LAMK Open University of Applied Sciences Path studies

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1 LAMK Open University of Applied Sciences Path studies 1

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3 Table of contents What are path studies? 4 Being a path student at LAMK Open UAS 5 Study skills and other requirements 5 Student fees and invoicing 5 Part-time studying 6 Unemployment and studying 6 Orientation events for path students 6 Study guidance 6 Student information systems and tools at LAMK 7 Open UAS student card 7 Academic Library 7 Insurance 7 LAMK Sports 7 SummerCampus 7 Student records 8 Enrolling for path studies 10 After the enrollment period 10 Terms of cancellation 10 From Open UAS to a Degree Programme 12 Separate application for Bachelor-level Degree Programmes 14 Separate application for Master-level Degree Programmes 15 Contact us 18 Terminology 19 3

4 These guidelines are applicable only to people living in Finland. If you are living abroad and interested in studying at Lahti University of Applied Sciences (LAMK), please contact our Admissions Office What are path studies? The path studies concept is used to refer to a set of open studies completed at a Finnish open UAS in a goal-oriented manner. The path studies usually include first-year studies of a degree programme. At Bachelor level, the path studies are worth 60 ECTS credits, and at Master level they are worth ECTS credits, depending on the programme. Path studies could be for you if your aim is to apply for a LAMK degree programme in the future or develop your professional knowledge. After completing the path studies, you can apply for a LAMK degree programme by separate application. If you are admitted as a degree student, the open studies which you have completed will be credited, subject to approval, towards your degree at Lahti University of Applied Sciences. You can also apply via joint application. In that case, the same principles of accreditation apply. LAMK offers both Finnish and English Bachelor-level and Master-level path studies. All Open Studies including path studies are mainly aimed at people living in Finland, because of the large number of contact lessons and local projects. Path studies in English are available at the Faculty of Business, the Faculty of Social and Health Care and the Faculty of Technology. All faculties offer path studies in Finnish. All Bachelor-level path studies are worth 60 ECTS credits. There are no restrictions regarding age or prior education in Bachelor-level open studies. Master-level path studies are worth 10 ECTS credits (Faculty of Technology) or 15 ECTS credits (Faculty of Business). You are required to have at least a Bachelor s degree if you wish to take Master-level path studies. The studies are subject to a course fee of 15 per ECTS credit, or, alternatively, an annual fee of 400. The studies are free of charge for young people under the age of 25 who attend high school or vocational school in Finland. Depending on the programme, you will study with degree students and/or in groups consisting solely of Open UAS students. Also depending on the programme, the courses are implemented daytime, evenings, weekends and/or online. There are also summer courses available. 4

5 Being a path student at LAMK Open UAS Study skills and other requirements Open UAS students are required to have university level study skills, including essay writing and information retrieval skills as well as sufficient language skills. Before enrolling for path studies, you should consider if you have these skills. Also, please note that some courses may require prior studies or skills; these are specified in the course details. You are required to have at least a Bachelor-level degree if you wish to enroll in Master-level path studies. Student fees and invoicing The course fee is 15 per credit, i.e. the total fee depends on the total number of credits of the course. Alternatively, students can choose to pay an annual fee of 400, which entitles the student to take an unlimited number of open study courses per year. The annual fee option is recommended if you are planning to take more than 26 credits worth of courses per year. After paying the annual fee, you are entitled to enroll in Open studies organized by any LAMK faculty Open studies organized by our partner universities of applied sciences, Laurea Open UAS or HAMK Open UAS. Check the terms of enrolment and study practices on each of our partners website and be prepared to present the receipt of your annual fee payment when enrolling. Please note that the annual fee is non-refundable. Other fees include possible course-specific costs for materials, supplies and excursions. Student fees are invoiced at the beginning of the course. The payment term is 14 days. It is important that you pay your fees on time in order to avoid unnecessary disruption to your studies. After successfully completing your studies you will get a transcript of your Open Studies. The first transcript is issued free of charge. The fee for a new transcript or an additional certificate is 15 each. VAT 0% (all prices). The studies are free of charge for young people under the age of 25 who attend high school or vocational school in Finland. 5

