Right to Study
As a present student, you are allowed to complete studies and have the right to study grant and meal subsidy.
Time to complete a degree
The optimal times to complete a degree are as follows:
| Bachelor’s degree | Master’s degree |
| 210 credits 3,5 years 240 credits 4,0 years 270 credits 4,5 years | 60 credits 1,0 year 90 credits 1,5 years |
Enrolment for the academic year
Degree students must enroll at the university of applied sciences annually. The enrolment must be completed for the whole academic year (1 August to 31 July). If you do not enroll by the deadline, you will lose your right to study. The processing fee for the application to restore the right to study is 50 euros.
If you are registered as attending, you must pay the student health care fee (FSHS).
If you enroll as absent, please note
- the implementation of the studies, the curricula and the starting dates of the new study groups can change during your absence
- absence can have an effect on the student loan compensation. More information on Kela’s website.
Enroll for the first academic year by the deadline of accepting the study place.
Absence during the first academic year is possible only due to
- compulsory military service, non-military service, women’s voluntary military service
- parental leave to take care of their child (birth or adoption), or
- illness or injury.
The prerequisite for absence is that you submit a document for the statutory reason for your absence:
- Enlistment order or a valid service certificate,
- Kela’s certificate for the period of pregnancy or parental allowance or, if there is no certificate yet, a doctor’s certificate for pregnancy. Corresponding certificates from the authorities of other countries are also accepted.
- Sickness allowance decision or, if there is none, a medical certificate. The medical certificate must state that the illness or disability in question prevents the start of the studies. The student’s own statement is not sufficient.
You must deliver the certificate of absence by secured e-mail to the Admission Services by the deadline of accepting the study place. Documents must be submitted in Finnish, Swedish or English. If you do not submit the documents by the deadline or if they are incomplete, you will be registered as an attending student.
If you enroll as absent for the first academic year due to illness or injury, it will consume your two-semester-right of absence. Absence due to military service, non-military service, women’s voluntary military service, pregnancy or parental leave is possible at any stage of the studies, and it does not consume the right to absence for two semesters.
If you want to change the enrolment information during the academic year, you must use the Application for Change in Enrolment for Presence/Absence. The application must be submitted by 15 September for the autumn term and by 15 January for the spring term, at the latest. If you want to change your spring semester attendance to absence on the grounds of illness or injury, it is possible only if you have been absent in the autumn semester and the same illness or injury continues in the spring semester as well.
You must use secure email if you are sending your certificate of absence by email:
- Register your e-mail address to the service https://securemail.oulu.fi/
- You will receive an email titled: ”Turvaposti Oulun Yliopisto”. The email includes a personal link to register to the service.
- In the “To” -field, please write jokot.oamk@oulu.fi and to the “Subject” -field, please write: Certificate of Absence.
- Attach your copies of certificate(s) to your email.
- Send your confidential email through this service.
Please, enroll between 1 March to 31 May by using Peppi (Studies -> Presence enrolment). You can change your enrolment for absence/presence during the enrolment period, if necessary. If you cannot enroll through Peppi, please enroll by filling out the form for Enrolment of a Student Continuing Their Studies.
You can enroll as absent for two terms for any reason without a certificate. Authenticated absence due to
- compulsory military service, non-military service, women’s voluntary military service or
- parental leave to take care of their child (birth or adoption)
will not be deducted from the total time of absence, i.e. two terms.
Approved certificates are
- enlistment order or a valid service certificate,
- Kela’s certificate for the period of pregnancy or parental allowance or, if there is no certificate yet, a doctor’s certificate for pregnancy. Corresponding certificates from the authorities of other countries are also accepted.
Deliver the certificate by 15 September (autumn term) / 15 January (spring term) using your student email to Academic Affairs (study.oamk@oulu.fi) or visit Academic Affairs at Linnanmaa or Kontinkangas Campus.
If you want to change the enrolment after 31 May, you must use the Application for Change in Enrolment for Presence/Absence. The application must be submitted by 15 September for the autumn term and by 15 January for the spring term, at the latest.
