Open University Of Applied Science

You can read more about Xamk Pulse through the following links:

Xamk Pulse Open University of Applied Sciences

• Course calendar
• Would you like to study at Xamk Pulse?
• Information on enrolment, prices, and studies
• From open path to degree studies
• Professional specialist training and diplomas of higher education (in Finnish)
• Individual expertise routes (in Finnish)
• UAS route studies for vocational students (in Finnish)

Xamk Pulse continuing education

• Continuing education selection (in Finnish)

Contact details

Pulse staff and contact details (in Finnish)

There is no application procedure for Xamk Pulse’s open UAS studies. This means that anyone can enrol for our courses and start studying. You can enrol for a course through our course calendar by clicking the “Enrol” button in the course description.

Some courses may require prior degrees or competence. If a course contains such requirements, these are mentioned in the course description.

In open path studies beginning in 2025, student selection is based on the number of points received from a motivation course.

You can find the entire Xamk Pulse selection from our course calendar at https://koulutuskalenteri.xamk.fi/en/openstudies/. The course description pages contain an “Enrol” button that you can click to access the enrolment form and fill in your personal information. If the form asks for attachments, please combine them into a single file before uploading them.

If the course’s student places are full, you will be put on a waiting list. You will receive an email if any student places become available. The email will contain a link to confirm your student place, which you must do within 24 hours.

You can usually enrol for our courses right after they have been published in the course calendar. For open path studies, however, enrolment is open twice a year. For open path studies beginning in August, the enrolment is open from July to August, and for those beginning in January, the enrolment is open during November.

The enrolment for studies is binding. You can find cancellation terms in each course’s description.

Cancellation of Open UAS studies

Enrolment for Open UAS studies is binding, and the course fee will not be refunded. You can still cancel your enrolment even though the fee will not be refunded. If you will not be starting your studies, please let us know as soon as possible so we can remove you from the course. This way, there will not be a record of incomplete studies in your data.

The student place you receive cannot be changed or transferred to a different course or time. Example: You have received a student place for a professional specialist training course but are on a waiting list for another professional specialist training course. If a student place for the latter becomes available, you can accept it, but you cannot cancel/change the student place you first received to the one that just became available. This means that you will be charged fees for both courses.

If a student discontinues their open path studies, diploma of higher education, or professional specialist training, they will be charged the fee for the current semester. The fees for the semesters following the discontinuation will be cancelled if the student notifies Pulse of the discontinuation before the end of the semester (by 31 July/31 December).

If the student falls ill before starting their studies and thus cannot start, the fee may be refunded upon consideration on a case-by-case basis based on a medical certificate. The refund will be paid approximately within a month of the student’s notification.

Cancellation of continuing education

You can cancel your enrolment free of charge by email up to 30 days before the beginning of the studies. If the studies have already started and the cancellation has not been made in time, we will charge you the entire fee.

You must always notify us in writing of any cancellation or discontinuation at avoinamk@xamk.fi. We do not accept cancellations and discontinuations made by phone.

You can filter search results in our course calendar by the level or type of studies, education sector, or by selecting a keyword.

If your aim is to pursue a degree, it is important to complete studies of the same level at the Open UAS so that they can be accredited for your bachelor’s or master’s degree. The course description will show you which degree the course can primarily be accredited for.

If your aim is to update or develop your competence, the level of studies does not matter, so you can choose studies that best suit your interests.

New students’ usernames and passwords are generated in our system after their enrolment data is uploaded to the Peppi system. This is done approximately a week before the course begins. Before your studies begin, we will send you an invitation email with instructions on how to activate your username. You cannot get a username before this.

If you have previously studied at Xamk or Xamk Pulse, your previous username will remain and be activated once you start your studies.

If you have forgotten your username or password, please log in to our Identity Service using your online bank identifiers or mobile certificate at https://id.xamk.fi/.

One ECTS credit (1 ECTS cr) represents 27 hours of student work. A course of 5 ECTS credits corresponds to approximately 135 hours of student work, or 17 working days. However, the time spent on studies varies greatly from student to student, and is influenced by, among other things, the student’s previous work and study experience, as well as how much the student wants to invest in their studies.

Full-time degree students complete approximately 30 ECTS credits per semester, or 60 ECTS credits per academic year.

Flexibility: You can study at your own pace and balance your studies with work or other responsibilities.

Acquiring new competence: With our studies, you can develop your competence and learn new skills.

Networking: Studying at Xamk Pulse gives you an opportunity to get to know new people and create networks with professionals in different fields.

Accelerating your studies: You can complete Open UAS studies and later have them accredited in your degree studies.

Skills without a degree: You don’t always need a new degree; there are other ways of developing your competence, such as professional specialist training, diplomas of higher education, and continuing education aimed at professionals.

Try before you decide: Xamk Pulse studies allow you to learn about different fields and degrees before applying to become a degree student at Xamk. Xamk Pulse offers, for example, free Find Your Thing! studies that can help you make up your mind about your future career choices. Find Your Thing! studies can also be accredited as part of a bachelor’s degree.

