Athlete-friendly Laurea

Laurea is a top-athlete-friendly university

Laurea University of Applied Sciences has been awarded the quality label of a top-athlete-friendly university by the Finnish Olympic Committee. We offer students who train purposefully flexible and individual study paths that support both an athletic career and a later transition into working life with the strong competencies provided by education.

The Finnish Olympic Committee launched quality work for top-athlete-friendly universities in 2021. The aim is to improve the conditions for elite and professional athletes to complete higher education studies while supporting their development in sport.

How can a top athlete study for a degree?

You can apply for degree studies in the joint application rounds or in separate application rounds. 

Studies are implemented according to a personal learning plan (HOPS). The starting point of the HOPS is always your programme’s curriculum, within which you build your own individual learning path. As a top athlete you may receive flexibility in study schedules, study arrangements and timing of studies.

If studying during a particular semester is not possible, you can register as absent without a separate reason from the start of your second study semester for up to two semesters, i.e. one academic year. The semesters do not need to be consecutive. Voluntary absence periods do not consume your right to study.

If your degree cannot be completed within the period of study right, it is possible to apply for a discretionary extension. The application must present special reasons for the delay and a feasible plan to complete the studies. Granting an extension to the study right requires that graduation within the extension is realistic.

Studying in the Open UAS

In Laurea’s Open University of Applied Sciences you can flexibly develop and complement your skills, aim for degree studies or explore a new field. Studies are open to everyone without prior education or age requirements. The offering includes free and fee-based studies from nearly all of Laurea’s programmes. Open UAS studies can be recognised as part of degree studies and can also be used as a basis for applying to degree studies in a separate application round.

Explore the full range of Laurea’s Open UAS offerings.

Path study places designed for top athletes

The Open UAS AMK path studies provide the opportunity to complete University of Applied Sciences studies before applying as a degree student. AMK path studies mainly consist of the first-year studies of the programme and are carried out in the same group as degree students. The aim is to complete 60 credits, on the basis of which it is possible to apply as a degree student in a separate application round with the Open UAS studies.

Laurea offers path study places especially aimed at top athletes in the programmes listed below.

• Physiotherapy programme, multi-mode (view the curriculum)
• Bachelor of Business Administration programme, online (view the curriculum)
• Bachelor of Social Services programme, online (view the curriculum)
• Degree programme in Information Technology, multi-mode (view the curriculum)

Path students who are top athletes are assigned a teacher tutor familiar with sport and experienced in guiding student athletes, who acts as the primary tutor during the studies.

Path study places, registration and selection schedules, and selection criteria.

Path studies must be completed within one academic year. If you do not complete the 60 credits during the pathway year, you can accumulate the missing credits from the Open UAS offering by paying a new Open UAS study fee. Please note that in that case you cannot continue as a path student with your original group.

Applying to become a degree student based on Open UAS studies

When you have completed at least 60 credits of Open UAS studies in a specific field, you can apply for degree studies in the separate application round based on Open UAS studies. Read about the selection criteria and detailed application instructions for the separate application round.

Path studies for secondary school students

If you are currently studying at upper secondary level — in a general upper secondary school or in vocational secondary education — ask your study counsellor about the possibility of path studies at Laurea. Path studies always require a cooperation agreement between the secondary institution and Laurea.

Path studies (at least 20 credits) are completed during secondary education at Laurea together with degree students. The path study right lasts one semester. Completed path studies are included as part of the secondary level qualification.

Learn more about path studies.

When you have completed the pathway study package at Laurea and graduated from the secondary institution, you can apply to Laurea as a degree student via the separate application round. Read about the selection criteria and detailed application instructions for the separate application round.

Taster courses and free online courses

Taster courses offer the opportunity to get a glimpse of UAS studies and different fields. As a vocational school student or a high school student you can get to know your prospective field through a course and later include the course as part of your degree if you come to study at Laurea.

Explore the taster courses in our online shop.

You can also explore Laurea’s most popular degree programmes with the Open UAS non-stop courses online at your own pace. The courses range from 1 to 5 credits. View the offerings in the online shop.

Incomplete higher education studies – L160 application

If you have an incomplete higher education degree, you can apply in Laurea’s L160 separate application to finish your degree. The L160 model offers 160 credits to those who have started higher education studies and discontinued them, allowing you to complete your degree flexibly according to an individual plan. The studies in your plan can include, for example, online studies, demonstrations of competence or personal projects. If you do not yet have 160 credits, you can complete the missing credits in the Open UAS before applying.

Learn more about the L160 application.

Study planning and guidance

The personal learning plan (HOPS) is your tool for study planning and skills development. Careful planning of it helps you identify the starting points of your studies, monitor the progress of your studies and make choices that promote the development of your skills in the direction you aim for. The HOPS also helps you map the time needed for studying, making it easier to plan the combination of studies and sport.

Your teacher tutor will guide you in HOPS work. Bring up your sporting career at the start of your studies: describe it in the initial orientation survey and in the personal guidance discussion with your teacher tutor. This way you ensure that the planning best supports the smooth progress of your studies.

