Helsinki Metropolia Business School
Partner University of HSBA
Key Facts
| Country | Finland |
|---|---|
| City | Helsinki |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Places/Year | 2 |
| Study programmes | BSc LM, BSc BA, BSc BI Students please contact the HSBA International Office to find out if there is a possibility of an exchange. |
| Termtime Autumn Semester | approx. August - December |
| Termtime Summer Semester | approx. January - May |
| Cost of Living | https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/comparison/hamburg/helsinki |
| ERASMUS Code | SF HELSINK41 |
| For more details, see the Fact Sheet in the downloads. |
University
Metropolia Business School belongs to Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, Finland’s largest university which boasts 16,500 students. The share of international students exceeds 5%, and they come from more than 90 countries. Around 400 exchange students attend Metropolia each year. Lectures are interactive and practical in nature, and the programme at Metropolia has an excellent satisfaction rate of 95%. The cafeterias on campus offer a student discount, so prices for students are reasonable. You can buy a sports pass for EUR 69 per semester that includes more than 30 different activities such as yoga, gymnastics, pole dancing, kick-boxing and volleyball. Exchange students have told us of the pleasant atmosphere at the university and the helpfulness of the lecturers and other students. They were also impressed by the excellent language skills and friendliness of the Finns as well as by the good infrastructure. Not only is the student union METKA the interface between the university and the student body, it also organises international projects, sporting events, trips and other activities that Erasmus students are very welcome to attend. Furthermore, Metropolia students are paired with international students to act as their tutors, and are also responsible for collecting them from the airport. An orientation week is also provided. Finnish beginners courses are available free of charge.
City
Not only is Helsinki the capital of Finland, it is also the country’s largest city, with just 621,000 inhabitants. It is located on the south coast of the Gulf of Finland, and half of the city comprises green spaces. Although temperatures can drop to below minus 30 in wintertime, summer temperatures can rise to up to 30 degrees. The vibrant city offers over 3,000 events each year and is very diverse. Modern design meets art nouveau architecture, the sea, parks and woods, saunas, shops and ice-skating. The cultural offering is also good, with lots of museums and theatres, pop-up garden cafés, a big wheel and a sea fortress for example.
Accommodation
The market for accommodation in Helsinki is comparable to Hamburg in terms of costs and availability. As a result, we recommend contacting the external organisation HOAS which works together with Haaga-Helia to find student apartments for Erasmus students. There are furnished individual apartments, but also apartments with double rooms or several single rooms. Depending on the type of apartment, the costs range from EUR 240 to EUR 530 per month, and most apartments are in student halls close to the city centre and the university.
Country
Finland is considered a well-kept secret amongst non-Finnish students. As one of the most sparsely populated countries in Europe, it is especially well known for the northern lights, the midnight sun, its untouched nature and of course the Finnish sauna, an important part of the country’s culture (there is on average one sauna in every household!). 10% of the country’s area is made up of lakes, and surprisingly the west coast of Finland is one of the sunniest parts of northern Europe. Finland’s university system is seen as exemplary (for example there are no course fees for European students) and is also recognised as such by the PISA study. Also, most Finnish people have an excellent command of English.