Open Path Studies

Studies at the Open Path are open for anyone, regardless of their educational background. However, you shall have such knowledge of English that enables you to study efficiently. We recommend that your skills are on level B2 or higher on the Common European framework for languages. Information on the language levels and a tool for self-assessment are available on the EU's Europass website External link. If you are interested in Mechanical and Sustainable Engineering, please note that a good knowledge of mathematics, physics and chemistry is required if you want to successfully complete your studies.

Finnish/Swedish language skills required by applicant to Nursing

If you apply to Nursing you must prove that you have sufficient skills in either Finnish or Swedish before we can offer you a place at the Open Path. The minimum requirement is level B1.2 on the Common European framework for languages. You may prove your language skills by uploading to your application a copy of a diploma/certificate that proves that you have one of the following:

• Comprehensive education (grades 1–9) or upper secondary education (grades 10–12) in Finland, and is usually thus Finnish or Swedish (but also Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, and Faroe is accepted)
  • Student has completed education according to law on comprehensive education (grades 1–9) (628/1998) or law on general upper secondary education (grades 10–12) (629/1998) or equivalent, and has passing grade in Finnish or Swedish as mother tongue on the leaving certificate.
  • Finnish Matriculation examination in Swedish/Finnish or in Finnish or Swedish as the second language in the Finnish matriculation examination if the student passes the examination with grade Approbatur (A) or higher.
  • Finnish Matriculation examination, advanced course (A-level) in Swedish/Finnish with grade Eximia Cum Laude Approbatur (E ) or higher.
  • Finnish Matriculation examination in Swedish/Finnish, intermediate course with grade Laudatur (L)
• International Baccalaureate (IB) Education
  • A-level Swedish or Finnish (literature/language and literature/literature and performance) with grade 2 or higher
  • B-level Swedish or Finnish with grade 5 or higher
  • A1 level Swedish orFinnish with grade 2; A2 level Swedish or Finnish with grade 5 or higher in International Baccalaureate degree completed before 2013.
• European Baccalaureate Education
  • Pass grade in Swedish/Finnish as L1 language (grade 4 or higher in EB Education completed before 2021
  • Grade 5 or higher in Swedish or Finnish as L1 language in EB education completed from 2021 onwards
  • Grade 7 or higher in Swedish Finnish as L2 language
• National certificate of language proficiency (yleinen kielitutkinto) in Finnish or Swedish.
  • You need to have at least level 3 in all four skill components: speaking, writing, listening comprehension, and reading comprehension
• Public administration language examination (valtiohallinnon kielitutkinto) in Finnish or Swedish.
  • You need to have at least satisfactory oral and written skills.

Arcada arranges no separate language test.

The Open Path is full-time. You study alongside the degree students and shall complete all first-year courses (60 cr) defined by the curriculum.

If you have previously completed courses that are included in the curriculum for the first academic year you shall ask your amanuensis for an individual study plan. You do not have to retake such courses, but you will be required to complete other courses instead in order to achieve the number of credits required for admission. If it is impossible to design a feasible individual study plan you may be required to retake some courses.

Before applying to the Nursing Open Path, please note that there will be health requirements when applying to degree studies. Please visit uasinfo.fi for information about the health requirements External link.

If you have started studying at Arcada’s Open Path in 2018-2021, you may not register for the Open Path of the same programme. However, you may register for the Open Path of another programme. Nursing and the Swedish programmes in Nursing, Public Health Nursing, Midwifery and Emergency Care are treated as being the same programme in this context.

You may not study at the Open Path if you have degree student status at Arcada. If you are a degree student, please contact us immediately after submitting your registration to the Open Path. Do not terminate your degree studies before we have confirmed that you will get at place at the Open Path.

Registration for the Open Path opens at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, 3 August 2022 and closes at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, 9 August 2022. The registration form is available here External link during the application period.

You may register for only one programme. There is a limited number of places in each programme, In 2022 we offer only Nursing (in cooperation with Diak) in English. There are five places at the Nursing programme's Open Path.

Information on the Swedish programmes offered on the Open Path is available on the Swedish website.

If more people register for a programme than there are places, the places are filled in order of registration. We will contact those who are offered a place at the Open Path by email. You must confirm whether you accept the place offered to you or not. If someone does not accept the offered place, we will offer it to the next person on the list.

Please note that you may study at the Open Path during one academic year only. If you do not meet the criteria for becoming a degree student at the end of the year (31 July 2023), you may not continue on the Open Path in the same programme, or register again another year. However, you may register for the Open Path of another programme. Nursing and the Swedish programmes in Nursing, Public Health Nursing, Midwifery and Emergency Care are treated as being the same programme in this context. We recommend that you thoroughly consider your possibilities to study full-time before you decide to register for the Open Path.