At Laurea your skills development, professional growth and career planning are supported by regular guidance and feedback. You will receive support for studying, combining studies with competitive and elite sport, study wellbeing and any special needs.

Learn more about Laurea’s practices in the Student Guide.

Urhea cooperation

The Capital Region Sports Academy Urhea is a cooperation network aimed at supporting the daily training, studying and the availability of support services for elite athletes and athletes aiming for the top. In the cooperation network, national federations and clubs are responsible for athlete coaching, and educational institutions for teaching, guidance and organising support services. Laurea is a partner institution and member of Urhea.

Athletes of the sports academy are classified according to the national guidelines of the Olympic Committee

• Athletes supported by the Finnish Olympic Committee; adult national team athletes in team ball sports
• international level for adults and youth
• national level

Laurea’s student athletes can apply for Urhea membership. Laurea is committed to supporting Urhea students in planning and implementing their studies so that the demands of sport (e.g. daily load, competition and training camp calendar, long-term goals) are taken into account in the personal learning plan whenever possible. As a member of the sports academy you can demonstrate to your teacher tutor and teachers that you are an athlete aiming for the top. When you join the Capital Region Sports Academy Urhea or if you are already a member, we receive notification of the start of your Laurea studies via Urhea’s elite sport coordinator.

Benefits of Urhea membership

• use Unisport training facilities located across the capital region free of charge.
• purchase an annual pass to the Urhea hall at an athlete price.
• purchase expert support (e.g. medicine, nutrition) at reduced prices through Urhea’s service company Urhea-sport. If you are an athlete supported by the Olympic Committee or your national federation has an agreement on expert support, you may be eligible to receive expert support free of charge.

Recognition and identification of competence and flexible study paths

At Laurea you have various opportunities to flexibly combine targeted sport and higher education studies. The smooth progression of your studies is supported by, for example:

• opportunities for international exchange and internships
• an individual study timetable
• recognition of competence achieved in higher education studies completed elsewhere (recognition of prior learning)
• recognition and identification of competence gained in sport (demonstration of competence) 
• flexible ways to acquire degree-related competence such as acquiring competence in sport during studies (formalisation of learning) and cross-enrolment opportunities
• alternative practices for training
• thesis topics arising from a sporting career

Recognition and identification of competence

You will receive guidance in identifying and articulating your competence in the Developing expertise study module from your teacher tutor. Support for recognising competence also comes from the programme director and, for example, teachers who receive demonstrations of competence.

Career Services organises workshops related to recognising and articulating competence throughout the year, and you also have the opportunity to receive personal guidance from a Career Services specialist. You can also develop skills for recognising your competence and workplace skills at your own pace with the Building a meaningful career series online course, which consists of three modules: Being a professional in future labour markets (2 credits), Meaningful life, motivating career (1 credit) and Tools for self-leadership (2 credits).

If you wish, you can utilise degree-relevant competence gained elsewhere as part of Laurea studies. Competence is recognised at Laurea through two procedures: Recognition of prior learning is possible on the basis of equivalent higher education studies completed elsewhere. By demonstration of competence you can, on the other hand, prove competence otherwise acquired, e.g. in sport, at work or during leisure.

Flexible ways to acquire competence

By formalising learning you can promote your professional development, speed up the progress of your studies and your graduation. By formalising learning you acquire degree-related competence in a planned way, for example in sport or other suitable work or activity. You can formalise study modules according to Laurea’s curricula or tailor a personal study for which you set your own learning objectives.

In addition, you can acquire degree-related competence in various projects and assignments as well as during international exchange.

You can enroll in studies from other Laurea degree curricula, taking into account any prerequisite requirements and admission criteria. In addition, you can complete studies at another higher education institution through cross-enrolment.

All Bachelor degree programmes include professional internships. If you already have competence that matches the internship objectives, you can apply for recognition of competence either as recognition of prior learning (internship completed in previous higher education studies) or by a demonstration of competence (e.g. competence gained in a sporting career). If performing the internship full-time is not possible, you can spread it out part-time over a longer period. The internship can also be completed partly or entirely abroad.

The task of assessment is to support your professional development in accordance with the learning outcomes of the degree. In a study unit you demonstrate that you have mastered the set objectives by completing the tasks in the implementation plan (for example project work, practice assignments, exams or demonstrations). Inform the responsible teacher of the studies well in advance about how sport affects your studying and possible absences, and agree with the teacher on possible alternative ways of completing the requirements.

The teacher of the studies defines where, on what schedule and how a failed assessment can be retaken. If, despite retake attempts, you do not receive an accepted assessment, you must retake the study unit in a way agreed with the teacher. Mention your previous participation in the study when you begin. An accepted grade can be improved once within six months of the assessment.

Assessment of competence gained outside study units may also target learning outcomes other than those described in Laurea’s curriculum. In such cases you agree with your supervisor on the work-life-relevant learning outcomes to be assessed.