Admission

All applications must be submitted through HVL’s official website (click on the "Application form" button). In the event of any discrepancies between information provided here or elsewhere and the information published on HVL’s website, the information on HVL’s website shall prevail and be legally binding. 

The deadline will be published when funded. The application portal will close automatically after this date, so it will no longer be possible to apply. 

Applicants must meet the following admission requirements: 

• A completed bachelor’s degree (minimum three years) or a recognised equivalent qualification.
• Academic background: A bachelor’s degree in social or health sciences is the primary target, while other relevant fields (e.g. pedagogy, leadership, biological sciences, humanities, or law) are also considered. 
• A minimum grade of C is required.
• Work experience: A minimum of two years of documented professional experience prior to enrolment, in accordance with Finnish regulations. 
• English proficiency: Proof of English language proficiency through internationally recognised tests, in compliance with HVL regulations.

You must upload the following documentation when applying:

1. Secondary School certificate or High School diploma
2. University degree certificate or diploma with a grading scale
3. Transcript of records (an official statement listing courses/subjects completed at university)
4. Documentation of English language proficiency
5. Copy of your passport or picture ID, including full name, date of birth and gender
6. CV - Please use this template
7. Signed and dated Acknowledgements

If the original language of your documents is not English or a Scandinavian language, officially certified copies of a translation to one of these languages must accompany certified copies of documents in the original language.

Applications will be evaluated by the Joint Selection Committee (JSC), composed of one member delegated by each partner institution. Candidates are assessed based on the following: 

• Previous education, experiences and competences, 1- 10 points

• Motivation video, 1 – 10 points

Final Selection: 

• Holistic factors, including geographical balance, gender, and diversity, are considered in final admission decisions. (Stipulation by Erasmus+: no more than 10% of the total number of scholarships awarded during the six years of the project can be awarded to candidates from the same nationality.) 
• applicants with specific needs linked to long-term health conditions and/or physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments receive the necessary aid during the application process to take part in the process with equal rights. 
• Top-ranking candidates will be offered admission.  
• Selected candidates will be offered a scholarship (1400 € / month for 24 months). 
• If there are more students with equal scores than available study places, the oldest student will come first, according to Norwegian regulations. 
• The remaining students will be placed on a waiting list.  

By applying, you accept that if selected, you will be required to sign a Student Agreement. This Agreement confirms your acceptance of the study place offered under the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master programme.

Application window opens                            1 October (when funded)

Application deadline                                       1 December (when funded)

Notification of results                                    Late February (when funded)

Deadline for confirming admission &                     one week after

submitting signed agreement                                   notification (when

                                                                                          funded)

How to apply:

• Log in to Søknadsweb using the relevant login method. International applicants should choose "Register new international applicant" under "Login International Applicant" method. (You can also reach Søknadsweb by clicking on the red "Application form" button on the programme's website at HVL.)
• After completing the registration, select the admission called "Erasmus Mundus Joint Master", and select "MAHEQ" from the list.
• Click the "Add" button, and then "Submit application".
• After submitting your application, you can upload your documents by clicking the "My documents" tab.
• Once finished, click on "Done" and complete the submission of the application.

General information for all applicants

• You can enrol only as a full-time student and commit to participating in the MAHEQ Master programme for 24 months. 
• Students from EU/EFTA will have to hold a valid European Health Insurance Card for the duration of the programme. 
• If you are selected for admission, you will be required to sign the Student Agreement upon acceptance of your offer, which is legally binding and confirms the student’s acceptance of the study place offered under the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master programme. 
• Any appeals will be treated following HVL’s general appeal mechanisms and regulations.
• Note that MAHEQs students are exempt from government-regulated tuition fees applicable to other studies in Norway.
• In case a selected and admitted student’s VISA application is rejected by the Norwegian authorities, the student’s admission will be revoked. Unfortunately, it is not possible to attend the study distantly.

Students selected to receive a scholarship will be granted an EMJM scholarship of 1,400 EUR/month for 24 months. 

• Students who have benefited from an EMJM scholarship before cannot apply for a scholarship. Students cannot benefit from any other EU-funded scholarship scheme to follow the MAHEQ Master programme for its entire duration. 
• The EMJM scholarship may not fully cover visa fees, travel expenses, accommodation, and/or living costs. The student accepts responsibility for securing additional personal resources if necessary. 
• Scholarship instalments will be transferred only to an EUR bank account in EUR after the student’s arrival to Norway, once the Coordinating Institution confirms the arrival and receives the student’s account details. The student is responsible for covering or pre-financing all costs incurred prior to their arrival to Norway. Scholarship payments cannot be disbursed before the official start of the programme and cannot be transferred to non-EUR bank accounts. 

Students can also participate in the MAHEQ Master programme as a self-financing student without paying tuition fees. In case a student is willing to join the study as a self-financing student, it will increase their chances of admission, since not all applicants will receive a scholarship. 

• Students who benefited from an EMJM scholarship before can still apply as self-financing students.
• Self-financing students will be fully responsible for covering all costs related to participation in the programme, including but not limited to travel, visa, accommodation, subsistence, insurance, and any living expenses, including travel and accommodation for mandatory field visits organised as part of the programme. The Consortium will not provide any financial support beyond the benefits expressly stated in the Student Agreement. 
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• Participation in the EMJM programme exempts the student from paying tuition fees to the Consortium; however, the partner institutions may still require registration, administrative, or other minor fees according to their general regulations. 
• Only for self-financing students from a country outside EU/EFTA: When applying for a VISA, you will have to document your ability to finance your stay in Norway in order to be granted a residence permit for study purposes. You will have to show financial ability to cover living expenses for one year, which is currently NOK 151,690.  This is the current amount required by the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration in order to get a study permit for 1 year. This is not requested from citizens of EU/EFTA countries. Nor will it be requested from scholarship holders from outside EU/EFTA countries, as proof of receiving the scholarship will be sufficient. More information can be found on the website of the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration.

Cost of living information for self-financing students

Applicants considering participation as self-financing students are strongly encouraged to familiarise themselves with current and comparative data on student living costs in Europe. Independent sources such as the EUROSTUDENT survey provide evidence-based insights into accommodation, subsistence, and study-related expenses across European countries. This information can support applicants in making realistic financial plans prior to application and enrolment.

Relevant resources include:

– https://www.eurostudent.eu/

– EUROSTUDENT VIII (2024), Chapter on housing and living costs