Bachelor of Business Administration

•  Study type: Daytime studies

•  Duration: 3,5 years, 210 credits
•  Campus: Talonpojankatu 2, Kokkola
•  Tuition fee for non-EU/EEA citizens: 9500 €
•  Places: 15
•  Application period opens: 03.01.2024 at 08:00
•  Application period closes: 17.01.2024 at 15:00
•  Studies start in autumn 2024
•  Curriculum
•  Link to Studyinfo
•  Teaching language: English

Programme description

The BBA studies at Centria UAS are very practically oriented. You will start your studies from the basics, so you don’t need previous business studies or work experience. In your studies, you will focus on ERP/SAP. You will study subjects, such as ERP systems and their functionalities, data warehousing, business process modelling and advanced business intelligence. All of the subjects are closely related to ERP/SAP. This knowledge will be your specialised competitive edge on the labour markets after your graduation. 

You will study many business-related subjects, such as economics, management accounting and environmental management. You will get to know business processes related to, for example, strategic management. Your studies include courses in human resources management, and you will learn how to develop HR processes. You will also study research and development related subjects to support you in the thesis project that you will do during your last study year. You can also join different research and development projects and other customer projects, in which you can practice the skills you have learned during your studies. You will deepen your knowledge in information technology, and you will learn more about computing, the basics of programming and relational Databases & SQL. During your studies, you will also develop your social skills, interpersonal skills, self-management skills, language and communication skills and innovativeness. All the studies are organized in a multicultural environment since our students represent over 40 nationalities. 

Centria University of Applied Sciences works in close collaboration with some of the biggest employers in the field of SAP in Finland. Centria has an SAP Next-Gen Lab environment that serves as a learning environment for our BBA SAP students. The enterprise resource planning lecturers at Centria are SAP certified, and we also offer our students a chance to develop the knowledge and skills required for an SAP certification (TS410). Centria is also a member of the SAP University Alliance, which means we can provide our students with access to the SAP Business Suite family of software solutions.  

The studies are conducted in English, and the teaching is organised on weekdays on our Talonpojankatu campus in Kokkola. Some of the courses are offered as online studies and the studies require some independent work. However, you will also work in groups on different projects and assignments while practising your communication and teamwork skills.

Additional information

Content of studies

You can find the curriculum here.

The teaching is organized on weekdays on our Talonpojankatu campus in Kokkola. 

The studies consist of core studies and profiling studies, practical training and a thesis project. The scope of the degree programme is 210 ECTS, and it will take around 3,5 years to finish your studies. 

Core studies 70 ECTS 

• Orientation to studies 
• Working life skills  
• Job seeking and employment  
• Language Skills  
• Business Principles 
• Business Management 
• Business Processes 
• Research & Development 
• Practical training 

Profiling studies 110 ECTS 

• Multilingual and multicultural environments 
• Marketing and Supply Management  
• Information Technology for Business 
• ERP/SAP Certification Path 
• ERP/SAP Advanced 
• Practical training 
• Bachelor’s thesis 

Specialization options

Your BBA studies are focusing on ERP/SAP. Centria has an SAP Next-Gen Lab environment that serves as a learning environment for our BBA SAP students. Our partner companies offer our students different study cases, which you can work on in our Next-Gen Lab with your fellow students. The projects are usually done together with project teams from companies. These projects and cases can be related to, for example, management reporting, utilisation of data in business decision-making and the development of new digital solutions. In your studies, you can focus on a specific ERP area of your own choice. 

Centria is working in close collaboration with some of the biggest employers in the field of SAP in Finland. The companies also offer work placements to our students. This hands-on experience will allow you to gain an insight into the SAP operational environment and see and learn how the companies use SAP ERP software in a real work environment. 

Centria is a member of the SAP University Alliance, and therefore we can offer our students access to the SAP Business Suite family of software solutions. This enables you to take the classroom theory into practice, through demonstrations, exercises, case studies, and research. 

Thesis

The Bachelor’s thesis is a down-to-earth planning project, development project or research project. The thesis project aims to prove that you command the theories and processes related to the field of the business and can adapt them in practice. The thesis project will deepen your professional know-how and give you versatile readiness to operate in the different tasks of management, marketing or financial management. The thesis project is often done as an assignment for some company as either independent or pair work.  

The scope of the thesis is 15 ECTS.  

On the online library Theseus www.theseus.fi  all the previously completed bachelor’s theses are available for everyone. 

