The Bachelor’s degree programme in International Business at Centria UAS provides our students with a strong base of business skills and tools to manage businesses in intercultural environments. The curriculum is designed to provide the skills and expertise versatilely for the business field. If you are interested in working for an international company or in international positions and business environments, this degree programme is aimed at you.

Degree: Bachelor of Business Administration

•  Study type: Blended learning

•  Duration: 3,5 years, 210 credits
•  Campus: Campus Allegro, Pietarsaari
•  Tuition fee for non-EU/EEA citizens: 9500 €
•  Places: 14
•  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 practically oriented, and we will start from the basics, which means that you don’t need any previous business studies or work experience. You will study many business-related subjects, such as economics, business law, accounting and marketing, sales and customer service. You will also study languages and communication to ensure you have sufficient language skills to work in international positions. You will get to know business processes that include subjects about starting your foreign trade and planning and launching new businesses. Your studies include courses in human resources management, strategic management and environmental management. 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 profiling studies, which consists of three study modules: Creative Marketing, Global Business and Tourism and Event Management. In these studies, you will concentrate on various interesting subjects, such as B2B marketing and social media and e-commerce marketing, international logistics and exhibitions, events and fairs – only to mention a few examples. 

The studies are conducted in English. The studies are organized in a blended learning format, which means you will have contact teaching in the classroom, online classes and project work. The contact teaching will be arranged on Campus Allegro in Pietarsaari twice a week during the daytime. The studies require independent work, as well. However, you will also work in groups on different projects and assignments while practising your communication and teamwork skills. All the studies are organized in a multicultural environment since our students represent over 40 nationalities. 

Centria co-operates very closely with the working life. Experts visit our lectures, and we also make company visits to the companies in our area. You can participate in some interesting real-life projects. These projects are an excellent opportunity to show your know-how and perhaps get a summer job in one of the companies. The studies also include practical training periods. During the practical training, you can practice your skills in an actual work environment and also get to know potential employers. 

A bachelor’s degree in international business gives you the readiness to work in various positions. The majority of our alumni work in private companies. There is a demand for international business 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 available to international business professionals.

Additional information

Content of studies

You can find the curriculum here.

Studies in this programme are based on blended learning, combining contact teaching in the classroom, online classes and project work. The contact teaching will be arranged on Campus Allegro in Pietarsaari twice a week during the daytime. 

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. The studies require full-time engagement.

Core studies 60 ECTS

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

Profiling studies 75 ECTS 

• Creative Marketing
  • Strategic Marketing and Sales 
  • B2B Marketing 
  • Social Media Marketing and e-business 
  • Marketing practices 
• Global Business
  • Global Business Opportunities & Business Cultures 
  • International Logistics 
  • Practices and Procedures of International Trade 
  • Introduction to ERP 
• Tourism and Event Management
  • Introduction to Tourism Business 
  • Exhibitions, Fairs and Events 
  • Business And Leisure Tourism 
  • Innovation Management 
• Practical training 
• Bachelor’s thesis 

Thesis

The thesis is a practical 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 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 to 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 school 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.  

In the future, your potential occupational titles 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 master’s degree programmes at Centria UAS. 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.

More information for applicants applying with education completed outside Finland

More information for applicants applying with education completed in Finland