• Helsinki is the capital and largest city of Finland, located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea with a metropolitan area population of around 1,200,000.
• Helsinki is a major European city and a center for politics, education, finance, culture and research.
• In 2011, Monocle Magazine's Liveable Cities Index ranked Helsinki the most liveable city in the world, and its beauty has earned it the name "Pearl of the Baltic."
• Helsinki is located on the southern coast and is spread across a number of bays and peninsulas and over a number of islands.
• Helsinki was founded in 1550, but remained small until after 1810, when it became the capitol.
• Since then, the city has enjoyed steady growth, especially in recent decades.
• Its museums, theaters, concerts, and festivals establish Helsinki as one of the great cultural centers of Europe.
• Its strategic location as a port city has attracted major corporations (Intel, Apple, Proctor & Gamble) and a number of international corporations have been founded in Helsinki.

The Haaga-Helia University offers a number of degree programs taught in English:

• Multilingual Management Assistants
• International Business
• International Sales and Marketing
• Business Information Technology
• Hospitality, Tourism and Experience Management
• Tourism
• Sports and Leisure Management

• Study in Helsinki costs just about the same as studying in Bloomsburg. See the budget sheets posted above.
• Students pay tuition and fees at Bloomsburg University, the same as if they were taking classes in Bloomsburg.
• Financial aid and grants apply to study in Helsinki as they would at Bloomsburg.
• SCHOLARSHIPS are available for students who study abroad on exchange programs from a variety of sources.
• Students pay minor fees to cover health insurance, incidental program costs, and the student identification.
• Student IDs not only allow access to university facilities, such as the library, but are also good for student discounts.
• Exchange students live in the HOAS apartments (single room in a shared apartment) and rent ranges from $530 to $730 per month.
• Although there is no meal plan as we know it, the student restaurants offer a wide variety of meals at very low prices, from about $1.35 to $4.00. Otherwise, students generally prepare their own meals at home or eat out.

• Students are responsible for their own travel. Travel costs can vary.
• A round-trip ticket to Helsinki from Newark International Airport is currently around $900-$1100.
• Students can often find student discounts for airfare. See the General Information and Handy Links page.
• Volunteer HAAGA-HELIA student tutors pick-up incoming exchange students from the Helsinki-Vantaa airport or the central railway station in Helsinki, and take them to their apartment by using public transportation.

• Students must be full-time students and take the equivalent of 12 to 18 BU credits.
• Credits transfer as per advisement with the program director.

• BU students study for one or two semesters in Helsinki.
• Students can take classes offered in the major programs listed above.
• We strongly encourage students to study abroad for two semesters, especially if international activity will be part of future career plans or if a student is planning to apply to graduate school.
• Autumn term begins mid-August and ends mid-December. Spring term begins around the second week of January and and ends mid-June.

To be eligible for the program, students must be enrolled full time at Bloomsburg University or at a University in the PA State System of Higher Education and be in good academic standing.