Separate Application Based on Previous Studies

Eligibility for the Separate Application Based on Previous Studies is based on studies completed at a Finnish higher education institution, either as an open higher education student or a degree student.

The studies used as the basis for the application must not be included in a completed degree or form part of a degree currently being pursued under a valid degree study right. If the application is based on previous degree studies, the study right associated with those studies must have ended.

Eligibility may also be based on studies completed at an open university of applied sciences.

In addition, the applicant must meet the requirements of at least one of the application categories 1–3 below.

1. Open University of Applied Sciences Studies
A) Open higher education studies

An applicant may apply for a degree study right after completing one of the following:

Open UAS Path Studies in accordance with the KAMK curriculum;
other open higher education studies at KAMK or another Finnish higher education institution; or
other non-degree higher education studies, such as continuing education, that can be recognised towards the degree being applied for.

The applicant must have completed at least the following number of credits that can be recognised towards the degree:

Bachelor’s degree of 210/240 ECTS credits: at least 45 ECTS credits
Master’s degree of 60 ECTS credits: at least 15 ECTS credits
Master’s degree of 90 ECTS credits: at least 20 ECTS credits

B) KAMK upper secondary education pathway studies

An applicant may apply for a degree study right based on KAMK pathway studies completed during upper secondary education if they have completed one of the following:

KAMKstart studies (15 ECTS credits): minimum grade point average 2
Valmentamo studies (30 ECTS credits)
Game Industry Pathway Studies (18 ECTS credits): minimum grade point average 3

In addition, the applicant must have graduated with an upper secondary qualification less than one year before applying through the Separate Application.

2. Previous Higher Education Degree Studies

An applicant may apply for a degree study right on the basis of previous degree studies if they have completed studies applicable to the degree being applied for as a degree student at KAMK or another Finnish higher education institution.

The applicant must have completed at least:

Bachelor’s degree: 45 ECTS credits applicable to the Bachelor’s degree being applied for
Master’s degree of 60 ECTS credits: 15 ECTS credits applicable to the Master’s degree being applied for
Master’s degree of 90 ECTS credits: 20 ECTS credits applicable to the Master’s degree being applied for

The completed studies may form part of a previously discontinued Bachelor’s or Master’s degree at a university of applied sciences.

The applicant’s previous degree study right must have ended, and it must no longer be possible to restore or reinstate that study right.

3. Degree Study Right for Graduation for Former KAMK Degree Students

An applicant may apply for a degree study right for the purpose of graduation if their Bachelor’s or Master’s degree studies at KAMK were discontinued after their study right expired and it is no longer possible to apply for an extension of the study right for the purpose of completing the degree.

To be eligible, all studies required for the degree must have been completed and registered in KAMK’s student register.

The applicant must have completed the full scope of the degree:

Bachelor’s degree: 210 or 240 ECTS credits
Master’s degree: 60 or 90 ECTS credits
An Applicant Is Not Eligible If

The applicant is not eligible to apply if:

The applicant still has a valid degree study right.

The applicant has previously been admitted through the Separate Application Based on Previous Studies.
In this case, the applicant may complete the remaining studies through the Open University of Applied Sciences and subsequently apply through the Separate Application only for a study right for the purpose of graduation.

The applicant has not completed the required number of ECTS credits.
In this case, the applicant may complete the missing credits through the Open University of Applied Sciences and apply through the Separate Application Based on Previous Studies once the required number of credits has been completed.

The applicant commenced their previous studies more than 10 years ago.
In this case, the applicant may apply for a new degree study right through the Joint Application.

How to Apply

Applications for the Separate Application Based on Previous Studies are submitted through Studyinfo. The application is continuously open during two application periods each year:

Spring application period: 1 January–31 July
→ Studies begin in the autumn semester

Autumn application period: 1 August–31 December
→ Studies begin in the spring semester

Exception in autumn 2026: the application period is 30 October–31 December 2026.

The applicant must:

select the educational background on which their application is based on the application form;
attach certificates demonstrating their eligibility;
attach an up-to-date transcript of records;
when applying for a Master’s degree, attach employment certificates demonstrating the required two years of work experience; and
when applying on the basis of KAMKstart studies to a Finnish-taught degree programme, attach a language certificate if their language of school education is other than Finnish.

