Apply to Media Management

Here you will find important information on how to apply to the Media Management programme.



The main application to Arcada's master's degree programmes in English for studies beginning in August 2025 will open 8 January 2025 at 08:00 am EET and close on 22 January 2025 at 03:00 pm EET. There are a total of 15 study places on offer in the Media Management programme. 
 

Please use the quick links to navigate smoothly between the different sections.

More information regarding the study programme can be found here.

Eligibility

Before starting your master's application process to Arcada, please make sure that you are an eligible applicant, i.e. that you have a suitable bachelor's degree and two years of work experience. An English language proficiency certificate is not required for applying to this programe.

Educational background

To be eligible to apply to Media Management, you must have a suitable bachelor's degree, e.g. within the field of Media and Communications, Arts and Culture Management, Business Management, Media and Information Technology, Art&Design, Advertising, Literature, Culture Studies or Entertainment Law.

Two years of work experience

All applicants must, in addition to the requirements listed above, have a minimum of two years (24 months) of relevant work experience gained after the completion of the bachelor's degree in order to meet the eligibility criteria.

Work experience is only counted after the bachelor's degree has been awarded, and needs to be proven by a work certificate. Work experience gained before or during your bachelor studies cannot be counted towards the work experience minimum requirement. An exception is only made for applicants who have completed a Finnish vocational college diploma or higher vocational diploma (opisto- tai ammatillisen korkea-asteen tutkinto) before the completion of their higher education degree, as they may also take into account work experience gained before the higher education degree. Work experience can be counted up to 31st July 2025.

Part-time work is converted to full-time work so that 150 hours or 20 full-time working days (a minimum of seven hours per day) are equal to a month. The work experience does not have to be continuous or from the same employer. Practical training or on-the-job learning is not counted as work experience if it forms a part of the degree used for applying.

Application method

Step 1: You should submit two separate documents in addition to the other application attachments: 1) a written document in the form of a preliminary MA research proposal and 2) a personal video. 

Step 2: Applicants with the highest scores for the research proposal and video will move on to a group interview. We will invite a maximum of 4 times the number of available study places to the interview.

MA Thesis Proposal

Write an essay of no more than 1000 words. Outline your interests in the form of a proposal for your potential master thesis.

  • Which problems would you like to research and help to solve as part of your studies in media management? How?
  • In what ways are the issues you identified socially and culturally relevant, and to whom?

The essay should clearly communicate your preferences and goals regarding your studies in Media Management. Please use 3–5 academic sources as references. Essays that demonstrate a knowledge of the structure and logic of research proposals will be appreciated. 

Format: Times New Roman 12pt; 1.5 spacing; Harvard referencing style

Motivational video (to be submitted as a file or a URL in a document)

Produce a motivational video that highlights your professional and educational background in the fields of media and management.

Speak to your individual merits and communicate your personal and professional motivation for pursuing a master's degree. Also reflect on personal goals, and the potential challenges you may face in future studies. The particular form, style and structure of the video is up to you. Please make sure that the audio and the visuals are intelligible.

Assessment criteria
Points for the video will be awarded based on the following:

  • professional history
  • educational background
  • motivation;
  • performance;
  • verbal English skills.

Maximum length: 5 minutes

How to submit the motivational letter and video

Attach both the motivational letter and the video to your application on studyinfo.fi by 29th January 2025 at 3 pm Finnish time.

Name the attachment file(s) in the following way: Lastname_First name_description/name of document. For example, Smith_Mary_motivational letter.

Make sure that the attachments are legible. Combine the pages of the same document into one file. Check that the documents are all positioned in the same way upright. Recommended file formats are: PDF, JPG, PNG and DOCX

You can upload the video directly or use video-sharing services. If the video is uploaded to a sharing platform (e.g. YouTube), make sure that the video is set to private, not public, and that it can be visible only with the link you share with the admissions office. If you wish to upload the URL of the video instead of the actual video, you need to write the URL in a document and upload that. Please name the document with an appropriate title. The video should be available for viewing throughout the complete application process

About the admissions process
The thesis proposal and the video will be graded. A maximum of 60 applicants with the highest score for the thesis proposal and personal video will move on to the second step of the admissions process, which is the group interview. 

