Admissions to the University of Eastern Finland: How to apply as an exchange student

How to apply as an exchange student

 Exchange students

Exchange students are non-degree students who intend to study at the University of Eastern Finland (Joensuu, Kuopio or Savonlinna campus) for one or two semesters. These students participate in bilateral or international student exchange programmes (e.g. Erasmus, FIRST, Campus Europae, Nordplus/Nordlys, North-South-South, bilateral agreement).

Application deadlines

30 April for autumn semester (September - December) or full academic year (September - May) studies

30 September for spring semester (January - May) studies

Please, note that it is not possible to apply after the deadlines!

Nominations

The application process begins when the University of Eastern Finland receives nomination e-mails from partner universities. In other words, study abroad coordinators send an e-mail to the International Mobility Services in which they announce their candidates for student exchange. After that, International Mobility Services sends applicants usernames for the online application tool SoleMOVE by e-mail to the student.

Nominations should include:

1. Student's complete name
2. Date of birth
3. Gender
4. E-mail address
5. Duration of exchange (autumn semester, spring semester or full academic year)
6. Campus choice (Joensuu, Kuopio, Savonlinna)

The deadline for autumn semester and full academic year nominations is 15 April and for the spring semester, 15 September.

Important! If you have not received an e-mail that contains information on activating your user account, check your junk mail folder!

Activating the user account

When you have received the e-mail containing your username, click the activation link. You can choose your own password. Enter it twice and activate the account. Then you can log in. Do not delete the activation e-mail – it contains your username and the link to the application system. You will need them later. Please note that the system works best with Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox. Safari is not recommended. Also, you should use the login option 'Local', not 'Shibboleth'.

User instructions

You will have access to the complete user manual when you have logged in. You will find it in the upper left corner by clicking the question mark.

Application check list

1) Application form - COMPULSORY

• Complete the form in the online application tool. Check the information that is already there, and be careful to spell your name as it appears in your passport. Capitalise the first letter, leave the rest lower case.

2) Official Transcript of Academic Records - COMPULSORY

• A Transcript of Academic Records is your complete academic record with the information on completed courses, grades and credits.
• An English translation of the Transcript of Academic Records is required.
• Application cannot be processed without the transcript because the academic departments of the University of Eastern Finland need to check the applicant's academic background and suitability for the intended studies.
• Scan your transcript and upload it as an attachment to your application.

3) Learning agreement - COMPULSORY

Use the form your home university gives you. Complete the learning agreement clearly with BLOCK letters or type electronically.

• The learning agreement must be signed by the applicant and by the home coordinator.
• Please note that your learning agreement will be only provisionally accepted, and you may need to revise it once you arrive in Finland
• Scan the signed learning agreement and upload it as an attachment to your application. Note that even if you list all your courses on the ‘Proposed study plan' tab, you still need an official learning agreement with the required signatures. Also note that having your Learning agreement approved does not mean that you have secured a place on those courses – you need to register for them when you have arrived.
• Information on courses is available in WebOodi at https://weboodi.uef.fi/weboodi/

4) A scanned copy of an official ID - COMPULSORY

• Scan the identification page of your passport or other official ID as an attachment to your application.

5) Other information

• Motivation Letter is optional.
• Letters of reference are optional.
• In order to avoid any delays in the application process, please make sure that you have carefully filled in all sections of the application form, enclosed required documents and collected all necessary signatures.

Submitting the application

You do not have to complete the application without stopping – if you do not have all the information ready, you can save your progress and continue later. Be sure that you have filled in all the necessary information and attached all enclosures before you send your application. It is not possible for you to change anything in your application after you have submitted it.

Submitting the application in SoleMOVE is enough. You do not need to send us a printed copy.

Admission procedure

The faculties of the University of Eastern Finland admit the students. After receiving your application, the International Mobility Services will forward it to appropriate academic department. The department then processes the application and the proposed learning agreement. Once the International Mobility Services receive an official confirmation of acceptance from the faculty/department, an official admission document is issued and sent to you by e-mail 1-2 months after the application period has ended. Please do not make any definite travel plans or reserve accommodation before you have received the official acceptance.

Help?

If you have technical problems with the application tool, send an e-mail to movesupport[at]uef.fi.

Further information

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the International Mobility Services: international[at]uef.fi.