First-time applicants: Open UAS studies will not disqualify you from the quota for first-time applicants in the joint application to Finnish higher education institutions. Open path studies provide non-first-time applicants with better possibilities of receiving a degree student place at Xamk.

The pricing for Open UAS studies is based on a Government Decree. The fees are as follows:

Individual Open UAS courses, professional specialist training, and diplomas of higher education: EUR 15–25–45 per ECTS credit.

Open path studies: EUR 230 per semester (bachelor’s degree paths) or EUR 250 per semester (master’s degree paths).

Open UAS studies are free of charge for attending upper secondary students (general upper secondary school and vocational school; initial vocational qualification, further vocational qualification, specialist vocational qualification, and folk high school), excluding professional specialist training and diplomas of higher education.

Students graduating from Xamk with a bachelor’s or master’s degree are granted a free two-year study right for Open UAS studies, excluding professional specialist training and diplomas of higher education.

We also offer studies that are free of charge for everyone. You can find these studies in our course calendar by selecting the keyword “Free of charge”.

Continuing education studies are priced individually. For more information, see the course descriptions in the course calendar.

For more information on pricing and invoicing, see this link.

Xamk Pulse’s studies offer flexible opportunities for studying alongside work. Our studies are mainly online studies that you can complete regardless of time and place.

Our course selection is extensive, so you can easily find and choose studies that fit your schedule. For example, with our nonstop start courses, you can begin your studies within a week of enrolment.

Even our more extensive programmes, such as professional specialist training and diplomas of higher education, are designed to be completed alongside work.

The scope and workload of studies are measured in ECTS credits. One ECTS credit is equivalent to approximately 27 hours of student work. The actual workload may vary due to, for example, the student’s previous studies, work history, or general study skills.

By completing at least 50 ECTS credits of studies included in a bachelor’s degree or 15/30 ECTS credits of studies included in a master’s degree, you gain eligibility to apply to become a degree student at Xamk on the basis of the Open UAS studies you completed. The completed studies must mainly be first-year studies of the degree. The best way to complete the required number of ECTS credits is through open path studies. For some degrees, a sufficient number of first-year studies is also available as single courses.

Attending upper secondary students gain eligibility to apply to become degree students at Xamk by completing field-specific UAS route studies.

The studies they complete do not automatically guarantee them a degree student place, but they can apply through the separate application procedure twice a year.

The studies you complete at the Open UAS are registered in Xamk’s information system Peppi. When you apply for accreditation (credit transfer) for your degree, Peppi’s transcript of study records will prove the studies you completed. Please note that at Xamk, only bachelor’s degree studies can be accredited for bachelor’s degrees and master’s degree/Master School studies for master’s degrees.

You cannot complete individual Open UAS courses through credit transfer based on your previous studies. Credit transfer becomes possible only if you receive a student place as a degree student at Xamk.

Teachers record course assessments in the Peppi information system within a month from the course’s end date. In nonstop start courses, the teacher notifies students of the assessment dates in the course’s Learn platform.

You will automatically receive a transcript of study records of the Open UAS studies you complete in your email approximately a week after the completion has been registered. Your completed courses will also be visible in the My Studyinfo service after a small delay.

Xamk Pulse students can also generate an electronically signed transcript of study records themselves in the Peppi system (under “Orders”).

If you are studying at another university of applied sciences or through CampusOnline, click here to read instructions on transferring your course completion data to your own higher education institution.

In continuing education, students usually receive a certificate of completion, and a transcript of study records may also be attached. For more information about transcripts of study records, see this link.

In open path studies, the student completes at least 15, 30, or 50 ECTS credits (6 to 18 months) of studies included in a specific bachelor’s or master’s degree. Once the student has completed the required number of studies, they become eligible to apply to become a degree student at Xamk. This separate application procedure is an alternative way to become a degree student in addition to the joint application procedure. Anyone aiming to become a degree student at Xamk can enrol for open path studies. Some paths may have prior requirements, which are mentioned in their descriptions.

Anyone can complete UAS route studies, but only those studying at a vocational school can become eligible to apply to become degree students at Xamk after completing these studies. In UAS route studies, the student completes 20 ECTS credits of predetermined studies included in a specific bachelor’s degree at the same time as their initial qualification studies; for example, a student studying to become a practical nurse in vocational upper secondary education and training might, at the same time, complete studies included in the Degree Programme in Nursing at Xamk. After completing the studies, the student can apply to become a degree student at Xamk in the degree programme in which their UAS route studies were included. We recommend discussing UAS route studies with your study and careers adviser before enrolling. This way, you can also find out how UAS route studies can be included in your degree at your vocational school.

Open UAS studies always award ECTS credits and are priced according to a Government Decree. At Xamk Pulse, Open UAS studies include:

• individual courses between 2 and 5 ECTS credits
• UAS route studies, 20 ECTS credits
• professional specialist training, 30 ECTS credits
• open path studies, 15 to 60 ECTS credits
• diplomas of higher education, 60 ECTS credits
• individual expertise routes of various scopes depending on the student’s own choices

Forms of continuing education include:

• webinars
• professional specialisation programmes
• continuing education at a market-based price

The Xinfo helpdesk service is responsible for the functionality of Xamk’s systems.