Application
Separate application based on Open University of Applied Sciences studies
You can apply to Laurea University of Applied Sciences as an AMK (Bachelor degree programme) or YAMK (Master’s) degree student also on the basis of studies completed in the Open University of Applied Sciences.
Bachelor degree programme
This separate application is intended for applicants who, on the basis of studies completed in the Open University of Applied Sciences, are applying for degree-leading education.
Applications are made using Laurea’s Open UAS separate application form in the Opintopolku.fi system. You may apply to only one option in this application. The application form is open during the application period. Application options can be found both on Opintopolku and on the application form during the application period by the name of the programme.
Schedule for the spring 2026 separate application
Application period
18 May 2026 at 8:00 – 22 May 2026 at 15:00
Submitting attachments for the application
Submit attachments to your application on Opintopolku by 29 May 2026 at 15:00.
Selection interview
Invitations to the selection interview will be sent before the interview. Interviews will be conducted by 10 June 2026. Laurea’s on-campus pathway students will not be interviewed.
Selection results
Selection results will be published by 30 June 2026 at the latest.
Accepting the place
Accept the place on Opintopolku by 9 July 2026 at 15:00.
Frequently asked questions
Who can apply in the separate application based on Open UAS studies?
You can apply if you have completed either:
- at least 60 ECTS credits of Open UAS studies in the same field, or
- a secondary level qualification and, during it, at least 20 ECTS of Laurea’s Open UAS pathway studies based on a cooperation agreement.
In addition, the studies must be suitable for the degree applied for and sufficiently recent.
What are pathway studies in the Open UAS?
Pathway studies are Open UAS studies designed to support the transition to degree study.
How old can the studies be?
- the studies must have been completed no more than three years ago
- For the spring 2026 application, studies completed after 22 May 2023 are accepted.
Can I apply if some of my studies have been credited?
Credits transferred are generally not taken into account.
Exception:
If the credit transfer was made on the basis of an Open UAS completion, the original Open UAS completion may be counted towards the required number of credits, provided the other criteria are met.
Do I need to attach an academic transcript to the application?
It depends on where you completed your studies:
- Open UAS studies completed at Laurea: You do not need an academic transcript. Records will be checked directly from Laurea’s student information system.
- Open UAS studies completed elsewhere than Laurea: You must attach an official academic transcript to your application within the application period.
What kind of academic transcript is accepted?
The transcript must:
- be official
- include a handwritten signature and stamp or a verifiable electronic signature
- be attached in file format pdf, jpeg, png or gif
- Open UAS studies completed at Laurea: You do not need an academic transcript. Records will be checked directly from Laurea’s student information system.
How are students selected in the separate application?
Selection is based on an overall assessment, which takes into account, among other things:
- whether there is space in the group
- progress in studies and academic performance
- suitability for the field
- language skills
- study skills and attitude
- ability to complete the degree within the target time
Unfortunately, not all applicants can be offered a study place.
Do Laurea’s Open UAS pathway students get priority?
Yes. If at the time of application you are an active Laurea Open UAS pathway student and meet the other selection criteria, you will have priority in student selection.
Is a selection interview arranged?
No separate selection interview is arranged for Laurea’s own active pathway students.
Some applicants are invited to a selection interview:
- Interview invitations are sent by email.
- Interviews are conducted via Teams video connection.
What additional requirements are there for the social and health care field?
When applying to the social and health care field:
- academic performance should correspond on average to at least grade 3
- Nursing and Social Services applicants are required to have at least B1-level Finnish language skills
- the applicant’s health and functional capacity must be suitable for practical tasks and placements.
- Required health and functional capacity for the programme
What does conditional selection mean?
You may be conditionally selected for the programme. The most common reasons for conditional selection:
- you have fewer than 60 ECTS credits
- a pathway student does not have their secondary education qualification completed
The condition will be removed if the required Open UAS studies are completed by 31 July in the spring application or by 31 December in the autumn application, or if the other reason for the conditionality has been removed.
How do I accept the study place?
You will be informed of the study place when the selection results are published. Accept the place through Your Opintopolku by the given deadline.
How do I enrol for the semester/year?
Enrol for the semester/year in Opintopolku at the same time you accept the place.
Exception:
If you were selected conditionally, you can enrol for the semester/year only after your conditionality has been removed. You will receive enrolment instructions from Admissions after the conditionality has been removed.
YAMK degree
Laurea has two separate application procedures for those who have completed YAMK-level Open UAS or Open University studies.
Applications are made using Laurea’s Open UAS separate application form on the Opintopolku.fi website. The application form is open during the application period. You may select one application option on the form. Application options can be found both on Opintopolku and on the form during the application period.
Which separate application is for me?
Laurea has two separate application tracks for those who have completed YAMK-level Open UAS or Open University studies:
- If you have completed individual Open higher education studies of 30 ECTS or pathway studies elsewhere than Laurea, you can apply to Laurea in the separate application held twice a year.
- If you are a Laurea Open UAS pathway student and have completed 30 ECTS, your application belongs to the flexible YAMK separate application.
General eligibility for YAMK degree
In addition to appropriate studies, an applicant must have general eligibility for a YAMK degree:
In addition to specific eligibility, the applicant must have completed a suitable higher education degree and have two years of work experience in the field after completing the degree. The relevant field is considered both the field applied for and the field of the completed higher education degree. The required work experience must have been accumulated by the time the separate application is submitted. Laurea University of Applied Sciences also accepts as work experience the two years of work experience obtained in Finland after completing a post-secondary or vocational higher education qualification and before the higher education degree, provided the work is in the field being applied for.