The group interview, held at end of March does not require any preparation and will be held online through Zoom. A separate invitation will be sent to the applicant, and it will include all necessary information on how the group interview is to be conducted. 

The group interview is graded as pass or fail, and a pass is required for being considered for admission. 

Applicants will ranked and admitted based on the total score for the thesis proposal and personal video and a pass in group interview.

How to apply - Master's level

Here you will find a checklist to guide you through the application process.

The application is to be submitted through the national application portal Studyinfo.

Checklist for applying:

Make sure you meet all eligibility criteria for the programme that you are interested in. Please note that you need to apply with a bachelor's degree and mark this on your application form as your educational background.

Decide if you want to apply to the part-time or full-time study option if you are applying to a degree programme where this choice is offered.

The application form is found on the application portal Studyinfo during the application period. Fill in the form yourself, using your own contact information.

You can also use the direct links below (only active during application time):

Business Management and Transformation, full-time studies (application closed)
Business Management and Transformation, part-time studies (application closed)
Emergency Care Systems Development and Leadership, online (application closed)
Healthcare Leadership, online, full-time studies (application closed)
Healthcare Leadership, online, part-time studies (application closed)
Machine Intelligence and Data Science, full-time studies (application closed)
Media Management, full-time studies (application closed)
 

Please read through the instructions carefully and make sure you answer all questions on the form.

Do not forget to click 'submit' to save your application form. You will receive a confirmation e-mail in your inbox. If you do not receive a confirmation e-mail, please check your spam folder and make sure that your inbox is not full. If you still have not received a confirmation, contact the admissions services of the university or university of applied sciences that you applied to.

Applicants should in general submit the following supporting documents:

1. Copy of original final bachelor's degree certificate/diploma in the original language
2. Copy of the transcript of academic records in the original language
3. Official translations of the bachelor's degree diploma/certificate and transcript of academic records if it was not issued in English, Finnish or Swedish
4. Copies of relevant work certificates
5. Copy of residence permit or passport that exempt from tuition fee

These are, depending on the programme, English language proficiency certificate, a GRE test, a pre-assignment, a motivational letter and/or video. Please note the deadline for submitting all documents on the application form.

Arcada Admissions Services will contact you in case there are questions about your application or documents, so please make sure that you check your inbox and spam folder regularly.

The result of your application will also be sent to you be e-mail.

Supporting documents - Master's level

Below you will find detailed information on which supporting documents to submit when you apply to Arcada.

The application form will generally alert you to all the documents you should submit, and their specific deadline. Most attachments can be uploaded directly to the application form, others may need to be ordered from an external service provider. No documents, however, need to be sent by post.

Select the category below for further information on documents and deadlines.

Authorised translations in English, Swedish or Finnish of the Bachelor's degree certificate/diploma should also be submitted, if the original degree certificate is not issued in one of the previously mentioned languages. The translation should bear the stamp and signature of the translator.

Authorised translations in English, Swedish or Finnish of the study transcript or academic records should also be submitted, if the original degree certificate is not issued in one of the previously mentioned languages. The translation should bear the stamp and signature of the translator.

Copies of work certificates should be submitted in English, Swedish or Finnish indicating a minimum of two years (24 months) of relevant work experience. A CV can be attached, but it is not accepted on its own. 
Self-employed candidates (independent entrepreneurs) are allowed to prove their work history by sending CVs well as a YEL or MYEL-certificate, where possible. Please send only work certificates that are relevant. The work certificates must show start and end dates as well as title and description of work tasks. If you have worked part-time, the work certificates should indicate the number of work hours per month. 150 work hours or 20 working days (the minimum length of one full working day is 7 hours) is equivalent to one month of work experience.

In order to prove exemption from tuition fees, a non-EU/EEA applicant should submit a copy of a valid residence permit (both sides) issued by the Finnish Immigration Service.

All applicants must submit a copy of valid proof of Identity. 
Accepted documents are:

  • Passport
  • Finnish Identity card
  • Identity card with photo issued in EU-country

These include English language proficiency certificates, pre-assignments, GRE tests, motivational letters and/or videos. See specific details on required documents for each master's programme.