Recognition and validation of prior learning – RAVPL (AHOT)

Recognition and validation of prior learning – RAVPL (AHOT)

The student has a possibility to apply for recognition and validation of prior learning, irrespective of how, where and when the learning has taken place. When recognizing the learning, the student’s skills and knowledge are compared with the learning outcomes described in the curricula of VAMK (see VAMK’s online study guide). Recognition and validation of learning is possible only students who are studying for a degree and have enrolled present.

 

Instructions for student regarding RVPL

What and for who?

This is a process that enables you to receive formal recognition for skills and knowledge you already possess and that have not been previously assessed or awarded credit. As a result there is no need to study again the topic areas that you already know well.

  • RVPL is possible only for attending Bachelor’s or Master’s degree students.
  • RVPL can be applied to both obligatory and optional studies and practical training.

When?

An application can be summited at any time in the study process, but applying in an early phase is helpful in drawing up a personal study plan.

How?

The application should be filled on student desktop (PAKKI) through ERPL service.

Options

1) Credit Transfer

  • The course that is transferred must correspond the contents of a course included in your study programme at VAMK. The student can transfer credits from studies that have been completed in a university, open university ora summer university abroad or in Finland. Studies in VAMK Open University are transferred directly, but credit transfer for studies completed in other universities has to be applied for.
  • The transferred course can be completed before studying at VAMK (usually not more than ten years ago) or while studying at VAMK. As many free choice courses as are included in the current study progamme can be transferred at the most. Having served in the Finnish Defense Forces as an under officer makes it possible to apply for 3 credit units and having served as an officer allows you apply for to 5 credit units in the elective courses. The student can include in optional studies 6 cr for VAMOK board activities as of 2017, 3 cr for tutoring, 1 cr for responsible tutoring and 2 cr for international tutoring.
  • Studies or thesis older than 10 years cannot usually be transferred.
  • Credit transfers are marked as completed elsewhere into the study register.
  • Credit Transfers Included in ISP: When marking  credits in the register, the original evaluation scale and the name of the study attainment is used. This means that the grades or evaluation criteria from the previous courses are noted in the register.
  • Credit Transfers Replacing Mandatory Courses: When marking credits in the register, the grading scale defined in the curriculum of the current program is used.
  • If the student has not studied Swedish or English before, he will take same amount of other studies instead.

2) Demonstration of Skills and Knowledge

  • It is possible to demonstrate skills that have been acquired elsewhere than in your current studies. The knowledge and skills can be acquired for example in working life, free time activities or in secondary education. The teacher of the topic area and the student agree on how the student will demonstrate the acquired skills and knowledge. There are different ways to demonstrate the acquired skills and knowledge including portfolios, written and spoken tasks, problem solving situations etc. The same scale of assessment is used as on the corresponding course. The student can attend the corresponding course if the grade given for the demonstration was not satisfactory. The demonstration can only be done once and the grade cannot be raised.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Credit transfer of studies completed in formal education

Higher education level studies that the student has completed elsewhere can be accepted as part of the student’s degree. Degrees taken at universities and summer universities, folk high schools, study centres or elsewhere, representing higher education entities, can replace studies, in case they as to the degree requirements correspond to the study entities, or their parts, included in the polytechnic degree. The replacing study means that studies completed elsewhere replace the compulsory study unit belonging to the student’s degree.

Also other higher education studies completed elsewhere can be accredited as free-choice studies. The amount of studies that can be transferred cannot exceed the amount of free-choice prescribed in the curriculum.

 

Application procedure and instructions for (ERPL) application on Student Desktop
  • Student shall carefully and completely fill in the application for Credit Transfer on student desktop (PAKKI)
  • The study counsellor takes the decision on the credit transfer based on the written application and a proposal included.
  • The credit transfers are entered into the study records. Status of the application can be seen on eRPL service on student desktop.
  • The student can apply for rectification of the decision from the Board of Examiners within 14 days after having informed of the decision. The claim for rectification is submitted to the study affairs office which will forward it to the Board of Examiners.

