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Transfer student selection (how to apply)

A transfer student is considered to be a student who has a valid right to study at another Finnish higher education institution or at Oamk

  • whose study right is transferred from one higher education institution to another
  • inside the higher education institution from one study field to another
  • inside the higher education institution from one degree programme to another within the same field of study so that the degree title related to the objective degree changes.

When transfer students accept a new study right, they simultaneously lose the study right on which the transfer is based. (Act 257/2015 § 32)

Transfer student selection is based on the degree titles defined in The Government Decree on Polytechnics (1129/2014):

Bachelor's degrees

  • Bachelor of Business Administration 
  • Bachelor of Culture and Arts
  • Bachelor of Engineering
  • Bachelor of Health Care
  • Bachelor of Natural Resources

Master's degrees

  • Master of Business Administration 
  • Master of Culture and Arts
  • Master of Engineering
  • Master of Health Care
  • Master of Natural Resources

When transferring from university to university of applied sciences the nearest possible field is applied, if there is one. 

The admission criteria concerning the transfer students selecting is as follows:

  1. The applicant has a valid right to study in a Finnish higher education institution. When applying to the Bachelor’s degrees in Health and Social Care or Master’s degree in any field of study, applicant’s current study right in the same field of study is required. 
  2. When applying to Master’s degrees applicant must meet the eligibility criteria of the degree programme stated in the latest Rector’s decision.
  3. The applicant’s prior studies, the provision of education at university of applied sciences and valid curriculum enable graduation within the optimal study time.
  4. The applicant has enrolled as present at higher education institution for at least one academic year. There can be an exception in cases where applicant has enrolled as present for one semester and in addition have studied open university studies so that combined number of study credits equals the number of studies of one academic year.
  5. The applicant has accumulated on average at least 55 ECTS credits per academic year.
  6. The applicant passes possible interview/entrance examination required for the degree.
  7. Applicant presents the proof of required language skills (min. B1-B2 in European Framework), if the teaching language of the applied degree programme is different from the one in which applicant has the valid study right. Read more about language requirements.
  8. The resources of the educational department allow the admission of a new student to the degree programme.
  9. Applicants who have accumulated less than 55 ECTS credits per academic year can be taken into consideration for special reasons if the resources of the educational department allow the admission of a new student to the degree programme.
  10. In the field of Health and Social Care the applicants are asked about health factors that might hinder the studies. In addition, an earlier decision of cancelled study right may be an obstacle to the student selection. Applicants are asked on the application form for a previous revocation of their study right due to state of health or endangering the safety of others. (Acts 932/2014 § 26, 537/2017 § 26 ja 1129/2014 § 11.) 
  11. The applicant must meet the above mentioned criteria and deliver related documents by the given deadline.

Transfer students are selected twice a year. The application period for studies starting in the autumn is from 1st to 15th May (or the next working day). Application period for studies starting in the spring is from 1st November to 15th November (or the next working day). The application period ends in the last application day at 3 p.m. Applicants must fill in the online application (Studyinfo-service) which can be found on this website during the application period. 

Required attachments must be attached to the online application:

  • An up-to-date transcript of records (in English and Finnish) 
    The application must be accompanied by an up-to-date transcript of records signed by the higher education institution. Electronically signed documents are also accepted. If you are applying for transfer within Oulu UAS, you don’t have to attach these documents. 
  •  A certificate of records completed but not yet registered in the transcript of records
    Attach possible separate certificates signed by teacher etc. of (partially) completed courses that are not recorded in the study register. Credits completed by the end of the application period will be considered. There is no need to submit a certificate for unfinished courses however please tell about these courses when reasoning your application.
  • A study certificate stating the number of terms the applicant has enrolled as present and absent and a proof of reasons for absence
    The study certificate must be signed by the higher education institution. Electronically signed documents are also accepted. If you are applying for transfer within Oulu UAS, you don’t have to attach a study certificate.  
  • Other possible documentation

The applicant may make changes to the application until the deadline of the application. The student selection will be made based on the confirmed documents available in the end of the application period. 

Applicant applying in transfer student selection to the degree programmes in the field of Health and Social Care, must give the information regarding the state of health that might influence to the decision of student selection as well as information if the previous study right has been cancelled within the week after the application period has ended.   

The application period in autumn 2024 is from 1st of November to 15th of November

The application period ends in the last application day at 3 p.m. when the application together with the appendices must be uploaded to the online database. Additional application period will not be arranged. The online application form is filled out in the Studyinfo-service during the application period.

Study program available during the autumn 2024 application period:

Bachelor of Engineering, Information Technology 
Bachelor of Business Administration, International Business
Bachelor of Health Care, Nursing
Bachelor of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Sustainable Product Development

After the decision concerning transfer right to study has been made, Admission Services will inform the applicants of the decision. The applicants will be informed of the results of the student selection at the latest by 30th June (application period in spring) or by 15th December (application period in autumn). The study place must be confirmed by the given date informed in the notification of the decision. If the applicant does not confirm the study place by the given date, he/she will lose the study place.  

Applicants not satisfied with the results of the student selection process should in the first instance contact the Admission Services (admissions@oamk.fi). 

If the matter is not resolved thus, the applicant may send a written appeal to the Admission Services within 14 days after the results of the student selection have been published. The appeal must be directed to the Rector of Oulu University of Applied Sciences and primarily sent by email to admissions@oamk.fi. Alternatively the appeal can be sent by post to the following address:

Oulu University of Applied SciencesAdmissions ServicesP.O. BOX 405FI-90101 OULU, FINLAND

N.B. The appeal must be signed by the applicant. Oulu University of Applied Sciences takes no responsibility for delays caused by the postal delivery services. 

Transfer student’s study right is based on the previous study right used in the transfer student selection. Enrollment information of the previous study right is used when evaluating the remaining study time to complete the studies. 

When transfer study applicant confirms the new study place, previous study place is automatically cancelled. 

If a student applying for transfer within Oulu UAS so that the degree title remains unchanged, the process is referred to as changing the degree programme instead of transfer. The application and selection proceedings of the transfer student selection are applied also to these applicants.

The rules of the Oamk tuition fee and scholarship system apply to a student who is admitted to Oamk in the transfer student selection. More information on the Oamk’s tuition fees can be found on the Bachelor’s and Master’s pages of the joint application.