6 Part-time studying Open UAS studies are always considered part-time, which means that a path student is not entitled to receive any study benefits such as student allowance or discounts on train or bus tickets. Open UAS students usually pay for the studies themselves. If the aim of your studies is to develop your professional knowledge, there might be a possibility to negotiate the payment with your employer. Unemployment and studying If you are unemployed, your right to receive unemployment benefit depends on whether the Unemployment (TE) Office considers your studies to be full-time or part-time. Part-time studying doesn t usually affect your entitlement to unemployment benefit if you are seeking a full-time job and available to take employment. In the Unemployment Security Act, studying less than 5 ECTS credits per month or 25 hours per week is defined as part-time. It is possible with certain preconditions to take full-time independent studies without losing the unemployment benefit. In the Unemployment Security Act, studying on average at least 5 ECTS credits per month or 25 hours per week is defined as full-time. Before the beginning of studies, the TE office determines whether the preconditions for the person s educational needs and for supporting a jobseeker s independent studies are met. You may receive unemployment benefit during your full-time studies if you have registered with the TE Office as a jobseeker and your application is active you are aged 25 or over the TE Office determines that you need education or training and the studies will improve your vocational skills and your chances in the job market. The decisions concerning the unemployment benefit are always taken by the local TE Office. If your objective is to complete the path studies or another extensive study module at Open UAS, you should always negotiate beforehand with your employment officer to determine whether it is possible without losing your unemployment benefit. This way you will avoid possible claims for recovery. Orientation events for path students There are joint orientation events for new Bachelor-level and Master-level path students held in the beginning of September. You will get detailed information about the date and program of the event from the Open UAS contact person of your faculty or from our website. Study guidance As a path student, you are entitled to receive study guidance. It is advisable to make a personal study plan with your Open UAS contact person. You can discuss your objectives and personal circumstances in one-to-one guidance sessions. A study plan is also needed by students who are customers of the TE Office. 6

7 Study guidance needs Personal study guidance Practical issues (enrolling, user ids, certificates etc.) Issues concerning the course Problems with IT systems Who to contact Open UAS contact person Tutor Course teacher Study advisor Open UAS contact person Course teacher Open UAS contact person Student information systems and tools at LAMK There are many systems and tools which degree students and path students need on a regular basis during their studies. Acquaint yourself with the tools at desk/tools/. You will be given orientation regarding the use of our systems at the beginning of your studies. Open UAS student card With the Open UAS student card you will get services of LAMK Sports at LAMK student prices lunch at all Koo-kuppila cafeterias and the Fellmannia restaurant at tax-free prices. Contact your Open UAS contact person in order to get the card. You will need to provide a photograph. Academic Library All Academic Library services are available to path students. There is a vast selection of national and international digital contents as well as literature and magazines from different fields. Acquaint yourself with the Academic Library services at degree-students/academic-library Insurance Both degree students and Open UAS students are covered by the student insurance plan. LAMK Sports LAMK Sports provides high quality, versatile and affordable sports services for LAMK and Lahti University Campus students and staff. Instruction is mainly in Finnish, but everyone is welcome. Some classes are offered in English. Read more at degree-students/sports When paying the seasonal fee, you will need to show your Open UAS student card to get the lowest student price. SummerCampus LAMK SummerCampus consists of LAMK summer studies, FUAS summer studies, Summer School and Open Studies. The SummerCampus studies are available between May and August. In addition to courses organized by Open UAS, path students are entitled to enroll in any summer studies provided by LAMK or our FUAS partners HAMK and Laurea UAS, keeping in mind there may be prerequisites for some courses. 7

8 Student records Studies completed at Open UAS are registered in the LAMK student database. If you are admitted as a degree student, your open studies will be credited (subject to approval) towards your degree at Lahti University of Applied Sciences. 8

9 After Elina and Juha Pessa completed 60 credits worth of Social and Health Care studies in the Open Studies, they applied to become degree students. The couple started their studies in Bachelor s Degree Programme in Social Services in autumn 2015 and have great memories from the Open Studies. Planning and executing your studies in your own pace is easy and possible even during the challenging situations in life. Our second child was born four months after we started our studies but neither of us had to interrupt them. We went to classes in turns and did a lot of studying at home. We want to give a big thanks to the teachers for understanding our situation and being flexible with our attendance. Elina & Juha Pessa 9

