A university of applied sciences (UAS), formerly translated into English as a polytechnic, is a Finnish higher education institution with a professional and practical orientation. There are 24 different universities of applied sciences across the country. All universities of applied sciences operate under the jurisdiction of the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture except for the Högskolan pÃÂ¥ àland and the Police University College, which are administered by the Government of àland and Ministry of Interior respectively.