Entrepreneurship is accepted as work experience if there is proof that the applicant is or has been covered by YEL or MYEL insurance. (YEL = entrepreneurs’ pension insurance, MYEL = pension insurance for farmers, forest smallholders, fishers and reindeer herders and their family members). Foreign entrepreneurship is proven with equivalent official documents.
Work experience is reported in full months. The applicant must convert part-time working hours (less than 35 hours/week) to full-time so that 150 hours or 20 days of at least 7 hours equals one month. Work experience does not need to be continuous nor acquired from the same employer. Parallel employments can count as work experience only up to an amount equal to full-time work. Work experience is checked from copies of employment certificates, which applicants must submit to Admissions by the time of application submission.
Military service, voluntary female military service, civilian service or parental leave is not counted as work experience.
Information on the completed higher education degree is obtained directly from the applicant’s study records. To demonstrate eligibility with a post-secondary diploma, the applicant must upload an attachment of the degree certificate on the application or deliver it to Laurea University of Applied Sciences Admissions when submitting the application so that the application can be processed.
To demonstrate eligibility with a degree completed outside Finland, the applicant must upload a copy of the degree certificate on the application or deliver it to Laurea University of Applied Sciences Admissions by the time of application submission. If the certificate is issued in a language other than Finnish, Swedish or English, the applicant must provide a copy of an official translation into Finnish, Swedish or English made by an authorized translator to Laurea University of Applied Sciences Admissions. Copies must be received by Admissions by the time of application submission.
If the applicant is a refugee or in a comparable position and cannot prove their degree with documents, the university may invite the applicant to the entrance examination or take into account a preliminary task delivered by the applicant by the given deadline. The applicant must have an official decision confirming their refugee status (asylum decision or residence permit on grounds of protection). The applicant must deliver a copy of that decision to Laurea University of Applied Sciences Admissions by the time of application submission.
Separate application for those who have completed YAMK-level Open higher education studies
Who is the twice-yearly separate application for applicants who have completed Open higher education studies?
The separate application held in spring and autumn is aimed at applicants who apply for degree programmes on the basis of Open higher education studies. Eligibility is provided by studies at the level of a higher academic degree (EQF7) that have been completed in one of the following:
- Laurea’s Open University of Applied Sciences
- Open UAS at other universities of applied sciences
- Open University
At least 30 ECTS credits must have been completed and the studies must be registered in the student register by the final attachments submission date. The studies must be appropriate for the degree applied for. The ageing of studies is subject to the practice laid down in section 25 of Laurea’s degree regulations.
In addition, the applicant must have general eligibility for applying to a YAMK degree: a previously completed suitable higher education degree and two years of work experience after completing the degree. Work experience must have been accumulated by the final attachments submission date.
The application must include a copy of the official academic transcript, identity document, work certificates and possibly a motivation letter.
Schedule for the spring 2026 separate application
Application period
18 May 2026 at 8:00 – 22 May 2026 at 15:00
Submitting attachments for the application
Submit attachments to your application on Opintopolku by 29 May 2026 at 15:00.
Selection interview
Invitations to the selection interview will be sent before the interview. Interviews will be conducted by 10 June 2026.
Selection results
Selection results will be published by 30 June 2026 at the latest.
Accepting the place
Accept the place on Opintopolku by 9 July 2026 at 15:00.
Selection criteria
Selection decisions are made according to the criteria below:
- You have progressed in your studies with good academic performance. Academic performance here means, in addition to success in study completions, suitability for the field, language skills, attitude towards studying and study skills.
- Your completed studies are applicable and transferable to the degree being applied for according to Laurea’s curriculum.
- There is space in the group appropriate to the stage of your studies.
- If the studies were completed elsewhere than Laurea’s Open University of Applied Sciences, the application must also include a motivation letter. The motivation letter is used to assess the applicant’s motivation and commitment to completing a higher university of applied sciences degree at Laurea. The motivation letter is evaluated as pass/fail.
Based on the above selection criteria, applicants are invited to a selection interview. Interview invitations are sent by email and interviews are arranged via Teams video.
If there are more applicants than can be admitted, applicants are ranked based on academic performance.
Laurea University of Applied Sciences’ YAMK pathway student’s separate application to degree programmes
Are you a Laurea University of Applied Sciences pathway student?
You can flexibly apply from the pathway to a degree through a separate application when you have completed at least 30 ECTS of Master’s (YAMK) level studies and have fulfilled the minimum two years’ work experience requirement required for YAMK degrees. The separate application is continuous and you can apply to become a degree student as soon as the above eligibility requirements are met.
Decisions on student selection are made based on completed studies and an interview. Academic performance is also assessed as a selection criterion. Academic performance means, in addition to success in study records, suitability for the field, language skills, attitude and study skills. The selection interview assesses the applicant’s motivation for the programme as well as readiness and ability for YAMK studies. The selection interview is evaluated as pass/fail.
Applicants are asked to attach a copy of their degree certificate, identity document and work certificates to the application.
Note! If you are granted degree study rights during the year, the Open UAS annual fee (€400) will not be refunded in any part, because it grants study rights for a year. Even if you do not use your study rights, this does not entitle you to a partial refund of the fee.