Forestry

Master's Degree Programme (CBU) in Forestry is organized by The Finnish-Russian Cross-Border University (CBU) Consortium of four highly recognized universities in Finland and in Russia. It is based on bilateral and international collaboration in the fields of forest and environmental sciences with aims to promote the ecologically and socially sustainable use of nature resources. As well as teaching based on high level scientific research the aim of our programme is to develop your cross-cultural understanding and knowledge of different working environments. The working language is English, and the studies are made both in Finland and Russia. The extent of these two-year long studies is 120 ECTS points.

Compulsory courses

Compulsory courses consist of

• CBU FOR compulsory courses, 24 ECTS
• Compulsory courses at home university, 24-31 ECTS

CBU FOR compulsory courses count for 24 ECTS and those are obligatory for all the CBU FOR students. They are organized both in Finland and Russia. Students from all the partner universities participate in these courses.

3513079 CBU FOR: Current issues in forest sciences, 3 ECTS (in Finland, 1st semester)
3513077 CBU FOR: Intensive course, 5 ECTS (in Russia, 2nd  semester)
3513076 CBU FOR: Introductory course, 7 ECTS (in Finland, 1st semester)
3513080 CBU FOR: Joint thesis seminar, 3 ECTS (partly online)
3513082 CBU FOR: Personal study plan, 1 ECTS  (1st semester)
3513078 CBU FOR: Problem oriented course, 5 ECTS (in Russia, 2nd semester)

Compulsory courses at home university vary from 24 to 31 ECTS depending each university's own requirements. Consult the Study Guide and the local CBU FOR Coordinators at your home university for further information on the requirements in your home university.

If your home university is UEF, you will need to complete at least 24 ECTS under one of the following specializations:

• Bioenergy production
• Forest policy and economics
• Forest ecology and silviculture
• Forest information technology and resource management

You can find the descriptions of the courses available at UEF in WebOodi by searching a course by its name or course number and in the course catalogue available in WebOodi (Course catalogues>Faculty of Science and Forestry>School of Forest Sciences>Master's Degree Programme (CBU) in Forestry (Joensuu campus).

Elective courses

Elective courses can be taken both from home university curriculum and from partner university programme being part of student mobility. These courses may also include  language and cultural studies and/or studies provided by the other departments/schools of your home university. The minimum required amount of ECTS varies between universities:

• University of Eastern Finland, 30 ECTS
• Petrozavodsk State University, 24 ECTS
• Moscow State Forest University, 24 ECTS
• Saint Petersburg State Forest Technical University, 24 ECTS

Consult the Study Guide and the local CBU FOR Coordinators for further information on the requirements in different partner universities.

Applied period

Applied period (AP) is a practical training period that is typically accomplished at home university, CBU FOR partner university, private company, non-governmental organization (NGO), research organization, or public sector organization. AP is typically done in Finland or Russia but preferably not in one's home country. The minimum duration practical training period of AP is 8 weeks of full-time work. Successful completion of AP consists of three parts: minimum 8 weeks of practical training, report and presentation of the AP.  AP carries 12 ECTS. The practical training placement is typically found and suggested by the student but in limited amount the CBU FOR partner universities may also have some placements. The practical training placement needs to be agreed beforehand with student's home university.

Consult the Study Guide and the local CBU FOR Coordinators for further information on the requirements in different partner universities.

Basic admission requirements

Basic admission requirements include:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in forest sciences or related sciences
• Good command of English language.

On-line application form must be filled in, and the following enclosures (including the printed application form) need to be sent to the University Admissions Finland. The enclosures need to arrive at the University Admissions Finland by the given deadline.

a. An officially attested copy of B.Sc. certificate or equivalent, and an English translation of it, see admission requirements below

b. An official transcript of academic records, and an English translation of it, see admission requirements below

c. English language certificate, see admission requirements below

d. Two recommendation letters. The referees must be academics (teachers or supervisors) from a university where the applicant has studied. Recommendation letters must arrive in sealed envelopes with contact information of the referee together with the application form and the other enclosures.

Reference form for CBU FOR (doc, pdf)

e. A copy of passport (not required from Finnish applicants)

f. Curriculum vitae

In addition, as a part of the admission requirements, in the application form you will be requested to write a motivation letter.

Admission requirements

1. Degree requirements

All applicants should have a Bachelor's Degree in forest sciences corresponding to at least 3 years' of full-time academic studies (equivalent of 180 ECTS credit units in the Finnish university system) obtained at an internationally recognised and accredited university or higher education institution. Applicants with a degree in the related field or with a BSc Degree issued by the University of Applied Sciences can also be eligible but they may have to take complementary studies in forest sciences of max. 60 ECTS credits if they are admitted. These studies will not be included in the Master's Degree, but are an addition to it.

Temporary (provisional) degree certificate

A temporary (provisional) degree certificate is a document issued by an institution to a student who has successfully completed all studies included in the degree. The student has graduated. The temporary degree certificate is issued as a replacement for the actual degree certificate e.g. in case the actual degree certificate cannot be given to the student immediately after the studies have been completed due to technical or administrative reasons. The temporary degree certificate should include the name of the institution awarding the degree, the date of issue, and the name of the person to whom the degree certificate has been issued and which title/degree the person has been awarded. A temporary (provisional) degree certificate is accepted if it was awarded no more than five years earlier. The five-year validity period begins from the date on which the degree was conferred and must not expire prior to the application deadline. In other words, a temporary degree certificate is not accepted if it was awarded more than five years ago. In such cases, the applicant must present his or her final degree certificate.

Statement issued by the university

In case, the applicant has not yet received a BSc Degree certificate by the admission deadline, a statement issued by the applicant's university is also accepted as a replacement of the actual degree certificate. This statement should include the name of the institution which is going to award the degree, the expected date of issue (graduation), and the name of the person to whom the degree certificate will be awarded. The final deadline to submit the actual degree certificate to the Admission Office of University of Eastern Finland is 31 July 2017

Want to improve your English level for admission?

Prepare for the program requirements with English Online by the British Council.

• ✔️ Flexible study schedule
• ✔️ Experienced teachers
• ✔️ Certificate upon completion

📘 Recommended for students with an IELTS level of 6.0 or below.

Enroll in the course

The University of Eastern Finland will have a substantial number of scholarships available for students who are required to pay tuition fees in Master’s degree programmes offered in English. The scholarships will be available for the most talented fee-paying students. The scholarship can cover the tuition fee either in full (100%) or partially (80%).

Scholarships are awarded for two academic years on the condition of completing 55 ECTS credits per academic year. Students who were not awarded a scholarship when applying for admission to the university may still be eligible for a scholarship in their second year, provided that they have applied for a scholarship and completed the required 55 ECTS credits during the first academic year as detailed in the personal study plan.

In addition to the scholarship for studies, the faculties can grant an annual scholarship to cover the student’s living expenses during the two-year Master’s degree programme. In Finland students must be able to cover all their own living costs. Own finances are also one of the requirements for the Finnish residence permit, and finances need to be available permanently on the student's bank account for the whole period the permit is applied for. Financing one's stay and studies in Finland by working is not possible. For more information about residence permit, please see Migri.fi