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Admissions to the University of Eastern Finland:Language requirements

The University of Eastern Finland offers several international study programs on two campuses, Joensuu and Kuopio; some for exchange students and others for Master's degree students. In addition, faculties may admit international PhD students.

 Language requirements

All applicants must have good skills in English. It is crucial to the admissions process that applicants verify their language skills as required by the programme. If applicants do not submit proof of their language skills by the given deadline, University Admissions Finland (UAF) will not process any other documents from the applicant.

If applicants are applying to more than one programme and verifying their language skills with a language test, University Admissions Finland needs to receive the test result only once. All language test results must be verifiable from the test organizer. However, if applicants can verify their language skills with a previous degree, they must send as many transcripts of records as there are programmes they are applying to.

Language tests

It is up to the applicants to take the language test in time. It should be noted that it may take several weeks before the test results are available.

All language test results must arrive at University Admissions Finland by the application deadline.

Most of the programmes require that the applicants have passing scores in an internationally recognized language proficiency test. In the University of Eastern Finland minimum requirements are:

• IELTS (Academic), overall score of 6.0 - 7 (minimum 5.5-6.5 in writing)
• TOEFL iBT (Internet-based test) score 90-100 (min. 22-24 in writing)
• TOEFL pBT (paper-based test) score of 580-600 (min. 4.0-5.0 in writing)
• PTE 59, 68

TOEFL, IELTS and PTE certificates are valid for two years from the day they are issued and they have to be valid throughout the entire application period. Please note that language requirements may change from year to year, so please check the specific language requirements of each of the Master's Degree Programmes.

IELTS: When requesting the IELTS test center to forward your language test results to UAF, please write down University Admissions Finland as the receiver of the test result. They accept electronic test scores only when they are made available to UAF online by the test organizer.

Paper copies of IELTS score slips are accepted from both the test organizer and the applicant. They do not need to be attested as UAF will always verify the test results with the test organizer. Please note that score slips sent to UAF as e-mail attachments will not be accepted. Also note that after you have taken the test, it usually takes about 13 days for the test results to be published.

TOEFL: When filling out the TOEFL Registration Form, please fill in University Admissions Finland's Institution Code 3138 in the Score Report Recipient field. The TOEFL test score can arrive directly from the test organizer but a copy sent by the applicant is accepted as well. University Admissions Finland will verify the test score from the test organizer.

For CAE and CPE, test results should be addressed to University Admissions Finland. Test scores sent by applicants are acceptable as well, as long as they can be verified by the test organizer. Candidate's ID and secret code should be included. 

For PTE, test score report should be sent directly from Pearson to University Admissions Finland. For PTE Academic, once you receive your test score, send it to University Admissions Finland from your PTE account. Choose Finland as 'Country', 'University Admissions Finland' as 'Institution' and click 'Search'. Then select the university you want to send your results to and confirm your order. After this, we should have access to your test results within 48 hours. Be advised that online language test results will only be accepted from the test organizer.

Applicants might be exempt from submitting the official language proficiency test (please check the requirements of the programme) if one of the following conditions are met:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree was conducted in English in a Nordic or EU/EEA country;
• Bachelor's or Master's degree was conducted in English in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, United Kingdom or United states;
• Secondary education was conducted in a Nordic country or
• the applicant has taken matriculation examination in the English language in Finland.

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ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 Schedule Or Fixture PDF JPG Format

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ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 Schedule Or Fixture

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Top 5 things famous about Germany

Cars

Mercedes, Lamborghini, BMW, Rolls Royce, Mini cooper, Audi, Volkswagen, Volvo... and the list can be still extensive. When it comes to cars, the Germans have mastered not just from tip to toe but also from inside out. German automobile industry contributes largely to its economy and holds a strong market worldwide. With the local transport as Audi and Mercedes, the country is home to several numerous world renowned car brands. They say if it is a car, it has to be German!

Bread

Germans are very fond of Breads, and thus one may find at least 10 types of breads in a bakery or supermarket here. The breads here are made from different types of grains, cereals and flower seeds and are like their staple diet.

Politeness and Patience

Many people say that Germans are very polite, and I am also of the same opinion. One
often finds politeness even from a stranger, who is German. If you are
in train and the train is jam packed (which is not a common sight here), you may still find people asking you if you were standing fine :) Hello and bye to everyone (even if you do not know them) at work place, good evening to the bus driver, thank you and sorry couple of times each day
and so on... These experiences make one experience the warmth and politeness of Germans.