As an Open Path student you pay a fee of 400€ per academic year. The fee is paid in two installments, 200€/term. The tuition fee includes registration, tuition and examinations. In some courses, other course-specific costs for materials, supplies and excursions may be charged.

Please read Arcada's payment terms before registering.

Please note that you will have to pay the tuition fee for the autumn term if you accept the place on the Open Path even if you never start your studies.

If you do not want to pay the tuition fee for the spring semester, you must notify us by 15 January 2023 that you do not intend to continue your studies at the Open Path.

If you wish to discontinue your studies on the Open Path, please send the following message to E-mail: openpath@arcada.fi:

"I (your name) discontinue my studies on the Open Path."

NB! This is the only acceptable way to notify us.

Please note that after completing the Open Path you may have to pay the tuition fee for degree students if you are not a citizen of an EU/EEA country. Information on the tuition fees for degree studies is available our on website. Please visit Studyinfo for information on who is required to pay External link.

Open Path studies are not officially classified as full-time studies, which means that Open Path students are not entitled to the social benefits of a full-time student, such as student financial aid from Kela or the health care services offered by the Finnish Student Health Service. Students on Arcada’s Open Path may, however, use the services of the study psychologist and the study counsellor at Arcada.

International students who need a visa or residence permit to stay in Finland should be aware that participating in Open Studies will not necessarily entitle a foreign citizen to get an entry visa or residence permit. For further information, please visit the website of the Finnish Immigration Services External link.

Will you start studying at Arcada's Open Path in 2022?

You may apply for degree student status when you have passed your curriculum's first-year courses and practical training, or all courses and practical training listed in your individual study plan if your amanuensis has made one for you, and all credits have been registered in the student register. If you do not pass all first-year courses by 31 July 2023, you cannot continue on the Open Path of that particular degree programme and you cannot be admitted to degree studies based on your open studies. You are not allowed to submit any assignments or take part in exams after 31 July 2023.

Practical information about applying for degree student status will be published in spring 2023.

Tuition fee
Depending on where you come from and what kind of residence permit you have, you may be subject to tuition fees. Please read more about tuition fees in our study guide External link.

Have you started studying at Arcada's Open Path in 2021?

You may apply for degree student status when you have passed your curriculum's first-year courses (60 cr for Mechanical and Sustainable Engineering, 55 cr for Nursing) or all courses listed in your individual study plan if your amanuensis has made one for you, and all credits have been registered in the student register. If you do not pass all first-year courses by 31 July 2022, you cannot continue on the Open Path of that particular degree programme and you cannot be admitted to degree studies based on your open studies. You are not allowed to submit any assignments or take part in exams after 31 July 2022.

The application form is available on Studyinfo External link during the application period (16 May - 9 August 2022). The easiest way to find the application form is to type "Arcada" into the search field on the start page and then selecting the option "Application ongoing", which you can find in the section "Application procedure" in the filter menu. Then click on the programme you want to apply to.

Tuition fee
Depending on where you come from and what kind of residence permit you have, you may be subject to tuition fees. Please read more about tuition fees in our study guide External link.

Admission and accepting your study place
Admissions to the programmes is decided on by the Rector.

You need to accept the study place and register for the academic year in My Studyinfo External link. Please note that you can accept only one study place leading to a higher education degree per term. Information on the one study place per term provision is available on Studyinfo External link.

Registration as degree student
You will be registered as a degree student starting from 1 August 2022 with a new student number. All courses registered as completed at the Open UAS will be transferred automatically to your new degree student number. Username and password remain the same.

If you have also completed ECTS credits at another university, you need to apply for these studies to be transferred toward your Arcada degree.

Please note that you may register as absent for your first year as a degree student only if you have legal grounds. More information about the legal grounds for absence is available on our website.

Student benefits

Degree students are entitled to benefits, for example student financial aid and discounts on student lunches and public transport. Some restrictions may apply. All degree students may use the service of the Finnish Student Health Service, and all degree students must pay the twice-yearly healthcare fee. You can find more information about the healthcare fee on Kela's website External link.

Have you taken Open courses at another UAS/university?

You may not apply for degree student status at Arcada based on open studies at another UAS/university. You may apply in our regular application in winter. If you are admitted to Arcada you may apply for accreditation of your previous studies

Arcada
Open Path
Jan-Magnus Janssonin aukio 1
00560 Arcada

phone: 0294 282 671
e-mail: openpath@arcada.fi