Admission to Master’s Degree Programme in Biomedical Imaging
How can I apply?
Eligibility criteria
The programme is open to those who have completed a lower university degree equivalent to a Finnish B.Sc. degree (180 ECTS) in relevant field of studies (see below). Please see https://www.abo.fi/en/study/apply/international-master-programmes/academic-requirements/ for more details on the general eligibility requirements.
Language requirements
Applicants to the Master’s degree programmes taught in English must always prove their knowledge of the English language. Please see https://www.abo.fi/en/study/apply/language-requirements/
Relevant fields of previous studies
In addition to general degree requirements, the Master’s degree programme in Biomedical Imaging has programme-specific degree requirements. The applicant’s previous degree based on which they are seeking admission to the Master’s degree programme in Biomedical Imaging must be in a relevant field of study.
Biomedical Imaging
- biochemistry
- bioinformatics
- biology
- biomedical sciences
- chemistry
- computational biology
- engineering
- medical sciences
- pharmacology
- physics
The applicants should also be familiar with the basics of laboratory practice relevant to the programme.
Note that based on the background of the applicant, the admitted student may need to conduct 0-15 ECTS of supplementary studies in cell biology, biophysics, laboratory skills or programming if needed in the beginning of the studies. This is to bring everyone to the same level for advanced studies in biomedical imaging. The admitted student’s need for supplementary studies is determined by the teaching staff at the beginning of the studies. Supplementary studies can be included in the degree as elective studies.
Application evaluation
All applications are evaluated by the admission committee of the Master’s degree programme in Biomedical Imaging. The admission committee scores the selected applicants by the application components listed below. All applications are individually evaluated and scored by the admission committee of the programme. The admission committee also interviews (using Zoom or other conference call software) the best-scoring applicants (maximum of 50). If the applicant is not invited to the interview, the application is not processed further.
Please note that the motivation letter is required as part of the admission process. The motivation letter is uploaded to the application form as a pdf attachment.
Biomedical Imaging in two universities in Turku
Biomedical Imaging programme is organized collaboratively by the Faculty of Science and Engineering, Biosciences at Åbo Akademi University and the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Turku. Biomedical Imaging students from both universities study as a united group, but each student will graduate only from the university they were admitted to.
To increase the chances of being admitted to the Biomedical Imaging programme, applicants are advised to apply to both Åbo Akademi University and the University of Turku. Note that the applicant must then complete two applications (one for each university) with full sets of enclosures on the joint application form. The applicant can be admitted only to one of the organizing universities. The admission committee reserves the right to decide which university the applicant will be admitted to if the applicant has applied to both universities.
Scoring of applicants
Scoring based on the application
- Compatibility of the background studies 0-4 p. (0 p. = insufficient, 1p = sufficient relevance, 2 p. = good relevance, 3 p. = very good relevance, 4 p. = excellent relevance)
- Previous academic success 0-4 p. (0 p. = insufficient, 1 p. = sufficient, 2 p. = good, 3 p. = very good, 4 p. = excellent. Here it should be noted, that if the applicant has already an MSc degree(s) or higher, or is already studying at the University of Turku, it is not necessarily considered to be beneficial.)
- Relevant laboratory working experience 0-4 p. (0 p. = no experience, 1 p. = little to no experience in working in the laboratory, 2 p. = some experience in working in the laboratory, 3 p. = above average practical knowledge in the laboratory work, 4 p. = extensive experience working in the laboratory coupled with work-life experience)
- Motivation letter 0-4 p. (0 p. = insufficient, 1 p. = somewhat motivated, 2 p. = sufficient and well-justified motivation, 3 p = good motivation, 4 p. = excellent motivation)
Please note that the applicants are required to write the motivation letter in their own words, and it may be checked for plagiarism. The motivation letter is uploaded to the application form as a pdf attachment. The maximum length of the motivation letter is 1 page. Required font style is Calibri or Arial, size 11.
The total maximum score from the application is 16 points. If the applicant scores 0 p. in any of the components, the application will not be processed further. Applicants with the highest scores are invited to the interview (maximum 50 applicants). The interviews will take place during weeks 10-11/2027 (8.-19.3.2027). The interviews will be organized remotely, and all applicants need to use a video connection.
The applicant will be given a pre-assignment for the interview. In the interview, the pre-assignment will be presented orally only; the use of visual aids (PowerPoint, posters, sketch boards, etc.) is not allowed.
Scoring based on the interview
- Interview performance 0-5 p. (0 p. = insufficient, 1 p. = passable, 2 p. = satisfactory, 3 p. = good, 4 p. = very good, 5 p. = excellent)
- Pre-assignment task 0-5 p. (0 p. = insufficient, 1 p. = passable, 2 p. = satisfactory, 3 p. = good, 4 p. = very good, 5 p. = excellent)
- Motivation shown during the interview 0-6 p. (0 p. = insufficient, 1 p. = somewhat motivated, 2 p. = sufficient motivation, 3 p. = sufficient and well-justified motivation, 4 p. = good motivation, 5 p. = very good motivation, 6 p. = excellent motivation)
The total maximum score from the interview is 16 points.
If the applicant scores 0 p. in any of the components, the application will not be processed further. In the case of equal scores, all applicants with the same score will be selected.
Entrance examination
Description of entrance examinations in admissions criteria
The admission committee may interview the best-scoring applicants. The interviews will take place during weeks 10-11/2027 (8.-19.3.2027). The interviews will be organized remotely, and all applicants need to use a video connection.
Detailed instructions for the interview will be sent via e-mail along with the interview invitation.
If the applicant cannot be reached for the possible interview with a video connection (or by phone, only used in case the internet connection is lost during interview), the application will not be processed further.
The applicant will be given a pre-assignment for the interview. In the interview, the pre-assignment will be presented orally only; the use of visual aids (PowerPoint, posters, sketch boards, etc.) is not allowed.