Students approved before spring 2015 can enroll as absent for a total of two academic years. All absences are deducted from the right of absence.
Tuition Fees and Scholarships
Tuition fee is charged from the non-EU/EEA/Switzerland students studying in the English degree programmes who do not hold the Finnish residence permit that gives the exemption from the tuition fees.
Restoring the right to study
If a degree student does not enroll by the deadline, they will lose their right to study.
The right to study can be restored starting, at the earliest, from the month of the application. There is a charge of 50 euros for processing of the application (Decree 1461/2015 section 3). The paid application processing fees will not be refunded. The application must be returned to the Academic Affairs. Applications are not processed during July.
If your application for the restoration of your study right was not approved, you can submit a request for rectification in writing to the rector of the university of applied sciences within 14 days of being notified of the decision regarding the forfeited right to study. The request for rectification must be returned to the Academic Affairs.
Extension period
Time to complete a degree includes the optimal completion time of the degree and one extra year. The degree student must apply for an extension period before their right to study expires, for example degree programme in 240 credits before the fifth academic year will expire.
Check from Peppi that your time to complete a degree is about to end before you apply for the extension period. The extension period will be applied
- from beginning of week 18 if your time to complete a degree ends on 31.7.
- from beginning of week 46 if your time to complete a degree ends on 31.12.
The prerequisite for granting the extension period concerning bachelor’s degree is that maximum 60 credits are lacking from the degree. If there is a strong argument the lacking can be more than 60 credits.
The extension period will be considered if the delay in studies is due to the following:
- own or near relative’s illness
- learning difficulty
- responsible duty in society
- delay in receiving the residence permit in the first academic year
- difficulty to fit the international study period or practical training exchange in studies in Oamk
- systematic preparing for top sport
- difficult situation in life or
- other justified reason.
In granting the extension period the following will be taken into account: the amount of credits during the last academic year, the amount of fluently advancing study terms and use of study counseling to support the progress of study.
If a degree programme student has been accepted in the spring 2015 or later, their delay in studies due to part-time study during
- military service, non-military service, women’s voluntary military service or
- parental leave to take care of their child (birth or adoption)
will be taken into account too. In that case a student has enrolled as present and they have not used their right to be absent.
A student attaches the target-oriented and realizable personal study plan to the application for extension period in order to complete studies. A student discusses their personal study plan with the head of studies or a study counsellor. A student and one of above accept the personal study plan.
There is a fee of 50 euros for the processing of the application for extension period (Decree 1461/2015 section 3). This is paid via a Paytrail payment when filling in the application. The payment is required for the processing of the application to proceed. Paid application processing payments will not be refunded.
The student will receive the extension period decision by student email.
The extension period is maximum a year in the education leading to a degree. The counselling contact and the timetable for the control of the progress of studies is specified for a student who has granted the extension period. A student who has been granted an extension period is not allowed to enrol as absent.
Loss of Right to Study and Rectification of the Decision
If you have not completed your degree studies during the optimal time plus the extra year, within the discretionary extension period or if you have not been granted extension, you will lose your right to study. In these cases, you will be registered as resigned and will receive a resignation certificate.
You can submit a request for rectification in writing to the rector of the university of applied sciences within 14 days of being notified of the decision regarding the forfeited right to study.
In order to continue these studies later, you must apply for a study right based on previous UAS degree studies in Finland or take part in the joint application to higher education.
Resignation from Oamk
Fill in and sign the Resignation Announcement and then return it to the Academic Affairs. You are considered as resigned from the date you have submitted a dated and signed resignation announcement to the Academic Affairs. You will receive a resignation certificate.
To be able to continue studies after resignation, you must be admitted through the standard selection process. According to the statute institutes of higher education must reserve a part of study places for new students in the joint application procedure. To the so-called quota of new students do not belong those who have accepted the study place which leads to a higher education degree in the joint application system of the autumn 2014 or after that. More information about the student selection process can be requested from the Admission Services (admissions@oamk.fi).
Resignation influences your study grant and student loans later. Further information at Kela’s website.