How to apply to change your study right to a programme at the Sibelius Academy

Criteria for decisions on changing the right to study

Eligibility

Persons who have a valid study right at the University of the Arts (Uniarts) Helsinki may apply for a change of study right.

The academies have defined the requirements for who is eligible to apply in the admission criteria for their bachelor’s and master’s programmes. The same eligibility criteria apply to those seeking to change their right to study. At the Sibelius Academy, decisions on applications for a change of study right are based on the application and the results of entrance examinations organized in accordance with the Dean’s decision on admission requirements. In principle, students who apply for a change of study right participate in the entrance examinations in the same manner as external applicants.

It is generally recommended to apply for a change of study right during the first academic year of your current degree, when there is still sufficient time left to finish the new degree. If your bachelor’s degree is due to be completed in the application spring or summer, you must graduate no later than 31 July and apply for a change of study right directly to the master’s level instead of the bachelor’s level.

If you’re already completing master’s-level studies in the degree programme, it is no longer possible for you to apply for a change of degree programme for bachelor’s level studies. In other words, change of degree programme must occur before you graduate as a bachelor, or as a master’s student if you change to a different master’s degree programme. An exception to this is Sibelius Academy’s Music Education programme, in which the applicants to master’s level studies are required to have completed appropriate qualifying studies for a music teacher’s position at the bachelor level. If a student, in exceptional cases, changes from the master’s level to the bachelor’s level (in Music Education), they can be granted additional time for the completion of the degree.

Prerequisites for changing one’s study right

The following criteria may influence your selection for a change of study right at the Sibelius Academy: 

• Fulfillment of the programme’s admission criteria: The Entrance Examination Board must approve your entrance exam performance(s). 
• Remaining study time: You should, in principle, be able to complete the new degree within the remaining study time allowed under the Universities Act.
• Recognition of prior studies: You must have accumulated a sufficient amount of studies relative to the time already used, and these studies should be transferable to the new degree as fully as possible. 
• Motivation for changing the study right: Your reasons for requesting the change of study right may also influence the admission. 

An application for a change of study right may be rejected on the following grounds: 

• You have not submitted all the requested attachments by the given deadline 
• Your entrance examination performance or sub-test performance does not meet the requirements for admission 
• You have not progressed sufficiently in your studies and/or it is not possible for you to complete the new degree within the remaining study time 
• There are no available study places in the requested programme. 

Changing your right to study

The application process for changing your study right is scheduled in tandem with applications and decisions for undergraduate student selection. The application period starts 7 January 2026. Complete and submit the Change of study right application form (click the SUBMIT button) no later than 21 January 2026 at 15:00 EET (Finnish time). The application form link will be updated to this website before the application period starts.

Change of degree programme

If the student’s target degree stays the same, the term used is change of degree programme (or main subject/instrument).

If you’re applying for a change of right to study, you must discuss the change in your current department before applying.

In addition to submitting the application form, possible advance assignments and other required supporting documents must be submitted in the required format to the Sibelius Academy Admissions Office no later than 28 January 2026 at 15:00 EET (Finnish time).

The advance assignments and any other video and/or audio material must be delivered to the Sibelius Academy Admissions Office using Funet FileSender (https://filesender.funet.fi/):

• Log in with your Uniarts username and password (Haka-login, select ”University of the Arts Helsinki”)
• Select the files you want to send (Note! Max. file size is 1 GB)
• Enter as recipient: siba.admissions@uniarts.fi
• Write your name and what materials you are sending in the message field
• Put a tick on ‘Include me as a recipient’
• Accept the terms and conditions of the service and send
• Confirm by email with the Sibelius Academy Admissions Office that the materials you have sent have been received. 

Sibelius Academy recommends that if you are close to graduation, you should complete your first degree and only then apply for a master’s degree programme at Uniarts Helsinki.

Internal transfer

If the student applies to pursue a different target degree at a different academy or within a different field of study at the same academy, the term used is internal transfer.