Please note
The applicant should submit the application only after all ECTS credits required for eligibility have been fully completed and officially registered.

Applicants to Master’s degree programmes should submit their application only after they have acquired the required two years of work experience.

Applicants from outside the EU/EEA are required to pay an application fee of EUR 100 in Studyinfo.

Processing of Applications

Applications are processed continuously during the application period, within four (4) working weeks of receipt of the application.

Applications are not processed during holiday periods. Applications received in June or July will be processed in August, and applications received at the end of December will be processed in January.

The application is first reviewed by Student Services and then submitted to a Study Counsellor for assessment and recommendation.

As part of the recommendation process, the Study Counsellor determines:

the curriculum to be followed;
the student group;
the duration of the study right to be granted.

The Head of Education and Research makes the final decision on granting the study right.

The applicant will receive the admission decision by email. The offered study place must be accepted within seven (7) days.

New Study Right

When a student accepts a new study right, any previous study rights they may have will be forfeited.

The duration of the new study right is determined on the basis of the remaining studies. The student must have a realistic opportunity to complete approximately 30 ECTS credits per semester.

The Study Counsellor assesses the time required to complete the degree based on the remaining studies and the scheduled availability of the required courses.

As a general rule, the new study right begins at the beginning of the following semester. If the applicant applies for a new study right solely for the purpose of graduation, the study right may be granted with immediate effect.

Please note: If the study right begins during an ongoing semester, the entire semester will count as a semester of attendance.

Students who are liable to pay tuition fees must pay the applicable tuition fee for each semester in which they are registered as attending. The amount of the tuition fee is determined in accordance with the tuition fee and scholarship terms applicable on the starting date of the new study right.

Request for Rectification

If an applicant is dissatisfied with the outcome of the student admission process and believes that an error has occurred in the application of the admission criteria, they should first review the admission criteria for the relevant KAMK degree programme.

If necessary, the applicant should then contact KAMK Admissions Services.

If the matter cannot be resolved, the applicant may submit a written request for rectification concerning the student admission decision in accordance with the instructions for requesting rectification.

The request for rectification must be submitted within 14 days of the publication of the admission results.

The admission decision may not be amended as a result of a request for rectification to the detriment of any applicant who has already been admitted. (Act 257/2015.)

Language proficiency is considered sufficiently demonstrated when the applicant has completed the open higher education studies required for admission as a degree student, namely 45 ECTS credits for a Bachelor’s degree programme or 15–20 ECTS credits for a Master’s degree programme, in the same language in which the degree programme is delivered.

KAMK reserves the right, where necessary, to require the applicant to provide additional evidence of language proficiency, either through an interview or by meeting the official language requirements.

Applicants applying on the basis of upper secondary pathway studies may be required to provide proof of Finnish language proficiency if their language of prior schooling is not Finnish.

If an applicant who has completed upper secondary pathway studies applies to a Finnish-taught degree programme and their language of prior schooling is not Finnish, their language proficiency may, if necessary, be assessed through a separate language test before an admission decision is made.

The language of prior schooling (Government Decree 481/2003, Section 20) refers to the language that served as the language of instruction in comprehensive school or upper secondary school and in which the applicant has received a grade in their mother tongue on the school-leaving certificate.

Students admitted to Finnish-taught degree programmes are expected to demonstrate Finnish language proficiency at CEFR level B2 (YKI level 4).

The following are also regarded as a language of prior schooling:

The language in which the applicant has passed the mother tongue test in the Finnish Matriculation Examination.
The language in which the applicant has achieved at least Magna Cum Laude Approbatur in the Finnish as a Second Language test of the Finnish Matriculation Examination.
Applicants may also demonstrate their Finnish language proficiency through one of the following qualifications and are then exempt from taking the separate Finnish language test (the certificate must be attached to the application form):

National Certificates of Language Proficiency (YKI)
Basic or Intermediate Level Certificate with a minimum score of 4 in all four sections:Reading comprehension
Writing
Listening comprehension
Speaking
Advanced Level Certificate (levels 5–6), with at least three subtests completed successfully. Results from different test sessions may be combined.
Finnish National Language Proficiency Examination for Public Administration
Oral and written language proficiency examinations completed with the grade Good.
Finnish Matriculation Examination
Mother tongue test in Finnish completed with a minimum grade of Lubenter Approbatur (B).
Finnish as a Second Language test completed with a minimum grade of Lubenter Approbatur (B).
Finnish language test based on the advanced syllabus completed with a minimum grade of Magna Cum Laude Approbatur (M).
Finnish language test based on the intermediate syllabus completed with the grade Laudatur (L).