10 Enrolling for path studies Places in open UAS path studies are allocated on a first-come first-served basis. Please note that the registration is binding. Path studies start in September and/ or in January, depending on the degree programme. Path student intake takes place in the beginning of August (for path studies starting in September) and in November (for path studies starting in January) Please check detailed information of our enrollment periods on our website Students enrol using the electronic form. When enrollment for the path studies or an individual course is available, an active Sign up link will be visible on the description page of the course. The link directs you to the enrollment form. Please provide your Finnish social security number for the purpose of billing and student database. The enrollment form is encrypted and secure. Please make sure your contact information is correct before confirming your enrollment. After the enrollment period The Sign up link will automatically disappear after the enrollment period is over. After the last enrollment day, you can contact us by at avoinamk@lamk.fi to enquire about places available. If you are accepted as a path student, you will get a confirmation with detailed information about your studies. If you are not accepted, you will get an stating that you are on a reserve list. If there are any openings later on, applicants on the reserve list will be notified. If you don t receive an after the enrollment period is over, please contact the faculty organizing the studies in question. Terms of cancellation All cancellations must be made in writing by according to the following terms: 10

11 Cancellation at least 14 days before the start of the course Cancellation 14 days 48 hours before the start of the course Cancellation up to 48 hours before the start of the course Enrollment is not canceled and the participant does not show in class. The participant interrupts his/her studies. No fee will be charged. 50 % of the fee will be charged. Full fee will be charged. Full fee will be charged. Full fee will be charged. The annual fee is non-refundable. Please note that a path student who has paid the annual fee is also obliged to cancel if he/she is not able to participate in an individual course. That way we are able to offer the opening to another applicant. We reserve the right to make changes regarding course schedules, teachers or locations, or cancel the course due to low number of participants. 11

12 From Open UAS to a Degree Programme Open UAS path studies offer an alternative way to a degree programme. After completing path studies at Open UAS, you can apply for a degree programme by separate application. Open studies completed at any Finnish Open UAS are eligible, but prior degree studies are not. If you are admitted as a degree student, your open studies will be credited (subject to approval) towards your degree at Lahti University of Applied Sciences. We can t guarantee direct access to a degree programme, because the suitability of applicants is assessed in an interview or entrance exam, depending on the degree programme. However, a high number of completed open studies is considered as an indication that the applicant is motivated and eager to study in the degree programme in question. You can also apply via joint application. In that case, the same principles of accreditation apply. Both separate applications and the joint application are submitted via the national studyinfo.fi portal. The separate LAMK Open UAS application gives you an option to apply for both Finnish and English Bachelor-level and Master-level degree programmes. The separate application period is ongoing, i.e. you can submit the application as soon as you have completed the required amount of open studies. 12

13 Open UAS path Bachelor-level No restrictions regarding prior education Master School Required: Previous Bachelor-level degree or equivalent Bachelor-level path studies 60 ECTS credits all Faculties Master-level path studies Extents: 10 ECTS credits TECH 15 ECTS credits BU Separate application, continuous Minimum of 60 ECTS credits in Open UAS completed Separate application, continuous Minimum of ECTS credits in Open UAS completed All eligible applicants will be invited either to an interview * (BU, TECH) or to the next entrance exam (SHcare) All eligible applicants will be invited to an interview * Degree Programme BU=Faculty of Business SHcare=Faculty of Social and Health Care TECH=Faculty of Technology * If the average grade of the path studies is 3 (on scale 1 5). Attention! When applying for a Degree Programme, minimum of three years work experience in the field of one s degree is required. 13

14 Separate application for Bachelor-level degree programmes After completing Bachelor-level path studies (60 ECTS credits minimum) you can apply for the degree programme in question by separate application. In this case, you are not required to meet the eligibility criteria specified in the Polytechnics Act. Attach a copy of the official transcript of your Open Studies to your application. Student admission procedures FACULTY OF BUSINESS AND FACULTY OF TECHNOLOGY Applicants suitability is assessed in an interview. You will be invited to an interview if the average grade of your path studies is 3 or higher (on a scale of 1-5). A person who has earned at least 120 ECTS credits at Open UAS in the field of the degree programme in question can be admitted as a degree student directly. FACULTY OF SOCIAL AND HEALTH CARE The suitability of each applicant is assessed in an entrance exam. Entrance exams are held once a year. Check the dates of the entrance exams at entrance-examination In order to promote patient and client safety as well as the safety of minors, student admissions are subject to certain restrictions. Admission to the degree programmes of the Faculty of Social and Health Care requires that the applicant s state of health and functional capacity are such that he or she is able to complete practical tasks and training related to studies. Previous cancellation of the right to study may be grounds for denial of admission, and applicants must inform the higher education institution of such decisions at the application stage. 14

