Impactful educational activities 2024
At Laurea, studies are based on the pedagogical policies of Laurea, which can be described as having focus on students and learning, a competence-based approach, connection with the employment sector, guidance and flexibility. Students develop their competencies both in degree programmes and through continuous learning options. Learning is integrated into work and RDI projects, and the key partners act as a natural bridge to employment.
Strengthening the competence-based approach, quality of learning and study efficiency are themes that Laurea’s degree-awarding education focused on during the preceding strategy period. The measures related to developing models for identifying and recognising competence, tutoring support and guidance yielded results, among others. For example, the share of students who graduated within the target time increased from 63% (2020) to 79% (2024). One of the concrete measures that Laurea launched was the L160 model. Approximately 370 students have completed their unfinished higher education degree at Laurea thanks to the L160 model.
Another change project of the strategy period focused on developing education other than degree-awarding education to meet the societal challenge of continuous learning. Laurea Smart, an online store for continuous learning, opened on a single platform in spring 2024. The online store offers courses for developing professional skills and competence for both private and organisational customers. At the end of 2024, the online store had around 200 courses available, and it had over 100,000 visits during the year.
~53,000 Open University of Applied Sciences credits completed at Laurea in 2024.
Laurea also focused on increasing the number and availability of high-quality open digital courses during the previous period. Laurea Smart, an online store for continuous learning, played a key role in this, too. Smart offers a wide range of digital courses from free online courses to broader modules of the open University of Applied Sciences. You can study Laurea’s free online courses of 1–5 credits and smaller micro courses – less than 1 credit – independently and at your own pace on the online learning platform.
The Digivisio 2030 programme of higher education institutions progressed to the beta version of the first service, opin.fi platform, in 2024. Laurea played an active role in the front line of the programme, co-creating and testing the service. Laurea also participated in the development of digital pedagogy education in Digivisio and the work to plan and develop education modules offered together with other higher education institutions.
In 2024, a service channel for cross-study was introduced for studies offered together by several higher education institutions. With the service channel, degree students can browse what other higher education institutions offer and they can register through the Pakki service of their own higher education institution. Laurea also produced a record-breaking result in collaboration between higher education institutions: students from other higher education institutions completed a total of more than 15,500 credits at Laurea.
Laurea carried out AI experiments in which we tested several different AI applications and programmes for different purposes. One of the new AI applications is the ONT bot (thesis project bot), which is designed to support students at different stages of the thesis project. The bot can answer the most common questions related to the thesis process, which makes the guidance process more consistent and lets the thesis supervisors focus on the more demanding guidance cases. Students have given valuable feedback on the ONT bot’s development through user testing. For example, students appreciate that answers are available immediately without the need to search for information in different sources.
In 2024, Laurea’s nursing programme offered a record number of study places to respond to the shortage of experts in the healthcare and social welfare sector, especially in Uusimaa. Thanks to the additional funding granted to higher education institutions, Laurea was able to open 119 new study places in nursing. In addition to the joint application process, Laurea had a separate application process for nursing education in spring 2024, which attracted a large number of applicants. In addition, another separate application period was organised during the year, which was targeted at students with an immigrant background.
Laurea’s new Master’s programmes correspond greatly with the competence needs in the world of work. Laurea launched the first Nordic beauty care Master’s degree programme in English: Development and Management of Cosmetics Expertise. The backdrop to the launch of the new English-language degree programme was the international nature of the cosmetics sector. International business expertise is important in cosmetics companies. The education was available in the joint application process for the first time in autumn 2024, and it was one of the most attractive Master’s degree programmes. Since 2018, Laurea has offered Finland’s only Master's degree programme in the field of beauty care.
Similarly, in the autumn joint application process, applicants were interested in the Master’s degree programme in the management of wellbeing at work in the healthcare and social welfare sector, which aims to respond to the challenges of attraction and retention in the healthcare and social welfare sector. The new programme was designed with a lot of focus on close dialogue with our partners in the healthcare and social welfare sector and with Master’s degree students who work in the field. Wellbeing at work and safeguarding it in the operating environments of the healthcare and social welfare sector are currently a major topic in the world of work.
In 2024, Laurea launched the Managing Digital Transformation in the Health Sector (ManagiDiTH) training, which is an international online Master’s degree. Three higher education institutions have participated in its implementation: ISCTE from Portugal, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki from Greece and Laurea. The education focuses on how to plan and support the digitalisation of healthcare and social welfare services and promote the implementation of new procedures and services supported by ICT. The teachers come from European higher education institutions and the content of the studies is international. This enables a multicultural and interdisciplinary learning environment.
Examples of impactful educational activities in 2024
Laurea received a licence to produce physiotherapy, health promotion and wellbeing services
LaureaLiike aims is to provide clients and communities in the wellbeing area with physiotherapy, health promotion and wellbeing services that support the smooth running of everyday life. The service point is located on Laurea's Otaniemi campus and will start operations in spring 2025. In addition to individual physiotherapy, the service point will serve as a Living Lab learning environment, where cooperation with the university's key partner network, internship opportunities for students, RDI activities and teaching will be carried out.
New study pilot opens nursing students a path in prison health
For the first time, Laurea nursing students had the opportunity to deepen their knowledge in prison health care. The professional study pilot was launched in collaboration with the Health Care Services for Prisoners.
Laurea celebrated 100 years of nursing education and maternity care
In 2024, Laurea celebrated 100 years since the birth of nursing education. Laurea has been providing nurse education since 1991 and is the largest provider of nurse education in Finland. Currently, almost 400 students are studying to become nurses at Laurea.
Career survey: graduates from Laurea are satisfied with their studies and careers
A national career survey shows that Laurea graduates are satisfied with their careers. Of the Laurea alumni who responded to the survey, 85% are satisfied with their career to date and 81% are satisfied with their degree in terms of their career.
Building career and networks – alumni event brought together the international professionals from five UAS’
The first alumni event, organized collaboratively by universities of applied sciences in the Helsinki metropolitan area, gathered about 120 international alumni to network and gain career insights. Read more about the event.
Palliative care graduates celebrated at final seminar
A group of Palliative Care Specialists graduated from Laurea. Through the training, participants strengthened their skills as clinical care or rehabilitation specialists in palliative care client and family-centred service delivery, evidence-based practice and development.