Admission criteria

1. Open University of Applied Sciences Studies
An applicant may apply for degree study rights after completing KAMK curriculum-based Open University of Applied Sciences pathway studies, other Open Higher Education studies at KAMK or another Finnish higher education institution, or other non-degree higher education studies (e.g. continuing professional education) that can be credited towards the degree being applied for.

An applicant may apply for a maximum of two degree programmes in the Separate Application. The programmes must be ranked in order of preference on the application form.

The applicant must have completed studies that can be credited towards the target degree as follows:

45 ECTS credits for a Bachelor’s degree programme of 210/240 ECTS credits
15 ECTS credits for a Master’s degree programme of 60 ECTS credits
20 ECTS credits for a Master’s degree programme of 90 ECTS credits

The Open Higher Education studies used as the basis for admission must be included in the curriculum of the degree programme applied for at KAMK or otherwise be eligible for credit transfer towards the degree. The required minimum number of credits may include a maximum of 5 ECTS credits of elective studies.

Applicants must submit an official transcript of records, or a link to their study records in the Studyinfo service, for studies completed at another higher education institution. Where necessary, applicants must also provide more detailed electronic course descriptions. The suitability of the studies and their eligibility for credit transfer will be assessed by the Study Counsellor or Principal Lecturer of the relevant field.

Admission to a Master’s degree programme (YAMK) additionally requires:

a relevant Bachelor’s degree or another suitable higher education degree; and
at least 24 months of work experience in the relevant field obtained after the completion of the qualifying higher education degree.

Applicants seeking admission on the basis of previous Open Higher Education studies form a separate applicant group. Admission opportunities for this group may be limited to specific degree programmes and/or programmes commencing at specific times.

Upper Secondary Pathway Studies
An applicant may apply for degree study rights on the basis of KAMK upper secondary pathway studies after completing one of the following pathways:

KAMKstart studies (15 ECTS credits) with a minimum grade point average of 2.0
Valmentamo studies (30 ECTS credits)
Game Industry pathway studies (18 ECTS credits) with a minimum grade point average of 3.0

In addition, the applicant must have completed their upper secondary qualification less than one year before applying through the Separate Application process.

Applicants applying on the basis of KAMK upper secondary pathway studies form a separate applicant group. Admission opportunities for this group may be limited to specific degree programmes and/or programmes commencing at specific times.

Degree study rights based on previous Open Higher Education studies may be granted only once through the Separate Application process. This restriction does not prevent an admitted student from later applying again through the Separate Application process on the basis of previous degree studies or for graduation purposes.

The duration of study rights granted on the basis of previous Open Higher Education studies is determined in accordance with KAMK’s Degree Regulations and the scope of the degree. Students are entitled to the full statutory study period as defined in the Degree Regulations, as well as the right to apply for an extension and register as non-attending under the conditions specified therein.

2. Previous Higher Education Degree Studies
An applicant may apply for degree study rights on the basis of previous degree studies completed as a degree student at KAMK or another Finnish higher education institution, provided that they have completed studies applicable to the degree programme applied for as follows:

Bachelor’s degree: at least 45 ECTS credits applicable to the target Bachelor’s degree
Master’s degree (60 ECTS credits): at least 15 ECTS credits applicable to the target Master’s degree
Master’s degree (90 ECTS credits): at least 20 ECTS credits applicable to the target Master’s degree

The completed studies may form part of a previously discontinued Bachelor’s or Master’s degree programme. The previous degree study right must have expired, and reinstatement of that study right must no longer be possible.

The completed Bachelor’s or Master’s degree studies must correspond to a sufficient extent to the curriculum of the degree programme applied for at KAMK. The suitability and transferability of studies completed at another higher education institution are assessed by the Head of Education and Research and the Study Counsellor of the relevant field. Previous studies may not be credited in full due to differences in content or because the studies have become outdated.