15 Separate application for Master-level degree programmes After completing Master-level path studies (10-15 ECTS credits minimum) you can apply for the degree programme in question by separate application. When applying, you are required to have completed Open Studies as follows: Faculty of Technology, 10 ECTS credits minimum Faculty of Business, 15 ECTS credits minimum In addition to the required Open Studies, Master s degree programme applicants are required to have at least a Bachelor-level degree in the field in question as well as a minimum of three years work experience in the same field. In addition, the average grade of your path studies should be 3 or higher (on a scale of 1-5) Attach the following documents to your application: a copy of the official transcript of your Open Studies a copy of your education diplomas certificates to prove the required 3 years of work experience. Student admission procedures If the above criteria are met, the applicant is invited to an interview to assess his/ her motivation and proposed topic of the Master s thesis. We reserve the right to changes. 15

16 Valtteri Kuusisto studies Graphic Design at the Lahti UAS Institute of Design. He completed 47 credits in the Open UAS before starting his studies as a degree student. At the first entrance exam I was still quite new to everything, but during the one year in Open UAS I got a good idea what graphic design and studying at the Institute of Design are. I got to work on those areas that I needed help with and got feedback from the professionals. The whole year was an efficient training for the entrance exam. Valtteri Kuusisto 16

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18 Contact us GENERAL INFO ON OPEN STUDIES Ms Päivi Kuosmanen Tel FACULTY OF BUSINESS Ms Susanna Linko (Bachelor-level path studies) Tel Ms Siru Kilpilampi (Master-level path studies) Tel FACULTY OF SOCIAL AND HEALTH CARE Ms Päivi Snåre Tel FACULTY OF TECHNOLOGY Ms Riitta-Liisa Hakkarainen (Bachelor-level path studies) Tel Ms Eeva Aarrevaara (Master-level path studies) Tel

19 Terminology Bachelor s Degree A Finnish UAS Bachelor s degree consists of 210, 240 or 270 ECTS credits and the duration is years of full-time study. UAS Bachelor s degrees include basic studies, professional studies, elective studies, practical training and a final thesis (Bachelor s thesis). Faculties There are four faculties at LAMK: Faculty of Business Studies, Faculty of Technology, Faculty of Social and Health Care and Institute of Design. The first three of these also offer English-language degree programmes. Master s Degree Universities of applied sciences offer a number of UAS Master s degrees these are mainly targeted at those already in work. The UAS Master s degree is equivalent to a university Master s degree in the labour market. Individuals who already have a Bachelor s Degree or other higher education degree and a minimum of three years of work experience are eligible to apply. Open UAS Open UAS offers Bachelor and Master-level courses to anyone living in Finland and wanting to explore a new field of study or to update their professional knowledge or skills. There are no restrictions regarding age or prior education in Bachelor-level open studies. However, you are required to have at least a Bachelor-level degree if you wish to attend Master-level courses. Entire degrees cannot be completed at the Open UAS. The Open UAS courses are subject to a small charge. Open UAS path The Open UAS path studies offer an alternative path to a degree programme. After completing the path studies, you can apply for the degree programme in question by separate application. The separate application period is ongoing. Applicants suitability is assessed in an interview or entrance exam depending on the degree programme. Path studies The path studies concept is used to refer to a set of open studies completed at a Finnish open UAS in a goal-oriented manner. The path studies usually include first-year studies of a degree programme. At Bachelor-level, the path studies are worth 60 ECTS credits, and at Master-level they are worth ECTS credits depending on the programme. Studyinfo.fi Both the joint application and separate applications are submitted via the national studyinfo.fi portal. Studyinfo.fi is the official and up-to-date website with all the information about study programmes leading to a degree in Finland. It is maintained by the Finnish National Board of Education. 19

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