If you’re applying for a change of right to study, you must discuss the change in your current department and, together with your application form, submit a free-form letter of recommendation for the change of right to study signed by the department head.

In addition to submitting the application form and the letter of recommendation, possible advance assignments and other required supporting documents must be submitted in the required format to the Sibelius Academy Admissions Office no later than 28 January 2026 at 15:00 EET (Finnish time).

The advance assignments and any other video and/or audio material must be delivered to the Sibelius Academy Admissions Office using Funet FileSender (https://filesender.funet.fi/):

• Log in with your Uniarts username and password (Haka-login, select ”University of the Arts Helsinki”)
• Select the files you want to send (Note! Max. file size is 1 GB)
• Enter as recipient: siba.admissions@uniarts.fi
• Write your name and what materials you are sending in the message field
• Put a tick on ‘Include me as a recipient’
• Accept the terms and conditions of the service and send
• Confirm by email with the Sibelius Academy Admissions Office that the materials you have sent have been received. 

The Dean of the Sibelius Academy makes the decision on the change of study right after consulting the subject group responsible for the requested degree programme. 

Sibelius Academy recommends that if you are close to graduation, you should complete your first degree and only then apply for a master’s degree programme at Uniarts Helsinki.

Change of study right within the same main subject or instrument (from bachelor’s level to master’s level)

A student may apply to change of study right within their degree programme in the same main subject or instrument based on a higher education degree completed elsewhere (5.5-year programme from bachelor’s to master’s level studies) in a rolling application procedure.

Students apply for a change of study right by submitting a short, freely formulated application stating the grounds for the change via the Webropol form at: https://link.webropol.com/s/vaihto-kandi-maisteri. The application must be accompanied by a certificate of the degree that serves as the basis for changing the study right and a transcript of records, along with any translations. A completed degree must be such that it gives eligibility for the corresponding master’s degree studies.

The Dean of the Sibelius Academy will make decisions on applications to change the right to study within the same degree programme on the basis of the student’s application and the statement provided by the head of the department. The head of the department may require the student to perform a demonstration of their skill in the main subject or instrument. The demonstration will be evaluated by a committee appointed by the head of the department.

The new study right will take effect in accordance with the decision on the day of the decision.

Entrance examinations and assessment

The entrance examinations are the same for students applying for a change of degree programme, main subject, or main instrument and for those applying for an internal transfer. As an exception, students who apply for a change of degree programme, main subject, or main instrument do not take part in general music skills test nor do they need to prove their language skills when applying for a change of study right. The head of admissions can decide whether students seeking to change their study right need to attend all parts of the entrance examination. Students seeking to change their study right will be treated equally when deciding about the matter.

The Entrance Examination Board assesses your skills, knowledge, and suitability for a musical education based on the entrance examination performances. The assessment is based on the programme-specific admission criteria. The applications and performance in entrance examinations of those applying to change study right will be reviewed as a separate group in each programme.

Admissions results and acceptance of the study place

Admission results will be published on the Uniarts Helsinki website and will include the names of the applicants who have given the permission in their application to have their names published online. Admitted applicants and those placed on the waiting list are informed of the results by e-mail. Other applicants will not be notified of the results by e-mail.

You must accept your study place no later than on 9 July 2026 at 15:00 EEST (Finnish time). If the confirmation arrives late, it will not be considered. Instructions for accepting the study place will be sent together with the letter of acceptance.

A degree student may hold only one study right leading to a degree at Uniarts Helsinki at a time. A student who changes their study right will lose their previous study right at Uniarts Helsinki when accepting the new one.

During the first academic year after the change of study right, it is possible to enroll as an absent student only with permission granted by the academy. The right to absence must be applied for in writing no later than at 9 July 2026 at 15:00 EEST (Finnish time). The applications need to be submitted by e-mail to the Sibelius Academy Admissions Office (address: siba.admissions@uniarts.fi).

For students who change their study rights, the amount of individual instruction may be restricted at the beginning of the new study rights. If your amount of individual instruction is limited in the new study right, this will be communicated in connection with the admission decision.