International Business and Entrepreneurship, Master of Science in Economics and Business Administration (2 yrs), autumn 2026

Scope of studies

120 ECTS credits

Career titles

entrepreneur

management consultant

Tuition fee for non-EU/EEA citizens

12 000 €

Scholarship

04000 €

Language of instruction

English

Teaching time

Day time teaching

Planned duration

2 years

Form of teaching

Contact teaching

Education description

A deep understanding of global economy is an essential part of IBE. The forward-looking programme combines the essential contents of international business, entrepreneurship, and strategy. These three elements are at the heart of modern business, where the emphasis is on flexibility, diversity, and innovation.

After completing the JSBE Master’s Degree Programme in International Business and Entrepreneurship, graduates will be ready to work in demanding managerial posts in international companies, as management consultants, or as entrepreneurs in their own businesses. Whichever path is envisaged, the programme will prepare graduates so that they have an entrepreneurial and strategic mindset with solid analytical skills. The programme is a generalist programme with a comprehensive perspective. IBE provides students with competences that are applicable in different sectors of the economy and various types of jobs and environments.

The IBE programme is a two-year full-time programme. For the first three semesters (autumn, spring, autumn), the students focus on the core courses in international business, entrepreneurship and strategy. Moreover, students can choose optional courses from all faculties at JYU. As the second academic year begins, the students will start their Master’s thesis project supervised by a faculty member. It is also possible to include an exchange period or an internship into the degree, preferably during the summer between year 1 and year 2, or during the spring semester of year 2.

The structure of the programme can be found here.

The programme offers a solid foundation for a PhD or a career in research. At the Jyväskylä University School of Business and Economics it is possible to complete a doctoral degree in five major disciplines: accounting, management and leadership, marketing, and strategy and entrepreneurship (business studies), and economics.

A 1,500 € early bird discount from the first year tuition fee is offered to those who accept their study place within 14 days and pay the annual tuition fee by the deadline. You are not required to pay tuition fees if you are a citizen of an EU/EEA country or Switzerland or hold a specific type of residence permit in Finland. For more information, please see: Tuition fees and scholarships (jyu.fi).

Application options

International Business and Entrepreneurship, Master of Science in Economics and Business Administration (2 yrs)

Application starts

7.1.2026 08:00

Application ends

21.1.2026 15:00

Application procedure

Joint application

Places of study

Prior education

University Bachelor's degree

University of applied sciences Bachelor's degree

University of applied sciences Master's degree

Foreign Master's degree

Foreign Bachelor's degree

University Master's degree

Admission criteria

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 International Business and Entrepreneurship master’s programme welcomes students representing various fields of study. Your previous degree can be, for example, in business, economics, social sciences, engineering, statistics, and human sciences, among others.

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.

If you currently hold a study right in this same master’s programme at the University of Jyväskylä, you cannot be admitted.

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 still unfinished, you should calculate the GPA for the courses you have completed as a part of your degree by the time of application.

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 you can only apply in one admission group.

Criteria for evaluating the application and its attachments	Points
Educational background: Previous degrees, study performance	0–36
Total maximum points	36

Admission group 2

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

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.

Category	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.

More information about the application process

Final selection

Applicants will be ranked according to their admission scores, and the highest-scoring applicants, in accordance with the number of available study seats, will be admitted. If two or more applicants are tied for the last study place, all of them will be accepted. The faculty may also, at their discretion, admit more applicants than there are study places to ensure there will be enough students to start their studies in the programme. There are no arrangements for clearing, i.e., unaccepted study seats will not be reallocated.

Study places

Study places are allocated based on how the applicant demonstrates their eligibility.

Admission group 1: 15 study places
Admission group 2: 15 study places

Any leftover study places in Admission Group 1 can be reallocated to applicants in Admission Group 2 and vice versa.

All applicants will be notified of the results via email by the date given on the University’s website. If your application was rejected, you will be informed of the policy and the deadline for requesting rectification of the admission decision.

For more information on the admission round and instructions for applying for JYU master’s programmes and scholarships, please see our websites.

Attachments

The required application attachments are listed below. Some attachments may be optional or apply only to some applicant groups. If a document is not listed below, it will not be considered.

If a mandatory attachment is not submitted following the instructions, your application will be deemed ineligible and not processed further. More detailed instructions will be published on the University’s website before the application period begins. The instructions may change between application rounds, and you must make sure to comply with the requirements for the correct round.

1. Copy of an official transcript of records of a higher education degree

A transcript of records (mark sheet) is a list of courses and study attainments a student has completed at an educational institution.

2. Official translation of the transcript into English, Finnish, or Swedish (if needed)

If the official transcript of records is issued in a language other than English, Finnish, or Swedish, an official translation into one of these languages is required in addition to the original language version.

3. Copy of a degree certificate of a higher education degree

If the degree used for proving your eligibility is unfinished at the time of application, a degree certificate is not required in the application phase.

4. Official translation of the degree certificate into English, Finnish, or Swedish (if needed)

If the degree certificate is issued in a language other than English, Finnish, or Swedish, an official translation into one of these languages is required in addition to the original language version.

5. Proof of English language proficiency

The required document is either a language test certificate or an educational document, depending on how you prove your language skills. See Eligibility for the approved methods.

If an educational document is issued in a language other than English, Finnish, or Swedish, an official translation into one of these languages is required in addition to the original language version.

6. Copy of a valid passport (if needed)

A copy of the identification pages of a valid passport with your (the applicant’s) name, date of birth, and nationality. If you do not hold a valid passport, another official identification document (such as a personal identity card or driving licence) stating the same information is accepted. If you are a Finnish citizen, this document is not required, since your nationality can be verified from a national database.

7. Copy of a residence permit card (if applicable)

A copy of both sides of the residence permit card. The document is required only if you, the applicant, hold one of the following: a valid residence permit in Finland of type A (that is not based on studies), P, P-EU, EU Blue Card, or a certificate of the permanent right of residence of a UK citizen in Finland, or residence card for a family member of an EU or UK citizen residing in Finland.

8. GMAT or GRE test score report (if applicable)

Attachment is uploaded on the application form

Must be submitted by
Jan. 28, 2026 at 03:00 PM UTC+2

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Education description

Structure of studies

Further study opportunities

Career opportunities

Co-operation with other parties

Internationalisation

Qualification

Research focus

Thesis

Scholarship

Tuition fees

Contact persons

Application options

International Business and Entrepreneurship, Master of Science in Economics and Business Administration (2 yrs)

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