Applicants must submit an official transcript of records, or a link to their Studyinfo records, for studies completed at another higher education institution. Where necessary, applicants must also provide detailed electronic course descriptions. When applying for a Master’s degree programme, the submitted records must clearly indicate that the studies used as the basis for admission are at Master’s degree level.

Applicants do not need to submit transcripts or certificates for studies completed at KAMK.

A new degree study right cannot be granted through the Separate Application process for completing unfinished studies if the applicant has already used the full study right period and any extensions granted under a previous degree study right. In such cases, the applicant may complete the missing studies as an Open UAS student and subsequently apply for a degree study right for graduation purposes through the Separate Application process. Alternatively, the applicant may reapply for degree studies through the national joint application process.

The remaining studies must be completable within the study right period granted to the applicant. In estimating the required study period, a completion rate of 30 ECTS credits per semester is used as the standard calculation.

If the applicant’s previous study right ended as a result of resignation or because the applicant failed to register for attendance and reinstatement is no longer possible, the period considered as used study time includes all time during which the applicant was registered as either attending or non-attending. The calculation follows the Degree Regulations that were in force when the original study right commenced. For studies completed outside KAMK, the amount of study right used will be verified, where necessary, from the Studyinfo register or from a certificate provided by the applicant.

Study Rights Commenced Before 1 August 2015
Students who accepted a study place in a programme commencing before 1 August 2015 could register as non-attending for up to four semesters (two academic years) without this period counting towards their study right. Such periods are therefore not included in the calculation of used study time.

Study Rights Commenced on or After 1 August 2015
Students who accepted a study place in a programme commencing on or after 1 August 2015 could register as non-attending during their first academic year without using study right time only on statutory grounds. After the first academic year, students could register as non-attending for a maximum of two semesters without those periods consuming their study right.

Right to Register as Non-attending
If the duration of the study right granted is two years or less, the student is not entitled to register as non-attending during the study period.

If the duration of the granted study right exceeds two years:

during the first academic year, a student may register as non-attending only on statutory grounds;
after the first academic year, a student may register as non-attending for a total of up to one academic year without a specific reason.

A degree study right based on previous degree studies may be granted only once through the Separate Application process. This restriction does not apply to study rights granted for graduation purposes.

If the student does not complete the degree within the study right period granted on the basis of previous degree studies, a new study right cannot be granted on the same admission basis. In such cases, the student must complete the remaining studies through the Open University of Applied Sciences and subsequently apply for a study right for graduation purposes, or reapply for degree studies through the national joint application process.

3. Degree Study Right for Graduation for Former KAMK Degree Students
An applicant may apply for a degree study right for graduation purposes if their Bachelor’s or Master’s degree at KAMK remains incomplete after the expiry of their study right and applying for a fixed-term study right for graduation is no longer possible.

To be eligible, all studies required for the degree must have been completed and recorded in KAMK’s student register. The applicant must have completed the full scope of the degree:

210 or 240 ECTS credits for a Bachelor’s degree
60 or 90 ECTS credits for a Master’s degree

The applicant must fulfil all requirements for the award of the degree so that the degree can be conferred immediately after the study right has been granted. Where necessary, the Study Counsellor or Principal Lecturer will assess the suitability of the completed studies and verify that all degree-award requirements have been met.

Applicants who have completed all or part of the studies required for graduation as degree students at a higher education institution other than KAMK must apply under Section 2: Previous Higher Education Degree Studies.

Admission Decisions and Required Documents
Admissions through the Separate Application process based on previous studies are not conditional. At the time of submitting the application, all studies required for eligibility must already be recorded in the student register.

Applicants to Master’s degree programmes must also possess documentation demonstrating the required 24 months of relevant work experience.

All required supporting documents must be attached to the application within two (2) days of submitting the application. Applications that lack the required documentation by the specified deadline cannot be considered in the admissions process.

Separate Application Based on Previous Studies

How to Apply

Application guidelines

Application Schedule

Proof of Language Proficiency

Required Health and Functional Capacity in Social Services, Health Care and Sports Programmes

Admission criteria