New selection criteria for Exchange Applications
The university's goal is to enable student exchange for as many students as possible. To facilitate the application process, we have updated the eligibility and selection criteria to make applying smoother and more inclusive.
All students at the University of Helsinki can apply for exchange to a maximum of four destinations during each application round. All eligible students will be placed in their desired destination if there are enough places available. Starting from the October 2025 application round, spots will be drawn if there are more applicants than available places.
If you are not selected for any of your preferred destinations, you may be offered another suitable destination. This way, every applicant should get a placement.
To make finding a suitable destination easier, we have also renewed our destination information pages. In the first phase, the pages for destinations outside Europe have been updated.
What’s New?
- New, clearer destination pages
- The eligibility criterion is 25 ECTS credits (no longer 30 ECTS) on the University of Helsinki transcript (for bachelor level applicants)
- The GPA threshold is only applicable for destinations that have set such a requirement themselves
- Applicants are not compared to each other based on GPA
- A motivation letter is no longer required
- If there are more applicants for a destination than available spots, the spots will be decided by drawing lots
More on the process of selection by drawing lots
If there are more applicants than spots for a destination, the spots will be drawn among those eligible applicants whose planned exchange studies fit within the maximum scope of their degree and who do not need additional time for their studies due to the exchange.
If you apply for an exchange outside Europe and have previously been on exchange outside Europe from the University of Helsinki, you can only be selected if your chosen destinations have enough places for all eligible applicants.
Applicants for competitive destinations will be placed according to a randomly assigned order number. We will do our best to match placements with applicants’ priority choises.
Q&A
Q: Does GPA still matter?
A: Many of our partner universities have their own GPA requirements. For such destinations we can only select students who meet the minimum requirement set by the partner (both at the application and nomination stages). Requirements typically range from 3.0 to 3.8. We also have many destinations that do not have a GPA requirement, so it is possible to go on exchange even with a GPA below 3.0.
Q: I have been on exchange outside Europe during my bachelor’s studies. Can I apply for a destination outside Europe during my master’s studies?
A: You can apply, but you can only be selected if your chosen destinations have more places than applications. We do not know in advance which destinations will be competitive, and we have noticed that publishing statistics often directs applicants in such a way that competition arises for destinations that previously had no competition. If there are remaining spots for destinations outside Europe, we will offer surplus spots to applicants who have indicated interest in alternative destinations on their application form.
Q: Can I go on exchange if the maximum scope of my degree is exceeded or if I need additional time to complete my degree for the exchange?
A: You can be selected to destinations with more spots than applicants. If you are not selected for any of your preferred destinations, you may be offered another suitable destination.
Q: Is studying easier at a destination without a GPA threshold?
A: The GPA threshold does not have a direct connection to the difficulty of the studies, and in some destinations the different study style may feel challenging, even if the courses themselves are not more demanding than those at the University of Helsinki.
More information
For more information, see the Q&A in the announcement "Exchange Application Made Easier", which explains why the selection process and application criteria have been updated.
Welcome to the "Should I Go on Exchange?" online information session on October 1st from 4:15 PM to 6:00 PM!