When it comes to Patience, you could be in a restaurant and waiting almost 10 minutes to get the menu or for getting your bill, but that is normal. Germans have lot of patience. People are not in absolute hurry to get inside the train or to drive their way zooming off the city roads. To let someone with really less stuff to bill go ahead at billing counter at supermarket is normal.
If you are in Germany, asking after 10 minutes of ordering ‘How long will it take for my order?!’ restaurant is not normal.

Football

It is very known fact that Germans have a strong national football team, recently portrayed by their winning of FIFA 2014. Football fever, especially World Cup is celebrated in a manner no less than national festival. Children are often found getting trained in football and their elders
too are never tired to play it :) I think it is like the Cricket fever in India. Apart from Football too, Germans are often active in Sports like handball, fencing, basketball, etc. Swimming, jogging and cycling are often carried out on regular basis. 

Punctuality

Be it trains, bus, office or party, Germans are very particular about time. ‘A minute lost is a penny lost’ is literally followed. The time schedules are followed up to the mark and you cannot be late if you are in Germany.

Although there are other things too which are famous about Germany, I will keep that for the coming posts and keep this one short ;)

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Why to Choose Germany for Higher Studies

Turbo Charged Economy

As said earlier, Germany is the first country among the developed nations to recover from the global economic crisis of which many including the USA and UK are still suffering. On the contrary the German economy not only recovered quickly but is sky-rocketing with no signs of slowing down! A visible testimony to the theory is the numerous job openings announced almost everywhere within the past few weeks. The labour shortage is so high that it had to go out of the way and  relax its border to the east European citizens to work here without any legal barrier.

Why is it important? Simply, because you want to study at a country whose economic and political conditions are stable. Bigger economy means bigger spending on universities and research schools. And a strong economy guarantees a 'non-profit' education system. I think by now you know the consequences of universities becoming money making industries rather than true educational institutions. 

Another plus point is the availability of plenty of 'student-jobs' during study period. In short it is financially more secured and convenient.

Excellent Universities and Educational Institutions 

The German universities are famous for pioneering cutting edge technologies. Just wikipedia some major inventions/technologies and most of the time the roots will be related to Germany. All the major universities have a long tradition of excellence in research and development. The government and state expenditure are quite high on education. Usually the universities have a major influence on the city they are located in. The average classes are small but resource heavy, with plenty access to state of the art facilities. The libraries are huge, well resourced and one never has to wait for access to a computer terminal or desk irrespective to the number of students or time of the day/semester. My university has over 37 000 students, till date I never had to wait for one. The best part, almost everything is free of cost for students.

Why is it important? For an ideal studying environment, the educational institutions need to be strong and free from socio-political influences. Fortunately universities in Germany enjoys a full autonomy from the state mechanism. This provides an ideal ground for disturbance free education, research and student life.

Its Fun! 

German universities and colleges are not only about studying, they are pretty much fun as well! Here a university is not complete without a dozen of cafe/restaurants and bars! Each offering a different selection of snacks and cuisines, all of course discounted for students. In addition, there are numerous parties, cultural shows, road shows and night life all arranged by different student offices of the universities. In addition each student hostel has its own party place and bar.

Accomodation.

Every student finds an accommodation usually with one of the university subsidiary run hostels. The living conditions are nice. The locations are near to the university, public transport systems and shopping malls. (Detailed info soon to be uploaded).

Transport. 

In most of the states/cities the student identity card doubles as the public transport card valid for travel in trains, trams, subways, water taxi and overhead cars. The cost is included in the social fees for the semester which is about two hundred euro. 

Extracurricular activities.

Should you decide not to be a couch potato, the universities' sport faculties offer a extensive range of sports to choose for in the semester. Activities range from windsurfing, scuba diving, football to karate, techno dance, yoga etc. Again most of them are free for students!

Lifestyle.

Europeans prefer a non extravagant lifestyle. In cities the buildings, malls and the like blend in smoothly to the surrounding nature. However, it has all the modern social attractions but muted under a layer of simplicity so that it doesn't interfere with people who want quite and peace. Germany is strongly racism free and the laws are very strong against it. It is also very friendly to people with special needs. All the government, semi-government and private establishments have special provisions for disabled persons. The public transport systems and buildings are equipped to cater to people with special needs. 