Internationalisation

Centria has about 130 partner universities around the world, and you can spend a semester or a whole academic year in one of our partner universities. Centria offers three business-related bachelor’s programmes in English, and you are free to choose courses from all of the programmes according to your motivation. You can also do work placements abroad or at an international company in Finland. 

You can integrate your studies at Centria with a business degree in our specific university partners in France and China by spending one year in one of those universities. You will receive two international degrees through one programme, which is a real opportunity for you. This possibility is worth taking – especially if you want to strengthen your language skills and get international experience. 

The different internationalisation possibilities offered by our UAS are worth benefitting from, because many companies appreciate good language and communication skills and international experience. 

Career possibilities

The Bachelors of Business Administration have versatile employment opportunities. The graduates can work in many different positions in sales and marketing, development, financial management and general administration. Some of the Bachelors of Business Administration work as entrepreneurs. 

A bachelor’s degree in business management with ERP/SAP specialisation allows you to work in various positions. The majority of our alumni work in private companies. There is a demand for business management professionals and SAP experts also in the public sector. In the future, you can work in sales or marketing, in development management or financial management, to mention a few possibilities. Some of our students have also set up a company, and they work as entrepreneurs. Lots of opportunities are waiting for business management professionals. 

In the future, your potential occupational title can be 

• export or import manager, 
• sales representative, 
• marketing manager, 
• key accountant, 
• office manager, 
• project manager, 
• purchasing manager, 
• CEO, 
• financial manager, 
• human resource manager and  
• entrepreneur. 

Postgraduate studies

After you have completed your bachelor’s degree and you have gained at least two years of work experience, you can apply to Centria’s master’s degree programmes. Centria offers several master’s programmes in business management in Finnish and English. You can also continue your studies at a university in Finland or abroad. 

Student selection and tuition fees

Selection methods

First joint application 2024

Centria University of Applied Sciences uses the following student selection methods during the first joint application 2024: 

International University of Applied Sciences (UAS) Exam: 75% of study places

Certificate-based selection (Finnish Matriculation Examination, IB, EB, RP/DIA): 25% of study places

International University of Applied Sciences (UAS) Exam

International UAS Exam is a joint digital entrance exam of Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences (UAS), used for selecting students to English-conducted study programmes leading to a Bachelor’s degree.

The entrance examination assesses the applicants’ abilities to study at UAS. The entrance examination does not contain any pre-reading materials or pre-tasks.

Every applicant must submit a valid identification document and a document of the English language skills on the Studyinfo’s application form. Please check the approved documents at UASinfo.fi (Notice: only a passport is accepted from the applicants outside EU/EEA). Please notice: the UASinfo.fi -website will be updated during the autumn 2023 for the 2024 application.

Please read more information about admission criteria on the UASinfo website.

NB. Changes may occur.

Certificate-based selection (Finnish Matriculation Examination, IB, EB, RP/DIA)

It’s possible to be selected through certificate-based student selection if you have: 

• A minimum grade C in advanced English (degree programmes in the field of business and engineering)
• A minimum grade C in advanced English and basic syllabus grade C or advanced syllabus grade A in Mathematics (degree programmes in the field of engineering)

SAT application

Applicants who in their past have completed the SAT tests (new version taken after March 2016) can also apply in our SAT application round on 1st November 2023 – 17th January 2024. Please read more information and the admission criteria here.  

Tuition fees and scholarships

Please notice that some applicants are obligated to pay tuition fees. If you are not an EU/EEA- citizen or if you do not have a document that exempts you from paying the tuition fees, you are obliged to pay them.

More information including the tuition fees, who is obligated to pay them, and scholarships can be found here.

Eligibility criteria for Bachelor’s degrees

following education will give applicants eligibility to apply for Bachelor´s programmes:

• the studies required for graduating from the Finnish upper secondary school or a Matriculation Ex-amination;
• an International Baccalaureate (IB) degree;
• a European Baccalaureate (EB) Diploma;
• a Reifeprüfung (RP) or Deutsche Internationale Abitur (DIA) degree;
• a Finnish vocational upper secondary qualification covering 120 credits or 180 competence points or a corresponding earlier Finnish vocational degree covering at least 80 credits;
• a Finnish post-secondary or higher vocational level diploma;
• a Finnish vocational upper secondary qualification or a further or specialist vocational qualification as a competence-based qualification, or a comparable previous qualification;
• a foreign qualification that provides eligibility for higher education studies in the country in question;
• Bachelor’s degree or Master’s degree.