UNIVERSITY OF LAPLAND

ROVANIEMI
Rovaniemi, the centre of administration and commerce in Lapland, lies close to the Arctic Circle. Rovaniemi is the biggest town in Lapland with population of 35.000 inhabitants, 10.000 of whom are students. There is unspoilt nature and numerous recreational opportunities, and the most common way of getting around in Rovaniemi is bicycle – you can bike even in winter because the snow is removed from the paths. There are several daily connections by trains from Rovaniemi to Oulu, Tampere and Helsinki and a student card entitles undergraduate students to a  50% discount.

UNIVERSITY OF LAPLAND
The University of Lapland (UL) was founded in 1979 and has 5 faculties of Art and Design, Business and Tourism, Education, Law, and Social Sciences as well as 6 other units including an Arctic Centre, a Department of Research Methodology, and a Language Centre. 4600 people study there full-time, 220 of whom are foreign exchange students. Located on the Arctic Circle, the UL is also the northernmost university in Finland and the European Union. The research strength of the UL lies in Northern Issues, in particular research into welfare, minorities, international relations, international jurisprudence and applied environmental research. Many programmes are taught in English.

ASSORTED FACTS

TUITION
University education in Finland is funded by the state, so students enrolled in regular degree programmes pay no tuition fee.  The annual membership fee (about 80 €) of the Student Union of the University of Lapland is, however, compulsory. In addition to the compulsory fees and study materials, students must pay for food, housing, clothes, social activities etc.  The living expenses of a single student average about 650 €/per month.

ACCOMMODATION
Domus Arctica Foundation (DAS) maintains, rents and builds student housing in Rovaniemi. DAS has approximately 1700 student rooms for rent in four different areas of town. The rent will vary according to size and standard of the apartment. A single tenant  in a shared apartment pays 150 - 450 €/month. A family apartment varies from 270 to 580 €/month. There are both furnished and unfurnished alternatives, and the rent includes water, use of the laundries and the common saunas.

KEY DATES
The first semester runs from primo September till medio December. There is a 3 week Christmas Break and then the second semester starts primo Januar and lasts until medio May with a one week Spring break in March. The orientation program for new international students starts primo September and continues till mid-September. Through this program new students will get useful information on Finland, Lapland, Rovaniemi and the University of Lapland.

VISA
Neither a visa nor a residence permit is needed for Norwegian students.

CURIO
In Finnish Lapland the number of Aurora Borealis or Northern Light displays can be as high as 200 a year whereas in southern Finland the number is usually fewer than 20. Rovaniemi is home to the world's northernmost branch of McDonald's and the residence of Santa Claus, Santa Claus Village and Santapark, are located 8 km north of the centre.

LINKS: THE UNIVERSITY AND ANSA'S COUNTRY PAGES
www.ulapland.fi/
www.ansa.no/land/finland