Why are all these important? Because student life is not only about studies. Life, like everything else must be well balanced. And in Germany it is pretty much balanced. In Germany students literally enjoy a VIP status, a far cry even for many developed nations.

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MS or MBA IN GERMANY WITH LOW TUITION FEES

The Important feature of most German Universities is that they don’t charge Tuition fees/Less Tuition Fees for the International Students.The German university system is one of the oldest in the world and has set the standard for higher education in many countries.

The degrees awarded by German universities are highly regarded and recognized throughout the world by employers and academic institutions.

Note : Most of the German Universities offering English taught programs for Masters for all kind of specializations. So learning German language is not mandatory for the International students to pursue higher education in Germany.

Attendance at lectures and tutorials is for the most part not compulsory. But your course projects will be regularly assessed. These assessments, together with examinations, ensure that you meet the high standards required by the course. Germany is the third largest Host country for the International Students through out the world.

Achievements

Germany is a country, which highly values education and vocational training, research and the sciences. The country has produced Nobel Prize winners, high-level scientific work is undertaken here, international projects are promoted, and students from all over the world study here.

Germany always stands first for its research and development activities through out the World. Germans have produced bicycle, MP3, MP4 etc. till date and many novel prizes have gone to Germany with this regards.

Their latest achievement is the world's fastest civilian supercomputer JUGENE; hosted by Germany's national laboratory Forschungszentrum Jülich was officially inaugurated.

MBA FROM GERMANY

The Important features of most German Universities are that they charge less Tuition Fees for the International Students even for the MBA Program. Germany is continually recognized in international surveys as one of the best places to be in the world whether for quality of life, education, health care or safety and security.

Germany is a country, which celebrates ethnic, linguistic, cultural diversity and possesses an uncompromising respect for fundamental rights and human dignity. Germany offers a tremendous range of choices of business schools - large and small; English or German; in cosmopolitan centers or smaller cities; Germany is a country of choices.

Germany is a country where thousands of international students come to each year to benefit from the high quality of our education programs. Explore the choices and weigh the advantages. In Germany, As far as earnings is concerned, most full-time MBAs who pay their own way and attend a good school can reasonably expect to recover their fees, subsistence in under two years on a one-year full-time MBA Program and an average of three or four years on a two-year program.

Preparatory Studies for Foreign Students

Applicants whose certificates aren't recognized still have a chance to study in Germany. They can enroll at a College of Preparatory Studies for Foreign Students (Studienkolleg). Enrollment for the preparatory courses is handled by the university. As with every other authority in Germany, one needs to apply in writing. The Foreign Students' Office (Akademisches Auslandsamt) at the various universities will provide you with more details.

The preparatory program lasts for one year at the end of which foreign students have to take a final examination. If they pass the exam they are considered to be up to the academic level they need to study at a German university and can apply for admission.

The preparatory courses are conducted in German, so language proficiency is a must. The German language diploma of the Culture Ministers, Level 1 ("Deutsches Sprachdiplom") as well as the GoetheInstitute's "Zentrale Mittelstufenprüfung" are considered proof of your language fluency.

Student Visa Information for Germany

If you wish to take up studies in Germany, you will need a visa for entry (residence permit in the form of a visa). A visa is absolutely necessary under the immigration laws there; the only exceptions are for applicants from European Union countries and from states with which special agreements have been made: Honduras, Iceland, Monaco, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and the USA.

It is not permissible to enter the country on a tourist visa for the purpose of studying here. Those wishing to enter the country to study may apply for a visa for purposes of study, or for a study applicant visa. The visa must be issued before you can enter the country; you should therefore apply for it in good time. The responsible body is the German embassy or consulate general in , which can also provide you with further information.

The visa for purposes of study will be issued if you have already been accepted to study in Germany. The study applicant visa permits you to enter the country before the admission decision by the university or college, in order to obtain information on the spot. The university applicant visa is particularly important for applicants to the Hochschule für Musik and Theater (College of Music and Drama), so that you can enter the country for the entrance examination. And this type of visa may also be useful to applicants who wish to improve their language skills in Germany before starting their studies. The study applicant visa is limited to three months, but it can be converted to a visa for study purposes if you receive your admission from the university or college during this period.

