History
The University of applied sciences was founded in 1992 in the coastal town of Kokkola. Being a university of applied sciences, Centria has a striving R&D department and its lecturers have professional experience from their own field.
Thanks to its human size, Centria offers a caring and warm environment to its students and staff, we pride ourselves to be a university with a big heart.Education
Centria offers programmes in 5 fields of study:
- Technology
- Business Management
- Health Care and Social Sciences
- Culture
- Humanities and Education
- Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration (taught in Kokkola)
- Bachelor’s degree in International Business (taught in Pietarsaari)
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Environmental Chemistry & Technology (taught in Kokkola)
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Information Technology (taught in Kokkola)
Research
Centria has extensive experience when it comes to preparing, applying for funding and managing publicly funded R&D projects. We are running around 70-100 projects each year, which represents around 4 million euros. Our experienced project managers have a strong expertise in local, national and international funding sources. They have a high standard of quality and can administrate projects efficiently, following the requirements set by the financing bodies.
Distance Learning Courses
Business & Management (1)
- B.B.A. International Business
Student services
Centria offers continuous guidance to the student all the way from admission through education to graduation and employment.
The main objectives of this guidance are independent study planning on part of the student, smooth progress through studies, degree programme completion within the established time framework and support for the student's professional growth. This guidance intends to underline the importance of student responsibility for and commitment to individual studies and career planning.
Centria International administers mobility programmes, supports internationalisation at home on our three campuses as well as supports the degree programmes in their international projects.
Housing services
Students should book accommodation from themselves from the town they will study at.
The accommodation is not organized by the university but by a local housing agency.
Students can decide to apply for shared accommodation through the local agencies or look for housing from private sources.
Rent usually varies from 200 to 300€ / month in the shared apartments offered by the student housing agencies.Library services
In addition to the traditional book collection, the new library offers much bright and colorful space dedicated to studying, meetings, exhibitions, as well as peaceful pods that are ideal for work requiring focus and concentration.
Library users may use the self-checkout machines when borrowing books, allowing the library staff to be more available to guide their clients.
ICT services
Digitalization is a key feature at Centria; this can be seen in the studies at Centria.
The students and teachers use the university study portal, where teachers upload study material and students upload their homework online. Students may also follow courses taught online.Medical services
On campus, students may visit a nurse and a psychologist, free of charge. If need be, students may also receive the care of a medical doctor, reachable through the nurse.
Campus life
Centria University of Applied Sciences has operations in the three towns of Kokkola, Ylivieska and Pietarsaari. This region is not only characterized by the old towns, the sea with its archipelago, and vivid bilingualism, but also by the long river valleys, traditional country life and bustling local cultures.
Kokkola, a pleasant town of 47,000 inhabitants, has ample opportunities for leisure and outdoor activities all year round
Sports facilities
When it comes to sports and leisure activities in Kokkola, there are many things you can do. Besides music, art and theater, you can do almost any sport from ice hockey to football and from floorball to lacrosse. Swimming Centre VesiVeijari offers spa-standard facilities for swimmers. From Lohtaja in Kokkola you can find the longest sand beach in the Nordic Countries and good winds for kitesurfers. Nature is present offering good opportunities for e.g. fishing and paddling. There are many gyms in town and some of them offer nice student discounts.
Student clubs
The Student Union of Centria University of Applied Sciences (COPSA) exists to promote the interests of students. COPSA also recruits and trains the student tutors, organizes sport turns for students and organizes all kinds of events and sport tournaments. COPSA consists of student actives and two full-time employees.
A student can become a member of the student union by ordering a student card. Exchange students can also order a Finnish student card (without a payment ability) at www.frank.fi. With the student card the student is, among other things, entitled to all the student discounts in Finland. The main office of COPSA is located at the campus at Talonpojankatu campus, Kokkola.
Centria has been audited by the Finnish Education Evaluation Center.