Studies completed more than 10 years ago cannot as a rule be transferred. Theses are not transferable either because the purpose of the thesis is to develop and demonstrate the student’s readiness to apply his/her skills and knowledge in an expert job related to the professional studies.

Instructions for ERPL service

Instruction video with subtitles for students (VAMK)

Do the following (student)

Start filling in the application via the EAHOT accreditation button on the student’s desktop (PAKKI). In the view that opens, select “new application”. Eahot is only possible for degree students and filling in the application is prevented by other study rights.

Places of performance

  1. Add the type of place of study to your application: Educational institution, work experience, other. The menu opens behind the “add locations” button.
  2. If the place of study is another higher education institution, select it from the code list found in the drop-down menu. If the information is not found, select “the execution location cannot be found in the menu” and enter it in the text field that opens
  3. Enter the name of the education/work experience in Finnish and English
  4. Write a description if it is a question of accreditation of competence (e.g. work experience).
  5. Add attachments to your application (transcript of records, certificates of employment, etc.)
  6. Save

Add previously acquired studies or competence

  1. Add previously acquired studies: select this if you are applying for credit transfer for studies completed at another higher education institution.  When applying for accreditation through studies, the  study counsellor of the unit is always selected as the handler
  2. Add previously acquired competence: if you are applying for recognition for an individual course on the screen. The application is processed by the teacher in charge of implementation.
  3. Add an exemption from language studies: if you are applying for an exemption from language studies. A study counsellor is selected as the handler.
  4. Select the type of credit transfer you want to apply for: substitution or inclusion:
  • Replacement study attainments are entered in the study register according to the grade scale defined in the curriculum of the course to be replaced, replacing the course shown directly in the PSP.
  • The study attainments to be included are recorded in the study register with the original grade and course name and included in the PSP structure.
  1. If you chose credit transfer on the basis of your studies, add the  original course/study module completed elsewhere in the “previously completed studies” section,  with which you are applying for substitution or inclusion.
  2. Check and add to the application the extent of the original performance, the grade scale, the place of completion and the name of the performance in Finnish and English. In the PSP view that appears on the right, select the study or studies for which you are applying for accreditation
  3. If you chose inclusion as the type of study, select the study module under which you want to place the study, such as elective studies
  4. If you have attached a link to your studies in My Studyinfo in the description or attachment to your application, make sure that the link works
  5. Save the application
  6. The application is sent to the guidance counsellor/teacher via the “send application” button in the upper right corner
  7. You can see the status of the processing on the student’s desktop in your own applications and you will be notified of the decision separately
  8. An incomplete application is always returned to the student to be completed.

Checklist for teachers and study counsellors

  1. First, check that the credit transfer has been applied for with the correct type: Study/ competence/ exemption.  If necessary, transfer the application to another processor for processing.  Description of the different types in the above instruction for the student.
  2. A clearly incomplete application must be returned to the student and communicated at the same time how the application will be supplemented.
  3. In order for the credit transfer to be visible in the student’s PSP, it must be saved with the “credit” button after the decision has been made. When recording the credit, attention should be paid to the following: 1. the extent applied for, 2. the language of the performance, 3. the assessment scale and 4. the name in Finnish &; English is correct and can be found on the application.  If necessary, the information can still be edited behind the “pencil icon” in the save view.
  4. If the credit transfer is partial, an agreement must be made. The functionality is the same as in Peppi’s contract bank (instructions on the SYKE intranet).  The contract can be made in eahot from its own tab, which is the fastest and easiest way when processing takes place in the same view.  The agreement specifies what supplements are required to achieve the total number of credits of the study.

General

If you are applying for credit transfer for several courses (ratio of many to many) with several studies completed elsewhere, remember to save the credit transfer between each course addition to your application. In the above-mentioned case, the guidance counsellor makes one decision, which includes all the credits applied for.   Alternatively, you can apply for each credit transfer separately (course-course), with separate applications, each of which will be subject to a separate decision.