For both types of visas it is necessary to hold a valid passport, to provide proof of financial means for your period of study in Germany, and to have either university admission (visa for purposes of study) or at least a confirmation of your status as an applicant (study applicant visa).

Those who intend to study and enter the country on a study applicant visa should also note that they must provide evidence of a university or college place in Germany within the prescribed period of three months, in order to obtain a residence permit for study purposes.

Applying for Visas for Academic Studies or Language Courses in Germany. In order to receive your visa in good time, please note the following three points:

1. Submit your application with all accompanying documents at least eight weeks before your planned trip to Germany;

2. Fill in the application form and bring it with the complete set of documents to the Embassy;

3. If you have any queries, please contact the Cultural Section at the Embassy in New Delhi, which is responsible for your area or contact AECS WORLD to get more information about Student VISA for Germany.

You may be issued with one of three types of visa:

1) student applicant visa (if you do not yet have a certificate of admission to higher education or of confirmation of application);

2) student visa (if you have a certificate of admission to higher education or of confirmation of application);

3) visa for participation in a language course (if you only wish to attend a language course in Germany).

Note: If you intend to begin studies in Germany immediately after your language course ends, you must apply for either a student visa or a student applicant visa before arrival in Germany, otherwise you will have to leave Germany at the end of the course and reapply from Singapore. The visa for a language course cannot be converted into a student visa or a student applicant visa in Germany.

1) For the student applicant visa you will need the following basic documents:

• a valid passport and 2 passport photographs;

• proof of possession of a school leaving certificate, i.e. A-level certificate, entitling you to study in both Singapore and Germany (or to visit a preparatory course in Germany)

as well as, where necessary

• proof of previous studies;

• proof that you already possess German-language skills or that you plan to attend an intensive language course (at least 20 hours per week) in Germany;

• proof of sufficient funds to finance your period of study.

You may either

a) finance yourself or

b) nominate one or more persons who will assume the full costs.

(a) If you are financed by a sponsor in your home country, that person must declare his/her willingness to cover all your costs during the standard period of study (proof of a minimum monthly income of 4,000 S$ (by means of local documents such as tax receipts, bank statements, certificates of employment, pay slips, Commercial Register excerpts).

(b) If you are financed by a sponsor in Germany, that person must submit a binding declaration that he/she is willing to cover all your costs during the standard period of study.

(c) If you receive a scholarship you must produce a letter of confirmation to this effect.In all cases it must be certain that you will have a monthly sum available to you directly in Germany.

2) For the student visa you will in principle need all documents listed under 1) above, except that

- instead of the school leaving certificate, i.e. A-level certificate, you must enclose the certificate of admission to higher education or of confirmation of application.

Note : You may normally only send for your family later to live with you in Germany in exceptional cases, e.g. if you are scholarship holder or on a postgraduate course. In these cases you must be able at least to support yourself and your family, have sufficient accommodation for your family, and already be registered at a German higher education institution.

Please take your time and do not hesitate to contact AECS WORLD for further detailed advice on any questions you may have regarding your planned studies in Germany.

3) For the visa for participation in a language course you will basically need the following documents:

• a valid passport and 2 passport photographs

• proof that you have registered for a language course (e.g. certificate of registration, receipt of course fees)

• proof that you will be covered by health insurance for the duration of your stay in Germany

• proof that you are able to finance your stay and the course (using your own funds or via third parties).

Note :

1. During the language course you are normally not allowed to take up employment.

2. If you intend to study in Germany after your course ends, please state this fact in your application, so that you can be issued with a student applicant visa or student visa, provided you fulfill the conditions for issue. These visas entitle the holder to attend language courses and to study in Germany . If you only apply for the language course visa, you will have to leave Germany at the end of the course. It is not possible to exchange this visa for another form of residence permit in Germany.

3. Examination of your application will normally require approximately 6 - 8 weeks. If the language course is longer than three months, processing of your application will require about 8 - 10 weeks. Therefore please send your application to the Consular Section in good time, i.e. at least eight weeks before you plan to travel.

There is no legal right to a visa, even if all documents are submitted. The ultimate decision rests with the Legal and Consular Sections of the Embassy. You may be asked to supply further documentation.

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