Eligibility criteria
To be eligible, you must have a suitable higher education degree and demonstrate adequate English proficiency, as described below.
1. A higher education degree that fulfils the following requirements:
As a rule, the degree must give eligibility for master’s-level degree studies in the awarding country. If the degree is significantly less extensive than a Finnish bachelor’s degree (comprising a minimum of 180 ECTS credits and three years of full-time study), it may not provide eligibility. If your degree qualifies you for doctoral-level studies, you should seek admission to a doctoral programme instead.
The higher education institution awarding the degree must be officially recognised in the national education system, i.e., listed as a degree-granting higher education institution by the country where it is located or by a relevant international organisation (such as UNESCO).
The Banking and International Finance master’s programme welcomes students representing various fields of study. Your previous degree can be, for example, in economics, finance, accounting, mathematics, statistics, business administration, among others. Generally, a degree that includes studies in finance and economics is suitable.
If the degree is incomplete at the time of application, you may be admitted on a conditional basis. In this case, you must graduate and submit officially certified copies of the final educational documents so that they are received by the University by the specified deadline. The deadline will be posted on the University’s website before the application period begins.
Separate higher education studies not part of a degree may be considered when evaluating the compatibility of your past studies and calculating your admission score if you studied at a recognised higher education institution and submitted and official transcript.
If you already hold a master’s degree in financial economics, you cannot be admitted. Similarly, you cannot be admitted if you currently hold a study right for this master’s programme at the University of Jyväskylä.
2. English proficiency demonstrated as follows:
Each applicant must demonstrate they possess the necessary English language profiency. Please visit the following web page for further information: Master's applicants: How to prove your English skills (jyu.fi).
We do not grant waivers for the language skill requirement. In case you fail to prove your proficiency in one of the pre-given ways, your application will be rejected.
Selection criteria description
These admission criteria are valid for student selections made in 2026. The faculty reserves the right to make changes between application rounds as necessary.
You are required to apply in one of the two admission groups, depending on your degree-awarding country and GPA:
Admission Group 1: You can apply in this group if you have completed (or will complete) a degree that is awarded by a higher education institution in an EU/EEA country or Switzerland and if your GPA is 3.0 or higher on the Finnish 1–5 grading scale.
Admission Group 2: You can apply in this group if you hold a valid GMAT or GRE score that meets the given minimum. If your degree-awarding country is not an EU/EEA country or Switzerland/your GPA does not meet the minimum requirement, you are required to apply in this group.
Please keep reading for more detailed information about the admissions groups.
Admissions procedure
Admission group 1
First, you must submit your application on Studyinfo along with the necessary attachments by the given deadlines. If your application is deemed eligible, it will be evaluated according to the criteria listed below. Ineligible applications will not be processed further after they have been found not to meet the eligibility criteria/documentary requirements.
You should apply in Admission Group 1 if you have completed or will complete a degree awarded by a higher education institution located in an EU/EEA country or Switzerland. The GPA of your degree must B or above on the US grading scale, or 3.0 or above on the Finnish 1–5 grading scale. If you have physically completed your degree in one of the abovementioned countries but the degree-awarding institution is located elsewhere, you cannot be admitted in this group. All applicants who apply in Admission Group 1 are required to calculate their GPA for the studies included in the degree based on which they are applying and state the calculated GPA in the application form. If your degree is unfinished, you should calculate the GPA for the courses you have completed as a part of your degree by the time of application.
Additionally, you must have completed at least 25 ECTS credits in relevant subjects (including economics, finance, accounting, mathematics, or statistics), of which at least 15 ECTS credits must be in economics or finance. In the application form, you must list the courses and their corresponding ECTS credits that you want to be considered for fulfilling this requirement.
If you have not completed and will not complete a degree awarded by a higher education institution located in an EU/EEA country or Switzerland by the given deadline, you must apply in Admission Group 2 instead. If the degree-awarding institution is located in the United Kingdom, you must apply in Admission Group 2 regardless of when you completed your degree.
If your degree-awarding country is an EU/EEA country or Switzerland but you are unsure whether your degree will result in a sufficient admission score or whether you will graduate before the deadline, you may apply with a GMAT/GRE score in Admission Group 2. Please note that your application can be considered in one admission group only.
Criteria for evaluating the application and its attachments
Educational background: Previous degrees, relevance of previous studies, study performance.
Applicants are evaluated based on their Grade Point Average (GPA), which is adjusted using specific multipliers to reflect the level and relevance of their previous studies. The adjusted GPA is then converted into a score, capped at a maximum of 50 points.
1. Level of Studies Multiplier
- University-level studies: × 1.15
- Other types of studies: × 1.00
2. Relevance of Studies Multiplier
- Major in Economics or Finance: × 1.15
- Major in Accounting, Mathematics, or Statistics: × 1.05
- Other majors: × 1.00
Final Points = Original GPA × Level Multiplier × Relevance Multiplier
Admission group 2
First, you must submit your application on Studyinfo along with the necessary attachments by the given deadlines. If your application is deemed eligible, it will be evaluated according to the criteria listed below. Ineligible applications will not be processed further after they have been found not to meet the eligibility criteria/documentary requirements.
You are eligible to apply in Admission Group 2 if you hold either GMAT Exam or GRE General Test score that meets the required minimum:
- GMAT Exam Focus Edition: 515
- GMAT Exam, previous edition: 550
- GRE General test: 150 in the Quantitative Reasoning section
Additionally, you must have completed at least 25 ECTS credits in relevant subjects (including economics, finance, accounting, mathematics, or statistics), of which at least 15 ECTS credits must be in economics or finance. In the application form, you must list the courses and their corresponding ECTS credits that you want to be considered for fulfilling this requirement.
GMAT and GRE tests taken at a test centre or online are accepted. If you have completed multiple tests, the highest score will be considered.
GMAT and GRE results are valid for 5 years following the test date. Your result must be valid until the end of the application period. During the 2026 application round, test results taken on 21 January 2021 at the earliest are accepted. If your test result is released after the application period has ended, the test report form must be released by and be valid on the deadline date for submitting attachments.
The detailed instructions for submitting your score will be published on the University’s website before the application period opens.
| Criteria for evaluating the application and its attachments | Points |
|---|
| GMAT/GRE score | 550-800 (* GMAT™ score, previous edition) |
| Total maximum points | 800 (* GMAT™ score, previous edition) |
*) Your GMAT or GRE score will be converted to GMAT score, previous edition. We use the GMAT Score concordance table available here. GRE General test score comparison tool is available here.