Before filling in the accreditation application, please note that credited studies cannot be removed from your study attainments after a decision has been made.

Credit transfer decisions follow the same rectification procedure guidelines as for courses: vamk.fi/opiskelijalle/opas/opiskelu/arviointiperusteet

Procedures  depending on type of credit transfer

Campusonline studies

Credit transfer must be applied through eRPL service.  Please select study services assistant as a handler to your application: Siru Suominen (Business) or Susan Sunqvist (Technology).

Attach transcript of records to your application, which includes the the following: name of study unit, credits, grade, accomplishment place and your own personal information. Alternatively you can share a link to your study attainments from My studyinfo portal.  Include link to Studyinfo into Word-file and then attach the file into your application.

By default, choose Campusonline studies to be included in free-choice studies in your personal study plan (ISP) structure. If you want to replace a course in your ISP with Campusonline study, please apply for replacement from your School study counsellor.

Please notice that as a rule, student can include curriculum specific amount of optional studies into His/Her degree studies.

From Open UAS study role to degree studies

Studies completed at VAMK will be copied to your degree right, it is not necessary to apply for credit transfer

Replacement of individual course implementation on the basis of prior learning

Discuss with course teacher before applying replacement through eRPL service on student desktop.

Replacement of compulsory study unit in ISP

Study counsellor makes the decision on basis of application made through eRPL service

Studies completed in Student Exchange

  • Choose: “New application”
  • Add Place of performance type: Ulkomainen oppilaitos (foreign institution)
  • Add Place of Performance. Choose “The place of performance cannot be found in the menu” and write the name of the host institution
  • Upload transcript of records of studies completed in VAMK partner school into your application in Place of study performance
  • Add every course /study completed in student exchange on eRPL service in “Add previously completed study”
  • Choose “Inclusion”
  • By default, choose studies to be included in your optional studies in your personal study plan (ISP) structure
  • Choose specialist Hannele Välipakka from International services as a processor/handler to your application
  • Don’t translate the course names in Finnish
  • For grade: write HYV (accepted)
  • International services will check the study attainments and credits on the basis of attachments, after which application is forwarded to study counsellor for processing
  • Study counsellor handles the application

Transfer student

Discuss with study counsellor before making the credit transfer application

Exemption (language studies)

Discuss with study counsellor before submitting an application

 

VAMOK board activities
  • 6cr for VAMOK board activities
Tutoring

The student can include in free-choice studies (1.1.2025.-31.12.2026)

  • 4 ECTS. for student tutoring work
  • 2 ECTS. for responsible tutoring
  • 1 ECTS for tutoring students who commence in spring semester
  • 3 ECTS. for tutoring international exchange students
  • 2 ECTS for advanced tutoring of international exchange students
  • Student ambassador activities, according to tasks and hours ( 1 ECTS = 27 hour work )

Secondary education studies only give the eligibility to apply, credit transfer does not apply to them, since they are not higher education studies, unless they have been provided by the higher education institute.

In case a person that has completed Open UAS studies is granted admission to the degree programme education at a University of Applied Sciences, the studies completed at the Open UAS are accredited for according to the subject content in each degree programme. The credit transfer has to be applied for through ERPL service on student desktop (PAKKI).

Recognition and validation of prior learning – RAVPL

Skills acquired elsewhere than in formal education can develop in context of informal learning (complementary training, short-term training at workplace, training provided by adult education institutes) or everyday learning (work experience, positions of trust, hobbies). The learnt skills and knowledge are in focus. The student has to demonstrate his/her skills so that they can be assessed. Besides written documents, also shown demonstrations can be required of the student. It is recommended that the student gives the demonstrations at an early stage if studies.

The student submits the RVPL application on student desktop and the account to the teacher in charge of the study unit. The teacher will define the demonstrations.

The student will give the required demonstrations within one month and will receive a grade. The grade will be determined according to the scale of grades and assessment criteria of the study unit.  The demonstrations cannot be retaken.